Amba Cambridge — Restaurant in Cambridge

A fresh breed of cafe-restaurant that's dishing out Eastern Mediterranean fares with flair.

Gilson’s new spot at FSM is quickly becoming a local favorite. I’ve found myself returning to AMBA a couple times a month since it opened in July, and it’s easy to see why. At first glance, it might seem like just another fast-casual Mediterranean joint like GRECO, but AMBA ups the ante with a more extensive drink selection and higher-quality fare that can easily hold its own against some of the city’s top Mediterranean restaurants. While the dishes aren’t trying to be fancy, they’re easily some of the best Mediterranean eats you’ll find in a fast-casual setting—simple and satisfying.

AMBA’s menu is split between breakfast and lunch/dinner, but the real treat? You can dive into most of their lunch offerings as early as 8am. Yes, that means crispy wings with your morning coffee. AMBA knows how to fry, and their chicken wings and latke are absolute standouts. As for breakfast, the wrap and pita are simple yet elevated with a punch of garlic sauce and pickled peppers—turning an ordinary sandwich into a flavor-packed morning fix.

But more importantly, the Halva Shake. I'm not typically a shake guy, but I’m hooked on this one (went back for it two days in a row). It’s not your usual thick, sugary concoction that leaves you feeling weighed down. Instead, it’s light, smooth, and just the right amount of sweet—totally addictive without being over the top.

Only thing that left me scratching my head was the street cart rice bowl. Sure, you can add protein, but considering you get half the bowl as a side with their rotisserie chicken meal, it felt like a bit of a ripoff. For $14, they should at least throw in a default protein option, because a plain bowl of rice at that price? That was just hard to swallow.

With a wave of new projects popping up in East Cambridge, plenty of fast-casual spots are on the horizon, but AMBA is going to be tough to beat. I’ll definitely be dropping in at least once a month—or more likely, whenever that Halva Shake...

I really wanted to like Amba. Unfortunately, it misses the mark.

We tried their rotisserie chicken, falafel, and sabich pitas.

They were all salted well, but otherwise largely lacked flavor. All of the flavors — except perhaps briney acidity — were muted.

Here’s an example: I asked for hot sauce on the side. They don’t actually have any, but claimed their harissa was what I was looking for. Not only was the harissa muted as harissa, it wasn’t spicy at all.

The pita had a nice crisp to it? But overall I think I prefer softer, pillowier pita.

Lastly: why is the water dispenser right next to the order register? You essentially can’t get water while someone is ordering.

I’ll be keeping my eye out to see if they tweak things to improve them. If they do, I would be willing to try it again and I’ll revise the review. For now… it misses the mark.

For inspiration for a place that does hit the mark, I recommend checking out falafel stop in the Bay Area in California. It’s far, but that’s really what I’m...

AMBA has amazing, delicious food with unique and lovely colors, flavors, fragrance and taste. This was the second time I ordered a complete takeout meal; but this time instead of ONE, I ordered TWO whole roasted rotisserie chickens with sides, mezze and sauces. A tall order. Initially, I was concerned that the roast chickens might be overcooked as it was a takeout meal, but after a discussion with the head of operations, we had the entire meal ready to serve and delivered on time unexpectedly by a fellow employee, W.G.

And as promised and predicted, the meal was delivered in a timely fashion, chickens hot and ready to serve. We can't thank AMBA enough for a stellar meal enjoyed by 9 very discerning diners! This was an occasion where I the host had a chance to talk and not cook... truly...