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Category: Indian
207 Searidge RdWe are closed to renovate the kitchen. Please call 831 641 0610 (Monterey location) for details . Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thank You.
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
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Love love love this place. The food is out of this world good and the atmosphere is really nice to. This is a great date restaurant if you know your date likes indian, otherwise it can be intimidating. The prices are kind of high so I always recommend going to the buffee during the day cause then it is only ten bucks for all you can eat and you get a taste of what it would be like for dinner. Plus if you don't know alot about indian food you can try a lot of different stuff.
Everyone who works there is sooo nice. Our favorite things is the Taj Mahal beer, the Dark Dal ( lentils that are to die for) and the chicken tikka marsala, if you are new to Indian that I strongly suggest ordering that.
Ok go and enjoy!!!!
I'm revising my review based on a recent experience. Last week a friend and I ate the lunch buffet. We arrived around 1:45 or so. The buffet itself was fine, although it was slightly picked-over and some items were dry (I am fairly lenient when it comes to buffets since I realize keeping food warm over a can of Sterno is not necessarily the apex of cuisine), but it was satisfactory.
The reason I am downgrading my rating is that sometime around 2:10 while we and the few other remaining diners were still eating, they started "packing-it-in". They were vacuuming, clearing our plates eagerly, and just rushing us. I don't find this very pleasing and think that if they want to be done with lunch by 2:30 exactly then they should consider revising hours. Or maybe they'll hustle you out 20 minutes before whatever closing time they choose.
On the plus side, when I left this time, my clothing and hair did not smell like food. That was nice. The dog wasn't as happy though.
I was happy with my experience. Unfortunately, my insides won't allow me to eat many Indian dishes… Read more »
I was a little disappointing with this place of the bat when they gave me some water with some type of unknown clumps of nastiness with a pinch of hair. When I tried to bring this up to management they told me that there was not manager there. I would have just walked out but the people I was with already got their plates. the food wasn't bad but I definitely prefer Royal Taj over this place.
Very pleased!
I went on a Saturday about 1:40 and the buffet still had plenty of good food left! We were also served fresh Naan. I've seen more extensive buffet's with more choices for a $1 less, but the quality was better than average. Polite, attentive staff.
My main con is that there was not a spicy meat dish in the buffet. I prefer spicy food. I'll have to come back for dinner sometime!
Love this place. The Royal Taj is good but sometimes I'm not in the mood to find hair in my food, or have the owner stare at me while I eat. So I was really happy when another Indian restaurant opened up and I found it to be clean, the waiters friendly and the food was delicious. I usually go to the lunch buffet, since it is the most cost effective option as I don't eat for the rest of the day. The food isn't as spicy as it could be but if you go for dinner, they will customize the heat for you. Try the Cardamom Chicken. It was so good, I'm pretty sure I was making happy noises while I was eating.
FINALLY! A decent Indian restaurant in Santa Cruz. And by "decent", I mean best in the County. I was amused to see that the giant spoon sign, from the former restaurant (The Bleu Spoon, which was awful btw), was still there, although not lit up.
I agree with Chelsea S.'s assessment that Ambrosia is "not at all Santa Cruzish". Here's my take. The interior is well lit, but is tastefully decorated. Tables have a candle and a small vase with a piece of juniper bush. Servers are dressed in all black, which is typical, but they also wore ties in defiance of the casual SC vibe. The music is lots of fun. It sounded to me like they had a bountiful collection of "Buddha Bar" world lounge music playing, which is ultra chill, and very -not- SC.
The service felt a bit inconsistent and sluggish at times, and I'm willing to bet that it may have had something to do with my position facing the kitchen door, and seeing endless trays of sizzling Tandoori meats sail past me only to be served to other diners. It was brutal, but the payoff was worth it. I'll have to return when I'm less starving.
I was intrigued and excited by many of the menu items, but couldn't order them all, sadly. We settled on a few things. The Tandoori Chicken was moist, flavorful, and abundant. They actually served it on the bone, which helps with all of the above. Navartan Korma was the favorite at the table. It was sweet, crunchy, and creamy. Perfect with the basmati rice and naan sampler we ordered. The only miss of the evening was the Palak Paneer, which to me seemed pretty average and bland. My only overall suggestion is that the food was lacking in "esspicy". Definitely muted spice for the white folk of Aptos. I think turning up the heat would make this place a home run.
Ambrosia was pricey for Indian food. Our total came out to about $20 each including tip, but no apps or drinks. That's a bit steep if you ask me. Then again, I would have spent extra money on gas to drive to San Jose for good Indian food so it's a tradeoff. I'll definitely be returning.
Without a doubt, this is the best Indian Restaurant in Santa Cruz county. Finally! An Indian restaurant for us self-indulgent heathens. If you're a fan of Amber India over the hill (as I am), then you'll love this place.
Years ago when I was growing up here in Aptos, this restaurant used to be "The Cookbook," and as I recall, it was a mediocre breakfast spot.
I was on my way home late Friday night through Seacliff. I noticed that the old "Cookbook" had a brightly lit "Open" sign beckoning. I decided to swing 'round and have a look.
When I pulled into the parking lot, my dashboard clock indicated 9:55. I really wasn't expecting to get served so late. I wanted to go in and at least have a look around, though.
I walked in and the place was empty with the exception of the host and wait staff. I received a friendly welcome from the crew so I asked if they were still serving dinner. The host replied, "Of course! Please come in and sit wherever you like. I chose the counter (black granite, BTW) so I wouldn't mess up any of their tables that had all been prepared for the coming day's business.
I quickly ordered some standard items: the brown basmati rice, chana masala, palak paneer, and a full order of the Tandoori chicken. While I was waiting for my food, I took a look around. The decor was beautiful. Definitely a nice place to take a date, I thought.
The rice, chana masala, and palak paneer came out first. The flavors just blew me away - just the right amount of "heat" for me - and they were served in very nice, tin-coated ornamental bowls. The chicken was served on a sizzling, steaming platter on a bed of carmelized onions. It didn't have that funky orange tint to it that a lot of Tandoori dishes do. The taste was exquisite too.
I had a little bit of everything that I ordered and had the rest packed up to take home. The service was excellent and so was the food. I left a 20% tip. I really appreciated everything about my time there.
I do have one tiny suggestion for them. The brix on their soda fountain needs to be adjusted. The diet Coke I had was a little on the watery side.
One last observation here. It appears they use very good quality ingredients and they don't serve their food swimming in ghee. When I pulled the leftovers out of the 'fridge for lunch the next day, the chana masala and palak paneer were soft and easily spoonable, that is to say they were NOT solidly congealed in grease.
The food that I ordered came to about $52 with tax before tip. Counting leftovers, I got a total of three meals out of it - a pretty decent value these days.
Well, there's a first for everything, and unfortunately for Ambrosia, this first was at their restaurant.
I think I'm going to try to cut to the chase on this one: They literally told us to leave because they were closing... 10 minutes before their posted closing time! (10pm) And not only that, they rushed the plates off our table, rushed the check, and turned off the music in the restaurant about 25 minutes before 10pm.
I'VE NEVER, AT ANY RESTAURANT, EVER BEEN TOLD TO LEAVE LIKE THAT. IT'S RIDICULOUS.
In fact, a customer should be able to walk in 5 minutes before a restaurant closes, and still be served. Don't ya think?
We were a party of three, and decided to try this place out, which we've heard good things about. Needless to say, with the almost total lack of Indian food in the county, I was very excited about it. We yelped it beforehand, noticing it had some pretty good reviews, and we noted they were open until 10pm. We got there about 8:30.
The restaurant looked nice, no weird remnants that I could site that existed from the previous restaurant that inhabited the place. That's good, real good. The table we sat at, along the window, was quite small for 3 people, and much more suited for two.
The wait staff seemed ok, but the food took a very long time to get to us. Once it did, I thought it was pretty good (which saved them from having a 1 star). Was it good enough though, that I thought it was ok that they told us to leave 10 min. before they closed, after we spent 150 bucks at their restaurant? Let me think: NO.
For all they know, we could have bought another bottle of wine, a few more beers and 3 desserts. The people in the table next to us were told to leave as well, and they didn't seem to happy about it either. It was just weird and awkward.
Anyhow, the food was decent enough to go back and give them one more shot, but I'm not going to be counting the days or anything....
NOTE TO OWNER: DON'T KICK CUSTOMERS OUT AFTER YOU TAKE THEIR MONEY: IT'S FUCKED UP AND IT TOTALLY OVERSHADOWED THE FOOD!
Great! I went the other night with my girlfriend anticipating the potential of good Indian food in Santa Cruz (after eating at Dosa in S.F. the weekend before) and I was fulfilled.
The food was very good. For me, it retained a sense of integrity. It was definitely authentic , yet there was a sense of freshness (conceptually as well as literally). I noted a strong presence of fresh ginger in some of the dishes, which I loved. They also have a decent wine list!
The staff was very friendly. Our server, Bindra I think was his name, was helpful and pleasant. We did have to get his attention in order to pay the bill, but overall I felt that his service was very good.
We will definitely be coming back to Ambrosia, and are very very pleased to have good Indian food paired with good service so close to home.
This place is great , not at all Santa Cruzish. The ambiance is top notch, the service is solid, and the food is great tasting and well presented. We went on a Sunday evening and quite a few tables were filled, a good sign. The only downside was the prices were quite a bit higher than what I've paid for Indian food before, i.e. $13+ for butter chicken vs. $8-$10 for same dish in San Jose. Also, the corkage fee was $15, yikes!
We ordered garlic naan $2.95, cheese naan (YUM!) $4.95, 2 orders of saffron rice ($1.95/each), Methi Palak Paneer $10.95, Rogan Josh $14.95, and Butter Chicken $13.95. They also served complimentary papadum with chutney. Add in the $15 corkage fee and we had a really nice, fresh and delicious Indian dinner for $70.
They also do a happy hour from 5-6:30pm with $3 beers. We'll probably go back to that, once I recover from my wine-induced hangover from Saturday night.
It's about time Santa Cruz got a great Indian food restaurant. Ambrosia has great food, great service, and a nice ambiance that is perfect for a date, an alone night or just to eat with a group of friends.
We've eaten the Chicken Tikka Masala which was tender and perfectly spiced, the baigan bhartha that had a great smokey flavor, and the Kurkuri Bhindi which was also spicy and delicious. The naan is fluffy with a crispy exterior and the waiters kept our water glasses full before we had to ask. Overall the dining experience has been great the two times we've been here.
We brought a friend the second time we ate here who doesn't like spicy food and the chef was able to make her baigan bhartha mild without sacrificing the flavor and the waitstaff was very nice about making sure our meals were to our liking (ours spicy and hers mild.)
The price is only slightly higher than what you would pay for lesser quality. Do yourself a favor and enjoy great food.
Very busy Friday night so the wait staff was a bit busy and rushed. We felt rushed at the end.
Onion Fritters were very good. Garlic naan was kinda burnt but ok.
Chicken Korma was REALLY good, gonna get that again!
Palak Paneer was ok, same for the Shrimp Curry.
Mango Lassi was yummy.
Rice Pudding was runny and bland.
Definitely going to come back and try other things...tell me what you liked... and 3 blocks from my house so I will be looking forward to some great take out!
Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm. Ok, I was actually able to walk out of this restaurant without my hair smelling (reeking) like Indian food- a plus. Also, the food here isn't as heavy or oily as other Indian spots I've been to. The food feels cleaner and healthier, perhaps they use less ghee. I had ordered the vegetarian meal which included eggplant, lentils, vegetable korma, mali kofta and raita (see my photos) . It also comes with a samosa and naan as well as a chai. My bill with tax was 22 dollars. The one thing that threw me off was that they never asked how spicy I wanted my dish. Also, I found out that they don't let you order the sampler dinners for take out- odd.
Good vegetarian/vegan dishes.
Nice to have a new Indian option even if its in Aptos and not Santa Cruz. Its true they often do not offer a range of spice levels, so if you really care - ask.
Beware of the beer. They no longer serve Guinness on tap and the "pints" look like they contain about 10.5 ounces not 16.
Overall a positive experience in terms of food & service (We never rate a place a 5 if they cook animals in the kitchen).
This place took me by surprise. It is behind a gas station in a retro diner-type building. They've transformed the angular glass front into small private booths in the front for couples and it has a large dining room in the rear with a nice ambiance. Most importantly the food is excellent. Service is also very good. This is definitely not a typical dining experience from the Santa Cruz area. Servings are just the right size and every dish was excellent. There is wide assortment of flavored naans and a very long menu to choose from.
I went there for the lunch buffet yesterday and I was completely satisfied. I can't wait to go back and try more new dishes. I felt like I was in a fancy restaurant in India, it was a fun experience.
Love this place, love the $11 lunch buffet, and love the dinner menu.
If you have suffered for years and years with Royal Taj, you will be pleasantly surprised that one can actually get decent Indian food in this town at last.
There's better on the other side of the hill, but not so much better that I'll ever stop appreciating great Indian food within a couple miles of my house.
hands down best indian food in the area (not that the competition is too steep)
The best Indian food in the state is at Little Delhi in San Francisco. That being said, the best Indian restaurant in the Santa Cruz area is Ambrosia. I have waited for a good Indian restaurant to pop up in town and it did. The only problem I had was they use the same sauce in different dishes, but it is delicious so it does not matter. They have good food at reasonable prices. I think I will go there for lunch.
Located in the now defunct Bleu Spoon. Santa Cruz county finally has a decent India restaurant. I've eaten at Royal Taj and Sitar and those two places don't hold a candle to Ambrosia. The original in Monterey is located 565 Abrego St, has won the hearts of the Monterey locals as well as garnered critical fave from Monterey Coast Weekly and Monterey Herald in their "Best of Indian/Ethnic" respectively.
I came here with my sister on a weekday to try their lunch buffet ($9.95). There are about 8 or so different entrees, which according to the staff change daily so you always get a different dining experience each time. The two signature dishes that appear consistently are Butter chicken and Chicken Tandoori. The butter chicken is a fave of mine, mingling deliciously with the basmati rice. You can tell the mark of a good Indian cuisine by their tandoori, and Ambrosia's Chicken Tandoori is a standout--moist, tender, juicy pieces of grilled chicken with a hint of yogurt, ginger, garlic and garam masala.
The other wonderful appetizer I had was the Onion Bahji, not on the menu, again one of those special dishes the chef rotates was a wonderful exotic take on our onion rings. Golden deep fried fritters with a hint of coriander , cumin and curry powder and of course onions. I honestly could take these home during a lazy tv night and munch on those to my hearts content.
The also have a wonderfully simple salad, standard greens and a nicely presented platter of freshly cut cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and red onions to "build your own" salad. They also have the standard accompaniments of raita, pickles, dressings etc.
For dessert they have a wonderful rice pudding where you can taste hints of honey, Cardamon, and ground pistachios. Wonderfully refreshing, light, and satisfying.
Wait staff is fairly attentive, I still had to ask for water refill, but friendly. They are more than happy to answer any menu questions though.
The most impressive thing for us was that the chef actually came out periodically to meet and greet each customer to make sure the food and service was fine. That is definitely the mark of "class."
Namaste, Ambrosia for a very nice dining experience.
Delicious Indian food, pleasant staff, tolerable prices. At last, we have a good Indian restaurant in the Santa Cruz area. Dinner for 3 comes to $71 (before tip) for us: 3 main dishes, 2 plain rice, 1 plain nan, 2 wine, 1 beer, 1 soda, side order of raita.
I love Indian food, and this place is so close to my apartment I could practically roll out of bed and roll into this place. Maybe one day I will. The food is some of the best Indian in the county, competing with Khyber Pass in that regard. The place is frequently empty, and I feel bad. The word needs to get out about this place. Tons of types of naan, which is great.
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