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Amber Dhara
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
45 reviews for Amber Dhara
Review Highlights
45 reviews in English
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Review from Matt V.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/22/2012
I'll be honest; I'm completely shocked that Yelp feels Amber Dhara deserves no more than an average of three stars. From reading other reviews, it seems like the chief objections are: 1. This place isn't Amber India/Junnoon!, and 2. The price is high.
To the first point, of course it's not Amber India or Junnoon (the restaurant that was previously in this space), and if you try to compare it to something it's not, it will always fail to meet your expectations. It's not another establishment, so what is it? Well, if you take it for what it is, it's a wonderful, modern Indian restaurant with a fusion menu that's just excellent all around.
To the second point (about prices), I'm not sure where this is coming from. I came in during happy hour, and ordered not one but two dishes (the venison seekh kabob and the fried okra and taro root). What do you suppose it cost me? All of $12! For the wonderful quality of food that Amber Dhara offers, $12 for two dishes ($6/dish) is absolutely a steal!
Having debunked the objections that others have to Amber Dhara, let's go ahead and give this restaurant a full review...
When you walk into Amber Dhara, you will be amazed by the stunning, modern ambiance of the restaurant. Modern art hangs from the walls (my favorite is near the bathroom, where they had four modern art paintings of the Buddha; it almost had a feel of what would happen if Andy Warhol met Zen). Long, flowing curtains hang from the windows. Butterflies hang from the ceiling, catching the glow of the lamps that light the restaurant. Posh, modern furniture is available in the lounge area. Everything about the restaurant looks and feels exquisite.
Service is very friendly. I sat at the bar, and both the bartender (who, it turns out, was just filling in today and usually waits tables) and the office manager were very friendly to me, and were happy to make conversation. It had a wonderful feel to it.
I ordered the venison seekh kebab, and then asked for a recommendation from the bartender among the naan with roasted cashews, one of the chats (I forget which), or the fried okra and taro root. Without even hesitating, she immediately and emphatically exclaimed "The okra! Hands down!" She said it's one of the best things on the menu.
Boy was she right. It was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, which gave it a wonderful sweetness to balance the spiciness of the rest of the dish. So very flavorful, just excellent all around. I found it especially to be good with the mint chutney that they bring out with every dish.
The venison kebab was also excellent. It was tender and juicy, and had a great flavor to it. It came with a side salad, and the tamarind sauce that they bring out with every dish really added to the flavor of the salad.
Overall, this was an extraordinary five-star experience, especially when you consider that I only paid $12 for this entire extraordinary meal and exquisite experience. I will definitely be returning.Listed in: Massively Underrated!, Top Happy Hour Spots
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Review from Steven F.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Most expensive indian food ever.... and very small portions.
The restaurant itself is very nice and probably the most upscale looking indian restaurant i've ever seen.
I remember everything tasting pretty decent. But the indians we were with didn't care for it too much.
I'd go back. But probably only when i'm not picking up the tab. -
Review from Alisha T.
2/19/2012
As an Indian, I would NOT recommend this place.
The food was very bland, which made the $$$ price tag just not worth it. This Amber is not comparable with the Santana Row, Mountain View, or SF locations.
The Chicken Tikka Starter was fine.
Of the other dishes we ordered, I unfortunately can't say I'd recommend anything else:
Papdi Chaat -- Hardly papdi chaat, as there there were only two papdi's on the plate!
Banjara Lamb Curry -- the curry was bland because the spices were uncooked
"Deconstructed" Butter Chicken -- Too bland. Too sweet.
Naan -- Just okay. Not fluffy, as it should be!
Five Spice Chocolate Cake -- More like a spicy cold brownie. We were told it would be a warm gooey cake. It arrived cold. We asked if it was supposed to be that way based on our server's comments, and we were told off: "well that's how we serve it here."
Nice decor.
Service was good except for that off-hand comment about the cake.
Also, there were TONS of little kids at this restaurant. If you're hoping to bring your family here for a nice meal, you'll be in good company. On the other hand, if you're looking for a quieter romantic meal, look somewhere else on weekends. -
Review from Tony F.
Palo Alto, CA
5/25/2012
This review is strictly for the lunch thali, I really liked it. $10.99 for an all-you-can-eat gourmet lunch. Very nice service. I can't speak about the dinner menu which is obviously much more expensive. But I don't understand the hostility, this is solid food and it stays busy -- unlike many places in Palo Alto. Also, people need to remember that Indian food in general is overpriced at night. It's not comparable to the deals you'll get at lunch time. So if you want Indian food for dinner, keep that in mind. Until I have a bad experience at this place, I'm keeping my review at 4 stars.
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Review from Gabriel C.
Redwood City, CA
3/11/2012
One of the best Indian places I've eaten in - and there were many throughout US (I am not Indian though).
Their weekend brunch (2012) is amazing - innovative dishes and awesome versions of Indian desserts. On weekdays they have Thali (refillable) instead which is also good. Their sanitary facilities could use a renovation but they are fine otherwise - they are probably shared with another place. The staff is quite friendly and helpful. -
Review from Danielle L.
San Mateo, CA
12/22/2011
The food tasted like it had been taken out of the refrigerator, tossed in the microwave and not tested before it came out. It was cold. Really cold. I had to ask for the rice to be taken back, and the eggplant dish. Made for an unpleasant eating experience.
There was not much flavor, especially for an "Indian" restaurant. I know they are fusion, but fusion with what? Bland food, hard -cold- rice, and prices above what I would ever pay for their food.
Sorry, won't be back. One extra star for the nice waiter though. -
Review from Rahul B.
Menlo Park, CA
12/13/2011
Many previous posts have compared Amber Dhara with Junoon, the Indian restaurant that used to occupy this corner of downtown before Amber Dhara came along. They have kept the high prices of Junoon and most of the furniture but in no other aspect are these establishments comparable.
The wait staff was completely confused. When we came in, they panicked and five different people struggled to seat the two of us in a mostly empty restaurant. Various people visited us at our table to ask us if we wanted drinks. Finally, our waiter showed up. He was very attentive -- he asked us if we needed anything every minute for the half an hour that we were there. It must have been his first day on the job.
We had the butter chicken and a paneer dish. The food was pretty miserable. The frozen Indian food aisle at Safeway would win out in a taste test any day.
The antics of the wait staff in trying to coordinate refilling water glasses and setting tables was amusing, reminiscent of a Charlie Chaplin film.
I suppose if every other restaurant in a twenty-seven mile radius burned down and Safeway was closed, I might visit again. Until then, I'm staying away. -
Review from Whitney G.
Palo Alto, CA
12/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My husband and I came here on a Saturday for lunch, and we were quite impressed. We both had the buffet, which had plentiful options for cold and hot appetizers, main courses, and desserts for $12.95, which is a pretty good deal considering that most of the menu entrees are more expensive than that.
We were also impressed with the food. They have a dal of the day, which was delicious, and the chicken dish was cooked to perfection. It was tender and juicy and the sauce was flavorful without too much heat. My husband went back for another samosa with his dessert because he liked them so much. I also had a mango lassi, which was creamy and a had a nice tartness to it.
We found out through their website that they are a sister restaurant of Amber India in Mountain View, and the quality of the food certainly is on par. The service is good too, although not as formal as Amber India, our water glasses were never empty and our server was friendly and proficient.
Because the restaurant has a contemporary style to it, some of the traditional Indian dishes that we expect to find at most restaurants were not on the menu. However, there are many intriguing options, and we will most definitely be back to sample them. -
Review from Yashket G.
Santa Clara, CA
2/12/2012
Amber Dhara is a very very refreshing addition to the indian restaurants around south bay serving creative yet authentic tasting indian food. The food the wines and the service were all excellent . We had the Trio of Tandoori Paneer which was really soft and juicy and full of fresh flavors and the Quinoa & Vegetable kofta is a must try.
This is an awesome restaurant and I'll be definitely going there again whenever I crave good indian food. -
Review from Daniel F.
Palo Alto, CA
12/27/2011
I'll keep it simple. Junnoon was awesome. Amber Dhara comes nowhere close. We miss the Old Delhi chicken, black lentils, halibut, etc.
When we ate here, the waiter was previously with Junnoon and pointed us to a dish that he said was "like the old Delhi " but better. NOT.
Sounds like some of the other locations are good and that the chef from Junnoon joined amber so hopefully they will fix the disaster that is amber Dhara and bring back some of the old favorites too. -
Review from kim n.
11/15/2011
The Amber India folks have taken over the Junoon business and transformed it into Amber Dhara, which I hear is going to expand as a concept in SF too. They've not done much with the decor, so if you've been to Junoon it looks almost exactly the same. The menu contains the same fusion and modern techniques applied to the Indian bases Junoon also did. I think however the food might be better than the previous incarnation. Things had:
-Naan with roasted cashew, Kashmiri chili flakes, Sonoma goat cheese, wild flower honey
-Telicherry fried prawns with cracked peppercorn, curry leaves
-Tandoori monkfish with tomato chutney
-Rajasthani style smoked Niman ranch lamb curry, potato & peas
-Duck two ways - spice confit duck leg, seared breast, orange curry, vermicelli
-Manglorean chicken ghasi, tamarind, coconut & cilantro seeds sauce, steamed rice cakes
Food was delicious. The lamb might have been a bit on the dry side and the monkfish a bit mushy but everything else was solid. Because of the fast transition, the service was still working out some kinks. I think if they can iron those out and touch up on the cooking, Amber Dhara has a good chance of being a good dining destination in down town PA. -
Review from Eat, Pray,Love E.
Menlo Park, CA
12/26/2011
Hubby&I were craving for amber experience we had couple of weeks prior at Santana Row So were super excited when we heard Amber is in Palo Alto NOW !!!
Sadly amber Dhara in Palo Alto isn't completely same as Amber in Santana Row :(
The menu is SO DIFFERENT and it is actually FUSION Indian Food !!! BUT not as good as Fusion Indian food I have experienced at Janoon (the one before Amber) for couple of years !!!
I don't think I go back !! We may give them one more chance on Sat/Sun try the buffet !! -
Review from prachi v.
Orinda, CA
2/3/2012
Finally a restaurant that speaks to me! My parents have been huge fans of the Amber restaurants, which serve authentic Indian fare -absolutely delicious!.
As I've said before, I'm a self proclaimed food snob when it comes to eating Indian food outside the house. Whenever I go out with friends, I often find myself choosing non-Indian restaurants over Indian because the food is always predictable: greasy butter chicken, cold, hard naan, and food that I simply would rather not eat.
Amber Dhara, on the other hand, is something I want to go back to over, and over, and over again. They are doing so many things right here! The ambiance is hip - I will totally go to one of their happy hours with a girlfriend and get some appetizers at their bar. But, it's not TOO hip for me to also take my family there for a nice dinner. The food is so yummy. Starting with their variety selection of naans (hats off to the chef) - who would have thought of making a Manchengo Cheese, Onion and Piquillo Pepper Kulcha? How creative and delicious! Service was perfectly attentive - our waiter gave us plenty of suggestions that were great ones, but didn't hover or force anything. I recommend their venison kabob and rack of lamb. I can't wait to go back for their weekend brunch. If I get a chance to check out their weekday lunch thalis, I definitely will because I've heard it's great bang for your buck too at $12.
For those who keep comparing this to Junoon, I say move on. It's not Junoon and it's not trying to be. -
Review from Andrew W.
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amber Dhara is owned by the same group that owns Amber India and Amber Cafe. It has taken over the location of Junoon, which was my favorite Indian restaurant in Palo Alto. I generally enjoy the food at the other Amber restaurants. I was very disappointed with Amber Dhara.
Junoon used to be very intimate. The lush fabrics draping the walls made it feel a little like a bedroom. But, it felt special. The overall layout of AD is the same. But, the decor is sparser. It feels less cluttered. But, it has lost the intimacy.
AD also got rid of the lounge area. The bar and lounge area were the most useless parts of Junoon. It is right in front of the door. Because they are trying to keep it classy, there is no music. Nothing to invite people to drink at the bar. The drinks are good but nothing special. They are pricey. The bar still remains. Still can't figure out why though.
The food they serve here is Indian inspired fusion. We had the lunch buffet. $12.99 is fairly steep for lunch. It was just after Thanksgiving. So, they offered Turkey curry and pumpkin tart. This is the kind of food served at AD. Indian spices, familiar ingredients, new combinations of flavors. I really wanted to enjoy it a lot more than I did. The roast chicken was dry. The spices were overwhelming and did not harmonize with the other ingredients. The eggplant was bitter. The spinach lacked sweetness. Basically, all the flavors seemed unbalanced. Also, the selection for lunch buffet was rather small. Three appetizers, two vegetarian mains and two meat mains. I expected more for the price, either flavor or variety. I did appreciate the idea behind the food and the quality ingredients. But, I feel that the execution fell short.
The waitstaff was very attentive. But, the restaurant was pretty empty. They were very nice. But, there was something a bit off with them asking all the time, "How's the food?" I guess they should be excused because this place just opened. I hope they figure out what they are doing. This could be a very nice place. I am willing to try it again, but only after they have figured out the kinks.
One last thing, the naan was very good. Light, fluffy and buttery. Not burned. Very crisp. -
Review from Gordon L.
Palo Alto, CA
12/7/2011
I was excited to eat here because it's from the same management which brought us Amber India in Mtn. View (see my 5-star review on that page). And it is within walking distance of my home. I took my girlfriend there tonight and, unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed. The food was OK, but not up to the Amber India standards. And the portions were smaller while the prices were higher. Even the chai wasn't as good as at Amber India. And they didn't have the frontier naan (stuffed with nuts and raisin paste) which is half the reason I go to Amber India :).
The service was courteous and prompt, and the food was pretty good (not exceptional) even if the portions were small. Still, I don't feel like the dinner was worth was worth the price. The two of us ordered two entrees, one appetizer, one "tipsi lassi" and a chai tea and the total (including tip) was $86. Next time I'll drive to Amber India and get more (and better) food for less. Or any number of other University Ave. restaurants.
Still, they are still very new. Maybe I'll give them another try in 6-12 months. -
Review from Deepti R.
Fremont, CA
4/26/2012
After a month of walking by this place and after few of my colleagues mentioning that they liked it and they wanted me to try this place and let them know if its good indian food or not.
My review is purely based on the lunch vegetarian thali I had.
Ambiance is good
service is good
presentation of the food is good
taste is good.
Portition good (it was a bit much for me)
I'm super critical of Indian place and this fairs well in my books. The food was not too spice just right..Just the way its actually made so that you can taste ingredients.
My thali had Kheer and I liked the twist on the regular kheer (usually its all milk and they added a twist by adding coconut milk) I am not a desert person and still managed to finish half of it :)
Another thing that bugs me at many Indian places is their Raita they are sore or weird tasting. These guys managed to have a good dense raita.
I understand people who are complaining: this is not Amber, it's Amber Dhara. If you like your food crazy spicy and oily then this is not your place. This place reminds me of Sakoon in Mountain view. I like that place I like this place. I'll stop at that. -
Review from Jigar C.
Mountain View, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I met the guys here for drinks & dinner and I must say that we were all impressed. The bar/lounge area lends itself to pre-dinner drinks and the barstaff was friendly & helpful about our selections. Also, since the dining area is behind the corner, you don't feel like you're having drinks in a big dining room. Good job with leaving the layout basically as-is.
The dinner menu had a lot of interesting items which we debated on, but we settled on the okra chaat & the scallops for apps. Both were quite good, but the scallops were better than the chaat. We were hesitent about the scallops at first due to the kichdi, but the kichdi turned out to be really good both taste-wise and texturally. For dinner we shared the lamb rack & the decontructed butter chicken. I wouldn't call the chicken dish really a "deconstruction" but it was cooked really well. Very tender & flavorful. The lamb rack was great too. VERY impressed with each food item we had. I would certainly try some of the other items as well since they looked really good especially the combination of different ingredients which we wouldn't expect.
The biggest downside was dinner service. Our waitress wasn't all that helpful in regards to some of our questions about the menu. Also, the staff made several mistakes about plates & silverware. Not the end of the world since the staff is mostly new, but at these prices, they better get their service-act together really quickly. We gave them all the benefit of the doubt on this visit, but it shouldn't happen again.
I'm definitely coming back here with the wife since I know we'd enjoy it. Hopefully they work out the kinks with the dining room staff quickly, since this a great upscale Indian addition to add to the area. -
Review from Irene A.
Palo Alto, CA
1/5/2012
I'm really surprised to see the bad/mediocre reviews of this restaurant. We ate here tonight and enjoyed the Aloo Karwari, saag and paneer, an eggplant dish, and 9-grain roti plus mango brulee and black mission fig ice cream for dessert (looking at the menu posted on their website, it's slightly different than the menu we had today, so maybe the entrees rotate on a regular basis). The quality of the food was very high, the service was excellent; in short, it was one of the best Indian meals we've had. We recently ate at Tamarinde22 in NYC which is allegedly the best Indian restaurant in NYC, and our experience at Amber Dhara blew Tamarinde22 out of the water.
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Review from Prince A.
Palo Alto, CA
2/25/2012
I feel as though this restaurant was magnificent. The food here was well presented and delicious. I thought it was better than the Amber in SF and uniquely different. I have been looking at the reviews on this place that have not been very high and I am seeing two things 1) Indian people who went in looking for authentic Indian food which I think is foolish when the restaurant is promising excellent, widely-approachable fusion food and 2) Non-Indian people who ordered poorly.
Also, I think there may be some misconception about this restaurant's pricing. It is not supposed to be treated as a cheap alternative to the Amber in SF or a cafe version. It's a totally different and delicious thing. Top 5 in Palo Alto alongside Tamarine, Bodeguita, Evvia, and Bistro Elan -
Review from Ryan K.
Los Altos, CA
Updated - 12/25/2011
When I discovered that Amber had opened up a branch in downtown Palo Alto, I was extremely delighted. I have tried all the Amber restaurants before and this restaurant was no different than the others in terms of quality, taste, and beautiful ambiance.
The naan was the best I have tasted out of all the Amber restaurants. And the rest of the dishes were delicious as well. For everyone that goes, I recommend the Masala Creme Brulee for dessert - it was hands down one of the most AMAZING desserts I have had in my life. The only let down for me was the masala chai tea, it lacked flavor and wasn't very hot.
The service has room very improvement, but I am hoping that it will develop as the restaurant gets out of its first few months. As a whole, I would recommend it to anyone who wants delicious Indian food in a warm atmosphere. I am from Berkeley which is known for its good Indian food, and for me it didn't disappoint.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/25/2011
When I discovered that Amber had opened up a branch in downtown Palo Alto, I was extremely… Read more »
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Review from Daniel G.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/13/2012
My wife and I went to Amber Dhara with some friends and we have to say that we loved our meal. We had been there when it was Junoon, but Amber Dhara by far has better food. They also had really terrific drinks. My wife especially liked the Bombay Ginger Ale. The ambience is really nice, the place feels very cozy, and the staff were friendly and attentive. If you are looking for great Indian food and a lovely evening out, this is the place to go!
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Review from Jym C.
Menlo Park, CA
12/30/2011
Had dinner with friends last night at the newest of the Amber India restaurants, this one in Palo Alto and featuring "contemporary" Indian food. The waiter explained "contemporary" means the chef can choose the best and freshest ingredients to create new, exciting dishes. I guess whether one considers this process a success depends on the individual diner. I had a blue-nosed bass with all sorts of veggies and mild spices--about $20. It looked and tasted great! Is it fusion food? Does it matter? This restaurant retains the footprint of the previous one (Janoon) but with a new decor that's nice, but not particularly Indian. I like it. Given the
"good-neighbor" partitions positioned throughout the dining area, each table is relatively private--the presence of other diners is seen and felt, but they help keep the noise level low. I've been to both the MV and Santana Row Amber's several times each. I like this one best. -
Review from Mihir M.
Fremont, CA
12/12/2011
Great service. Nice atmosphere. Great vegetarian selection. Food quality & presentation is good. This place is the old Junoon. We have Quinoa & Paneer Dumpling, Spinach & Swiss Chard, Crispy Okra Chat, Bombay Ginger Ale, Fresh Mint Lemonito, & Classic Naan, with rice included. The food was not very spicy, so next time, we will ask for it to be spicier. The food was not heavy. The spinach/chard was nice, & had a good texture. The dumpling was a curry, but unlike the usual paneer dishes in most restuarants, was not heavy. The food was very creative. This is a close 5.
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Review from Miki S.
Menlo Park, CA
1/31/2012
I dined at Amber Dhara for the first time last week with my girlfriend, and it provided the perfect atmosphere - lounge-like and laid back with wine and gourmet pickings, just the way we like to catch up! The menu displays a fresh approach that blends the world of Indian cuisine with tapas-style dishes. Everything I ordered was unbelievably fresh, delicious, and unique, which is great for foodies who are looking to try something new.
I highly recommend the Okra Amchuri (vegan dish) and ling cod in curry. I have some dietary restrictions, but the staff was very understanding and attentive. They were willing to modify dishes to suit my needs, offered us samples of different sauces and even allowed us to mix and match naans. The one with mushroom and truffle oil is to die for. I didn't have a chance to order dessert because by then I was too full! The dessert menu looked incredible; I'll have to return for that very soon :) -
Review from Kittu K.
Palo Alto, CA
12/10/2011
First time at Amber Dhara. Absolutely loved the food!! The gutti Venkaya is terrific. So are the butter chicken and the Quinoa paneer. Better than the former Junoon!
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Review from Anil K.
Palo Alto, CA
2/13/2012
I'm giving this a 5 out of 5.
They have a nice atmosphere and decor. Getting a table is extremely easy. You'll find the people working there are professional and roll out the red carpet for you. The food is delicious. We went for Lunch on a weekday. Veggies were awesome and Naan was crisp and hot. Quantity was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better service or quality of food.
I will recommend to every one to visit Amber Dhara restaurant. -
Review from Sumit S.
Mountain View, CA
2/13/2012
I wanted to check out the new Amber Dhara as Amber has a great reputation in the bay. I came here with my 5 of my friends on a Saturday night. We are vegetarian and here is a breakdown of our experience
Apps:
We had the Trio of Tandoori Paneer and the Aloo Karwari. The Paneer was unique and finger licking good. The chatneys served with the paneer make it taste even better. Aloo Karwari also very tasty. Overall the taste & presentation exceeded my expectations.
Main:
Quinoa & Vegetable kofta ... the korfta was so well made it melted in your mouth. Probably one of my fav vegetable dishes there.
Three Saag & Paneer: Saag was on par with other restaurants i have had.
Rice and Lentils
Bread:
Cilantro & Almond Pesto Naan
Manchengo Cheese Naan
Mushroom & Truffle Oil Naan
Wine:
We selected a white wine pre-dinner and ended up order a second during dinner which paired really well with the dishes we selected.
Overall: The food options are unique and tasty. Staff is attentive and and Price is comparable to any high-end restaurant in the bay... -
Review from Ben G.
Mountain View, CA
Food was good: the monkfish appetizer was the best dish we had, butter chicken and mushroom naan were good too.
Service- not good. it's a new restaurant, but the server himself was awkard and ignorant, a sign of bad hiring maybe?
Decor- what the heck? They had traditional Indian decorations, but cheap christmas decorations on top of that, AND bad Christmas music playing almost loud enough to drown out the conversation -
Review from Kate W.
Redwood City, CA
1/31/2012
Tasty and inventive Indian food in a cozy, upscale atmosphere. Our table of 6 particularly enjoyed the crispy okra chat and tandoori monkfish appetizers, the quinoa and paneer dumplings, and the Manglorean chicken and Assamese shrimp mains. Mixed reviews on the naan with roasted cashew (a few of us thought it was too sweet). The malt kulfi dessert is great to share; it is a little too rich and decadent for one person. When we visited, the restaurant had just opened, so it seemed like they were still ironing out some kinks with their service, but overall a pleasant and friendly dining experience. We will definitely try it again.
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Review from Nini G.
Milpitas, CA
1/30/2012
Ambiance of Amber (like the rest of the location) is always good. Food is also delicious like the rest. It was fun because our waiter was a good host, funny guy. Although bit empty on a weekday night, overall it was a great experience. It was awesome that they take reservation online!
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Review from Katie Anne N.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2011
Yummy! The place is nice. I mean very nice. The décor is upscale and fancy. We walked in feeling a little under dressed but it was okay. We were seated promptly and our server was very knowledgeable and gracious. He gave us a few recommendations that hit the spot. We tried the coconut prawns, the deconstructed chicken (best dish ever) and the fish curry which were all excellent. I've never tasted such great dishes before. Mmmm. For dessert, our waiter suggested these balls (can't remember what they were called) but they were awesome. Highly recommend this place. Service is great. Food came out at a nice pace and were excellent. Check out the beers...a must!
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Review from Suhas K.
STANFORD, CA
1/3/2012
Great service. Very boring and cliched selection in menu. Food made with no originality - felt like eating frozen Indian food. Small spread for buffet.
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Review from Lynette V.
Menlo Park, CA
4/29/2012
I went to AD a couple of months ago and the service and food were terrific. It provided an upscale experience and that's what you would expect based on the prices and I was excited to go back again. It was a different story yesterday. It was a Saturday evening and we had a reservation at 7:15pm. They seated us in front of the bar in a booth and not in the main seating area. Our waiter was the bar tender. We ordered 3 specialty cocktails and they were awful. There was not a hint of alcohol and it tasted nothing like it was advertised. It was 80% sugar syrup and something that was mixed and mixed together by a complete amateur. The thought was if it flies, fine. We sent it back and ordered a bottle of wine. We started with the appetizers and they were ok. The waiter in the meanwhile was tending to the bar and waiting on a no of patrons in the same area. It was 8:45pm now and we were still waiting for our entres inspite of ordering them at the same time as the appetizers. Nobody was checking on us, we had to finally flag somebody down and point out that we were still awaiting our dinner. The dinner finally arrived. The entres were good but I've had much better meals at their Mt.view location. We were finally ofrfered 2 free deserts to make-up. I have always held Amber in high esteem as the only bay area restaurant to stand the test of time with regard to quality, consistency and ambiance. I hope the owners are reading this.It was a complete disappointment and there is no excuse. We were told that this is a anamoly. That the bar tender called in sick and they were running short of 1 staff in the kitchen. Why do I care ? That comment did not reduce my bill and ultimately just gave us a bad taste in our mouth. I would rather go to a hole in the wall and expect and pay less for a comparable Indian meal. Amber, you are not doing yourselves any favor considering you are located in a highly visible and desirable street where there is no dearth of good restautants. Take a cue from Reposado for quality and consistency.
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Review from Tamara A.
Palo Alto, CA
11/18/2011
We went for lunch this week.
I'll start with the good - the curry I ordered was tasty and the naan was quite good too.
The problem was that the portion size was terribly small. They did not serve much rice with the dish either. I am not used to being hungry when I leave the table, and it is especially annoying after spending over $30 for lunch for 2.
Also, the wait staff was not very good, I see that this is a new restaurant so maybe they need some practice. The waitress was not very successful an answering simple questions about the menu. -
Review from Ush P.
Palo Alto, CA
2/10/2012
Went to Amber Dhara with the family and was pleasantly surprised at how creative the menu is. Tapas-style Indian food is a fresh idea that I think the area needed, given how Palo Alto has become a haven for foodies. Traditional Indian food is available in a lot of places, but the food here is incredibly unique and simply put: TASTY. I had some good wine with dinner, but next time I plan on trying out their cocktail menu, which have some cool sounding mixes in there, including mango, etc. The service was very attentive, and I never felt like there was a lull in our meal - they paced it perfectly. The chef has certainly done an amazing job pairing East and West. When have you ever gotten a chance to eat tender, venison kebabs, made Indian-style? Huge hits for me were: Karavali shrimp, the moong lentil salad, Tandoori Chicken, and the all-star was the rack of lamb - just incredible. Our server also mentioned that the menu is seasonal and I look forward to trying out their rotating menu. I will definitely be back before the next menu change so I can try the other items I didn't get to this time!
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Review from Matt R.
Palo Alto, CA
12/5/2011
Love Amber India and was terribly disappointed with Amber Dhara. Early days, perhaps the food will evolve/improve, but the sauces were overly heavy, no spice, and just plain uninspired. Waitress knew her Indian food, but pushed a couple bottles of wine so hard I swore she was on commission. Bizarre.
Hope it improves, will give it another chance in a few months, until then Mantra, Darbar both much better. -
Review from jay w.
Menlo Park, CA
11/19/2011
Blah. Such a step down from Junoon.
So first, they renovated the space. They repainted some of the walls in dismal colors (grey-brown). They put up knick knacks that look super-cheap. What were they thinking? It really turned an elegant space into something almost dive-y.
On to the Food:
* Had the Jaipuri Mirchi for an appetizer. It was fine.
* Had the Manglorean Chicken Ghasi. It was supposed to be the "spicy" choice, but was bland. It was luke warm when it came out.
* Had the Roasted Cremini Mushrooms in a Porcini Curry. This tasted like an Italian dish, not Indian. Not terrible, but not great and very disorienting. They also forgot one mushroom (which we didn't notice) and then brought out one more 5 minutes later -- a bit bizarre.
* Had the Dal of the Day. It was mediocre, fine and not memorable.
* Had the Kerala Red Rice. If this is going to be one of your signature rices (the other being a Basmati rice), you should cook it well. All the grains were broken and it looked like the rice had been sitting out for several hours. It too wasn't hot (no steam coming off the rice).
* Had the plain naan. It was fine, not the best, but passable and one of the best things of the night.
The waitress was good, but seemed pretty green. She didn't seem to have much experience with Indian food (either serving it or eating it) -- didn't seem to like spice that much -- basically she had a mid-America palate.
Overall, I came away with the feeling like the proprietors were incredibly arrogant and dismissive of Junoon -- they said "ooh, we'll just go into the old Junoon place and said `anyone can cook new Indian food'." If they would have done standard Indian food, it would have been much better.
I just came away with a sinking feeling -- a feeling of having lost one of the few reasonable Asian restaurants in downtown Palo Alto. -
Review from Vidya S.
Belmont, CA
2/6/2012
I love all the Amber Restaurants so when a new one opened up I had to try it. Needless to say it met all my expectations and was fantastic. We were celebrating a colleague's birthday so was a little concerned trying a brand new establishment. Our food was different, tasted amazing and we had great service. If anything at all probably ate too much ;-(. As an Indian I am not always a fan of fusion but loved everything I tried.
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Review from J X.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 12/24/2011
Had another great visit to Amber Dhara last night. Nice menu and good food -- they're serving a butternut squash dish right now that is very nice -- and the service was again great. The bar area is also quite comfortable. Amber Dhara is a great addition to University Avenue.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/26/2011
We had a great first-time experience at Amber Dhara. Food was really good, and so was the service:… Read more »
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Review from Ella E.
Menlo Park, CA
2/19/2012
We were thrilled to hear that Amber opened in Palo Alto - much closer for us. We went last night and were VERY disappointed. The dishes almost all fell flat. We ordered: Venison & Jalapeño Seekh Kebab, lentil salad appetizer, Khade Masale Ka Murg (chicken curry), Bharleli Vangi (stuffed egglants), and Hyderabadi Dum Fish Curry - would not order these again. The star of the meal was the Quinoa & Vegetable kofta - it was absolutely amazing (and I'm not a veggie person). The roti was also perfect. This tells me that the chefs have skills - but the menu doesn't work.
ATTN management: people LOVE the Mountain View version - traditional, perfectly executed Indian food. You are the paragon of Bay Area Indian cuisine, and something your patrons look forward to. Please do yourself (and us) a favor, and convert to the Mountain View menu - or at least bring in some of the stand-bys: for example, Chicken Tikka Masala, Baingan Bharta, Lamb Vindaloo, Rogan Ghosht, etc.
