Ama — Restaurant in Washington

I really, wanted to like this restaurant, as it is conveniently walking distance from my apartment and very aesthetically pleasing but it lacks in so many crucial categories. After 4 solid attempts I will be a no for me.

Food: The food lacks a lot of thought; most particular of note is the Frito Misto , an assortment of mishandled seafood garnished with lemon which in theory should be delicious but you are left with disconnected shrimp and shrimp heads that were never originally connected, and seemingly canned anchovies with overcooked calamari stuffed into an odd basket. The Patate Al Forno, which we were advised that would take 20 min to prepare also strange, as they arrived looked and tasted like breakfast potatoes, which leads me to believe they were sold out and starting from raw potatoes, which could've been communicated and that dish avoided all together. The Lasagnetta a soupy scorched dish where the top layer appeared to be puff pastry but instead burnt pasta lacked depth, the mushroom béchamel tasted like Campbells cream of mushroom soup and the fowl marsala ragu was unrecognizable amongst the mess. Finally the Pollo Arrosto Al Forno was an overcooked bland chicken.

Beverages: The cocktail program offers a great array of options for different palates, which are well thought out and unique. Cocktails are overall lovely however on one occasion my party ordered a Hugo Spritz and it was served with a clearly brown lime as garnish, which is insane! When we addressed this to staff we were gaslit about it coming from a local farm and that's just how they arrive, which was offensive because in reality it was an old lime.

Service: Ama is seemingly always well staffed however the training and customer service needs to be reworked a bit. Staff always appears to be confused and checking in with others for simple questions. Also on one occasion we were not permitted to sit an additional guest with us at the bar while we were actively ordering food and drinks because there was a waitlist, while there were multiple bar seats open and guests freely seating themselves at the bar, very strange.

Overall a very mediocre experience for the price point, thought it was a one off but missed the mark on every visit. Hopefully there will be improvements...

I have been to Ama a few times now so it felt like a good time to leave a review! This was a VERY welcome addition to the neighborhood as this little part of Navy Yard is a bit sparse on restaurants. Its a beautiful space with a deceptively large bar. They have a lovely window that opens up to the sidewalk for walk up orders (coffee, pastries/deserts etc.). I have been here for happy hour, dinner and for a walk by breakfast pastry. Bottom line is I would definitely return for drinks/light apps at the bar but will probably not rush back for dinner or breakfast items.

I will start with the good, as I said, the space is beautiful and the service was great as well. I also loved my drinks (got their aperol spritz and Manhattan). The food left a little to be desired. I have had the fugassa (more typical focaccia), the meatballs, the zucchini blossoms, the beef ravioloni, the lasagnetta, the pansotti con sugo di noci, and the veal. Fugassa was tasty but i felt like I wanted more with it...some toppings? Olive oil? The zucchini blossoms were disappointing and lacked seasoning/flavor. The beef ravioloni and lasagnetta were both my favorite of the bunch. The pansotti was decent, but also lacked seasoning/flavor. The veal was huge, and pounded very thin - quite tasty but very salty (which I don't necessarily mind). Would have loved maybe a little sauce with it. Same with the meatballs they were tasty but also quite salty and maybe would have liked a sauce with them as well.

They just recently opened for morning service and I stopped by for a cornetti and was a little shocked by the prices. $6 for plain, $7 for flavored. With tax and their surprise wellness fee the apricot cornetti came out to nearly $9. Its pretty small, and the apricot filling was really just a little bit on the top (it was not stuffed with apricot). In contrast, Mamans croissants are $4. Flavor was decent but not good enough to order again for that price.

Sorry for the long review! I am still overall happy with the addition of Ama to the neighborhood and looking forward to going back for some...

We have returned to Ama again and again, for dinner, for lunch, brunch, and even for pastries and coffee at the window or gelato as a treat on a weekend afternoon. Every time we visit, we try to explore a new offering from the restaurant, and we have NOT been disappointed!

The staff are tremendously knowledgeable and welcoming, and they’re very willing to answer any questions we have regarding the menu and the items we’re not familiar with. We’ve experimented with and explored many new flavors, tastes, and preparations, all of which have truly been a real delight. The food is so delicious and it’s HEALTHY! We love that health and clean eating are critical cornerstones of Ama’s mission. Some of our favorite items on the current menu are the Fritto Misto (fried seafood medley), Knodel (the lightest dumplings in unique flavors!), amazing Salmon Tartar, and Carpaccio -- for appetizers. We’ve adored every salad and each and every one of the pastas – the unique flours used for the pastas are wonderful – the Trofie con Pesto is amazingly fresh, I crave the Lasagnetta with its mushrooms and crispy edges, and the sauce on the Raviolini is an absolute MUST to “sop up” with the delicious focaccia or fugassa (which we also eat before any of our meals here, too). Try the amazing salt-encrusted fish and the roasted chicken – both tasty and large portions! Deserts are amazing, and the pistachio gelato is absolutely not to be missed, but the other flavors are incredible, too.

The drink menu is super creative as well, so we always try special drink combinations if we’re not picking a wine. There’s a whole Negroni list to choose from, several types of spritzes, and fantastic choices of wine (the staff is great at describing and recommending wine choices, too). Espresso drinks are fantastic, and even the non-alcoholic choices are creative and tasty, as well.

Come to Ama open to exploring and experimenting, and you’ll find favorite dishes to return to again and again, as well as new tastes to try that will keep you coming back for more. (But finish with some...