Press

By Tom Sietsema (The Washington Post, Wednesday, February 27 2013)   Ivan Iricanin faced many hurdles on the path to opening a Balkan restaurant on Capitol Hill that would deliver what he calls “the whole package”: service, setting and the Serbian flavors of his youth.   Read Article

WASHINGTON (JCHAYWARD.COM) — Ambar, a new restaurant with a desire to introduce D.C. to cutting edge Balkan cuisine recently opened up at Barracks Row, 523 8th Street, SE Washington, DC. The restaurant features “small plates,” focusing on Serbian cuisine and offers wines and spirits from the Balkans not often experienced by the American diner. Executive Chef, Bojan Bocvarov joined [...]

Ambar, the District’s first Balkan restaurant, opened this week. Unfamiliar with the cuisine of Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and the other nations that comprise the region?  Here’s what we suggest you order on your first visit: Drink: Ambar’s cocktail menu may seem strange to Americans: 8 of the 11 drinks feature rakia, a brandy-like liqueur made [...]

One of the most adventurous (read: gutsy) restaurants to call Capitol Hill home will open this November when Masa 14/El Centro D.F. partnerIvan Iricanin debuts his Serbian restaurant, Ambar, in the formerJordan’s 8 space. A native of Trstenik, a small town in southern Serbia, Iricanin plans to give locals a rare taste of his home country. Washingtonians have [...]

Balkan Cuisine Coming to Barracks Row – Jordan’s 8 To Become Ambar by Larry Janezich Ivan Iricanin, one of acclaimed chef and international restaurateur Richard Sandoval’s partners in two 14th Street restaurants – El Centro and Masa 14 – expects to open Ambar on Barracks Row this fall – perhaps by November.  The restaurant will [...]

Rakija is not well-known to American drinkers, but the fermented fruit spirit is the most popular liquor in Balkan countries like Serbia, Croatia, Albania and Turkey. This January, D.C. will get a chance to explore the intricacies of the unique booze when Ambar opens in Barracks Row. A project from Masa 14 and El Centro D.F. partner Ivan Iricanin, the restaurant will span [...]

Long-anticipated Balkan restaurant Ambar, opens today from Masa 14 and El Centro DF partner Ivan Iricanin.  A welcome addition to the Barracks Row neighborhood, Ambar spans almost 4,000 square feet across two floors and an outdoor patio. Though the menu will be heavily influenced by Mediterranean flavors, we’re particularly excited about the concept as there are no Balkan restaurants [...]

At Ambar—a new Barracks Row small-plates spot that marks its official opening on January 14—you’ll find traditional Balkan dishes as well as lighter riffs on the classics. An example of the former is sarma: stuffed sour cabbage with bay leaf and smoked pork and beef. More interpretive fare include rolovana prasetina, a pork roulade with [...]

One of the most adventurous (read: gutsy) restaurants to call Capitol Hill home will open this November when Masa 14/El Centro D.F. partner Ivan Iricanin debuts his Serbian restaurant, Ambar, in the former Jordan’s 8 space. A native of Trstenik, a small town in southern Serbia, Iricanin plans to give locals a rare taste of [...]