Ambeli Greek Taverna

Food is good and it’s BYOB so there’s that. I ordered the meat combo platter, friends ordered the Brazino and the chicken slouvaki. As appetizers, we ordered the grilled shrimp, octopus and hummus. All of the food was good to very good. I was especially pleased with the octopus.
My only gripe is that the value was not there. For $ 6, the hummus appetizer was maybe a big dollop of hummus with 6 pieces of vegetables surrounding the dollop. For about $ 20 for the chicken slouvaki, it was 2 skewers fries and a small side salad and pita bread. I personally feel like a bigger portion size would be nice.
Gripes aside, it is a nice restaurant with good food and friendly waiters.

Loved this restaurant. Went shortly after it opened and kept saying how good this was as I ate my order of what I ordered, the pastichio. Only problem is the lack of parking in this area of Cranford.

I tried finding something wrong with this place but I can’t. Everything was AMAZING!!! For me the octopus was the best I ever had. The staff was great. Very welcoming and hospitable. Definitely recommend.

Stopped for lunch and tried the Greek Eggs — an omelette with spinach, tomato and feta cheese. It came with toasted pita, fried potatoes and a chicken soup. Since it is a Friday in Lent, I took the soup home for tomorrow. My Omelette was great, the potatoes were good and the pita was pita. Definitely recommend them. Archie, my waiter, Archie, is very cordial, attentive and helpful.

This place is a solid 4.5. Chris the owner was really welcoming as soon as we walked in, and also made sure to check in throughout our meal. They gave us olive bread and hummus as soon as we sat down, and there’s no corking fee for wine (it’s BYOB). We ordered the horiatiki salad, octopus app, garides sharas, and gyro platter between two people. Wanted to order another app, but were told that would be plenty. Thanks for not upselling us! They were right, the portions are definitely on the large side. The salad was good, but the octopus and shrimp were the star of the meal. Really perfectly cooked and simply delicious. The gyro platter was okay, there was a lot of gravy on the meat and it was more on the salty side.
This isn’t a five star place only because our waiter forgot our water twice, the food was slightly salty, and the hummus was kind of bland. Overall the experience was really great and the food was delicious! I’ll definitely be coming back.

First of all I must admit that Chris (the owner) Is a very good friend of mine. On that note… Anyone who truly knows me knows I tell it like it is… Good or Bad.
I have been here on numerous occasions and every time I was delightfully surprised with my food. It is always fresh, tasty and appetizing to the eye. Now, no one is gonna make it like Mama does or Yia Yia but this is the best you are gonna get around here and in truth may even be better than your Moms. Tasso works his magic in that kitchen and it is Fantastic. You must try the Octopus, it is… To die for! The salads, the dips the soup mousaka etc… all so tasty and FRESH! Now my only complaint would be that if I go too often MY ASS is gonna grow too damn much! Keep up the good work boys, I know this is new to the both of ya but I must say so far its a homerun! And amazing desserts Popi!!!(I think that’s who bakes them).

I work way too close to this restaurant, so i’ve stopped by here for take out on a number of different occasions. I walk in now, and one of the waiters shouts out «Gyro sandwich!»
Most of the time i pick up lunch from here. The Gyro sandwich is really good — a decent size, great flavor, and some very fresh and ripe tomatoes! It also comes with some greek fries, and a small cup of the lemon chicken soup.
we’ve tried some other items from the menu, including the hummus, chicken, greek sausage and the meatballs.
Everything is good. Favorites are the greek sausage, the meatballs, and the gyro!

Finally! One can never have enough Mediterranean food. Who’s with me?
Ambeli opened its doors, the crowds flooded in and the waves of people haven’t ceased. I figured out why on a Valentine’s date night on Sunday with the hubs when I took my first taste of lemon chicken orzo soup. Yep, this place is the real deal. Excellent quality, fresh Greek food. This was further confirmed by the passionate, extraterrestrial flavor that came with the Octopus, one of their signature dishes, and the imported, fried kefalograviera cheese drizzled with lemon and balsamic vinaigrette as well as the artfully presented taramosalata. It is entirely possible that these items are the best on the menu, as we cherry picked from the waiter’s recommendations. And yet, I somehow think you can’t go wrong here. I overheard our neighbor raving over the remaining sauce from what might have been the mussles or thalassic giouvetsi (seafood clay pot.) She was using the olive bread to sop up the liquid remains. As great as the entrees looked, we opted to stick to a tapas style eating plan and ordered off the cold and hot appetizer list along with one of their three salad options and left feeling full. BYOB.
The ambiance is pleasant and unassuming with lively Mediterranean music and mismatched pottery and painted mosaics adorning the beige walls. Although the place is small, we were surprised to see how quickly the food came to the table for a restaurant that’s only been in business for two months. Feeling grateful to have Ambeli Greek Taverna to add to the arsenal of diverse restaurants Cranford has to offer. Remember to finish your meal off with the freshly made Baklava and a Greek coffee. Even if you’re full. You will make room.
P. S. I saw someone taking food to go. I think I’ll bring home some of that lemon chicken soup for the boys on a busy work/​school night sometime soon when I need dinner in a hurry. They’ll love it!

Grabbed a late night weekday bite without any reservations for 2. The owner introduced himself and sat us promptly. The atmosphere was relaxed making us feel at ease for not being dressed properly. The food was out quickly and was as tender as could be. Little gem in downtown Cranford for sure. I’ll be back!

I am giving it a 4 based on the force of Chris the owner’s large size personality. A real charming fellow working very hard to make his business succeed. Loved chatting with him.
Prior to this though I was torn between a 3 and a 4. The food was very good but not necessarily spectacular and at times the waiter was hard to find. For example, I should not have had to ask for a water refill on 2 separate occasions. Other than that he was very helpful.
The salads were good especially the tomatoes in the Hortaki Salad. I enjoyed my grilled pork chop served with a side of spinach. My wife was OK with her seafood dish. She actually wanted to order a fish that the waiter said they could filet but could not guarantee there wouldn’t be bones in it. Is a lawyer running the kitchen? She decided to pass on the fish.
Even if I didn’t like the food, I would go back again just to chat up Chris!!!

Absolutely delicious! My husband and I just got back from one of the BEST meals we’ve had in some time! I’d heard great things about this place and am so glad we tried it. I was worried about a long wait as they only take reservations until 6pm but at 7pm on a Saturday (party of 2) we were seated within 15 minutes. Larger parties had a longer wait, but the owner was happy to take your phone # if you wanted to get a drink somewhere first (this place is BYOB). We had a very knowledgeable waiter who steered us right– food was great! We tried the grilled octopus app and a shrimp dish with tomato sauce/​melted cheese. For mains I had the wonderful lamb chops with lemon potatoes and my husband had an orzo dish with shrimp, calamari & mussels. Dessert was again recommended by our waiter– a custard dish wrapped in phyllo and topped with honey-​yum! Great food presentation as well! I can’t recommend this place enough & can’t wait to go back!

Awesome food, amazing ambiance, great and personable service! Best of luck to the owner. We will definitely be coming back.

Being Greek myself, this restaurant makes me very proud!!! Authentic and delicious food. Great service and great décor. Highly recommended!!!

Absolutely authentic and delicious meal! I am Greek — American so have had plenty of home-​cooked Greek food throughout my life and this restaurant definitely delivers on flavorful, authentic Greek dishes. I am so glad we tried out this place tonight. We had the octopus and shrimp saganaki appetizers, lamb chops and a seafood dish with orzo, plus galatobouteko for dessert, all delicious! They have traditional Greek music playing, helpful staff and yummy olive bread too. Check it out

Amazingly Fresh Greek food! Ambeli was a long time coming and worth the wait. I’ve been here a few times and always greeted with a smile. The owner Chris along with the chefs creative skills clearly express their vision of a modern Greek kitchen (Kou-​Zina). From their Grilled Octopus that’s super tender to their individual Pastichio you’d think grandma (yia-​yia) was in the back. Succulent lamb chops that you’ll be salivating as you read this review. Ambeli, is new to the Cranford scene and yes it’s busy. Be patient. Be kind… grab a bottle of wine and unwind at Ambeli tonight.

Absolutely outstanding food! My family and I went on Sunday for an early dinner and the place was already packed. I can only imagine what it’s like on a Friday or Saturday night. We started with the seafood medley and everything was perfectly cooked– easily the most tender octopus I’ve ever had. Our entrees were also delicious– lamb chops, souvlaki, and seafood were outstanding. We waited a while for our food but that’s probably because of how many people were packed into the restaurant versus the size of the kitchen. We will definitely be back!

Walked in here with a friend on Saturday night at around 9:20pm. The sign on the door showed they closed at 10pm but we figured we’d eat quick. We were seated pretty quick and our waiter came over to open our bottle of wine for us (this place is BYOB). Took a little while for our waiter to come back and we were afraid they were going to rush us out since we were getting close to closing but that wasn’t an issue at all. Our waiter brought us olive bread with hummus and we placed our orders. My friend got the branzino and I got the moussaka both were excellent! For dessert we had Greek coffee and a frappé and they were awesome. We left close to 11pm and there were still people eating. At no point did we feel rushed. Definitely worth a visit!!!

Great new choice in Cranford. Excellent food and value plus BYOB. The service was very attentive but not rushed

You just have to try for yourself! We are so excited to have real Greek food in our quaint little town of Cranford. The food is very fresh deliciously prepared and melts in your mouth. The owner goes around and sees how you are doing. and on top of that it’s byob!
We have had the octopus appetizer. We have also tried the grilled shrimp and the shrimp with the cheese. All I highly recommend.
The entrees are of a great portion. I have had the gyro platter (twice lol) which I love. The side potatoes are homemade fries, super yum. The side dish of spinach and rice is also my favorite. I will have to try the fish next time.
The only downside is the bread is some sort of mediterranean home made bread, which I think could be a little bit better (less dry perhaps). Still it does not take away the stars of this place.

Finally another great Greek restaurant to add to my list. Service is great and staff is very friendly food is perfect. I would highly recommend this place.

Best food in town
Great flavor. Great service. Great price. I’ll be back!
Chris is a gracious host. I really enjoyed the gyro and chicken kebab. If only there were more seats for all the hungry customers.

Fresh authentic dishes and an awesome staff. The owner was present and came to each table. Not only was it a great meal but a great environment as well. I can’t wait to try more things off the menu! I definitely recommend the spanakopita to get you started and the battered feta!

I was dying to try this place out so I jumped at the chance to meet some friends there for lunch on the weekend. First off, the service was great. The waitress was knowledgeable, brought our food out promptly, and the bus boy always kept our water glasses full. And the owner Christos is just great — so incredibly friendly and welcoming.
We just split a bunch of apps including the roasted beet salad topped with grilled calamari, tzatziki, dolmades, keftedes, and spanakopita. My favorite was the tzatziki and grilled calamari, though everything was great. I’m already planning my next visit — this is a great addition to the Cranford dining scene.

The wife and I had been waiting for this place to open for quite some time. We were passing today and finally saw it was open, so decided to test it out. Place was almost to full capacity, but only took about 5 minutes for them to sit us.
The place opened only 4 days ago, and there are definitely some opening issues that I’m sure will be worked out (e.g. long waits to get lemon, pepper, seltzer water), but overall service was nice and friendly.
We both ordered the avgolemono soup as an appetizer — it was pretty good, though it was a little thin and needed some lemon. For main course, we order the pork souvlaki and lamb chops, both were very tasty, though potatoes were slightly undercooked and in need of a bit extra lemon.
For dessert, we had baklava, which honestly was the best I have ever had (and I’ve even been to Greece).
Overall, a solid place, and one they work out the kinks, it can definitely be a 5* restaurant.

Decided to try this new restaurant and wow, excellent food. Owner came to table a few times to check in on us. Friendly and hospitable waiter as well. We received olive bread with a spread right away — very good. I ordered the three spreads dish… one they were out, so owner recommended another one. I couldn’t pick a favorite — all super yummy. I ordered the pork skewer, SO tender and tasty, which is hard to pull off with pork. So happy I tried this new restaurant out and I’ll definitely come again.