Amber

Fresh sushi, pretty strong drinks, a creative cocktail menu and a nice, attentive staff. The frozen green tea margarita is good. The bartenders could be better looking though...hah.

Pros: Mostly everything. Nice, clean bathrooms too.

Cons: Their brunch menu should have a 2nd option of including a specialtly cocktail.. or two.

Posted 02/26/09

Great service. We were seated immediately (though it was only 12:15 pm). The decor was a great concept but needed a little bit of an update. The food though, was amazing. We had the Crispy Fried Spicy Tuna Money Bag and Fried Calamari, which both tasted great. For entrees, we had the Ocean and the Upper East Side rolls which were both absolutely amazing and we couldn't decide which one tasted better. The Ocean roll was tantalizing to our taste buds, yet the Upper East Side was a bit tamer with a unique mix of flavors that worked very well together along with the freshness of the lobster inside. Overall, we highly recommend this place and would suggest going early to avoid the crowds, however the bartender does not start until 4pm.

Posted 12/26/08

I went here with my friends on Friday night and all of us LOVED our food. My friends said it was the best spicy tuna roll they've ever had. They have a nice cocktail list too - just be careful~ some of them are super sweet. My lychee martini was made perfectly but my friends "Sakura" and Pomtini were a bit too sweet. Our server was gracious as were the hosts. I hope this restaurant sticks around -- my friends and I will definitely be back!

Pros: delicious sushi, good for groups, ambience, courteous hosts/servers

Cons: watch out for the sugary 'tinis

Posted 11/22/08

i'm already in love with this place. i was uncertain about some of the dishes and the proprietress tried to steer me without the usual condescension reserved for us linguistically challenged diners. not one dish was off -- the whole thing was worth the schlep from the mission, seriously.

now, can they please do something about the decor or does that mean they'll jack up the prices?

Posted 09/25/08

We finally got around to trying this place recently and were very pleasantly surprised! There was a wait to eat outside, which we didn't mind, so we had a drink at the bar from a friendly and capable bartender. Their drinks are creative and tasty, if a bit strong. (Simply a warning--but at least you're not getting cheated, right?)

Simply put, our food was very good. My boyfriend hates sushi, which is my favorite, so it's often a challenge finding a place that has both good, fresh, and creative sushi, but still has ample (and quality) other choices--not a problem here! The Indian pancake app was amazing, my roll (Red Hot Dragon) was fresh, and he enjoyed his Thai style chicken dish (can't remember exact name!)

The service was also above average--very polite and prompt, if not the most informed (I was in the mood to try something new and asked what other sashimi he recommended--he was at a loss.) The food and drinks were creative and delicious, and the atmosphere inside definitely adds to the experience. We'll without a doubt be back and often!

Pros: selection, service, drinks

Cons: not many-- a little crowded (where isn't in Manhattan?), might be hard for large groups

Posted 06/09/08

I had a long, leisurely Sunday lunch at Amber. It was a perfect pre-summer NYC afternoon and I enjoyed the atmosphere outside. The service can be somewhat slow, so don't go to this place if you're in a rush. The sushi was excellent and reasonably priced.

Pros: Outside seating, general neighborhood feel

Cons: Too kid-friendly- too many strollers, kids running afoot

Posted 06/01/08

I am neighborhood here, first time to try when I got these review . I do not feel, Amber is as you guy said, how good he is. don't lie to the honest person.I spent 67$. I didn't get what I pay for.(this is no include tip)
its consistently no good. and so chinese style.

Posted 02/10/08

Amber exceeded our expectations. My wife and I are avid Sushi and Thai food eaters, not only was the food delicious but the menu items they offered are unique. We found the service to be excellent ; the servers were attentive and pleasant. I own a restaurant and give Amber my highest recommendation.

Posted 12/21/07

I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in NYC, LA and Boston. This by far beats any NY or LA place I've been to- including the ultra-trendy places like Tao or Sushisamba! And the price and service are much better as well! The spicy tuna rolls are perfect, as well as the shrimp and avacado! It almost beats Fugakyu in Boston, but not quite. But since its right in my neighborhood in NY, it reigns as the winner!!

Pros: price, deliciousness, outdoor seating, attentive service

Posted 08/13/07

I eat out allot & love to sit at a bar & enjoy good drinks and food. Amber is the place for me. It has quick service, a full bar menu & the best drinks on 3rd avenue-upper east side. I love to watch sports on the large flat screen tv, enjoy the fine sushi & wash it all down with the best drinks in the city ! My personal recomedations are the Green Tea Margarita's & the Ocean Roll. Pure heaven.

Pros: BAR DRINKS, FOOD & HUGE FLAT SCREEN TV

Cons: not open all night

Posted 07/27/07

I really liked their Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy tartar. It was so good! The sushi at this place is definitely great. Atmosphere also good. Only complaint: no service! Our waitress came by, took our order, brought the food, and that was all she did... we had to ask the bus boy for our check b/c she had disappeared. I think I'll give them one more try since the food was so good and hopefully we won't run into a bad waitress. Definitely recommended if you live in UES, and even worth a little trek if you don't.

Pros: Great "Crunchy Crunchy Crunchy" appetizer, great sushi

Cons: bad service - waitress disappeared after she brought us the food

Posted 07/04/07

I live in the neighbourhood so its very convenient for me & i visit a couple times a week to eat and have an occasional drink.The manager Bo is a very nice guy, he takes time to interact with patrons and make them feel great. Lileyanne makes the best Mojito on the face of the earth and Shane (the other bartender) always is good for a laugh. I highly recomend going there, the place is clean and warm & it is full of good looking people. 5 star recomendation !

Pros: Great drinks, excellant food, fast service

Cons: drinks taste too good !

Posted 07/01/07

Heard of Amber from a few friends couple months ago, couldn't help myself from going back since then! The decor is both romantic and hip, with AWESOME music playing in the back. The food is always fresh, from the satay to sangria duck to sushi, I've tried 'em all without breaking the bank! Service was average at first, but after seeing a few new faces, BIG improvement, more attentive (tho too much at times) and friendly staff, credit to the management! All my friends and I will keep on passing the words around, after all the years eating out, now we finally have our favorite spot! We HIGHLY recommended. Oh! dont forget to check out the "hidden" room in the back.

Pros: Ambience, friendly staff, great food

Cons: Service too fast on weekends

Posted 04/07/07

Okay well, i am a frequent customer of this place, UNTIL TONIGHT. Not only did the waiter rush me into ordering, but he brought drinks to the table that I did not order, but he had the nerve to charge me for them! On top of that, he messed up my sushi order, but instead of making a big deal about it, I just told him I couldn't eat what he brought, and he STILL charged me for his mistake! And to finish the night off, I went to order dessert and they did not offer anything on the menu. They were out of everything practically! I asked for fresh fruit I had seen being served at the sushi bar and when I kindly asked for that (since they didnt have anything else!) he rudely told me that oranges were only for people sitting at the sushi bar. I was amazed at how rude and uncaring the staff was! I even begged for the fruit because I couldn't belive how ridiculous this was and he finally brought it, and shocker- CHARGED ME!! I called the manager over and he acted as if he couldn't give a flying you know what if the waiter messed up, as long as he made money. He didn't care that the customer was unhappy, he was so unprofessional it was disgusting!

I WOULD NEVER GO BACK, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE FOOD IS BECAUSE THE STAFF AND MANAGER WERE TERRIBLE! THE MANAGER WAS SO HURTFUL AND COLD HEARTED THAT HE MADE MY DAUGHTER CRY!! THEY SHOULD CHANGE THEIR NAME FROM AMBER TO AWFUL!

Pros: food

Cons: THE STAFF AND MANAGER WERE TERRIBLE AND RUINED MY DINING EXPERIENCE!

Posted 02/27/07

Amazing sushi combos, BEST pad thai and quick service keep me coming back. Sit in the front, the back feels sleepy.

Pros: Popular Spot

Cons: TV over the bar

Posted 11/05/06

Went there for drinks and dinner. Amber has a pretty lively atmosphere, the right mix of energy and music that's not too low to bore you and not too loud to discourage. THe Red Snapper is absolutely amazing and come in a large portion, especially for seafood. Drinks are excellent. The decor is modern and sleekly clean, the bathrooms are some of the nicest I've seen in a while. A must try, I highly recommend.

Posted 08/15/06

I liked the fun retro-neo-post modern asian ' 2001' decor at Amber. My date and I sat at one of the casual bar tables at the front near the weeping pebble-stone wall. There's a brightly blue & red light lit bar, a main dining area and a lovely back (indoor) "garden" room. Thumping music played throughout our stay and the general noise level was high. We had seaweed salads, shared 17 pieces of sushi & sashimi, a tuna sashimi roll wrapped in cucumber, a bowl of edamame and some premium cold sake. The quality, presentation and portion size of the fish was very good. The service was terrific and I look forward to returning to try some other dishes. The bill came to $87.50.

Posted 07/22/06

We just found this place two weeks ago and have already been there three times. There is a great variety to choose from and specialty rolls are incredible. We've also had the same waiter the last three times and he has quickly asserted himself as "best of all time". Most attentive and friendly waiter in an expensive dark sushi lounge on the upper east side by far.

Pros: sushi, staff, atmosphere

Cons: too expensive to go, every night :(

Posted 04/21/06

My boyfriend and I went to Amber last night and had great drinks at the bar while waiting for our table. After we were seated we ordered some unfiltered Sake which was fabulous.

Now the disappointing part. My boyfriend ordered Chicken Teriyaki and I ordered a sushi combination. His food was presented to him and mine failed to show up. 15 minutes after he was served (and almost done with his meal) they told me that indeed my food was still in the queue at the sushi bar. It's uncooked food! What possibly takes that long?

With that aside it is completely unprofessional to serve one person an entree and not the other. His food should have been held and presented to us both at the same time.

I cancelled my order and we high tailed it out of there never to return.

Pros: Great Drinks

Cons: Poor Service, Crowded

Posted 03/16/06

I've visited this place about 10 times now, and have been a happy customer since coming here a year ago. The sushi bar, hot appetizers and pan-Asian main courses are excellent. The place has a hip vibe you'd expect to find downtown, not on the upper east side. Its a welcome change to the somewhat conservative neighborhood.

For appetizers, I'd recommend the soft shell crab, spicy New Zealand mussels, calamari and anything from the sushi bar. Its all very fresh.

For mains, the crispy duck, grilled Chilean sea bass, green vegetarian curry and red snapper are all wonderful choices. The wine list, imported beers and extensive sake menu should be satisfactory to most people.

The only drawback can be the door staff. When it gets really busy, you may experience a little attitude, although this can be spotty.

Pros: Effecient service, Obliging wait staff, Hip ambience

Cons: Door staff

Posted 02/20/06

I'm a confessed sushi freak. I have been to hundreds of sushi bars, and Amber consistently has some of the freshest offerings I've ever tasted. The chefs are true artists, and they take pride in their presentation. Many sushi bars have lost the artistic appeal of their craft, but not Amber. Everything I order looks like a masterpiece, and tastes like heaven. Seating is ample and comfortable, and the atmosphere is very appealing! Even the bathrooms are gorgeous. It feels very chic, without sacrificing comfort or great service. Speaking of, the staff is very friendly and helpful. The green tea margaritas are not to be missed, either. Pricing is very reasonable, given the quality of the experience.

Pros: FRESH sushi!, Atmosphere, Great chefs

Cons: I don't live there!, Bar isn't huge

Posted 02/02/06

I found this place to be an overall great restaurant, especially considering the neighborhood (many b-restaurants without much flair). It looked more like a chic lounge than sushi spot. The decorating was great, the lighting, the music, all great and relaxing. The food too, definitely better than average! A little pricy but I thought worth it and will definitely go back. A great date spot, not far from Central Park.
Make sure to check out the room in the back too.

Pros: Service, ambiance, date spot

Posted 08/29/05

This has quickly become my favorite sushi place in the neighborhood. The atmosphere is nice, service is extremely attentive and the sushi is quite good. Some of the non-sushi entrees are a bit expensive and nothing special but if you're looking for a nice evening out for some sushi, this is a good place to go. Kudos for the service. Very good addition to the neighborhood.

Posted 07/16/05

Walked in for an afternoon drink and snack. Very attentive service. We had ceviche and fried calamari, which are both quite good. Drinks menu is sufficient, and it's a nice place to chill in the neighborhood. Though, Asian fushion food often are not as good as authentic sushi or Chinese dishes. Worth a try.

Pros: Decor, Selection of food, Price

Cons: Asian-fushion

Posted 06/24/05