Amber
2214 1st Ave, Seattle, WA, 98121
Amber Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Diabetics at Jamba Juice:
Eating good food at the right time can control your blood sugar, also stop you from craving wrong sort of food. Jamba Juice offers drinks in three separate sizes: 16, 24, and 32-ounce. You can choose the lowest serving size and cut down on sugars and calorie intake. If you're diabetic and concerned about the sugar intake, then you can opt for the smaller 9.5-ounce smoothies available for kids at Jamba Juice.
Foods to Avoid at Jamba Juice for Diabetics:
Jamba Juice is primarily known for its highly satisfying and nutritive smoothies and juices. Almost every smoothie and juice item on the Jamba Juice menu contains sugar. Diabetics are recommended to opt for smaller serving size while ordering at Jamba Juice. Also, avoid opting for creamy treats as all the smoothies offered in this category contain a load of sugars.
Keep the sugar content below 50g per meal at Jamba Juice and ensure that you don't follow it with a heavy meal. A small size regular smoothie is equivalent to a meal for everyone. Classic smoothies at Jamba Juice are also heavily loaded with sugars. Stay away from that section if you are a diabetic.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at Jamba Juice:
Great Greens (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 160 calories, 1.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 5mg sodium, 37g carbs, 24g sugar, 5g fiber, 4g Protein
Pomegranate Antioxidant Smoothie (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 0g Fat (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 80mg sodium, 43g carbs, 34g sugar, 4g fiber, 1g Protein
Cucumber Orange Cooler (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 190 calories, 1g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 10mg sodium, 46g carbs, 46g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g Protein
Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 2.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0.5g), 15mg sodium, 35g carbs, 5g sugar, 4g fiber, 8g Protein
Orange Carrot Twist (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 1g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 120mg sodium, 41g carbs, 34g sugar, 0g fiber, 4g Protein
Veggie Vitality (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 200 calories, 1.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 240mg sodium, 44g carbs, 33g sugar, 5g fiber, 4g Protein
Lotta Horchata
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 2.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 125mg sodium, 44g carbs, 26g sugar, 2g fiber, 4g Protein
Positively Pomegranate Bowl
Nutritional Facts: 380 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 85mg sodium, 69g carbs, 46g sugar, 10g fiber, 10g Protein
Wheatgrass Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 8 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 5mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0.5g sugar, 0g fiber, 0.5g Protein
Orange Ginger Cayenne Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 35 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 8g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g Protein
Turmeric – Tame the Flame™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Wheatgrass – Amino on the Go™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 4g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Ginger – Daily Zing™
Nutritional Facts: 25 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Seattle for healthy meals suggestion.
High Blood Pressure at Jamba Juice
Vegetables and fruits combo is considered the best food to lower blood pressure. More importantly, if you opt for ingredients containing carotenoids such as lutein, beta-carotene, and cryptoxanthin as well as Vitamin C will also help lower blood pressure. Potassium-rich foods also help lower blood pressure. So, if you are concerned about your high blood pressure, then always opt for Jamba Juice smoothies and juices containing vegetables and fruits, especially foods rich in potassium.
Foods to Avoid at Jamba Juice for High Blood Pressure:
Almost every juices and smoothie offered at Jamba Juice contain an adequate amount of sodium. To control or maintain blood pressure levels, you must avoid flatbreads served at Jamba Juice. They are high in sodium and saturated fat. Most of the items on the Jamba Juice menu are safe for high blood pressure candidates. However, it is recommended to opt for healthier options than to munch on anything and everything.
Food Suggestions for High Blood Pressure at Jamba Juice:
Acai Super-Antioxidant Smoothie (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 310 calories, 4.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 1.5g), 65mg sodium, 63g carbs, 52g sugar, 4g fiber, 6g Protein
Tropical Greens (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 230 calories, 1.5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 170mg sodium, 56g carbs, 39g sugar, 8g fiber, 4g Protein
Pomegranate Paradise (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 240 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 25mg sodium, 61g carbs, 50g sugar, 4g fiber, 1g Protein
Strawberry Whirl (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 20mg sodium, 53g carbs, 45g sugar, 4g fiber, 1g Protein
Wheatgrass Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 8 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 5mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0.5g sugar, 0g fiber, 0.5g Protein
Orange Ginger Cayenne Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 35 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 8g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g Protein
Turmeric – Tame the Flame™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Wheatgrass – Amino on the Go™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 4g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Ginger – Daily Zing™
Nutritional Facts: 25 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
High Cholesterol at Jamba Juice
The best thing about Jamba Juice is that almost every item on their menu contains zero cholesterol and no trans-fat. Jamba Juice offers a wide range of vegetable, fruits, nuts, and chocolate smoothies, juices and bowls. The unique blend of these healthy ingredients ensures that each item on Jamba Juice is 100% healthy and cholesterol free.
Foods to Avoid at Jamba Juice for High Cholesterol:
Besides packing good amount nutrients in their drinks, several items on Jamba Juice often come with a high calorie count. If you have high cholesterol, then better stay away from their range of classic smoothies. Some high-calorie smoothies available at Jamba Juice are Peanut Butter Moo'd, Chocolate Moo'd, Strawberry Surf Rider, etc.
Although low in calories, the Tasty Bites are often cooked in palm oil (a trans-fat) and contains butter and sugar. It is recommended to choose a 200-calorie smoothie containing fresh fruits and veggies instead.
Food Suggestions for High Cholesterol at Jamba Juice:
Apple 'n Greens Smoothie (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 250 calories, 1g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 55mg sodium, 60g carbs, 45g sugar, 4g fiber, 4g Protein
Orange Supreme (16 fl oz)
Nutritional Facts: 240 calories, 2g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 65mg sodium, 54g carbs, 40g sugar, 4g fiber, 4g Protein
Kale-ribbean Breeze Smoothie (Small)
Nutritional Facts: 320 calories, 3g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 75mg sodium, 66g carbs, 48g sugar, 6g fiber, 10g Protein
Nutritional Facts: 490 calories, 10g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3g), 40mg sodium, 99g carbs, 67g sugar, 11g fiber, 8g Protein
Wheatgrass Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 8 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 5mg sodium, 1g carbs, 0.5g sugar, 0g fiber, 0.5g Protein
Orange Ginger Cayenne Juice Shot
Nutritional Facts: 35 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 8g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g Protein
Turmeric – Tame the Flame™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Wheatgrass – Amino on the Go™
Nutritional Facts: 20 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 4g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Ginger – Daily Zing™
Nutritional Facts: 25 calories, 0g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 0mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g Protein
Low-Cholesterol Foods:
The best way to get rid of bad cholesterol from the body is by detoxifying the whole system with fresh shots. Jamba Juice offers Turmeric Shot, Ginger Shot, Wheatgrass Shot, and Orange Ginger Cayenne Shot that will keep you healthy even when you consume junk food.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Q & A for Jamba Juice
How to order Jamba Juice?
You can order Jamba Juice either online or visiting the store directly. Use the Jamba Juice to order Jamba Juice online or use Restaurant Listings directory to locate the Jamba Juice store nearby.
Are Jamba Juice smoothies gluten free?
Jamba Juice offers 36 gluten-free drink options including 15 non-dairy drinks.
Are Jamba Juice smoothies vegan?
Yes, you can order vegan smoothies at Jamba Juice. Almost all Jamba Juice smoothies are available as vegan or can be made vegan by substituting milk with Almond milk or Soy milk.
When does Jamba Juice open and close?
Generally, Jamba Juice outlets are operational every day of the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, the timings may vary based on the restaurant locations and owner preferences. You can check the timings of the Jamba Juice nearby on our Restaurant Listings directory.
When is Jamba Juice happy hour?
Currently, there are no Jamba Juice happy hours.
Is Jamba Juice healthy?
Jamba Juice offers a wide range of smoothies and fresh fruit juices. Most of them are healthy, while a lot of others are loaded with sugar and excessive calories. Check the nutrition content before you make the order at Jamba Juice to choose a healthy option.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice Company was founded by Kirk Perron who is fitness enthusiast and avid cyclist. The company was first headquartered in Emeryville, California but later transferred to in Frisco, Texas. The company has 875 locations in the United States and 65 International Stores including Mexico, Taiwan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Jamba Juice gains its popularity by introducing healthy drinks and smoothies in the US. Later they also introduced healthy bowls and snacks specially designed for kids. The main aim behind Jamba Juice was to introduce nutritional food options for all age group.
Healthy Food Options at Jamba Juice
If you are too tired of sipping sugar-loaded drinks then
visit nearest Jamba Juice outlet where you can enjoy fresh fruit smoothies,
juices, fresh shots and ready to drink shots for those who wish to have
something healthy while going to work. All the drinks made in Jamba Juice are
made using fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables.
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Address :
2214 1st Ave
Seattle, WA, 98121 - Phone (206) 728-8500
- Website https://www.amberseattle.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Ages Allowed : 21+
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Very Loud
Music : DJ
Good For Dancing : Yes
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : Yes
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Judy M.
We ended up here on a Saturday night in a failed attempt to get into The LIst. Wah. The place has a nice, warm decor, but it was pretty empty. We barely missed Happy Hour, another wah! At first, our waitress seemed a little crude, but she actually turned out to be great, just a little overwhelmed. She pretty much was running a one woman show-bar tending, waitressing, and bussing. In short, she was super woman! She made one of the best kamikaze's we've ever had! It had fresh squeezed lemon, and was smooth. Great job. The calamari was fine, not one of the best I've ever had, but it was still fine. I ordered the squash salad which consisted of nuts, pomegranates, and roasted squash. It was interesting, and beautiful in color, but just didn't quite come together for me. The dish was lacking some crunch, and was oddly a mixture of cold and warm. The mushroom pizza, however was tasty. The mushroom and cheese complimented each other well, and the flavors were good. My only complaint was that the onions weren't actually caramlized. The music was neo-soul. Great play list. Overall, the food attempts something great, but comes off good.
(3)Michelle S.
I went here for the first time with friends lay night and we had an awesome time. Good music (top 40 and some hits from the 90s and 2000s). The drinks were good (a little expensive) but were yummy! Great atmosphere, no cover, plenty of seating areas, and nice waitresses!
(5)Tammy N.
My first bar in Seattle. Came in for a drink while waiting for our table at Umi. It wasn't happening yet since it was 8pm on a Saturday night. With that, it took forever for a bartender that our group of 4 was standing there waiting at the bar. A round of chilled crown shots later, we were happy campers. Big and spacious, definitely gets back once nightlife hours come around. Noticed long lines outside when we walked back after dinner. Decent bar, nothing stood out too much. I'd come back to see what it's like during peak hours.
(3)Karen A.
I like this place. It's big! I went on Saturday night. I liked that there was no cover and a free coat check. The bathroom was clean which is very important to me. My drinks (vodka and sodas) were consistently strong. The bartenders were busy but I never waited long for a drink. Some nice guys cuddled up to the bar let me squeeze in to order a drink which I appreciated. There was alot of sharply dressed people but I never felt snobbish vibes from any one. To me it seemed that everyone was having a good time. Some etiquette to be aware of: if you have a tab open at the bar and then sit at the table, you'll need to open another tab with the waiter/waitress or pay the waiter/waitress with cash. I think this is standard for most places but just a reminder... There were some sophisticated tough guys walking around, dressed nicely, with ear pieces that I think were deterring people from acting up and would respond if people were acting up. They smiled and were friendly. I assume they work for Amber otherwise that would be a little awkward. :) I'm glad they were there. It made me comfortable and even made me feel a little special. I know, corny! The DJ was fun. At some point he whipped out a mask and put it on! I think it was either one of those Mexican Wrestler masks or a strongbad mask. Oh wait isn't strongbad a Mexican wrestler??? Well regardless it was pretty bizarre but definitely entertaining. I like this place and will definitely return on Saturday nights. Oh and I need to check out the happy hour!
(4)Tracy I.
Definitely not my first pick in Belltown. The crowd is boring and the drinks are overpriced. And why is that everytime I come here there's a funky smell?
(2)Iki T.
I went there last night. Inside was pretty dark and supposed to be "cool". It was super hard to find a table, so we ended up sitting in the waiting section. I had a glass of Margarita and Midori Sour. Nothing was special except they were kind of pricey. Service was kind of bad too. Everything takes so much time like, the bartenders just keep remaking drinks for some reason. fmmmmmm..... I didn't really like it.
(2)Kunney T.
Why one star, people. It's dark here. It's good because it hides plenty - like terrible silicone enhancements, war paint, overly gelled hair, and desperation. Awesome. And when I came here, one of them girls were so sloshed she fell off her own barstool. Double Awesome. I like Amber. Amber introduced me to the 3rd love of my life - Hendrick's gin. Try it with a slice of cucumber and all other gin and tonics just won't compare to it. Triple Awesome!
(3)Kimberly G.
Nice ambiance but the crowd is on the younger side which brings a superficial feel to it.
(3)Mollie T.
This bar is huge and even with a bunch of people in there it does not seem crowded. They even have a coat check. I order a Mojito and it was amazing. It was a little sweet but it was probably one of the best I have ever had. We sat down below and I love the lighted ceiling. We were able to find a huge booth for our party very quickly. We got there around midnight and I would like to see how it might be earlier in the night. All in all I would go here again. It seemed young hip and fun.
(4)Liz S.
Want a mojito? Don't bother going to this place. I was here tonight for an event and I regret going despite the free drinks since the service was just plain horrible, even for a belltown bar. My friends and I got to Amber when it was slow and mostly empty. We asked one of the bartenders (a woman) a quesiton, but left us mid-question to take care of something else so reluctantly when she returned we decided to order our first round. The cherry mojito was more like marachino syrup/Shirley Temple with mint leaves. Where's the alcohol? The second time we got her attention I asked for a mango mojito and while asking if she could make sure there was something in there she left mid-request AGAIN. What came back to me was a colorless mess. Not willing to get poor treatment by the same person a third time I approached the other woman working the bar. I told her I had asked for a mango mojito and with no apology dumped mango puree into the glass right in front of me without shaking/mixing. I took pictures of what my drink ended up looking like because it was no way like what my friends had and will upload them as soon as I figure out how to. I was so disguested with the rude treatment I left no tip whatsoever. It will be a long time until I return here, regardless if there is an event going on or not.
(1)Erin B.
Not sure why this place doesn't have a higher rating because the two times I've been there it's been packed with people and the upstairs had been rented out. Traditional Belltown bar: trendy crowd of 20-somethings, cool atmosphere, bartenders kinda rude (except the upstairs people), weak drinks (downstairs worse than upstairs), pricey, but good music. Careful of all the Jersey Shore Guidos!
(4)Anna Y.
I'll try to be completely non-judgmental with Amber. This place has a distinct style, which it maintains unapologetically. People either love it or hate it, but here are some hard facts about this place: - No cover - Complimentary coat check - Beautiful and well-dressed people - Pricey drinks - No dance floor but there's background music - Allegedly good happy hours (never been so I can't verify) You will have fun at Amber in two occasions: - You want to chill with your well-dressed yuppie friends, being surrounded by good-looking people. - You are good-looking, well-dressed, egotistical, and (for guys) rich, with a single purpose of hunting for a matching blondie/frat boy. Otherwise, you'll end up writing a hateful review and would be better off elsewhere in Belltown.
(3)Dae Y.
thank god they finally changed out that hideous green ceiling upstairs a while back. now it's the beautiful orange light that makes everyone look radiant and attractive. the bar service can be really spotty. i've been there when you can't hear anything and the bartenders can't hear anything. i've been there when the bar service was the way it should be - maybe not super prompt like you would get at your favorite bar where they know you and like you, but you're also not standing there for what seems like days sobering up enough to realize that you've just become another drunk douche bag looking for a drink to numb you more. years ago the flank steak dinner dish was outstanding!
(3)Marcelle S.
Okay......The Amber and I have a Love & Hate relationship. The bar itself is really nice and I like how it is laid out with 4 sided bar! It makes it great for people watching and socializing. There are several areas broken down in different layouts which is pleasing for variety of bar goers. They also have an upstairs for private events that over look the main level. Brilliant design! They also have a fire-pit with bars tools off to the side which I like for the winter months. There is no dance floor since it isn't a dance club but a lounge. They have a really great after work Happy Hour drink & food special. The clientele is professionals and some sales reps in town for business. The age range is typically 30+ which is great for us 30+ people. :) I have met some really great people during the after-work Happy Hour. Now that summer is here, I bet the patio is filling up as well. The bouncers are polite and greet me as I enter. The staff is quick and friendly. Okay.....here comes the hate part. The weekend nights are terrible. I would have to say starting on Thursday night through the weekend. It is super crowded. It totally has this meat market feel to it. The entire clientele is different and the vibe is kind of cheesy. Yuck. I have to comment on another review saying there aren't any 20s in there and it is stockbrokers 30+. I wouldn't say that was true for the night crowd. It is a total meat market . I have seen guys standing by the hallway checking every girl out from top to bottom and making comments. I have seen girls in the middle of the winter in skimpy dresses without a sweater or coat or anything standing in line. Ladies, I do believe they have a coat check. :) So, I feel the after-work Happy Hour is more my speed. Cheers!
(3)Aaron E.
In less than a month I turn one year away from being a quarter of a century old! I FEEL OLD! Thinking about what I'm doing this year is difficult. Between good friends, good sushi, good drinks at Amber, and fun times at Venom I don't know how I could top last year. It was pretty much the best birthday EVER! I've been to Amber countless times and have always had fun! The space is gorgeous and I've found the service to always be friendly. The large bar space on the main floor always has an abundance of bartenders and booze and be assured you won't have to wait long for one of their tasty cocktails! Their upstairs lounge offers a quieter environment and a second full bar. During my birthday we had a genius bartender that crafted some awesome cocktails made out of tea vodka. It was a new product (a year ago) and the combination of vodka and sour mix... and whatever secret ingredient they added... made for the best tea vodka based drink I've ever had! Amber is conveniently located, tasty drinks, and has no cover! Their drinks are pretty okay priced, too (it is Belltown, after all!). Whether I'm here for happy hour, starting out a night, or ending a night, Amber is sure to provide a great environment, tasty drinks, and fun times! If you're still on the fence about Amber, check out one of the events they have (pretty much monthly) that offer specialty cocktails and appetizers!
(5)Kellie C.
Expensive, hard to find a place to sit or stand, and no dance floor.
(2)Tracey H.
We came here for their happy hour on a Wednesday night and also saw that they had a great Wednesday $5 Burger Special as well. Upon walking into the Amber room, the space is beautiful, clear and elegant. Definitely a nice space to unwind after work and enjoy a drink as well as some good food. From the happy hour menu, we ordered Ribs (which are delicious!), buffalo wings, and my boyfriend had one of their wood fired pizzas (bbq chicken) which were on special. The pizza was pretty bland and the wings were meaty and nice and spicy. I had one of the gourmet burgers which came with fries, for $5 you can't really go wrong. I really enjoyed the burger (brie with mushrooms & caramelized onions) and the fries are fabulous, they have fresh garlic and parsley all over em. Yummo! Would def recommend coming here during their happy hour as the special is not to be beat!!
(4)Mary M.
This place is WACK!!!!! The venue is alright but the crowd sucks! Girls night out and we had a guy talk shit to us and his extremely obese homegirl in our faces and shoving us around because all 5 of us denied him! I understand that you can't control the actions of the crowd. But when 5 girls come up to security and bouncers to let them know about the situation that's going down inside the Establishment and the security does kick that chick out. She shouldn't be let back in within 2 minutes. You just lost the business of 5 girls who will never come back and will tell all of our friends about the place and write a review on yelp.com .
(1)Brittany W.
zero stars. last night I was supposed to meet up with friends in belltown billiards but them being drunk already we played the "chase the drunkies" game all around the area. my friend and I gave up and ended up waiting at tia lou's for 15 or 20 mins. the atm wasn't working and they said go next door to amber they'll let you in for just their atm. so I asked amber's door guy (3\8) if I could just go through the exit real fast and use the atm. he could have just said no, you have to wait. instead his response was entirely rude " you want me to let you cut in front of paying customers so you can go somewhere else?" then he kept insulting my friend and I. I'm sorry you had a rough night, sir, but when you are at the door you represent your establishment. frankly, if that's how amber treats future customers then I don't want to ever frequent your bar. a simple, no sorry would have sufficed. I just asked because who wants to wait another 20 minutes for a club they are not going to? the atm was just inside the exit i wasn't cutting anyone.sir, you should really reconsider your line of work if you hate it so much. your negativity was unnecessary and myself and my friends will never check out your establishment simply because of you.
(1)Deepa H.
Amber was forcefully one of our Happy Hour places because List(next door) was packed and wait time was an hour. The Happy Hour menu list was limited and drinks were not cheap by any means..We ordered a couple of different kinds of pizzas and Chef's choice Pastas - one of the pizzas were just OK but the pastas seemed not at all fresh and the cheese inside smelled quite old. Definitely Amber is not a place to visit for Happy Hour firstly because of 'sucky' food and secondly when there is List next door..don't make that mistake!!!
(2)Judy K.
I don't recommend this location if you're a young adult (25 or younger) and looking for a good place to put on your dancing. The crowd at this venue is usually anywhere from the lower 30's to only God knows their age. Amber consists of two floors, both floors with a bar and lounge and no dance floor even though they are blasting with amazing club music!! HOWEVER, UW sometimes does hold parties there, and during those nights, more college students show and it will turn into a meet-and-greet place. Either way, I'm not a big fan of this place. And if you're going to Belltown and you're expecting to have a fun club night, steer away from this place and check out all the other better venues there.
(2)Sarah M.
This place smells gross.
(1)Paul B.
This place is either hit or miss. Some nights are amazing. Other times -- it's all the same damn thing. Crowd is always the same. Pretentious. Big space in the back for big groups. Upstairs bar makes watered down drinks. They have a famous bartender called the 'Dragon Lady.' I'd only come here for special occasions. Aside from that, I've grown sick of the place. Best for a quick stop early in the night then go somewhere else to finish it off.
(3)Brian W.
One word review? Pretentious. Looks like there are plenty of reviews here so I'm not going to go on and on. Went in with some friends on a Thursday night. It was pretty crowded, hard time finding a table, but not jam packed. Drinks were expensive. The clientele is a little on the older side, like me. But, they're also pretentious assholes. Unlike me. Well, it was still a nice evening out. The best part of this place is that it's within walking distance of many other possibilities. Not saying I had a bad time, but I was really turned off by people who were basically just assholes dressed up really nicely. Deceiving.
(2)Jeff H.
Good place to start your evening, but drinks can be expensive!! They have an impressive selection however, with a focus on vodka. Food is good as well, it's all about their crab cakes, trust me. They lost a star for me when they cancelled their late night Happy Hour. Best to come early on the weekends or during the week, because Friday and Saturday nights here are...Well, lets just say I know how a cow feels when it's headed to slaughter.
(3)Jay Y.
I'm actually from LA and this place was pretty nice considering there was no cover, no lines and actually some great music. However, if you are single and looking for some great looking people and hoping to score, the only touch down you will get is the football game playing on the tv. My guess is that this place is more of a sports bar, chill on the sofa with your friends and drink type of place. Our group was on the 2nd floor to chill, drink and just talk and it was pretty fun.
(5)Andrew E.
This place is the biggest waste of time. The crowd is such a weird mixing of people that it doesnt really work. The biggest problem that I have with this place, is that it gets way tooooooo crowded. I dont have a problem with a grip of people showing up to a spot, but man, its just redonkulous to move around. Good luck trying to make it to the bar to get a drink as well... it just wont happen. There are just way too many people that come here. Drinks are also a bit weak and not well priced. If you really feel like standing in one place for several hours because its physically impossible to move, then knock yourself out. There have been very few places I have been to in my life, where I feeling like punching myself for having wasted hours of my time on this planet... But that is exactly how I have felt after every time I have gone here.... Never again... Unless I feel the need to remind myself just how much it actually hurts to be hit.
(1)DIANA D.
BOOOOOOOOOOOO - what a let down Amber was to my friends and I. Lucky there's no cover charge or else this place would have received 1 star from me. We figured since we were there to order 1 drink. I had to fight my way through the crowd even to get to the bar. The oh so famous Mango Martini was a joke.... way too sweet and had too much pulp. I agree with most of the other reviews... medicore everything. The place is crowded with a less than agreeable crowd. This is the first place I've been to in Seattle where the people weren't friendly or nice. It's like they all congregated here after hours. Needless to say we quickly drank our drinks and moved on. We were happy to get out of there!
(2)Victoria C.
Although one of the bartenders is super friendly and always remembers me (even though it has been several months since I was last in), this place is now kind of hit or miss. I used to come here on a regular basis post work when I worked at my old job, and the food was always great ($3 happy hour prices for things like kobe beef sliders and huge ass pizzas--who can beat that?). This time, though, the sliders were burnt and dry, and the pizza was bland. Definitely not what it used to be.
(3)Michael S.
Hilarious... I thought the scene doesn't get much worse than San Francisco for a single heterosexual male, ahhhh welcome to Seattle my friends! Okay let me set the stage. It's Friday night at 11pm, I'm standing downstairs looking out over what looks like a gay bar. There are no girls as far as the eye can see. Some guy actually starts talking to me. I'm startled. We commiserate over the poor scene. 30 minutes later I'm up stairs talking to a girl from San Jose (bay area girls vacation here!), we're rapping to each and end up doing our pseudo salsa dancing at which point an asian dude comes up to us and says "I'm not as tall or as good looking as this guy [eye contact at me] but I really would like to talk to you [girl I'm talking to]". Wholey crap, did this just happen? Ladies and Gentlemen this guy is dying for women. He needs to move out of Seattle. I was blown away and started laughing and told him to go ahead. That's is the saddest line I've ever heard. Luckily for him I was looking for a way out anyways. Amber thanks for lowering my bar even further.
(1)Tony G.
Came here a few weeks ago and met up with some of my friends after going to the Flaming Lips concert. So of course I didn't look like I belong there. I ordered myself a Jack n Coke, the bartender told me it was $8 so I gave her a $10, then she disappeared. Bitch gave herself a $2 tip! And the drink wasn't even that strong. Did not justify $8 or a $2 tip. Sat down next to my friend and was entertained when he started to hit on some girls very badly. As he was doing that some weird guy sat next to me started talking to me. I don't think he was hitting on me but it got a little uncomfortable. It got really bad when he asked to wear my hat and I turned him down. He started poking me on the chest and saying, "You're no fun. You are no fun. Who is not having fun? You!" He finally left and went to talk to someone else. Never have I wanted to cockpunch someone more than that guy. Bad service. Weak drinks. Weird clientele. Yes, there are a lot of hot women here, but I have internet porn. I may come here again but I would recommend many other places first. Zipzap Zubidy Bop!
(2)Jane A.
NOT MY CUP OF TEA. Fratboys, wanna-be fratboys, and i still wish this place was called Axis. I liked Amber when it was once Axis because the fruit infused martini's at Axis were the hit. Been here a few times and haven't liked it since it's been Amber. I came here after work to get drinks and was okaying the crowd. But all the time's I've been here after 10pm, I felt like I was at Fratparty/club atmosphere. Wasn't my cup of tea. I also came here for a private party on a Sunday evening. I do love the green room upstairs. Liked the food they had ordered (wasn't sure if it was from a different catering place of from Amber). Not sure if I'd return. I rather find myself across the street at Ohana.
(2)Latifa S.
Ok I know this place is a complete 'Market" ... but it all depands on what you are looking for.. When I go to this place..all I want is pure entertainment!! I have so much fun everytime I go there..Great place..most ppl are dress up and not grungy...kind of over crowded at times..but usually fun , entertaining..and you always bound to bump into local celebs if you can get into vip area..All the football players..basket ball players..and all those dumb blonde bimbos making a fool of themselves trying to get them...it was super entertaining...You'll meet all kind of losers here too..me and my girlfriends all go here for pure entertainment of crashing those losers..we meet ocassional nice guys....have a nice chat ..the end...we all have men ..and we dont need to be looking for a guy here..so its fun for us..great ppl watching!
(3)Jennifer B.
This place is usually busy every weekend. It's a place where people from out of town go b/c you can always talk to someone. I like the staff there and never have a problem. I don't go here for its food or drinks but more to socialize with friends.
(3)Stephanie K.
A good place for people to go that want to look good and let people know how good they look. The drinks are average priced and the crowd is a good mix. Met the hottest guy there, former football player, but couldn't do anything because I was leaving the next morning. But I can't blame amber for that. I'm more of a laid back, dive bar chick so I didn't completely love it. But I can see why people flock here.
(3)Will L.
I'm bewildered at negative reviews that focus on the random people the reviewer encountered. Doesn't that speak more to the reviewer and their state of mind than to the establishment? Then again, it's rumored I could have fun in prison, which really makes me the odd duck. So with that in mind (establishment review, not my potential prison escapades), here's what Amber has going for it: 1) Location. Standing at the corner of this thriving crossroads of urban living, clubs, food and debauchery, Amber presents itself as both a launching point and a landing pad. Start the evening with... 2) ...a great happy hour food menu. Good, cheap eats. However, prepare to pay out the nose for drinks. If you're concerned about funding a fun eve, you may want to consider sticking with wine or beer, and going for cocktails elsewhere. Also, Amber tends to feel understaffed, and service winds up feeling sparse. If you're naturally gregarious, this works in your favor, as your endless stream of jokes, stories, and endless banter will be interrupted less. And it also means you get to relax and enjoy your friends' company in... 3) ...a really beautiful, airy, open space. I love the wood, the design. The big, square bar allows for a large crowd of patrons to cozy up to the bar (beware the steps and risers scattered around the bar). Unfortunately, there never seem to be enough bartenders. So try heading upstairs--you'll find another bar there, as well as reserved private party spaces. If you're particularly charismatic, you may be able to score yourself free cake from one of the birthday parties that are invariably celebrating there. However, Amber is not a dance club. But there are plenty around within walking distance, which results in... 4) ...lots of party people landing here as closing time approaches, looking for a spot to close a deal and make hook ups. I know how much we here in SEA like to pretend we're too mature for, and above, casual hookups. However, for the rest of us who finally got off that debilitating mental/moral trip, there are a lot of beautiful people here, subtly playing their game in the hope of ending an already fun night with some equally fun carnal pleasure. How better to work off that potential hang over? And if it's just late night gluttony you need, you can always find the 'other' kind of weiner you're looking for in the form of a hot dog from a vendor a building over. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the partners that own Amber, and I'm pleased to say he's a fun, responsible fellow, who's mission is to create fun spaces for nightlife in SEA. If they can resolve the service issues, this place will be a five star. At least, to those of us who can have regardless of what the wackos around us are doing. :)
(4)Evelyn F.
A bug crawled onto our table while we were eating.. Gross. The drinks were really bad (I got Nuts & Berries and a Sidecar). Somehow this place manages to pull in an attractive clientele so the only redeeming side is that the people-watching can be entertaining.. everyone looks like they're from Bellevue with all the fakeness.. Just go to Bathtub Gin instead in the alley.
(2)Bernie P.
Amber feels like a really hot model girlfriend. You like to look at her and be with her but then you turn around and she's opening a jar of peanut butter with a can opener... "Ohh Amber... at least you've got looks going for you." Mediocre drinks... uncomfortable clientele... mediocre service. I don't know anything about the food but the amount of hot dog carts in Belltown tell me a lot about the quality of food in clubby places in Belltown.
(2)Sarah C.
Amber. ("Omber"?) Blecccch. So not my scene. The only thing remotely interesting about this bar/club was the fact that they were giving away chicken kebabs.
(1)Shino O.
Food, tasty. Cocktails, great variety. Service, SUCKS as hell. I planned a birthday party for my friend and they offered to present the birthday cake with candles for $15. What happened actually? - The entire party was waiting to see the cake presentation and to sing a happy b-day song. Instead, we froze while watching the wait staff serving cut-up cakes on small plates around the table. It seemed that the kitchen staff took the cake I bought and cut them up before anyone do the presentation part. I never come back here.
(1)Sara F.
I met a famous person here on Saturday night. Yes that's right!! I saw Sammy Sosa and dove. I have been a HUGE baseball fan my whole life, and spent about ten minutes chatting with him about his remarkable three 60+ homer seasons and how he likes the Texas Rangers (and Seattle). Nice guy. Until I asked to get a picture with him, and that was a nooo go. That story alone deserves a star. Add in a lot of plush, comfortable seating, beautiful people, that's another star. The last star comes from the magnificent ratio of men to women... thank you, God! :) I would say it was 3 to 1. The line to the men's bathroom is down the hall, no such problem for the ladies. I liked the atmosphere. Only reason less than 5 stars is... a little too long of a wait and the bar was a little slow. Other than that, extremely enjoyable.
(3)Erika E.
This seems like a really cool spot for a semi-fancy girl's night out. And when I was there, that's just what everyone there seemed to be up to. My date and I felt out of place as the only couple there, and the server was a bit snobby, so we just had a cocktail each and left. I'd like to try it again with some girlfriends for what seems like a reasonably-priced happy hour. I did love the decor - way more statement-y and overtly feminine than so many other spots in Seattle.
(3)J K.
I don't know what to say about Amber. I have avoided this place for years because I thought it would suck. So when I walked inside Amber the other night, I braced myself for a douche avalanche. But it actually wasn't too bad. The customers and staff were actually sorta nice. It was super packed. The music was top 40, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. It's well-lit. I guess I would go there for a brief drink before going somewhere else? I don't know...
(3)Tom Y.
(Non-HH fri/sat night review) I hear good things about the HH here, but haven't yet gone. Maybe my estimation of this crapshoot will go up after we try that. However, Friday and Saturday nights are better spent elsewhere. We've come here a few times for different occasions, and have left less than impressed every time. While the house specialty mojitos are indeed good, $12 a glass is a bit steep. It's usually always crowded, the kitchen is slow, and the females in our groups never want to venture to the bar on their own because of all the posers here. I think Amber has a good groove going with the quality of food and drink, but you really need to up the quality of clientele; this might be one place I wouldn't mind having guys paying $10 cover, with ladies free, just to weed out the idiots.
(2)Tameka L.
Ok...so the service here sucks but I couldn't tell if it was because there was only one waitress serving 50 people or if it was due to negligence so I'll be fair and assume the latter. First of all the cocktails....way too expensive!!! Almost all of them were $10-12 and didn't seem to be anything special. My friend ordered the Duck Fizz drink and although it tasted ok, it reminded me of drinking orange Fanta. I ordered the Blood Orange Mojito and once again wasn't blown away by the taste. I believe the quality of drinks and service were not up to par for charging so much. The happy hour food on the other hand was really good. They have a $3 menu of food including pasta, hummus plate (included olive tapenade and mozzarella), mini burgers, and pizza. My friends and I tried a little bit of everything and it was excellent. I would say if you have money to splurge and want good food for a good price, Amber is a good choice, but I would drink beforehand and prepare to wait for food.
(3)Theresa T.
While vacationing in Seattle we ended up in Belltown looking for a place to grab dinner and drinks. Amber looked alright and once we were inside it was much larger than I expected. There is a large bar in the center of the restaurant, with high tables and chairs. Off one side of the bar there is a more private dining section that we opted for. The menu consisted of pizza, wings, steaks, and various starters. I chose the meze platter which had hummus, tapenade, tomato salad, and feta. It was ample, and reasonable. The wine list was reasonable, but there was only one California Cab to choose from (sadly). The food was fine, but the ambiance towards the end of the night noticeable changed. More people showed up at the bar and the crowd became much younger and slightly annoying. Service was a little spotty in the beginning and also at the end of our meal. About three different servers asked us for our beverage order. When another guest joined us and we wanted a cocktail to finish off our night we were unable to find our server.
(3)Nathan R.
Walking into Amber is sort of like magically being transported to an Abacrombie ad. Nothing but frat types and vapid blondes looking for one night stands - which might be a plus for some people. If i'm going to get herpes i'd like it to come from somebody with an IQ in the double digits. This is probably my least favorite bar in Seattle.
(1)courtney p.
I'm going to have to keep going back to experience this place on other nights, due to the other reviews. But this is my opinion: I was there on a Thursday for live music, which was AWESOME! Free live music is good none-the-less but this guy and his band were freaking amazing. I felt like we should have paid to watch him. Went back the next day (Friday) for a date, sat at the bar, the bartender was very attentive. I perused the cocktail list for what seemed like hours. The martini's were averagely priced ($9-$12) and the glass pours on wine were great! I'm talkin 8oz pours of good wines for prices that other places charge for 4-6oz pours. Also, they have a $5 "Tasting Menu" from which I ordered a salad and a pizza, and my date had to finish the pizza because it was pretty big for coming off a tasting menu. If you're drinking grey goose martini's in downtown Seattle, they're costing you $12 apiece. It doesn't surprise me that four grey goose drinks cost $44, that's pretty typical. I'll go back a couple more times, but so far so good with Amber. Oh yeah, another reason to go back: hot guys everywhere! :)
(4)Aaron Y.
Parking can be a pain to get here since they only have street parking. Drinks are very expensive, but go here for happy hour instead. It's pretty good and a very good deal . $3 food specials! and they're all decent portions. The nightlife seems fun but very expensive. It has more of a club feel then a bar/restaurant but lacks the dance floor. Hence it's a Lounge.
(3)Leonardo R.
ahh what can i say i love love amber ... feeling lonely,sad,bummed out, come to amber there's always a good and friendly crowd along with good drinks :) the place is neat and clean ... it has a nice lay out,modern and stylish decor even a fireplace :) the service is good bartenders know how to make good drinks ... they even know how i like my 007 drinks ... also good food while you listen chill beats or a live band yes live band i said !!! the crowd tents to be more on the mature side and classy although you will se a d-bag lost in this fine crowd,but arent they everywhere? so if you need a couple of well mixed drinks and meet new cool ppl this is your place to be at ... remember to dress classy/smooth and always be friendly :) have a good time !!!
(5)Jeff W.
Blinded by assholes draped in affliction I always wondered what hell was like. Well this wasn't hell it was purgatory. The holding pattern before the great fiery gates. I think im going to write a new song after my brief visit into this sanctuary of baggery. Fitting of Mystery (Vh1 reference) himself. Only doused in the stylings of Bret Micheals. So the song title will sum up the thoughts on this vapid hole in society. "Muffin Tops and Tube Tops" Enough said you know who you are. Sweetheart your not going to catch him looking like a trout lure that stepped out of a stereotype. As an aside to anyone who is going to visit this establishment. I don't want to see you outside later scarfing down a hot dog. Cowering over your boiled meat. Blugh...
(1)Britt B.
If I had to describe my experience with Amber in one word, that word would be "LOUSY". It amazes me how a place that once had so much potential in so many ways, has squandered itself into the kind of place that you not only avoid yourself, but encourage anyone you can tell to avoid it like the plague. What a shame. There's TWO main reasons why I give Amber one measly star in this review. ONE: The customer service on my last visit sucked enough to erase any good memory I've made there, but more importantly, TWO: I got full-on food poisoning after eating there. Surprisingly, the former bothered me more. However, for those of you who don't want a lengthy read, those two things are the premise of this review. For the rest of you, read on: To celebrate a friend's 30th, a group of 15 girls met at Amber for din and drinks. Although most of us arrived by 9:30, we weren't approached by waitstaff until 10:15ish, despite having reservations. Let it be said that our primary waitress at this point was attentive and professional, and this review is in no way a reflection of her. At any rate, our group started with drinks, and a few girls decided on what they thought was the more cost-effective choice of ordering their drink by pitcher - to the tune of $28. DON'T EVER DO THIS at this establishment. It's a rip-off. What they got was a CARAFE at best, packed with ice, and *maybe* enough for 1 1/2 drinks per person. Definitely not the way to go. The rest of us got individual drinks and were reasonably pleased with those choices. Our group seemed to be generally o.k. with their food selections, although several people were surprised by the smaller portions in comparison to the big prices. One ordered the crab cakes, and even for an appetizer, it was tiny. My BFF and I decided to get dinner salads and then split an entree. This is where I went wrong. I chose the side Caesar, which like at most higher end restaurants, uses raw eggs. I was served this at about 10:45pm and by 12:30a, I was feeling a bit queasy - extremely unusual given that I *never* get queasy. I had consumed only two drinks over the last 3 hrs, so I knew alcohol had nothing to do with it. Although we were supposed to go out dancing afterward, I felt awful enough to ask my friend if we could just go home. By 1 a.m, I was so sick, I contemplated going to the ER. Let me clarify here: I am NOT exaggerating when I say that I have not been this sick since I was a kid. I have not vomited that many times for 20 years ago. I was *THAT* sick, and it was clearly related to the food at Amber. So sick, in fact, that I had to call one of the doctors I work with to ask him to call me in a prescription for nausea meds, and so sick that the best I could do was drive myself to Walgreen's in sweat pants, a t-shirt with no bra, no makeup, and no brush through my hair...just to pick up some Zofran in such desperation that I barely walked out of there without popping one. It was really *that* bad. The only thing I kept down for two days was a bottle of Gatorade. It's likely that I'll never eat Caesar salad again. Ech. Makes me grossed out just thinking about it. Do us a favor - DON'T EAT THERE. To add insult to injury, we had yet another problem that night. One girl had a $50 gift certificate to Amber that was given to her by SOMEONE WHO PAID $50 FOR IT. I emphasize that to let you know that it wasn't some cheesy promotion or a printed off coupon, etc. It was your standard gift certificate that someone bought in the amount of $50, specifically for Amber, with the intent of the recipient using it whenever she wanted to. Well...that didn't happen. Again, read on: The certicate clearly read, "VALID ANYTIME" and "NO EXPIRATION". Contraire Mofraire! Apparently on *THIS* particular night (which was nothing special other than a Saturday, mind you), it was NOT valid! What? Really?? Although we just dropped over $450 dollars on your barely average fare and didn't complain about the automatic 20% gratuity added to our bill? Really? You aren't going to honor our $50 gift certificate because it's a Saturday and you don't feel like it? Well, that'll end up being more of a bummer for you than it will be for us. Piss off 15 girls who know half of Seattle and you'll never know what happens... Whatevs. However, I suggest you hire someone older than 22 to be your "manager" to deal with these issues. Who the hell was that guy? Some tatted up version of a 22 yo crack monkey? NICE "manager". Hire someone with experience and a little class and reviews like this will likely be obsolete. Regardless of the above: My one compliment is that about a year ago, I went to Amber twice in a short period of time just for drinks, and their flirtini was awesome and a bartender there named Adam was top notch. So sad, Amber...What have you become? So, so, sooooo sad.
(1)Cindy T.
Went on a Saturday night. Was... -Crowded -Line outside -Older crowded (25+) -Lots of mingling, standing close to one another -Upstairs & downstairs (with full bar) -Not for dancing, more of socializing -Lots of standing -Dark lighting -Bartender was good-got our drinks with no problem -Few tables outdoors (in front of door, to smoke, check out who is standing in line, haha) -Left only after a half hour or so. Bar hop to elsewhere -Good to check out for a first time, to see what's inside, maybe even grab a drink buuut nothing great--the usual.
(3)Ane P.
I can't say that I've ever been impressed. Amber seems to be more of a place to be seen. And by that, I mean you should be expecting to be seen by a lot of business-types who want to keep networking long after work is over. I've been there several times as I keep wanting to convince myself that there's something I'm missing. Most conversations I've had with friends from out of town that I've brought there, have said something to the effect that it seems very stuffy and pretentious. I'm all about having a good time and enjoying yourself but it seems like this place attracts a lot of men that aren't very good at either: a) talking to women, or b) talking about things other than work. It may be your speed, and the drinks aren't too shabby...so give it a try and prove me wrong.
(2)Chris L.
Great place to people watch. We came here on a Monday on July 4th weekend. At 10a there weren't that many people but it got really crowded an hour later. Our waitress was great. We sat on the barstools near the bar and I loved the high ceilings and the decorative piece in the middle of the bar (there are four service sides of the bar, which is better than the traditional one against the wall). This is an older crowd, late twenties to thirties. Mixed crowd, different fashion sense. Would come back and recommend to anyone.
(4)Harper H.
Not the place I would chose to go for a night out. Lots of pretty people dressed up, ordering really expensive drinks and barely having anywhere to sit. Get ready to be hit on my creepy egotistical men too. I would pretty much stay clear of this place---for some reason some of my single friends like it here though.
(2)Sovannary S.
I've never really had a problem at Amber. I feel it's one of the better lounges in Seattle. It's always clean and I've always gotten great service. The crowd is usually classy, except for one time, I have never seen the rowdy younger crowd here. Also, the bathrooms are spacey and super clean! always! Sanitized bathrooms are always a plus in my book!
(5)Chris W.
Only reason it get's two stars is for the lack of a cover on New Years. Atmosphere is really promising, but as others have said the crowd sucks and the place is just kind of dead. DJ was terrible on New Years, and there is no place to dance. Check out the bars surrounding this place, many options are much better.
(2)Sandra W.
I decided to have my birthday party at Amber last Friday, and it was Harry Potter themed. Needless to say, my best. birthday. ever. Here's why: DRAGON LADY, DRAGON LADY, DRAGON LADY. The asian bartender, aka 'Dragon Lady', is the nicest, coolest bartender I've ever met in my life. She is super high energy, and when she isn't pouring drinks at lightning speeds, she's dancing around behind the bar, looking like she's having the time of her life. Not only is she fun, she's good. I gave her a list of drink names that I wanted as the Harry Potter drink specials, and she invented 11 VERY delicious and VERY creative drinks just for my birthday party! Here was the drink menu: $5 drinks- Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Felix Felicis, Veritaserum $8 shots- Horcrux, Weasly Twins, Gryffindor $9 shot- Mudblood $10 drinks- Polyjuice Potion, Death Eater, Patronus She was so helpful, and let me sample all the drinks a few days before the party, to make sure I liked them all. She made the drinks taste exactly how I thought they should taste (Butterbeer was perfect!), and made them look exactly how I thought they should look (Weasley Twins was 2 red-colored shots & Gryffindor was a red & gold layered shot). The night of the party, Amber printed out very pretty menus listing out the Harry Potter drink specials, and placed them on all the tables in the VIP area. The area they reserved for my party (around 100 people) was very spacious and it was really nice having our own couches & tables to chill at, because the rest of the bar was pretty crowded. We had enough room that a mini dance battle broke out. All my friends (HP fans & non-HP fans alike) loved the drink specials and those were the only drinks we ordered all night. Dragon Lady also made sure I was taken care of, and I kept hearing her yell "BIRTHDAY GIRL! Are you having fun? You want another shot?" and I'd find myself holding a shot 2 seconds later. Towards the end of the night she even brought over some crazy looking shot with whipped cream on top for me and my friends. BOTTOM LINE: + Forgot to mention this, but they also have DELISH food for only $5 before 11PM. + The service is great, Dragon Lady will make sure you have a good time! + I don't care what ya'll say, if a bar is willing to have a party theme as silly & fun as 'Harry Potter', I don't really think you can call it 'pretentious' or snobby. + My friends and I are already planning on going back sometime this week. I am craving a Butterbeer, and Dragon Lady is the only Muggle that knows how to make it!
(5)Sara S.
Went to Amber a few weekends ago when we were visiting Seattle. It was okay... not great but not horrible. Our friend had the hook up so we headed up to VIP, which really isn't VIP but it was okay. We stayed for 2 drinks and then hit the road. The bartender was awesome but she thought she was hooking us up by making extremely strong drinks! I should complain b/c it seems silly but I had to keep asking for more cranberry juice and limes. :) Overall it was fun, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back when I visit Seattle again. Sorry I wish this review had more substance but I just don't have too much to say about Amber.
(3)Jenna K.
We met some friends here for a drink the other night. It seems to be an okay bar. I was happy there was no dancing (so not my thing). The beer selection is extremely limited, and our friend (who was a regular) said that it gets pretty sausage heavy later at night. I wouldn't know, we left after one beer. I probably wont be back.
(3)Robin N.
This place is just ok in my book - I agree that I'm not sure what the big rave is all about... I mean, yeah, it does have really cool decor inside - and lots of bartenders which is good, BUT.. it is really crowded all the time, so even with lots of bartenders, it's not the easiest place to get a drink... Plus, talk about this place being a MEAT-MARKET! The couple of times I have been here, it seems to be the hot-spot for bachelorette parties, and my friends and I always laugh at how some of the girls dress up and just plain look like HOOKERS (and some just may be!). AND... we paid $9 for a simple gin & tonic, which in my opinion, is way too high... I would expect to maybe pay $7 at the most... So yeah, this place is fine, but nothing to rave about really. It's an experience, and a party-central location in Belltown, so if you're looking to hit the town in your sharpest outfit and pick up some chicks or get laid, then this place is probably for you.
(3)Paul S.
After walking out of a restaurant because it wasn't for us. My wife and I walked around for another restaurant to dine in. We weren't too familiar with the area so we walked up First Avenue in Belltown. I thought San Diego had a bum problem. Belltown is full of them. One wanted me to listen to poetry about love. I was not interested and kept walking with my wife. So we saw the restaurant/bar Amber. lt looked nice on the outside so we went in. The place looking nice in the inside as well was empty. Bad sign? I don't know if it was a off night for them or if the place was terrible. It had me a little concerned. Not until I met Brownie the bartendar that everything this night was looking up. Brownie told us if we wanted to eat dinner at the bar that we could so we sat right in front of two big screen TV's. Nothing is better than a big screen TV except two big screen TV's. So I ordered a Malibu rum with cranberry juice and my wife ordered a blood orange martini. For dinner I ordered a rib eye steak, mash potatoes and roasted vegtables. My wife ordered a big salad. My rib eye was cooked to perfection with a wine capers sauce that was just awesome. For dessert, my wife and I shared a New York style cheese cake with whipcream on top of melted vanilla ice cream. Heaven. Amber ended up being a highlight of a evening that started out crappy. Brownie was an attentive bartendar that is very good at his craft. He made my wife and I feel at home. Real good food was also a plus. Thanks Amber restaurant for a good time on my vacation in Seattle.
(4)Jaime K.
This place is a great spot to grab a drink. It gets a bit loud and from what I understand, turns into a club at night.
(3)Kiki M.
"Why is it so fucking loud?" "I can't hear a word you are saying." "Why isn't there music playing?" "There is! Its just too loud to hear it." That was the first dialogue my friend and I had when we found a seat at Amber. We ended up in this low green LCD-esque ceilinged area which was full with a good amount of people and LOUD AS ALL HELL! What architect thought it would be a good idea to have a low ceiling in a bar? I'm surprised my ears weren't bleeding after we left. Enough about the complaints on the sound. Amber is interesting. Its your typical Belltown establishment with young urban yuppies, younger folks tying to be sophisticated, and euro trash. I felt terribly out of place but I embraced it damn it. I would say go to Amber during the week and not on the weekend when it gets meat markety and full of people you will have absolutely no desire to talk to.
(3)T E.
Full Disclosure:. I had had two glasses of wine and WONDERFUL appetizers down the street at LIST. I also do have a loud voice that gets even louder when I am upset so I can be a little disruptive. However, I do not think that warranted the inappropriate and uncaring behavior I encountered at Amber. This is also not a service or food review as I did not eat here. I left after having a great time at List and saw a van with the License plate APEX4 back up and hit a sport bike. The van was just going to pull away so I started to take some pictures. A guy came out and started yelling and cussing at me and asked me what the hell I was doing. He was totally belligerent and angry and I felt uneasy so I went inside the restaurant that happened be right there - which was AMBER. I told the gentlemen at the desk what happened and he said they were pretty sure none of their customers had a motorcycle. And then I indicated that I needed some help as the person who hit the motorcycle was being aggressive towards me and right then the guy came in yelling. At that point, they told us both to get out - we couldn't fight there. I told him I was nervous the guy might do something to me and he thought I was being ridiculous (a single women asking for help against an aggressive and belligerent man - how silly of me). He asked me if I wanted him to get the manager and I said yes . The manager walked by me a couple of times and didn't come over - I could be wrong, but she didn't seem to be in a hurry to get to me. I decided they were all a bunch of putzes and left at that point.
(1)Prabhjot S.
I have been here many times since i moved to Seattle definitely not a bar for cheap drinks but if u are looking for nice hangout place and you awesome crowd this is a definite place in Seattle No cover is a plus but some times on weekend its just like a meet market . Not a bad place for once a while trip
(3)Jo A.
Wow, great way to thank your customers on the way out the door. I'm surprised the cowards didn't beat up his mother or grandmother! Is the owner actually hiring ex-cons to rough up his customers? Interesting concept. Yes, we take reservations for our VIP lounge and we will help you celebrate your memories by practically killing you on the way out the door. A lasting memory that's for sure. Funny the owner was upstairs drinking shots and was nowhere to be found when this terrible incident occurred. Good job! I warn you people, don't go there unless you want to get attacked and possibly killed in the ally.
(1)Jennifer H.
I thought this place was pretty neat. We came here on a Thursday evening and it's a pretty chill place. The crowd was mostly mixed and there was a live band. The singing was OKAY. This place isn't really my scene though; too much of a meat market. I wouldn't mind coming here again to chill though since it's pretty casual!
(3)Kim-van T.
The bf and I stopped in here for happy hour before our dinner reservation at Umi right next door. It was a Thursday night, the first night of the NFL season, and we wanted to grab a drink and watch the game. This place was DEAD - there were maybe 7 other people in the place when we were there and Amber is not a small place either. I guess when every bar in Seattle offers a happy hour it's hard to choose which one to go to... The cocktail menu here is EXTENSIVE - 11 pages of drinks can make for some tough decisions (all the drinks are in alphabetical order though =P ). The bf had blue moon on tap and they have ORANGE slices - gotta give them props for that. I decided to try the Grapefruit Smash - the fresh grapefruit juice is what makes the drink. It was refreshing but I'd definately try something else if I ever come back. Bartender was attentive - but there were only 5 of us at the bar...
(3)Janet T.
Not a bad place to start off your drinking night since its right smack in the middle of everything. I like to go here to grab a few drinks with my girlfriends before we head out to a club around Belltown. Pros: Great place to people watch, Outdoor seating to watch drunk people make a fool out of themselves, Diverse Crowd, Nice Decor & Centrally located in the Hip Belltown Area. Cons: The drinks are pretty damn expensive, Too Crowded, Too Loud, Sausage Fest, You can never find a place to sit & Ratio of Guys to Girls: 25 to 1.
(3)Victoria T.
You gotta be fucking kidding me.
(1)Oscar J.
As long as a bar has strong drink and loose morals, I'm normally satisfied. This was the first bar I've been to in the Northwest that I would've been embarrassed to be seen at. An accent over the "a"? I spent the first (and last) 20 minutes in this bar trying to decipher what that would sound like. Ahhhmber Ammmmber Ahamber Ayamber Surprisingly, it translated into "shit". Satisfied with my findings, I bid this place adieu.
(1)Bunneh L.
Sorry guys, but I can't jump on the 'I hate Amber" bandwagon. I'm not the biggest fan of the former frat boy crowd either, but honestly, I prefer them to that whole unkempt, self-righteous hipster scene on Capitol Hill, where, ironically, I've chosen to call home. The drinks are good, if not a tad pricey. From what I've tried, the food is more than decent. The crowd is generally easy on the eyes, if you go for the clean-cut, well-dressed set. Sure, you'll see a popped collar or two and a few skanks in tube tops. But at least you know they showered this week, which is more than I can say for, ahem, SOME people. Not may favorite spot, by any means, but not the worst either.
(3)J C.
This place might be really cool if it didn't smell like a freakin' Porta-Potty.
(1)Bob K.
What can I possibly add to the discussion of this restaurant, with 86 reviews under its belt? Well, why do any of us write these reviews? Because of the human compulsion to let everyone know what we think. It's not enough that you hear me, I want you to agree with me, dammit! Anyway, let's start with service. It was slow. But I was sitting outside on an uncharacterisically warm sunny Seattle day watching humanity (skirts) saunter past, and I had nowhere better to be until my evening rendezvous with Bill the Bard, so slow was exactly what I wanted. Better that than feeling pressure to vacate my prime spot for faster customer turnover. Besides, I was able to spend time digesting, and thus ordering more food. Let's move on to the food, then. Bob had the Amber Mezze, in part due to my growing appreciation of marinated olives (and if I can learn to love those, I wonder if my wife will learn to like beer? Nah.) It was more than appetizer, less then entree, so after savoring my brew for a while, it was time to order something else, the Kobe Cheeseburger. When asked how I would like it prepared, I gave my standard reply, "as rare as you legally can make it." They did not disappoint. I'll pay for that flippancy some day, but I can only hope that as I lay in my hospital bed with antibiotics battling e.coli for possession of my soul, I'll remember the bloody goodness of diving my mouth into all that lovely pinkness. Ahem. Oh, btw, the menu prices for happy hour food are quite reasonable, so time your visit accordingly. The brews? Quite excellent, but I cannot recall their identities at this late date. The online menu does not list the microbrews that they serve, but I had two different beers, one of which was a Belgian wheat (so trendy your faithful author!) which I thoroughly enjoyed. The liqour menu, of which I did not partake, appears to be superb. Looks like I could make it quite the evening on the tequila varieties alone, without ever needing to meet up with uncle Jose. I had a blast listening to some guy trying to talk a willowy blond woman in business attire (possibly stripper attire, so hard to tell!) who was innocently reading a book solo, into meeting him at a party later that evening, and then having a drunken conversation (him, not me) with an older guy who was hosting his grandkids on his boat in the harbor. A great place to spend my first meal in Seattle.
(4)Marcie J.
Love the interior and the layout, looks great! And the huckelberry martini is mouthwatering good!!!
(3)Beth E.
My friend Aaron E. pretty much said it all. They have a large menu of specialty cocktails that are brilliantly mixed. The decor, music, and people are fun, and I guess there's no cover. It was the perfect level of crowded and casual/fancy dress code when I was there on a Friday night. The service was really fast and friendly, also. Music is dance-able but it's not a dance club. As a perk, they take your I.D. when you open a tab so you don't forget your card ;) It has an upstairs area that can be reserved for parties with its own bar. I didn't try the food there.
(5)Michael T.
Not great. Lousy service. Mediocre food at best.
(2)Van N.
Amber seems like a real hit or miss kind of place after reading the other reviews. But I'm happy to say it was a hit for me! Compared to the other bars/lounges in Seattle, Amber's pretty nice! It's a large venue with an upstairs and the interior has a warm touch. It's hard to find a bar in Seattle that has some effort put into their decor these days, so I give them props for that. The crowd is pretty diverse. I'm Asian and I feel like I'm always falling into the "asian bar" scene like War Room, Venom or Baltic Room..so this was a nice change. It is crowded..but it didn't take us long to get a table. My friends and I decided to hang out in one area so we avoided walking through the ocean of people. I didn't notice the crowd being filled with obnoxious Abercrombie jocks..it seemed more like a group of young professionals hitting up a bar after a long day at work. The bar in the center is very large..so I do wonder why they don't increase their staffing. The upstairs bar seems a little quicker on the service compared to downstairs. I loved the music..there was a variety of hip-hop and techno. I didn't have a problem with the loudness like other reviewers were having..maybe I've just adapted to loud music after attending numerous concerts in the past..? Or was I sitting further away from the speakers? Who knows.. Maybe I just lucked out the night I went to Ambers because I don't have any big complaints, and I'm kind of surprise it has such low ratings.
(4)Heather J.
I hate to go to belltown, but mostly for the homeless people, the smell of pee and the parking (now costing you money until 8pm). Thankfully the inside of amber is very nice and if you don't go outside you wont know its so gross outside. The happy hour is quite impressive, most of the menu items are half off. I much enjoyed my house salad (3$) and mezze plate (4$) which came with tons of olives. I was disappointed to find the full menu had mostly the same items as I was hoping for some more options. Drinks are tasty. Waitress was great and able to remember the very complicated orders of our large group. Kind of loud, not great for talking, but good for a night out.
(4)Julie S.
I would not go back! There is a step in the middle of the bar... On a crowded Friday night, while carrying two drinks, I fell and got the worst bruises of my life. How are you supposed to notice a step when you're in a crowded room, looking straight ahead? I was not even drunk. Oh, and the drinks were waaay too expensive AND they don't have a dance-floor. Lame.
(2)matthew r.
I like the place. And I mean, just "the place". It seems to be full of douchebags who bump into you and won't move out of an aisle. I think this happens at a lot of places, so maybe it's harsh just because this place is popular. So the place itself, I like. Drinks are fine, I thought. Decor is fantastic. So I think 4 stars for the place + 2 stars for the other people equals a fair 3 stars.
(3)Jessica K.
Stopped by real quick on a Friday night to use up my $50 Amber gift card that I've had forever. I bought a round of shots for 5 people, used up the gift card and bounced. The bartender was super nice, but why does it always smell so bad in there? Smells like an old person home.
(2)Juan M.
God I love Happy Hour! Thank you cheeses! Some places are better than others, that's for Sure. I like The drink AND the food specials here at Amber. Actually, I think Amber has some of the best Happy Hour food, and prices in Seattle. The best on the menu is the grilled sirloin bites and combanzola spread! Yum! They also have a burger and some chicken skewers, and some pretty good sticky ribs too. I think the menu varies from time to time, but the sirloin tips - my favorite is always on the list. Its the cheese. The spread that comes with it - man is that good! They also have a bunch of flavored martini specials too - some are way to sweet for my taste, I am a true Kamikaze fan! I love Belltown for the places that have the all day happy hour on Sundays! How sweet is that! Hey! That is going to be my new List! Cheese and Kamis, what a day! Oh what a night!
(4)Kaitlyn M.
A friendly reminder that there are all kinds of people on this earth. And as it just so happens, those I wish to never come in contact with all frequent this bar. Now I know that really isn't fair- I should give it another shot, or at least be less harsh... but I have never felt the meat market vibe as intensely as I did here, and I've been to FRAT parties people. Yuck.
(2)Bony K.
3.5 stars, we arrived here past 8:30PM on a Friday night and sat at the bar. The bartender was helpful with knowing all the mixed drinks possible depending on your taste palate (considering they have over 90 mixed drinks) to help my friend out. We had no problem getting our drinks filled and water refilled in a timely manner, thus I thought the bartenders were quite on top of things. When it was getting closer to 10PM I noticed the DJ setting up and how loud the music can get, so you do have to speak quite out loud to each other if you're sitting next to one another. I didn't stay long enough to find out if they convert it to a mini nightclub, but noticed one of the guys moving chairs out from the bar area. From my observation with how all the girls are dressed up as if they're clubbing, I wouldn't be surprised.
(3)A. F.
Do you self identify as a "bro?" Are you getting pretty old? Do you like buying girls drinks? Throw on that deep v & sport coat and fist pump all night!
(1)Sheila Y.
Ugh. I find myself getting dragged here on occasion and always leave questioning life in general. This place just sucks! Straight up. If I ever heard they were moving I would volunteer to come and pack up their s**t so they could get lost faster. Thats it.
(1)Fatty A.
No cover. You can get a seat at a table for free. The take drink orders and not bottles. The music is good. There are no fat people except for me.
(4)Brad F.
Two words: meat market. If that's your thing, put on your classy casual, get out there and get some numbers! I admit I've come here with that purpose in mind, and it's a great place for that kind of thing. All that said, it's crowded and the bouncers are SUPER pretentious. I don't think I've ever harbored such ill will towards a bouncer than here. The guy wouldn't let me in because he thought I "appeared intoxicated" when it was my first stop of the night. I guess I just exude a sense of intoxication from my joie de vivre. Seriously, dude, get a life and stop power tripping. Aaaaaanyway, it's a place to see and be seen. The drinks are expensive and not terribly strong. It's so loud that it's tough to talk with people at your table right next to you. I admit that sometimes I'm in the mood for a scene with a lot of people and a loud atmosphere, and Amber fulfills that need quite well, but it's not often what I'm looking for.
(2)Kirill Z.
Good place if you want to grab a drink and chat with some friends. The food is alright, but I am not picky either. Spacious. Good for business meetings.
(4)John S.
Late weekend night in Belltown and you want a place to hang out with friends? If you are into the young and the hip, Amber is your place. Be prepared to pay extra for drinks, and you don't really come here for the food. But you get a "happening" atmosphere, eye-candy for either sexes, a chance to dress up a bit, a fire place, and a DJ later in the evening. I only come with a group of friends, and always run into people I know. That would make any place fun. ______________ Just tried new happy hour menu. Very good prices with $3 pizzas, sliders, among other choices. Some good beer & wines choices. But the DJ played the music way too loud for 5 in the afternoon.
(3)Stacey J.
I've only ever gone out to Amber on Saturday nights. It's a great place to go if you're interested in struttin' your stuff, oggling, being oggled and looking for a hook up. :) It's kind of hit and miss as far as the crowd mix goes but it's usually packed with good looking 20 and 30 something's with the occasional 40 or 50 something thrown in. I've had some really fun nights that started at Amber when I've gone with a couple of girlfriends. You never leave without meeting people unless that's your goal. The music has always been great, NO COVER, and the staff has always been friendly. We love the coat check girl! She's cool. If you find it fun to be in a crowded bar with a playfully predatory vibe, you'll enjoy Amber.
(4)Kysondra B.
Ambient environment, pretty lighting, great DJ, interesting crowd. I've been to Amber a few times, usually with a small group of friends or my boyfriend. Everytime I've gone it usually ends up getting pretty crowded- which is nice if you are looking for some eye candy or to stand in one place all night, but horrible if you want to get past people without having to push your way through a crowd. It is a neat looking place inside with amber colored lighting which makes for a more ambient experience. There are a lot of places to stand and sit; I particularly like sitting upstairs because it feels a little more intimate. Downstairs is fun, but tends to get packed and pretty loud, so it is not somewhere I'd recommend going if you want to have a lot of conversation with your friends. They have an excellent DJ who usually plays awesome modern pop and hip hop type music. The only thing I wish they did have was a dance floor. The crowd of people is a little too Abercrombie for me... You find a lot of men with tight shirts and too much gel in their hair, and tons of overly made up women with fake lashes and back combed hair hanging out there. I'd recommend this as a place to go for some good music and a couple drinks before heading out somewhere else for the night(prefunk), but personally it's not my kind of spot I'd enjoy staying for the whole evening.
(2)G R.
Once the Hitman at the door lets you in, you can see how nice this place is. They have a very stylish modern decor so this place fills up pretty quick on the weekends, and brings a pretty good looking croud. Alot of money, and people who pretend to have money come here. Its a hot spot for internationals. I usually have a good time when I go there. The menus pretty nice, a bit pricey for the quality and portion sizes. Alot of the staffs been there since they opened so they get the job done.
(4)Matt C.
Kicked me out because I had a hat on!!! Are you serious?
(2)Bruce L.
This bar is exactly what's wrong with Belltown. So many douchebags trying to act rich. Super sleaze fest! The one redeeming quality is the upstairs lounge which can be cool for a private gathering.
(2)Susy W.
This is a bit of a delayed review. I threw a little birthday gathering a year ago at Amber and booked a section off to be private. Our bouncer guy for the section (bear?) was super nice and I enjoyed instructing him to kick strangers out. However, there was a minimum we had to reach for drinks. With at least 15-20 people buying me and themselves drink at Amber's prices, I'm SURE that I made that minimum. However, they didn't have a waiter/waitress specifically for my section, so how were they able to keep track of who was in my party? That was super annoying. In the end, we had to order additional drinks just to make the min. There was no way to prove that they were wrong unless I gathered all my friends' receipt, but oh well. That gets a minus one star for me. Otherwise I do like the environment and it's usually a place we start off before bar hoppin'.
(2)Hodi P.
This review is going to be for the bar only. I don't have a problem with the restaurant portion, it is actually pretty good! The BAR: You are scowled at by a bouncer who is smoking. He is standing in the doorway and SMOKING! I don't want to inhale your smoke while you inspect my ID. The coat check girl had an attitude. This place is supposed to be nicer. When you pay upwards of $25 for 2 cocktails I would expect an upscale vibe. That's enough. I don't even want to waste my time typing about it...
(1)David O.
Was there last night for a friend's birthday and had a great time. There was a mixup with my bill, but Jon cleared it up. Excellent customer service!
(5)Eclat L.
went there at new yrs eve. crowded bar, lol
(3)R M.
***A Thank You Note to the Seattle Yelpers*** Dear Seattle Yelpers, I would like to validate your useful, funny, cool and observant opinions regarding Amber. I looked up the reviews before I went and neglected to heed your warning. I can't really say anyting else so, I'd like to reiterate the words of Katie S., "Ugg...this place sucks ass" Sincerely, Not a Fan of Chodes
(2)Bryan B.
I can't even tell you how excited I was to discover that I hadn't reviewed this place already, that's how much I want to give it a one star. I moved away from Seattle three months ago but when I was back visiting last weekend my friend and I went to Amber on a Friday night, it's still as bad as I remember. You know a place is bad when a random guy comes up to you and tells you how bad a scene this place is for meeting people. It's always filled to the brim with guys (the majority of which are probably douche bags). Amber is basically a poor attempt at copying a Marina bar from San Francisco. I am always baffled as to why there is a line outside this place, it really isn't that much fun. Viceroy or Del Rey are consistently better and you're likely to meet friendly people. Save yourself the bother and skip Amber.
(1)Jackson L.
I've mostly came here for private bday events upstairs, it's very private and plush even though you share the handful of reserved lounge areas upstairs, and it overlooks the entire downstairs bar/lounge area. very spacious and easy to mingle with ppl since the music isn't as loud as a club. A great pre-funk place before walking next door to Tia Lous to dance the night away.
(3)June B.
Drinks are weak and it's a total meat market with way too many people just standing around staring at eachother. Not my idea of a good time.
(1)Katie A.
Ugg.. this place sucks ass. It's a pissing contest. Ladies/ Gents- you're all invited! More baby doll tops and boob jobs than you can shake a prophylactic at. Boys- get your tight t- shirts out, don that Depp Gel.. cuz it's ON like a mutherf*cka! Sere.. drinks are $$$ and the place is just whack. Lame-o clientele, bad tunage.. pretty great for people watching.. only, it gets old in like 10 minutes b/c everyone pretty much looks the same in heah. Trainwrecks. Tons of 'em. What did I like, you ask (or not)? The ladies room. They've got a real sweet gal in there, pumping hand soap into your hand, offering a towel... some lotion.. a Resse's Peanut Butter cup??! Yeaaah.. I want one of these to eat.. in the bathroom. As Maia H. would say (and I know she would- she hates this place too) WTFBBQ? Never again.
(1)Sarah K.
There are days you just want to do the hair, put on something insanely sexy, drink fussy drinks, and get hit on by tons of males. On that day you should steer your taxi to Amber. I went with my girlfriends and had a great time lounged on a sofa and got hit on by a ridiculous number of suave and trying to be suave males. However be warned your going to drop some money, my double stoli strawberry with 7up were $14-16 each (can't remember the exact.) However, if I was having a fat day, was not particularly happy with my hair, or was in an outfit less then perfect there is no way in hell I would go to Amber. Unless I was being a glutton for punishment and wanted to feel my self esteem drain quickly out of me.
(4)Michael D.
I popped in here after an assignment. The bar was nice. The beer was nice. The pizza was OK. The staff was nice.
(3)Denise N.
ok, so the guy checking IDs, he gets a star. he let the boys ask as many questions as they wanted about the id thing (long story). the waitress saying hi as soon as we all got seated, i guess she gets half a star. the lighting & cool chill atmosphere, 1&1/2 stars. recently changing happy hour to wrap up at 6PM on sundays instead of continuing it all day like it supposedly used to be.. MINUS 2 STARS. my fiance & i went here with some friends because suddenly we all realized hey - it's sunday, and someone pointed out amber has all day happy hour. so we leave my friends cozy little apartment, already all in a drunken stupor, and walk the few blocks to amber.. but no, effective this past sunday HH is no longer offered all day. so what do you think we did? we gathered up our stuff & walked out.. (not in a mean way, the waitress totally understood but we walked out nonetheless!). im definitely willing to give amber another shot maybe on a fri/sat night but my hopes were dashed with the killing of all day HH.
(1)Diego S.
Not bad lil spot, a bit crowded for a saturday, w/very little place to dance, dj was good. Drinks hit the spot, fast and attentive bartenders
(3)Ren G.
This place is alright. $6 for a Heineken kind of blows my mind, but it's a good venue to have a private party because the upstairs loft area can accommodate something like 100 people easily. I think Amber made a wise business decision when it partnered with several groups on Meetup.com --I know of at least 2-3 groups of 20 and 30 something's who regularly meet here (and use that expensive bar like it's a free bar at a wedding.) The downstairs area is a little bit sexier, but honestly, I never would've singled it out had it not been for those meetups. A friend told me this place was once known as the bar with all the incredibly hot people. In my experience, the people are pretty much the same as the people on the street--some incredibly hot, some mediocre, some just plain ouch. And that stigma sure isn't good for making me want to stop by for an afternoon cocktail. But as long as they continue this meetup stuff, I will continue to frequent Amber once or twice a month to pay way more than I should for beer and meet interesting folks.
(3)Brendan c.
Happy hour is impossible bad. The drinks might be worth it but the food and service are after thoughts. Joe the bartender was this only saving grace. He was nice, helpful and the only member of staff to care about their job. I came in for happy hour and sat at a table for 10 minutes as the waitress ignored me. For the 5 other tables with customers she visited 2 of them so her poor service has no excuses. I ordered the calamari and did not get real calamari but some cash & carry frozen large pieces of squid. I had just more than 10 pieces. The fish tacos are OK but nothing to write about other than they are better than the calamari. I've been here at night and it's a good place to drink with a small dance floor. It's clear that those running this place only care when it's a club, avoid it any other time of day.
(2)Vicky M.
I loved this place! Every time we come here we have great service and a great time with good food and drinks. We ordered the skittles beast, flirtini, and cotton candy cosmo. The drinks were delicious!! We also ordered garlic fries, nachos and calamari. Everything was delicious! It is very busy especially in weekend so you don have to make a reservation or get there early if you want seats. Other then that, it's a great atmosphere with lots of fun people and just overall all good times!
(4)Lisa W.
A little happy hour for the long wait at Umi's. We decided to get some wine here as it was half off bottles for happy hour. Not a big or good happy hour food selection. We got the chicken wings and it was just a whole chicken wing, good interesting flavors but came out a bit cold. The wine on the other hand was good. They didn't give us the half off wine deal, we had to track our waiter down and let him know. Service was not the best.
(3)Jo D.
I came to amber for a fun night. I was with my two sisters and enjoying our time. I was standing on the stairs waiting for my sisters when the bouncer told me to "get the fuck out of the way." I said I'm just waiting for my sisters as I stood against the wall. He told me he would "take me outside if I had a problem." I feel as a female a man threatening me and asking to take me outside is inappropriate. I will not be back.
(1)Jessica A.
My sister and I landed here after shopping multiple happy hours in the Seattle area. Our bartender Joe was extremely personable and made the experience enjoyable. The food was reasonably priced and high quality. Very impressed. We will return for sure.
(5)Martha L.
I went on Valentine's Day with a couple of my girls. Our waiter took forever to take our order and didn't even check in with us. We had to be the ones to ask for something or let them know we needed a refill or whatever. I don't think I'd go back. The service sucked!
(1)Dan R.
Came here for a happy hour on my first trip to Seattle. They have a small patio out front but there is plenty more seating at the bar. The big appeal was $3 beers from 4-7 which seems excellent for a Saturday. The draft list was enough but not generous although there was a plenty else to chose from if wine or cocktails are more of your poison. The appetizers list had a decent selection of some lighter fare. While the plates weren't huge, the price ($5-$7) was worth it for what you got. I had bacon lettuce tomato and avocado sliders with fries. The fries were very well seasoned and just crispy enough and the sliders were well flavored. The calamari was also very well cooked. And came with a sweet and sour like sauce as well as a spicier spinach jalapeño (based on my taste). The only cons I noted were the music was a little loud inside and the place was pretty dead when we got there, although it did pick up as we progressed through the evening. All in all a great happy hour for the price. Would definitely come here often if I lived in Seattle.
(4)Whitney L.
The bartenders are nice, the drinks are strong. I had a burger here once and it was delicious, but I have no idea about the rest of the menu. If you go later in the evening on weekends, they crank up the music really loud, which means that you can't really hear people talk. It also gets super crowded, so getting the bartender's attention is a bit difficult at times. I'd rather go somewhere with less noise to enjoy a drink and converse with my friends.
(2)Bershabet Y.
Drinks price is never consistent between bartenders. Make sure you don't keep a tab open b/c you gonna be so pissed when you ck how much you get charged for 1 or 2 drinks... it used to be classy spot but lately the crowd is very rowdy........ won't recommend. ..
(2)Erin G.
I really don't do clubs anymore but the few times I have been in here it was not bad. I have not had their food, so I cannot comment on that, but their drinks were strong and decent and the bartenders seemed to be fairly quick when there was a crowd. However, this time the wife and I were the only ones in here on a Monday. We were greeted fairly quickly and the bartender took our order. Then about 5 minutes later 3 young, fairly attractive women walked in, in cocktails dresses and then sat at the bar. Still waiting now it has been about 10 minutes since we placed our order and the 3 women received their drinks first. Ok yes young male bartender and 3 young women and I know what you are saying, but he had plenty of time to make our drinks before they even sat down. Yeah it is a club, not the Met, but I was expecting better from them.
(2)victor m.
Not a good statement for increasing minimum wage to $15.00 an hour. Place not busy,waitress didnt acknowledge my existence. Had to ask for menu. waitress threw it at me. After waiting another 30 minutes no drink or food. I left. The service here sucks big time. Hint. , if you want a nice tip,you should treat guests with respect and acknowledge them when they come In. Managers fault for running a lame crew. Guess they make enough from tourists that they can act this way. Rather give my money to the Mexican joint down the street at least they work for their money. Never coming back here.
(1)Davin L.
Belltown's got a few decent night spots, and this is one of them. The patio is a nice spot to relax and watch the sun go down. There's a great upstairs lounge that is perfect for large groups to just relax. Those couches are pretty damn comfortable. Happy hour is pretty competitively priced, with a menu that is fairly decent. The dance floor, or, more accurately, square, is only large enough to maybe fit a dozen people at one time. it's pretty amusing to watch people try to bust a move. Just be prepared for it to turn into a night club around 9pm, with all the downsides associated with it, i.e., pushy bouncers, long lines, etc. At least coat check is free
(3)J B.
I didn't stay long as we went in around 12ish AM and it was bumping! Music and Crowd was older which was nice but didn't stay long enough to get a bad experience.
(4)Sho I.
I ALWAYS HAVE AN AWESOME TIME HERE CLUBBING! I don't really frequent Amber for happy hour or meals, so this review is just based on coming here during Friday/Saturday nights for clubbing, but I do remember having good chicken wings here! This place is pretty classy I would say. The people that come here are a mixed bag though haha. There's a bouncer outside, and people are either dressed pretty casual or business casual. The drinks are standard---well drinks and beers are reasonably priced for a typical Friday or Saturday night in Belltown. When I come here with friends, we usually steal the corner by the fireplace or dominate the whole second floor! It does get crowded the later it is, but people are friendly and don't really cause trouble. One of the security guards was kind of a stickler at me for standing by the stairs when I randomly bumped into someone from school---I guess I was being a fire hazard. Amber also has a mini dance stage on the main floor, and so you can see girls twerking and couples grinding on each other like there's no tomorrow. The music selection is decent, and I wouldn't mind having a birthday party here (actually last time I went to Amber it was for a friend's birthday party). The Belltown location is convenient if you want to get food at Wasabi Bistro, Umi's Sake House, Kushi Bar, or Ohana (all of the places are my recommendations by the way). I would definitely come back here to try the actual happy hour when it's just a restaurant/lounge. Not a big fan of the parking in this area though :(
(5)Kendra S.
I give 2 stars because this is a place that needs a major facelift. Been a long time patron and still tend to frequent for happy hour because there are always open tables (and by that I mean all tables free).. yet the drinks remain good and strong. Food delicious......... But this all finally fell through on the late happy hour. They might have been busier then they anticipated.... but the service was really slow for a week night... and I ordered what I consider the best item.... the Amber Burger... and a whiskey ginger.... both on this trip, very bad.. so slow service bad drinks and bad regularly good food..... the waitress seemed a little annoyed. Replaced my burger with substitute wings on request... bad wings too... maybe I'll swing by early HH again some day... but as of now i'll only be returning here if My friends insist late night for random hanging or live music..
(2)Joel W.
Joe is the man..... My man took good care of us firefighters traveling through Seattle. Next time I'm in Seattle I will be back. Thanks Joe.
(5)Brenda A.
If the pastrami wrap is ever available, get that. Trust me, you won't regret it. Their food and drinks are on point here, nevertheless.
(4)Claudia C.
Normally I'm pretty happy with Amber but the nfc game night I wasn't too happy. Part of it was the bouncer was trying to get us to tip him $40 to get in on a free cover night. Granted we were trying to cut the line but it wasn't super long but seriously? $40 for 3 ppl just to skip a like of 5. No thanks. Then he tried to haggle. Stay classy
(2)Brittany G.
I cannot believe my experience here. First and foremost the bartenders and DJ are the ONLY reason this place gets a star. The drinks were fast and on point. The DJ placed song after song that made me gig. Seriously, four hours straight of good dancing. I'll start by saying I cannot believe the immaturity that came from "management" security from scene one were disrespectful towards patrons. I walked up and security was irritated I was "in" with the birthday party. Making me feel uncomfortable As I was leaving the worst part happen. Granted it happened as I was escorting my wasted brother out - whose birthday we were celebrating which generated at least a thousand in drink revenue for THEM - I was walking my brother (me 115lbs in heals him a good 180) the MANAGE YES THE MANAGER stiff armed my brother and myself for no good reason. He smirked and literally stiffed armed us. Causing my wasted brother to retaliate. He KNEW what he was doing. Then MANAGEMENT grabbed my girlfriends wrist demanding "get them out of here". It was all a dramatic scene cause by "management" I can't tell if they were messing with us because I had my brother around me walking out so its not as if we were Wild N Out. Get over yourself Amber. You have NO excuse for your unprofessionalism. Either get better "management" or stop letting your weekend security claim a status they don't obtain.
(1)Anna T.
R&b music is the background was a plus. Happy hour menu at night until 11pm was a plus. Food was pretty decent. Get the ahi nachos and fish tacos. So good Cotton candy martini was cool. Service could have been better, she was nicer at the end when we were finishing up our meal
(4)Josie S.
Dance floor was small, played music from the 80s mostly, drinks were horrible and overpriced. The kicker was that with the dance floor being so small, a bunch of dudes was just standing around awkwardly making them just plain creepy.
(1)Jerry M.
Stopped in for a couple of drinks service was great the Mojito not so much.
(3)Terrance H.
We came here on a Thursday night. It was dead slow. That was ok with our group since we were getting our drinks at a lightening pace. The bartender was a solid guy and we made sure to take great care of him. The ambiance of the Amber was nice, you could see how during the weekends it could easily get packed. We made sure to notate that. Fast forward 2 days and it is now Saturday. Luckily we knew someone to get us through the line. The place was packed. Beautiful people everywhere. We headed to the bar upstairs where we saw our bartender from Thursday night. He recognized us and took good care of us for the remainder of the night. We appreciated that gesture. I will for sure be coming back to visit next time I am in Seattle.
(5)Michelle H.
Food is good, had the margarita pizza, friend had the steak both really good but...service on the otherhand was atrocious, when in a loud crowd asked by the waitress if we wanted to open a tab were told if we didn't understand we could go somewhere else was a little much. Not worth the effort. Update 10:16pm: waitress just threw my change at me...I'm sorry are you upset that I didn't tip your bad service? Downgraded to 1 star.
(1)Tom T.
Amber is solid and yet meh in so many ways. The set up and decor is pretty cool, with a lot of private or sectioned off spaces for events. The events staff is really helpful and they cater to groups (most times with no minimums needed to have an event there). The drinks are okay, the selection behind the bar is decent but nothing to write home about. Bartenders just average, nothing special, nothing spectacular. I will write about the food, which is really not that great. For such an upscale looking place, the food is kind of a disappointment (just your average pub food with no flare or extra flavor thought). And ohhhh the clientele...I think another reviewer put it as "douche central". If I wanted to hang out with a bunch of people getting trashed on bud light, screaming racist and anti-gay sentiments out loud, and using bro after every word or two...well then I'd come to Amber a lot more.
(3)Yvonne B.
I'm only here for the monthly singles mixer meet up event; other than that I'm not a big fan. It's gotten a bit old, the mixed drinks are over priced watered down and terrible. The bartenders all have a nasty attitude. Overall it's OK! I like that you can enjoy sitting outside in the early evening before the craziness
(3)Sheena C.
I went on Friday night to see DJ Kippy it was awesome great service good music dance floor packed lots of pretty people good service I had a girl bartender and she was on fire with the drinks I love this place
(4)Steph J.
Food: B/B- Typical food you would expect at a bar. Had been expecting better. I got the chicken sliders which were decent. My boyfriend got a steak which was WAY undercooked and basically rare. See below for why it was never corrected... Service: F Worst service I've had in ages. Waitress came over with our menus and seemed annoyed we didn't immediately know what we wanted. Then, when she brought our drinks and took our order, proceeded to disappear the entire rest of our time there until we went to pay the bill. My drink was wrong from the very beginning and I couldn't get it exchanged because even when another server brought our food, they did not go get our waitress or a new drink as asked. At the end when I asked our waitress to take off my drink because it sat untouched she was pissed and got sassy and basically didn't speak to us until we left to say a sarcastic as hell "have a good night".
(2)Sarah M.
I have to write two different reviews for this place: Happy hour, this place is a fairly typical Belltown establishment. Because I am a fan of something a bit more low-key, I'd prefer Kushi bar, Wasabi Bistro (both for Japanese, izakaya-style happy hour), Belltown Billiards, Belltown Pub, and others. Weekends, especially evenings, this place is too loud for me and just this side of skeezey. If you are looking for a nice dinner in Belltown, try Local 360 or Tavolata. It's not for me.
(2)Rona L.
***Bar/Club Review*** My friends and I came here after dinner. We were pretty early (around 930pm) so the line at the door wasn't too bad. First of all, there's no cover (+1) and they have a free coat check (+1). They were a bit strict about wearing hats, but that's not unusual. Even though it was earlier at night, there was a good crowd inside already so we were excited when we found some seats by the fire place in the corner. The DJ was playing some great 90's R&B/hip hop (I thought I was listening to Kube's Old School Lunch) so my ears weren't lacking for anything; they started mixing things up with a little pop and EDM music after a while, but that was fine too. The drinks were a little weak for the price and the dance floor is really small. Incredibly small....but a couple of my friends and I decided to risk it because we wanted to dance. We had a really good time. I enjoyed the crowd that night too -- a mix of everyone. It was awesome to see more than one ethnicity represented at a club. I've given this place 4 stars, but I hear it's hit-or-miss in there. Just glad it was a hit while we were there!
(4)Linna S.
They had me dreaming about their ahi tuna nachos for daaaays!! At $5 I call that WINNING!! Simple, delicious, creative, perfection! The chicken in a bag is bursting with sooooo many different flavors. Thoroughly impressed! if you're not afraid of reeking in garlic breath then INDULGE!
(4)Kevyn J.
Rude and unprofessional. I use to work in the industry as a promoter and have NEVER came across such a horribly ran establishment. I have no idea how they're still in business. A year ago I came here, and left pissed off with a group because a bartender yelled at us for just touching a large pepper shaker, that was sitting at the bar. So after boycotting the place, I decide to give them a second chance. This time I reserve a table for twenty of my friends and I. Once settled in a friend and I order two drinks at the bar while roaming around. Bartender makes our drinks and turns his back. Some random raggity dressed guy (Asian?) in a white Seahawk shirt, grabs my friend's fresh drink right off the counter and dumps it! We tell him that was a brand new drink. He tries to argue and then RUDELY makes a new one but it's not even what we ordered. We end up having to ask multiple bartenders who that guy was and it turns out it's their BAR MANAGER!! Are you kidding me? I then tell everyone and all of us leave. Good job idiot, you lost 20 people in just two minutes. This guys should be fired, as well as your door people. They take bribes to let people cut the line and are rude to the patrons for no good reason. Also the DJ is the worst I've ever heard, he plays like he has ADHD and can't stick to one song longer than 30 seconds.
(1)Justin Y.
Not bad on a Tuesday night. $3 beers on tap and $5 pizzas. As others have said, happy hour is pretty competitively priced. The ambiance was nice, with dimmed lighting, and the waitress was friendly. They also had dance lessons going on today, which was interesting to watch. I don't know if I would make a trip out here just for HH though.
(3)Cat T.
Amber is the place to go to in Belltown IF: - You want to go dancing, but you don't really want to dress up too much - You don't want to pay cover - You don't want to pay for coat check I've gone to Amber several times and, for the most part, had good times there. The ambiance is trendy compared to other clubs I've been to. Amber is good for the above reasons, but there are a few cons: 1) Small dance floor - I guess it's not really a problem if you go there fairly early on a Friday or Saturday night (before 11pm-ish), but the whole area can get crowded at peak party times. 2) The music is hit or miss - some times the DJ is on point, but there are other times when the DJ plays something random, it throws off my groove. 3) The bartenders are hit or miss as well - some times the mixed drinks taste good, and there are other times when the drinks either barely have alcohol or are too strong. Maybe I should just stick to shots... All-in-all, Amber is a good place to go to if you're already in the area, but this place isn't my top choice to go clubbing in Seattle.
(3)Nick J.
Yelp says their two-star review is for "Meh. I've experienced better." That's an understatement when it comes to Amber, but it wasn't quite bad enough to receive only one star. I'm shocked at how mediocre the food here is. To start, my burger tasted like it was microwaved. I've never experienced a similar taste when I've eaten a burger. It wasn't good. I was hoping the fries could swoop in and rescue half of the meal, but they turned out to be bland. Very frustrating. I also got ribs, but they were drenched in a non-BBQ sauce that wasn't very good. Moving on from the food, the restaurant smells like cigarettes. It's not subtle, either. They need to have the place cleaned. Two positives, and thus two stars. The beer was good and cheap ($3 drafts during Happy Hour), and our waitress was really nice and attentive. Overall, though, this place needs new ownership. To be at a prime location in Seattle and only have 2.5 stars overall is a disaster. At the very least, have Robert from "Restaurant: Impossible" come in and help out.
(2)Andrew S.
We met here for a friends going away party & the service was friendly, frequent... not to mention cute servers. Drinks were a little more ice that liquor & parking is always a challenge in bell town but once we arrived they did their best to take care of our group! Will be back!
(4)Gabrielle M.
I would come here for a meeting. I've only been once and it was for a Dlist cover girl party. I had a great time. Pretty spacious inside with an upstairs area. I wouldn't order food here I'd rather go somewhere else. No parking you're better off taking a lyft here. I was drinking the pomegranate Martinis. They were good.
(3)BrieAna W.
Really great new bartender. He used to own a sushi place and made some good recommendations!
(5)Josephine Z.
The only thing I liked about this place was that it was spacious, inviting, and not a bad place to have a mingling, social event where everyone has the potential to get drunk and dance on elevated platforms. The food had its pros and cons--we had the steak sliders, ahi ahi nachos, and korean chicken wings. Steak sliders were decent but a little greasy, ahi ahi nachos would have been good with a little more nacho and a little less spicy mayo--it came with only 4 chips and was smothered unforgivably in spicy mayo. I thought this was a sharing dish but...it really wasn't. The drinks were strong at the very least, and coat check was complimentary. After dinner time, the music is turned 100x louder to insinuate that it's no longer time for social chatting, and it's time to drunkenly grind on one another. Literally. I could not hear a thing. You might have an okay night out at this place, but the next day I found my credit card incorrectly overcharged for twice the amount, which I had to call and play phone tag with them to rectify.
(2)Joe H.
Wednesday's @ Amber....Burger-licious~ We chose Amber to check out their Burger special for me and about 8 friends. Let's just say, this was an AMAZING experience. How do you beat $5 Gourmet Burgers??? I got the "Northwest Brie" which had Carmalized Onions, Brie, and Mushrooms...Shut-The-Front-Door it was Bomb.com . Also, I tried my brothers burger the "All American": American Cheese, Bacon, Tomato and Jalapeno Aioli, it was sooo good. All of the burgers were served with garlic fries, plus the drink specials on Wednesday night were off the chain. I got the Smurf (which was basically an AMF), and for only $5, sooo worth it. All in all, it was great food, great service and a great price. For a group of 8, we ordered and had our food within 30 min. How can you beat that. We stayed around for about 1-2 hours had several drinks, and all in all had a good time.
(5)Tan Lo S.
Okay, my friends did not tell me we had to dress up to come here. FML. I was so out of place. But however, I did enjoy my time there. I had 1 AMF. It was SOOO packed & busy there! It was crazy. But good music, good people, and just expect to have a great time. Definitely a meat market! I went back last week... and it was GREAT. Definitely club-like. The drinks are the usual, about 8-9$ for a shot, and mixed drinks. The music is great and the people there are pretty coo too. It is busy, so be ready to meet new people! Enjoy the eye candy!
(4)Ilya P.
Do you love: 1. Women with 15 layers of makeup? 2. Frat boys and suburban ass-seekers, sporting the trademark "stripey shirt"? 3. Overpriced drinks? 4. Guys who want to be just like "Mystery" from "The pick up artist" television show on VH1? If so, you will *love* Amber on an average Friday or Saturday night. Haven't been here for happy hour, heard it's different.
(1)Alec F.
I hate Belltown and I hate this place. It reminds me of the shite parts of Vegas, for the douchey clientele and sub strip club music. First pair of fake boobs I saw in this city were at Amber. I wonder if anyone ever even pulls here.
(1)Pavan R.
Watered down drinks, rude bar tenders. I got kicked out for asking the bartender in a very polite way as to why the drinks were weak. The asian guy tending at the bar started cursing at me when I asked him that question. I asked him not to speak to me that way and the next thing I know he is calling security on me. I just walked out in a shock and never going back there again.
(1)Inna B.
My first visit to Amber was at a slow time and included delicious cocktails, overpriced food, and staff that just didn't seem to care. My second visit was on a MUCH busier night. I was a little upset because my $9 cocktail seemed to be mostly made up of ice and mixer, so I figured that... if I was to get another drink... I'd go for a beer. I ended up not getting the chance. I was hanging out with a group of my friends and we were having a good time talking. Suddenly a security guy decided to get into our space and yell at us, accusing of trying to disobey him when in reality we just couldn't HEAR him and we didn't understand why he was trying to push his way into our group. He got in and saw that it was all for nothing.... so he stood there for a moment, grabbed a couple empty glasses, and left. (From what I gathered, he decided that the way we were standing together meant we MUST have been doing or carrying something illegal.) Dude. Friends like to gather in the same place at an establishment! And when it's that loud, sometimes people just CAN'T HEAR what you're saying. It doesn't mean that they're trying to rebel against authority or that they're trying to hide that they're doing something they shouldn't be! I can't remember all the details, but he came at us in a pretty hostile manner. The birthday boy ended up speaking to the manager or whoever was in charge that night, and that ended up being a positive experience. The man in charge thanked him for talking because he wouldn't have known there was a problem if nobody told him. He said he knew which security guy we were talking about and that he'd have a conversation with him. We ended up closing our tabs and leaving at that point. So.... I've been twice and the staff situation alone makes me never want to visit Amber again. It's a good thing Belltown has plenty of other options...
(2)DAVID L.
On a Friday night, Amber was packed. I also like how they have a bunch of police officers positioned up the street on the corner. I watch the news and it seems like someone is always getting shot in Belltown. Can you say, "Get-Toe"? I was shocked Amber didn't charge cover and it was packed. Their $5 Tasting Menu is good. The only one I did not like on the menu was the ravioli blue cheese. BUT for those of you that like blue cheese (and ravioli), you'll probably love it. The kobe burgers are pretty good. My wife and I got 2 orders of that, because they were so good. If you're looking for a bite to eat, nice scenery, and a total meat market, then this place should not be overlooked.
(3)Sharon C.
They have quite the variety of drinks here which is def a plus. I love the raspberry mojito. I like the vibe- lots of chatter with good music all around, this place is pretty good for people who just want to hang out and... drink lots. It can get pretty crowded but its acceptable.
(3)Arry Y.
I was completely wow'ed recently with our event experience there - wow'ed by the entire team/staff at Amber. The people get two thumbs up. I've been coming to this bar off and on over the years when friends have events there, friends come from out of town, etc... , and it's not been one of my favorites or anything - but it's usually a good time. I enjoy the seating area on the sides, especially by the "fire place". Drinks have always been decent. Now, that may have just changed. Recently, my start-up company ( allthingswishful.com ) had our co-launch party there on one of their private event nights and we rented out the upstairs mezzanine/loft area. We had 100 or so guests come throughout the night and the service from everyone in the establishment was very friendly, professional, and just pure awesome. We were very happy. Hazel and Sayward were the event marketing folks we worked with - and they were very professional and prompt - very easy to work with. Christine was our bartender - and was able to quickly handle all of the drink orders for our guests. They created a special drink for our party called the "Cupid's Wish" for our guests - delicious! We also enjoyed a series of desserts from their catering menu that were SPECTACULAR: - cheese cake bites = really really delicious - chocolate covered strawberries = chocolate with white chocolate, YUM. - chocolate covered coconut macaroons = awesome Great venue to host your next event - and the catering is very affordable, too! Dave, the owner, was also very professional - the entire team that we worked with there was very prompt with all emails/messages and did an excellent job for our event. Definitely recommend.
(4)Josh B.
I have tried to like this place. Been here several times. The food is ok, but overpriced, the music is just ok. The really shitty thing about this place are the people, and the service. It takes forever to get food or drink here, the servers and bartenders are always tending to someone more important than you, and the people act like there might be a celebrity entering the club any minute. It's really lame.
(2)Michael H.
Mostly this review is for the clam chowder, which was amazing. Actually it didn't taste particularly like seafood, but still, amazing. Next, Amber is not the place for trying all the best Northwest brews. I think they only have like 4 on tap at any given time. Mostly, they specialize in other types of drinks. The vibe and clientele is about as classy as any place I've been in Seattle. And I like that.
(4)Elizabeth T.
If you are looking to hook up and meet other people, definitely come later. Probably closer to 11pm. The bar becomes standing room only at that point. I went there with friends and could not get a seat anywhere near the bar. The waitress was nice and seated us in the dining area even though we were there for drinks. 'Tis a true meat market. A creepy man walked by our table and just stared down my dress. He walked by a few times to do it again. Definitely do not go here alone. There are some weird people hang loiter around. Oh, they also sell candy in the bathroom!!!
(3)Duke C.
We accidentally stumbled into Amber while walking around Belltown looking for a bar/lounge that had TV so we could watch the Lakers game and we saw that they had $3 happy hour so we decided to take advantage of it. The place isn't bad, it had a lounge-y atmosphere and it seems like at night they would turn the place into more of a club. We got seated at the bar and ordered two pizzas and the Kobe beef sliders. The pizzas were pretty good actually and I thought the margherita was pretty legit. Lots of basil on the pizza and the olive oil is prominent. Not bad for $3 at all! As for the sliders, they were a bit weak since the patties were overdone and it had only the basic condiments on there. Nothing really unique. If you told me it was just regular hamburger, I would've believed you. I also got the try Mac & Jack for the first time and damn it is a good beer. Loved the hoppiness of the beer. It'll be tough to find that in LA that's for sure. What made it really great was our bartender. She's was extremely nice and definitely made us feel welcomed. She said she was from Taiwan so I guess there's that old hometown connection hahah. Overall, I think this place is pretty good for happy hour or a small get together with friends.
(4)Dani S.
Simple, nice and chill. Came here on Halloween nite, super short line, no cover. Complimentary coat check, spacious layout, lounge area on the 2nd floor, nice trendy decor. Not the best looking crowd but this is Seattle and not SoCal. AND there's no dance floor, not even a small floor space by the DJ. Dude, I need to shake my booty, where do I go for that???
(4)Natalie L.
Went on a Friday night, place was packed and it was impossible to find a place to sit anywhere except near the back where there are some darkly lit booths. I'm not sure if the drinks are expensive because I realized that I knew one of the guys working security and he gave my friends and I a free round of drinks, score! Atmosphere is nice, and I kinda like how the bar is in a circle in the middle - it's a good use of space. There is also a balcony up top which is for private parties I assume. Also, I'm not sure if this is a regular occurrence here but when I went there was a guy dressed up in a sexy french maid outfit... Just him, not any of the 6 dudes he was with. That's usually what I remember most when I reminisce about Amber's.
(3)Melissa L.
i'm laughing that amber has 2.5 stars haha. to start, the food is not good here, but i suppose its ok to sop up the alcohol sloshing around in your belly. they do have fun drinks and makes for great people watching. yes it can get really, really, really crowded - which is why i laugh at the 2.5 stars. they must be doing something right! the music is pretty decent, the ambiance is good clean fun, and the crowd is pretty diverse. if you were bar hopping around belltown i'd make this one of your stop by venues.
(3)Jen G.
My sister was asked to leave for being over intoxicated. Okay. That's fine I guess. She didn't seem too intoxicated last time I saw her, but whatever. The bouncers didn't tell anyone in our group that she wouldn't be allowed back in, including the girl she went outside with. Once we realized she was missing we began combing the place for her. Finally one of the bouncers told us she hadn't been allowed back in. We thanked him and then began searching for her throughout Belltown. We couldn't find her so I went back to Amber to double check and make sure my sister wasn't still inside. I thought maybe they were thinking some other girl was with us and my sister was still inside. This is when the bouncers started treating me like garbage. I asked to go look inside for my sister to the bouncer who told us he kicked her out and he remembered me. He told me the club was closing and would not make eye contact with me. I went to the next bouncer and explained my situation. He asked me if I was drunk. What?! They did not care that my sister was lost and that it was partly their fault. The bouncers treated me like drunken trash and did not treat me or my missing sister like human beings. I have never been treated so poorly in my life. I will NEVER go back to Amber ever again. Later in the night the police got involved and the officer told us the bouncers at Amber have a reputation for treating their customers badly at closing time.
(1)Jamie J.
Ok, nitty gritty... Food - 4 stars. I was really surprised by the food actually. Very good. Menu - 5 Amazing. Especially on the cocktail side. Drinks - 4 stars. Bomb. Ambiance - 2 stars. "Family restaurant" sign with the bouncer at the door sits oddly. Service - Neg. 1 star. Don't let me get started. I really wanted to love this place, and I did food wise and drink taste wise. The service just totally killed it though. Chipped glass... the waitress actually looked annoyed at us pointing that out. Uh, dangerous? Once our drinks came, she said: "I'm not sure if this one is yours... but." I'm like but what? If she didn't know which drink I ordered just by looking at it, how the heck was I supposed to know?! Crazies. I'm not sure I will be back. There are better lounges in Seattle but this place has some potential. Maybe needs a little training session or something.
(3)Michelle S.
I'd rather be at a lounge/bar in comparison to me being at a dance club. Just being honest. I like mingling with drinks, and not having to worry about unnecessary drama and teeny boppers sneaking their way into one of these places. Yeah, it was a tad bit TOO crowded, but it was fun going upstairs to the lounge area. Plus there's a section where you can sit down and eat. It's basically a restaurant/lounge/bar. AND the bartender I had was such a sweetheart. She made me my drinks exactly how I wanted, she even gave me extra shots. Good music too! The DJ didn't replay any songs, unlike some places *cough, cough* haha Definitely will be back here with my girlfriends.
(3)Michael M.
Great venue, but the crowd is ..... The physical place is really cool and chic, but I always have a lame time here. Amber tends to feature the "see me" girls and sleazy dudes and is pretty awkward sometimes. When I was ordering at the bar I ordered 2 Coronas from the bartender. After she walked off my buddy told me to grab him one. When she came back I asked for 1 more and she went crazy. She said I was acting like a girl kept asking me if I wanted another one. Seriously? I smiled, said screw you I'm not taking this or your wack ass drinks, and bounced. Don't plan on coming back anytime soon.
(2)Melissa C.
Was quite surprised to see this place with an Amazon Local deal since I remember the food being pretty good when I went there more than 3 years ago... Anyhow, decided to give it a try after visiting the aquarium on a Saturday evening. When we arrived at 4:30, there was only one table by the fireplace and we decided to sit by the window. The bartender and the manager (maybe?) saw us sitting down but didn't acknowledge us; after sitting for about 5 minutes with no one coming over, my boyfriend suggested we go sit but the bar. Once we get there, the bartender greeted us (seriously?!?) We ordered the wings, ribs, pork tacos from the happy hour menu and garlic fries from the regular menu. The food is just ok; I recalled the food tasting much better. The fries were in tinny tiny pieces that we can barely dip the sauce. None of the cocktails were discounted for happy hour, and despite saying mojito is considered a well drink ($5 HH), we were charged regular price for it. Not planning to go back even with a voucher! :(
(2)Katie B.
This is one of my favorite places to go in Seattle! I love the upbeat environment, still maintaining the loungy feel! The service is always great from the bartenders and staff, play good music and everything is always clean. You gotta love when you walk into a bar/lounge and the first person to greet you is the owner. Highly recommend!
(5)Binh D.
Pros: No cover, good crowd, cool two story layout and bartenders were quick and efficient. Cons: A lot of dudes and if you're looking for a dance club this isn't it. Overall: Good place to grab a drink and scope out potential life partners.
(3)Nina H.
Wow, all these 1 and 2 star reviews are pretty surprising to me... I've been several times and despite all their drinks being overpriced and under-liquored, the atmosphere is pretty nice. I really like the space and layout of the bar and the music too! The crowd is pretty 25-35ish Seattle yuppie... most of whom may be looking to score? But nevertheless, the last time I came by here was for my friend's bachelorette party and it was SO crowded. It's nice when a bar is crowded like that and you can still walk around. There are plenty of booths and bar stools around the first floor and I didn't even realize they had an upper level with a bar too! That was nice to know. But yeah, I had a good time there and most likely will be back.
(4)Kimberly A.
No cover, DJ bumpin' the hottest new tunes, stiff drinks, good lookin' staff, live band after 10pm. Cool lounge setup with an upstairs "private party" section. Downstairs, ppl just stood there. No dancing at all... kinda lame. The crowd was meh looking... a lotta creepers and fobs.
(3)Jodie J.
The staff at Amber were very accommodating and my group of 15 people had a fantastic time.
(4)Jaime D.
Being nice i gave this business a 3 star but i probably wont go here again :( The bar was crowded, the dance floor (or what was left of the dance floor) was no where to be found. They did not have patron!!! They didnt play "Teach Me How to Douggie" and too much of a sausage fest. Left the place after an hour and went to another bar... Upside, there was a hotdog cart outside and OMG the best hotlink hotdog with cream cheese and srirachi... Made my night (cause i was buzzin!) Love Seattle!
(3)Amanda C.
This place is great for people watching, and that's pretty much it. I'm a local, so I rarely come here, but you can meet alot of suburbanites and Canadians here. Go on a weekend, and you can actually see the douche oozing out of the pores of the dudes who hang out here. As for the ladies, bless their hearts, but they really need to quit it with the super short tight dresses. I'm not a fan of seeing people's vaginas in public. Or any time, really. That's your typical Belltown Saturday night though. The staff has always been nice here, and the drinks have always been expensive. So check it out, have fun, keep your drinks close ladies, and have a fake phone number ready.
(3)Marilyn V.
If you want to be treated like a VIP and then funneled into a meat market after you're carded, this is the place for you. Girls be warned, this is where guys come to poach, but if you're looking for that, you've come to the right place. Ordering from the bar during prime weekend hours is kind of hard. Though the upstairs and booth seats are kind of nice for intimate/small groups, it's a little too loud to hold conversation.
(2)Joshua N.
I usually visit Amber everytime I find myself staying in downtown Seattle overnight. There is no cover and the drinks are good. The food is actually good as well, my wife loves the pear walnut salad. This place has a large bar with a fair amount of seating at the bar, and tables also placed around the bar. There is a more intimate area in the back with booths for those coming to eat and keep to themselves. With no cover, there is nothing to lose in checking this place out!
(4)Melissa N.
I came here a couple of weeks ago and to my surprise Happy Hour on a Saturday lasted until 7pm. Yay!! I love cheap eats and a cool atmosphere. I usually stop by here during a night of bar hopping around Belltown so it was nice to stop in when it was less crowded and I could actually hear the conversation I was having with my friends. I gave it three stars because the service was pretty mediocre. Sometimes the bartender will get to you and sometimes they won't. I like their happy hour and will probably stop by for some more. Too bad drinks aren't on the list.
(3)Alanna M.
Happy Hour menu is $3 a plate. The service was a bit slow tonight and the place is a bit dead. It was nice to sit next to the fireplace and be able to have a conversation with my friends without having to yell though.
(3)Erika W.
This place really sucks. Why would anyone pay to be packed in next to aging frat boys with spiky frosted tip hair,matching button up shirts and 7 jeans? The drinks are overpriced, it's wayyyyy too crowded, the skeeze factor is off the charts, and the service is slow. Just gross. I guess if you're desperate for some ass this could be the ticket - but come on ladies, is waking up smelling like Brut 33 really worth it?? I think not.
(1)Liz S.
Friend had a birthday here on a week night. Here's the scene: Men standing around eye f#%@ing all the females ICK Females giving females the stink-eye ICK Coat checkers who are too busy flirting with the eye f@$&ing men to check your coat ICK Drinks so weak you could give them to your niece/nephew/son/daughter and not be picked up by CPS ICK Standing room only on this night, so it gave eye f@&#ing men and stink-eye giving females plenty of time to "bump" into parts only someone you would share a toothbrush with should venture ICK All in all I only have one word to describe Amber.
(2)Riss J.
Will L. could have fun in prison. It's totally true. That doesn't change the fact that the ambiance of a place DOES include it's regular clientele, and does effect one's experience. When the establishment lacks any characteristic or plus that has the ability to over ride the negatives, it is even more so. It is loud. It is overcrowded 99% of the time. The clientele do run in a "scene" that I have long ago outgrown, and never cared for to begin with. Also, this is not NY or NJ. The drinks are weak. The drinks are priced as though they are not weak. The space is nice, it isn't ugly and shies away from overly pretentious. The "upper deck" is a great place to hang out and get a view (becomes a madhouse later though, giving no space in the bar that isn't a meatpacking plant) This should be a starting off point of an evening, because it's location is good. Get there before the crowds or during a HH (and if the Universe loves you, those things will happen at the same time) or don't bother. I had fun celebrating Aaron's birthday here once upon a time, and for about 30 minutes.
(2)aaron b.
Worst bar in Seattle. Probably way better than anything in Bellevue or Kirkland, though, judging by the crowd that hangs out here. If you're into the 'bridge and bridge' scene, or you like to wear your baseball cap backwards, then come on by! Otherwise, I recommend picking a bar that's actually worth your while.
(1)Sam K.
Been here once and never again and .... they def. succeeded at being mediocre and excelled at attracting the Pretentious crowd. LOL, I'm assuming the locals don't really come here on the weekend (if at all ... cuz i wouldn't) since the suburb rats infest the area. If you wanna pretend you have ends and want a gullible chick or guy (for those alternative lifestyle kats) to believe your BS and want to meet unknown celebrity bartenders, this reuse of the previous A joint is for you.
(1)Keriche C.
I came to Amber for the second time and thought I had experienced enough to finally give a thorough review. My first time at Amber, I came for cocktails and people watching on a Friday or Saturday night. I came with a bunch of douche bags so what should I expect but more douche bags. The atmosphere attempts something great but they don't quite pull it off. The bathrooms appear nice at first glance but don't look too close. There are supplies laying in plain view, doors that need a serious paint job and although they're clean, they need a serious update . My second time at Amber I came for a late dinner on a boring Wednesday evening. I wasn't starving so I ordered the vegetarian mezze. Seriously, how do you mess this up? Olives, Cucumbers, Hummus, marinated peppers and cherry tomatoes served with grilled pita bread. Can I give you advice Amber? Don't ever marinate your olives and tomatoes with cinnamon. THAT was the most disgusting thing I've tasted in a very long time. Also, blend your hummus a little longer. It's the chunkiest hummus I've ever tasted. I completely lost my appetite after one taste of those nasty cinnamon olives. I tasted my friend's mushroom pizza. Three words describe it perfectly. Bland, doughy, and boring. One bite was more than enough for me. Our service was attentive and friendly. I also really liked that we could sit outside. It was a really warm evening and everywhere else we had been was stifling. It was nice to be in an open area with lots of fresh air. All in all, decent atmosphere, decent service, horrible food, and douche bags everywhere. I don't think this is the place for me.
(2)Ranny K.
This is Seattle's infamous meet market. Fellas, if you're looking to hook-up--and ladies, if you're looking for a little ego boost--this is the place to be. The layout of the venue is made for social interaction, which I love and appreciate. There's a huge bar in the middle of the room (btw, the decor is fabulous). It's the perfect place to sit and people watch. Ladies, find a spot at the bar and post yourselves there all night. Don't be surprised if you're approached more than once. Count how many times you're offered a drink. I recommend you accept it, since the drinks aren't cheap. I've stumbled out of there wasted on several occasions without having to pay for more than one drink. But if you don't like the attention (or just isn't in the mood for the attention), this might not be the place. It seems as if everyone (female) is open game once they step through the door. I personally like the atmosphere (and the attention, sometimes). It's a great place for singles. You're around like-minded people who are just out to have a good time. Some intentions may be off, but for the most part the crowd is pretty harmless. There isn't a dance floor, but it has never stopped me from dancing there. I love that they have live music on Wednesdays. Sometimes, they'll have special events, which are really fun (like 'em on Facebook for updates). And Christina, the bartenderess, is awesome. Reasons why I give them 4 stars instead of 3. As for the food, I've only had happy hour. It's ah'ight, but the portions are quite small. And I'm also a big fan of late night happy hour, which they don't offer. Good for Dates? Absolutely NOT, unless you're willing to risk your date running off with some Microsoft stock holder. Good for Girls' Nights? YES. Go early for good seating. Just note that the music might be too loud to hear each other on the weekends.
(4)Johnny W.
So I've been avoiding Amber for months because of their low rating on Yelp, but I was brought here somewhat unwillingly the other night by some friends, after leaving a very empty Twist. I suppose I should be thankful they did, because Amber was not nearly as bad as I'd feared. No cover, decent music (got far too loud as the night progressed though), pretty well-done drinks, friendly service, spiffy bathroom (there's an attendant, cologne, and mints), and neither my two female friends nor I had to deal with any unpleasant strangers (though we did pretty much keep to ourselves). That said, I can't see myself coming here too often. The drinks are good, but they were a bit pricy for our tastes, with most cocktails ranging from about $9-12. Standard fare for Downtown/Belltown area I'm sure, but I think I'd rather opt for finding a joint with cheaper drinks. Maybe I'll give Amber a try again some other time, during happy hour.
(3)Richard T.
My girlfriend and I stopped by to have a drink while waiting for event nearby. I love the atmosphere in this place, very comfortable place to hang out and have some drinks. There's a nice fireplace table good for a group of I'd say 8. I had a mojito and she got herself one of the specials of the day (the name escapes me). The mojito was strong on the mint but some like it that way. Place is a little pricey but it's definitely a well kept place and the clientele know what they're getting when coming here; I believe it's justified. The reasoning it got a 3 star instead of 4 is the service. We waited quite awhile for everything from the water, to getting in a drink order, to getting the drink, etc.. When we were ready to go we both had been waiting so long that we just decided to stand next to our table to get our check. All in all we needed to burn some time so that was to our advantage but without rushing her it took us over an hour to have one drink and get our bill. Maybe it was her first day, she did seem a little frazzled but this lone experience won't stop me from giving it another go. I'll likely stop by for happy hour sometime!
(3)Kristen S.
I'm surprised Amber got such low ratings from Yelpers! That said, I'm not a "Seattle-ite" but as a tourist from the Bay Area I was really diggin the vibe here. My friend and I were tired of the college-bar scene in Post Alley (although it was fun), and wanted something a little more swanky. The Post Alley crowd and the crowd at Amber are definitely different. I like both scenes, just depends on my mood. Although, it doesn't make sense that some of those bars in PA charge cover, and Amber doesn't! Not complaining, Amber is definitely more upscale. Also I like the free coat check and the staff (bartenders, coat check girls, etc) are super nice. Dislike: the small bathroom situation.
(3)Anand R.
Went out for drinks here with couple of friends. Place has decent seating. I did not eat here so can't really comment on the food. It seems designed like a club, part lounge but has a small dance floor and is a bit loud. So not sure if it fills the a type. It could bed event place to have drinks at the bar but nothing to write home about
(3)Kayla H.
I have been here a few times but up in the VIP lounge or just popped in and then left. So Friday night was my first TRUE experience. I usually don't go out a lot in Seattle because 1) it's expensive and 2) I live on the eastside. This place only confirmed why I hate Bell Town. Within the first minute of walking in the door with my 2 girlfriends we stopped to figure out the plan - get a drink first or find our friends? Apparently we lingered long enough for some vulture to swoop in and prey. The guy tapped me on the shoulder pretty hard like I would know the person, I honestly couldn't hear the little dweeb so I nicely told him to F-off and we walked to the other side of the bar he tucked his tail between his legs and walked back to his group of buddies. 2 minutes later I look back in that direction and like J Zay might say he was "on to the next one." Ordered a drink - Double vodka cran....$16.00!!!!!!!!!! WHAT! FUCK THAT! Decided to stick to shots after that...more productive and didn't have to suffer slurping down a cup of ice with a little bit of liquid, or should I saw rubbing alcohol. It was pretty strong though. I will say that the DJ was spinning good music! And there is no cover. That is about all this place has going for it.
(2)Nerick M.
I spend a significant amount of time downtown around the Belltown area and I'm surprised I haven't been to Amber up until a few months ago. This place is pretty busy on a Friday and Saturday night, as well as during happy hour. Their happy hour offers up some great/tasty dishes for a pretty good price. My favorite has to be the ribs. The interior is sweet! It feels like a cross between a swanky lounge and a nicely decked out sports bar for some reason. It has an outdoorsy feel to it as well, probably because of the wood decor and fireplace. Or maybe I just don't know how to describe it properly. The service was fast and friendly. We weren't checked on from the time we got the food until the time we finished, but we had everything we needed there anyway. The place is very nice, but I think it's the food that'll get me going back for happy hour than anything else. Enjoy!
(4)James F.
douche central. This is why i don't go to belltown. Plus, why would you pay that much for such a weak drink?
(1)Chad Y.
This place has some great potential and isn't a bad place to start your Belltown night off at. The drinks are decent and the bar has a really good decor. The bartenders can be hit or miss in my book. Some pour really strong, some pour weak. Some are fast, and some are slow...Either or, it works for the place. Drinks are a little on the pricier side, however a nice place to people watch. It's location is right in the middle of belltown, so it's a good place to meet up with people before finding the club/bar you are going to spend the rest of the night at. Oh...no cover charge!
(3)Andrea G.
I went to Amber last week hubby and a friend. There was ample seating at the bar, many high tops of 2-3 and also dinner tables in the back where we sat. We must have ordered nearly every dish on the HH food menu plus gourmet burger off the main menu--Delish! All of us were very surprised at how good everything was!! Really... we are pretty picky and yet we were very pleased with nearly everything--(the ravioli was fine but not wow) the Mezze plate was very yummy! The wine list was not particulary expansive but offered some good choices...my Merlot was very nice. This was a great find as now we have a place to go that has hip decor & cool vibes WITH great food! The waiter appeared new but was doing a super job. The manager Dominic, was very pleasant and working hard keeping everything moving. We were ALL very happy with our experience and will be back next week!
(5)Jessica V.
food is cheap and good! The workers are very friendly and fast. it gets pretty busy on satuday nights, they play good music, but since its not a club i dont see any reason why the music should be so loud.. overall i like this place
(4)Faye R.
This place made me uncomfortable. More so the attendees than the staff. Bars and lounges aren't really my scene, but I'm going to give this a fair and honest review. I LOVED the decor. Loved it. But it's not very spacious so I don't know what previous reviewers are talking about. The bar itself sits smack dab in the middle of the room and literally takes up 3/4 of it. Really? And when this place gets packed it gets PACKED. And what's up with the obnoxiously loud music? Was I in a club or a lounge? A small group of people were dancing in front of the DJ "booth," but it's right next to the door so there wasn't much moving around. Dress code seemed a bit dressier than usual. Definitely not club wear, but I'd say business casual with a bit more fashion flair. I liked that actually. And the age group was a bit odd. Not undesirable, but I'm not used to being around older 20s/early-mid 30s during the night scene. Clearly I don't get out enough and hang with people my own age. The main bartender (I'm assuming the tall dark-haired woman) was interesting. My sister's boyfriend ordered me a strawberry martini (birthday drink) and she laughed in his face. How professional. Even if he weren't ordering it for me, is it really that odd for men order "girly" drinks?? (I honestly don't know.) The wait staff was good. I only saw one girl, but I'm sure there were more. Considering how packed the place quickly got, we saw her a lot surprisingly. And she seemed nice. Didn't really engage in conversation. Oh yeah, and the food... I don't remember what I ordered (ha), but it came fairly quickly after ordering. As for my other drink (before the strawberry martini), I had a chocolate martini. I had never had one so I sipped anxiously and it was STRONG. Like, I-couldn't-even-finish-it strong. Not sure if they're always like that, but not even the chocolate aftertaste could save it. I was disappointed. Overall, my first time at Amber was OK. The group I was with made it an interesting experience, but I'm not sure I'll come back. More so on the "scene" rather than the place itself which is a shame. Actually, maybe I should come back, but not on a Saturday.
(3)Madame R.
Amber seems to be one of those places that no one really likes, but that everyone seems to end up in at some point in time. What Amber strives to be and what Amber actually is, are two different things completely. What Amber would like for you to think it is: A tasteful cocktail lounge with a classy, upscale clientele. What Amber, in actuality is: A douchebag/skank haven full to the brim with 30 and 40 k millionaires. It really is quite laughable what some people consider "well dressed". Men will be wearing ill fitting pink satin prom style vests with overly shiny ties, strutting around like it's Armani. Women will be wearing typical club wear and designer knockoffs. While the style of the regulars in and of it's self is not a deal breaker, the airs these people put on is. The pretentiousness of both staff and clientele is astounding considering this place has fairly lousy drinks and a none too impressive decor. Now I've heard some argue that Amber must not suck as terribly as people complain it does or it wouldn't get so crowded and busy at night. I have strong suspicions that Amber only gets business because of it's prime location in Belltown. And when people are stumbling around tipsy and bar hopping they seem to adopt a beggars can't be choosers attitude.
(2)Sherilyn T.
I only come here when I have to. Drinks are expensive (if you can even reach the bartender), crowd is boring and it's annoyingly noisy despite it's lack of a dance floor or 21 year old girls getting smashed!!
(2)Nathan B.
I have refused to go here for years, based solely on that shaved-head douche bag bouncer. The couple times I have been forced to interact with him, have made me want to punch myself in the face for wasting my time with stupidity. I was talked into giving it another try recently for happy hour and upon seeing that Baldy wasn't there, I gave in. We walked through the doors to the scent of.... tobacco smoke? We actually asked if there was a cigar event going on (wondering how that would be possible with the smoking laws). We were answered with the blank stare and found that, nope, it just smells weird here. Gavin N. compared it to a Vegas bar, but he must have been referencing one with bad ventilation. We found a table in the bar area and saddled up for happy hour. Their menu was decent with many $5 food options to try. I ordered the Kobe sliders and a Caesar salad. After a bit of a wait, they came out and the 2 sliders reminded me exactly of McDonald's (and I'm not the kind of guy that enjoys McDonald's). The Caesar salad was actually pretty good though. I had 2 vodka sodas (tasted just fine) and my PIC (partner in crime) had 2 Grey Goose Martini's. Drink total was $44, which is outrageous for something that isn't incredible. Overall, I will give them 1 Star for a decent Caesar salad and 1 Star for not having to punch myself in the face.....
(2)Kira I.
Considering I turned of age in my college years it's no surprise that this was one of my first stops in the "adult drinking world." And it's also no shocker that it still is the hip and happening place for the barely 21+ crowd. Although they proclaim they are for the 23+ professional and preferred crowd. Perfect bait and switch situation we have here. However, this is the place I know where I know there is never a cover, and where I can let a little loose. As are most Belltown bars. I don't frequent much as I feel it's an experience I have grown out of. But thank goodness bars like this exist to lure all them youngins out and away from my adventures.
(2)Scott B.
Go for Happy Hour and that's it. It actually tolerable during happy hour but after 8pm look out! Its crowded and obnoxious. The service is bad if you can get their attention. The crowd is filled with wannabe celebrities...Gym, Tan, Laundry...repeat.
(2)Jason E.
Two words describe Amber: Meat market. If you like this type of establishment, you will love Amber. However, if you detest these types like me, steer clear and never step through the door.
(1)Liz L.
Conversation overheard on a Friday night: Guy with striped shirt: "See, I was going to go to med school, but then I decided to be a pro-tennis player instead." (whilst scanning the room and observing how many admirers he can score with this prolific fact). Girl in pink tube top: "wow, that's cool ..." (whilst scanning the room and observing how many other almost-doctor/tennis players she can score with her pink tube top) Striped Shirt: "yeah, cool ..." I could keep going, but I'm getting bored just writing this ... The 2 stars are for people watching. Don't come here unless you have a sense of humor about people in general. It's an eclectic mix of Seattle yuppies, seattle yuppies trying to be posh & pretentious LA yuppies, and seattle yuppies trying to be dismissive and annoyed NY yuppies. Drinks were fine, but get the girl next to you to flash some skin to get the bartender's attention.
(2)Val T.
I am giving this place two stars becasue their HH is some sort of amazing. But really? Their Service = Non apparent and just plain SHITTY. There was pretty much no one at the bar and hardly anyone at the time we went, but it took what seemed like an hour for our appetizers and food to come out. It was mind boggling to me. If you feel like waiting forever for mediocre food thats cheap and drinks that are alright, then this is the place to go. Some positives: great HH and I like the ambiance of the place. Oh and also the bathrooms are pretty.
(2)Shu Z.
A decent meat market if you're into that kind of thing. They have a really nice space, decent music, and it's a good place for mingling. But they make probably the weakest drinks in the city and overcharge you for it.
(2)Josh B.
Pretty cool spot to grab a drink, nice venue with live music. They used to have food pretty decent food but for some reason they have dumbed it down to passable bar food.
(3)Rob S.
It's a meat market and pretty bad one at that. It's hard to get served unless you're tossing a ton of money around.
(2)L M.
I was here last Wednesday and experienced less than stellar service. There seems to be an elitist attitude among wait staff, and this opinion is from numerous visits to Amber. The drinks are average and the food is average. I would come again, but only if I am outvoted by friends.
(2)Susie Q.
Amber is one of the up scale bars in Seattle... I like Amber because there isn't a lot of places like this in Seattle where you can dress up and go out for drinks with your friends. Yes, the drinks are a little pricey but they are pretty tasty and the atmosphere is great! I never had problems getting a drink and I always have fun there... its better than going to a smelly dive bar watching fat bearded men drink pitchers of beer and act like fools. Well I guess that can be pretty entertaining but not every weekend. haha
(4)Kevin S.
So despite the fact that I've had some pretty pretentious experiences here at night when this place becomes one of the swanky drinking holes in belltown complete with well dressed bouncers and upscale alcohol consumers (well at least they dress well). That said, as a summer time place to grab and after work happy hour this place is great. As they've got great drink specials (including my favorite NW beer - Mac & Jacks) and a whole slew of appetizers for $5 (most of which are pretty good). On top of that Amber has a nice porch area that's just a nice place to watch people go by and just enjoy the seattle sunshine. That said, I do ding them a bit for not running happy hour past 6 pm, but hey no one's perfect.
(4)Megan G.
Axis was better and I didn't like that place either. We stopped for dinner on a sunny Thursday after spending the afternoon at SAM. While we did get a street side table, the service was sparse. The menu even more sparse. Very limited options. We ordered a meze sampler. I think the gorgonzola spread was spoiled. I can't go back and I can't eat gorgonzola anymore.
(1)Michele L.
I ventured out to this restaurant to meet an old friend on my first night in Seattle. The food was mediocre. Not memorable at all. What was memorable was the two drunken guys who got into a fight at the bar. The bouncer threw one of them out, only to have him return with a gun about a half hour later. The guy was literally so drunk he shot a couple of times in the air and then stood around waiting for a cop to arrest him. That was the first time I've dived under a table (still holding my glass of champagne). After living in Berkeley and Oakland, who would've thought that the first time I saw gun violence would be in Belltown, Seattle?
(1)Lauren M.
I went here for happy hour recently, and the food was excellent (with great happy hour prices- $3!!) however the service was so horrible it took 30 min for any drinks (even a simple vodka soda), food, or the check to arrive. Our server barely ever came by our table and we spent a lot of time frustrated and wondering where our orders were. The group I was in left a meager tip, and we all agreed we might not be back.
(2)S G.
I've been to Amber for happy hour, a few dates, and a girl's night out. I'm not impressed. The drinks are always watered down and the staff isn't very friendly. If you are going to play 'fake nice', then at least fake it well. The food isn't good either. I think it's only 'saving grace' is the layout of the bar. It's a great place to people watch. Overall, it's not good and there are many other places to go for a much better time.
(2)Michael B.
Amber would be one of my favorite bars in Seattle based on location and decor if it wasn't for the type of people who went there. I've gone there on weeknights when it has been basically empty and have had really great experiences, but during its busy hours, it's horrible. It's basically packed fully of ex-frat guys, wearing too much cologne, who hit on anything that walks. The women there are equally as bad.
(1)Natalia B.
I've never seen so many douchebags in my life. Plus, for some reason, weird, creepy things always happen everytime I come here. Hated it!
(1)Bil Z.
Okay, I don't get the meat market sayings. I guess there has to be meat for there to be a market. Place was empty, but it was a Sunday night. The food was adequate. I had the pastrami, and while done not badly, it was obvious that the preparer hadn't a clue what a true pastrami sandwich should taste like. The cute blonde I was with had the special: lobster, clams, scallops and shrimp in a white sauce. Only problem: no lobster. When we alerted the waitress, she handled it to perfection, letting us know that they would reduce the bill. But, c'mon. Parking is atrocious. The staff was friendly and helpful. The specialty drinks were excellent, which is why it gets the third star.
(3)alex b.
WOW, this place is great. I wish there were 50 places like this in Seattle. Its good for all of the reasons everyone else has mentioned. I wish they would raise the price of drinks a little more so the whiners will stop coming, it's a bar not a soup kitchen. Boohoo, the bar tender was slow, sniff, sob... it's to loud...GO HOME LOSER, I'm sure it's quiet there. Let's focus on what makes this place great. The girls are hot, friendly and if you have any game at all you will definitely hook up. The door staff doesn't seem to let the normal Seattle plumpers in, thanks guys! My only complaint is the green lighting, they need to take a note from the Vegas playbook, never have green lights in a bar, it makes people look terrible. Last thing to note, I've never seen a fight here, which seems to be a common occurrence at bars in Seattle.
(5)yasaman b.
Worst place ever! I had my purse stolen here and the guards would not let me back in to look for my purse, they also said this sort of thing happens every week here!
(1)Andy B.
Sorry folks, I hated it.. Guess I'm not cool enough to hang out at this joint because I don't wear my collar popped and my t-shirt doesn't say Abercrombie or Hollister.....
(1)Stacy R.
Not a bad place. Very diverse crowd and the food and drinks were pretty good. I enjoyed the space and the staff was super friendly. Minus one star for green overhead lighting. Note to staff, who looks good in green light? Stay true to your name and change it to an amber color....everyone will look good!
(4)Kim D.
Um, we've gone here for happy hour and we've gone here for drinks. Happy hour is the best, as it runs all day on Sunday and the happy hour menu is divine. The key item would have to be their beef bites with the delicious blend of bleu/brie/gorgonzola (?) that they provide for you to dip in it. Other than that, the environment gives you a glimpse of the sexier part of Seattle (or people who can't accomplish being sexy in Seattle but try their hardest anyway). I found myself even fixated on the bartender shaking her martinis away who had the prettiest hair and boobs. Haha, I'm embarassed now. Things can get expensive normally, I've had a fused martini here and it really tasted like sugar. So be careful here, feel free to ask for suggestions from your server I would say. They might get annoyed, but it's your responsibility to remind them that, it's as a matter of a fact a part of their job.
(3)Oliver T.
I've only been here once and it was late, 12ish, so my experience here is limited... but I'm gonna go with my gut and say its always a huge douche bag bar. If you've ever been to Circa in SF this is it's clone in Seattle.
(2)Diana N.
Nice atmosphere and decor, late 20s to mid 30s crowd, always way too crowded, more men than women, noticed more bald men, and the girls way too skanky. It's not a place to linger at for too long, I just like to grab a drink and go, and off to the next bar to hop too. It gets pretty noisy so having a conversation is pretty much out the door =)
(3)Supek, L.
Just went here this past weekend with some girlfriends. Had a great time.. the crowd was a little older... late 20's early 30's. One of the owners came up to our table and bought us a round of delicious raspberry shots and chatted for a bit. He owns Venom too, he said. Very friendly atmosphere and cool vibe... def one of the better places to go on a Sat. night, we closed the place down! haha Much better than that dirty bar across the street, Frontier or something like that... that place smelled like wet rags! for real!
(4)Tyler R.
Who knew that the fifth ring of hell was located in belltown? I had the displeasure of discovering this place the other night when I met up with some friends who were in from out of town. The first problem was the lex luther wannabe bouncer who couldn't have exuded more pretension if he tried. Next was the over-packed bar with not nearly enough wait staff. Ladies, if you're a fake blond and like a bar overrun with dudes sporting some variation of a striped collared shirt and short gel'd hair, then this your place. One of amber's redeeming qualities is that it seems to be a complete magnet for dude's who order grey goose, read maxim, and tell themselves that they're not balding but that their forehead is just getting larger. This is a good thing because it means they're not at the bars I regular. I don't mean to be harsh, but this place was insufferable.
(1)RowerRob C.
Fun-loving, outgoing gents and gals all around. Nice place to hang out with the rare group of classy, well-dressed crowd in Seattle. If you are too cheap, and not pretty enough, then don't go.
(5)Winona R.
Meh. It's alright. The drinks are expensive, but what can you expect in Belltown at a bar like this? My drink was quite tasty, though it left a bad taste in my mouth when, as I was about to order, the bartender loudly complained to at someone as they walked away that they had stiffed her on the tip. I mean... That is shitty of those people, but I shouldn't have hear her bitching about it, calling him names. That's just unprofessional. Her interaction with me was great, but that really rubbed me the wrong way. The bar gets crowded, mostly with young Belltown 20-somethings looking to hook up with other young Belltown 20-somethings. Not the classiest place in the world, or the most relaxed. I can say that some people will really like it, but it's not my jam. My favorite thing was their free coat check. This time of year, it is impossible to go out without a warm outer layer, and it's nice to not have to pay to stash it somewhere safe.
(3)Rayy W.
"a $4 beer beats a $10 maritini anyday" So this is place i've been walking by and wanting to go in soley because of the wood thiniges in the bar so i was just sitting on it for a day i felt like dressing all pretentious and drinking a martini. As it turns out my roomate came home starving and we just set off down the road and decided on amber, jeans and t-shirt style. Immediatley entering i turned to my roomie and said "damn i forgot my buisness suit." so i wasn't wrong in my impression that the place was pretentious. anyway... we ordered drinks and food: First round: the LEAST crisp mojito i have ever tasted and in came in a glass that was crusted with someone else's strawberry daquiri, gross. Roomie had something called squirt, it was very good. Food: i had the chix sand off the happy hour menu (which looked pretty good) which was a good size for happy hour and the aioli was great! the chowder was crap. really i don't know what else to say except that my roomate loved it (but she also doesn't like food) so maybe it's just me... Second round: had a sour appletini which is probably the most perfect version of this drink i have ever had. i love the sweet of the sugar on the rim with the sour of the booze. excellent. A note on service: ehhh so so, friendly but scattered, to her credit we did sit at the bar, friendly when asked for directions. the biggest prob was getting something when you wanted it. Decor: i think it's beautiful, and i love the green ceiling, but for the price i probably won't be back. PS. I lied, I went back. The service the next two times was great, and I've really taken to those expensive martinis. Food too. I'll give it another star. I do, however, still think it's a little pretentious.
(3)David M.
I think it's amusing how the people that are basically interested in getting laid (i.e "meeting people") rate this place so low. The people who are just interested in drinking and eating rate it much higher. I guess trying to "meet people" makes you grouchy. Being a (ahem) "mature" (i.e. over 40) married man, my needs were simple: a little baseball on the HDTV; some cold beer; maybe a glass of whiskey; and a nice steak at the bar. Amber delivered on all counts with no complaints from me.
(4)King C.
I came here for happy hour last night. Nice and cheap! Everything is $3 on the HH menu. I got clam chowder and a pepperoni & sausage pizza. For $6, it's well worth the price. Christine, the bartender, is a delight!
(4)Amy L.
I've been wanting to try Amber and I'm glad I did. I went there on Friday night to have a light dinner. I had a salad and it was really nice..a little too much dressing, but besides that it was great. I tried someones cheesecake too and that was delish!! The bar scene was coming in and it was great for people watching as we were finishing our meal. They were definitely not in a hurry to get us out of there. No complaints here...I had when places just try to turnover your table...it can be annoying!! We all really liked the decor and the whole atmosphere at the place. We weren't there for Happy Hour, but the HH specials are really good!!
(4)Lee T.
The place is too loud to hang out with friends and have a good time. The bartenders are kind of pricks. Drinks are over-priced. And there seems to be an L.A. attitude in the air. Sorry peeps! This is Seattle, not L.A. You can bring your noses back down. Raise your hand if you like to drink with drunken, slutty Woo-girls and obnoxious, Abercrombie-wearing former frat boys.
(1)Sonali R.
This is my relationship with Amber: Friday night. All my friends are heading out. I'm usually in a sociable, even great mood. For some reason, every time I step foot inside Amber, I get bitchy. I'm not sure if it's the standing outside in line, while the select and lucky few bypass the wait and enter, or maybe how, once the scary, self-important bouncer( ... well, he's apparently nice if you try to act like a bimbo) lets you in, you are officially in the middle of a quintessential meat market-a great place for those single, mid-20s to early 30s yuppies who think they are really in NYC or LA or..do they really think they're trendy and cool... I feel bad for the bartenders who really do seem do an excellent job at keeping their own cool and serving good drinks at a reasonable pace. IF you actually head to Amber for dinner, the experience was just as horrible as service at Axis (the restaurant before Amber)....the servers don't care about service...they mixed up my food with another person in our party, and her only response was, "Sorry about that," and walked away without even asking if I wanted what I actually ordered. I have to agree wholeheartedly with my fellow Yelpers, when they say they hate Amber.
(1)E S.
I can not stress how much I hate this place. But I don't hate it enough to give it a 1, because it isn't necessarily a bad place; I just hate it. I'm not a fan of large, crowded, meat market type bar/clubs. So take my review with a grain of salt. This isn't my type of scene, and I'm generally in a foul mood whenever I even walk by this place. I guess I'm somewhat antisocial. Maybe if I already had a bunch of drinks beforehand, I'd be more friendly if I went there. But I'm sure my buzz would have worn off because I waited in a line that is a million miles long with a bunch of striped shirt, popped collar dudes stinking up the place with their Aqua Velva. Beer selection is lame. At least they have Mac and Jacks, but other than that there isn't much. The same striped-shirt-dude beers of Pilsner Urquell and Heineken (why, oh why, do the oontz-oontz dudes like Heineken so much?). If you want other types of drinks, ones with ice or funny garnishes, then there's more of a selection of course. The ambience is not my style. Even if you were to get in, you probably wont find a seat, and you'll probably be shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of other people, most of whom will probably think they are too good for you. If I sound bitter, I'm not really. It's not like I've been there and had a bad time being rejected by girls or something. I went there on a whim with some friends and my girlfriend and had no expectations, but definately felt a vibe. Go there and see for yourself. You'll probably meet more interesting people at the smaller bars around the area. Even Tia Lou's right next door is getting overshadowed by this place.
(2)Joy S.
i hope you like dressing up for no reason.
(1)Trevor B.
I'm a city boy and used to upscale bars, so I was happy to find Amber. It has a great atmosphere a big open bar and an upstairs bar/lounge. They have a great selection of liquor and specialty drinks. People dress nice and it could be seen as a dress to impress crowd. It is pricey for drinks but that is expected when drinking downtown. It has a clean bathroom which is amazing in itself. The place gets pretty packed on the weekends but I always enjoy myself.
(4)Laura M.
Went to the Girl Power event last night, held at Amber. Our first waitress (Jersey girl) was GREAT, but sadly she was sent upstairs for the other portion of the event so we ended up with the (Asian princess, as we referred to her) and she was NO princess! She kept passing us over although we sat right in front of her!! Very rude and didn't give us any service. The cute blonde came around and people seemed to know her by name - so that was at least good (for THEM)! Service from the hostess' for the food sampling - NOT!! We had to have people around us GRAB one from her tray as she ran past to service the VIP seating ONLY!! Hello... When my poor guy pal got his food, it was a bit over done and sub par. The drinks, definitely watered down!! BUT, to say that on a Wednesday night this bar was not a truly happening place - far from it! Obvious a crowd pleaser. Now mind you, I don't know if it is for the event or not. And the band they had playing for the event - FAN F'ing TASTIC!!! Besides being cute to look at (hello, cougar moment) they sounded terrific. Overall ambiance of the place - not bad. Restroom hostess very sweet - I made SURE to tip her - which hello young ladies - come on!! Give at least a dollar you cheap wenches... (he he). My guy pal also said the bar is good on weekends and the ribs are the best there!! So, guess we'll have to go back - minus an event. Oh, bouncers - come on - do you gotta smoke and blow it on me while you hold the door open for me! Geez boys, your about as classy as the wenches from the bathroom. Get a clue.
(3)Kristina K.
I was in town visiting one of my best friends and we heard about this place and decided to try it. I must say we had an amazing time. Not only was it a beautiful place but the food and drinks were great! The prices were pretty reasonable and overall the vibe of the place was positive and energetic. Staff was friendly and attentive. I definitely recommend this bar/restaurant to anyone looking to have a great time. Will be back if I return to Seattle!
(4)Jennifer R.
Oh how I miss Axis! Ever since Axis turned into Amber, there's been a void I can't seem to replace. Amber's service and food are terrible. Made reservations for 10 people. The waitor made it a point to let everyone know that his shift is usually over in 30 minutes but since they're short staffed, he had to stay since our reservations were so late. My response, "that's nice." Why would they agree to my reservations if they didn't want to serve us to begin with? Anyway, drinks were so so. The food - now that's a whole 'nother story. My chicken was dry and bland. Some people's food came cold. And the bread, well, I think it looked somewhat appetizing. But that didn't come out until after we were done paying. Did I mention that our waitor kept fishing for tip, pointing out how he did this and that ... Overall, very disappointed in the service/staff. The bar looked appealing but I didn't feel like waiting in line after receiving such terrible service during dinner. The only good thing since the Axis renovations ... the more spacious bar that I never got to enjoy.
(1)Patrick B.
This place was pretty busy when I got there with 3 friends, and we were seated promptly. We ordered drinks and they showed up quickly, and once we placed our order for some munchies they showed up quickly as well. The quality of the food was above average, and the price wasn't over the top for what you got. Drinks were tasty and they didn't skimp on the good stuff. The atmosphere here was warm, inviting and definitely somewhere that feels pretty comfortable, even if there are lots of other folks around.
(4)Rose S.
The biggest problem here is the number of douche bag guys that tend to swarm this bar. Haven't tried the food here, but love the drinks. Pricey, but awesome selection of creative girly martinis. Personally, I'm a Flirtini girl. So good it might even be worth $12.
(4)Zack L.
Overpriced and overbearing, to pay $8 for a beer.... never worth it. Too loud to have a conversation.
(1)jim I.
Unfortunately, I am not cool enough to hang out here. Don't get me wrong... I am pretty damn cool, but not quite cool enough. If you are cool enough to go here, then I highly recommend it. Everyone inside looks mad cool - so you should fit right in.
(1)Dario B.
So you pretend to be a posh venue for white collars and stream football and baseball at the same time? Pretty confusing to me... A bar, nothing more, beers and drinks. Don't know anything about food though.
(3)cat b.
I was disappointed with the service. The food was OK, but multiple servers tried to remove plates before everyone was done eating. I think we all hate that. I had to ask for a place setting twice. I needed flatware and a napkin, and they gave me a second bread plate...? Odd. Total letdown. Didn't want to ruin our group's dinner, so I didn't say anything-but I won't be going back. The menu was also very limited. My friends ordered risotto that tasted like dishwashing detergent or bleach.
(1)liz c.
I've been to Amber on several different occasions, and I've always had a good time. It's definitely one of the nicer places in Belltown, so it's always a pleasant surprise that there's no cover charge, even on a very busy Friday nice. Cocktails are a little overpriced, but nothing too absurd, and it's a nice set-up for big or small parties.
(4)Loe B.
Will never go back. Agree with Yana; very pretentious...the staff...and the crowd usually...stiff and boring. That passes in LA...but lets be serious, this is Seattle!
(1)Eric B.
Let's see... One star for food that tastes decent, but is overpriced. Minus one star for being way too crowded when the bar scene kicks in. One star for nice couches upstairs that provide a good reprieve from the hordes downstairs. One star for no cover in Belltown. One star for chatting it up with Warren Moon, thereby letting me name-drop in my yelp review and look cool for being friends with a guy who's a friend of a friend of a hall of fame QB. All told, I'm now zero steps closer to being rich and famous.
(3)N. s.
I don't know what I was thinking going to this place again, but I had promised a friend that I would go to her birthday celebration before I found out that this was the place she was having it. I walked straight upstairs to the VIP area, but I don't know what made this area so special, because it seemed like anyone and everyone was walking in and out of the VIP section. The girls all looked like gold diggers and the guys were all douche bags. If you want to go to a meat market, this is your place. If your wanting to go to a meat market to meet people who are actually worth talking to, go to the bars in Fremont. The bartenders sucked and the drinks were even worse! I had spent about $40 and had about 4 drinks and I hardly had buzz going. The last time I had a drink was about a year ago, so I should have been good by my second drink. Oh and the best part of the night was watching this drunk girl giving some guy a lap dance and then jumping on him and the two going at it in front of everyone. Needless to say, I will never be going to this place again.
(1)Jennilee B.
I really wanted to change things up a bit for our weekends out with the gals- something low key, so after din at Belltown Bistro, we ended up here. It gets pretty packed around 11-12 and with loud music pumping in the background, a nice crackling fireplace, and pretty stiff drinks, I'd have to say that I'll keep coming back for more.
(4)Dena P.
Like other Belltown bars, I have been frequenting Amber for years. This bar is typically knows as a "meat-market" but I don't agree. I think that Amber can sometimes be overcrowded and pretentious, but I think if you go in with an open mind you will have a good time. I have never been to Amber for happy hour, but it's on my list of things to do. Like I said, I have been going to Amber for years and think that it's an awesome bar in the Belltown neighborhood. No cover charge, a dj on the weekends, and great bartenders, you cannot ask for more. This is a must visit bar.
(4)Nancy T.
started off our saturday night at Amber after hearing that this is "the place to be seen" from a friend of a friend who used to live in seattle. as we walked through the door, we noticed 2 of the best things in life : Admission: FREE Coat Check: FREE (who does this?!) as for the atmosphere... amber fills up with a diverse crowd mingling downstairs around the large bar area. as you get upstairs, you'll find a much smaller bar and a low key crowd loungin and people watching (this is where the smart ppl go the get their drinks a lot quicker). 1 star for free admission 1star for free coat check 2 stars for the bartender hooking me up with a cup full of patron and a 'splash' of pineapple.
(4)Landon H.
A great bar that is filled with your typical Belltown crowd... which can be both good and bad. The circular ground floor make seeing/meeting new people very easy. Guys can be sleazy... but what bar doesn't have a sleazy guy? Girls are overly attractive... showing, at times, too much skin... but what bar doesn't have a crew of "cleavage girls?" After you're through, head outside to any one of the many hot dog stands. (Why are hot dogs so good late at night?)
(4)Michael E.
It is what it is. One of the cornerstones of Belltown Nightlife. Is it a bar? A club? A restaurant? I cannot know.
(3)John B.
If I could give it a 0 star rating I would. The service was no where to be found. Its like they had 4 servers for 200 people. The food for what we paid for was garbage. The patrons sucked as much as the establishment itself. Never should you go here or even would I even mention this place to anyone.
(1)Avalon Z.
From the scummiest portion of the belltown scene, to the mediocre and bland food, to the way overpriced drinks, this is one of the worst venues in Seattle. Run, while you still can.
(1)Jay L.
I would say this place is more for the young professionals. It's hip & trendy, but the music can be toned down just a notch. The setup is pretty nice with the bar/lounge in the front and the seated dining in the rear. I have yet to try their food or check out upstairs (always booked for private party),but i gotta love the fact a fireplace is by the bar. This is my second time coming to this place and it didn't disappoint me. The first time i came i was seated at the fire place, which is kind of at the corner and i thought service would be hacked, but the waitress checked on us several times. A+ for that. I brought my friends there for their first time over the weekend. They liked the no cover charge and we got a table in the back so we didn't have to be stuck at the bar. We actually got a pretty good look at the scene and it was just halirious because we just finished watching "He's just not that into you". It made our night WAY more entertaining watching people trying to hookup with each other. I think this place would be good for singles and a good place to hang out with friends. Not a place to go for an intimate conversation.
(3)Lindsay A.
Only been here twice and never ever again. Where do I even begin. The first time I went here it was packed and I could barely move! Are you kidding me? Knowing that we were going to Amber, which is known as a seen and be seen kind of place (who are we kidding? it's SEATTLE guys!) my three friends and I actually threw off our Northface's and shimmied into dresses. Now, these dresses were two, maybe three inches above the knee and it wasn't very cold and our boobs weren't hanging out or anything. That said, the moment we step in we are given the once over by a group of guys just standing by the door and given the stink eye by 3 trashy drunk girls. Yuck. We wait about 7 flippin' hours to get our overpriced and diluted drinks and finally get a booth. I don't even know how many greasy haired tight shirt wearing guys approached us. Sick. It seems it was douche bag night. But then again, judging from our second visit there, every night is douche bag and stuck up B night. how unfortunate. I'm excited to hear from a friend that the last friday night she went there it was pretty dead. The sad thing is that the place was nice (design wise) and the food was decent (but overpriced), but it was the people that really brought this place down. how unfortunate.
(1)Sriram K.
This place is always full during the weekends with a long line in front. However, the only time I've been here was during a weekday. We had a friendly bartender (who was new to the place and was eager to impress his boss) and had some nice conversations with some of the people hanging around. Not pricey and the ambience was great
(3)Stephen H.
Felt like I was going through airport security just to get in. Once in the place was clean but crowded and always someone to tell me I was standing in the wrong place (No standing near the stairs, entrance etc).
(2)Gregory C.
Wasn't allowed into the club because I was wearing a baseball cap. If anyone knows Seattle, Seattle on 2nd Avenue is really casual, and it is extremely rare to find any place enforcing a dress code in Seattle. Seattle is not a fashion forward city, and is pretty casual. If a place does enforce a dress code, then they let you know in advance, have something posted or tell you over the phone. I scanned through the event photos they have on their website, and they feature guests in jeans, tanks, and caps. If you ask me, I feel discriminated upon. I did take off my cap, and try to go in, and the bouncer said, let me have your cap. I said, my girlfriend can carry it in her purse, and the bouncer said no I have to keep it outside here. The cap had major sentimental value to me---not to get into that here, but I am not about to have some stranger that I don't know sitting outside hold a piece of clothing for me because I am not allowed to take it in. Amber, just an FYI, you are not El Gaucho, Georgian Room at the Fairmont, Canlis, or a high end establishment. As long as you have half time parties and Beer Pong Tournaments, then you will always be just that, another casual bar on 2nd Avenue. You won't see me again, and my four hundred dollars was spent at The Four Seasons that night, and oh yes, they didn't seem to mind my baseball cap at all, and were much more concerned that I had money to spend, and I certainly did. Thumbs down in my book. If you are a high end establishment and do have a dress code, then just let others know about it, and post it on your website, post it on the bouncer stand, and don't let others in with casual attire, tanks, flip flops and caps. Such a double standard. I still don't get it.
(1)Brian B.
What a joke !!! When will these idiots close ? The sooner, the better.
(1)Farah F.
Oh man, if I can rate this place any lower, I would. Yeesh. I've gone to Amber a few times, always dragged by friends, and have only had mediocre to bad experiences. The last one really takes the cake, my drink was made poorly and didn't taste anything like it's supposed to taste, so I went to the bartender and asked him to make it the right way, and he totally blew me off. And it's not like I came back with an empty glass..... the glass was freakin' full because I couldn't down the nasty concoction he made. all in all, super pricey for not well-made drinks.... would not recommend at all.
(1)Melinda C.
Yuppie prepsters and wannabe girltoys. Scene-y and "happening". Weak drinks.
(1)Bernadette E.
this was an in-between stop with my girls before hittin the places with the dance floors... no cover which was nice but it was super crowded!! talk about feelin like a snake in a thick patch of grass!! cool atmosphere and i would like to try to come here again when i can actually find a seat!! :) until then...
(3)Charleen N.
I've been to this bar once and hated it. You look up "meat market" in the dictionary and see Amber. If you're looking for sophistication, you won't find it here. The crowd's average age has to be 21 (this includes all those that had to have snuck in with fake IDs).
(1)Jesse R.
I liked it better when it was called Axis.
(3)Natalie W.
mehhhhhh... huge inside- a bar upstairs and downstairs- lots of seating upstairs with tvs- a coat check- people dressed a little nicer then the frats of a fake dive/ or we don't care bar- mix of people- strong diet and whiskey... STRONG!
(3)G P.
I went to Amber on a late Saturday night and it is what it is...a place to hang out in belltown that is over crowded, with over priced drinks. Decor was alright but the drinks are way too sweet. I did like the room in the back w/booths for people who wanted to just talk and hang out with friends...and not be part of the meat market.
(3)Sebastian K.
AMBER ALERT, AMBER ALERT, has anyone seen any desperate broads dressed to the nines? The bar is tight, I like the way I can prospect the room for honey babies. As much as I try to avoid this place I always find myself in there. Not great, not bad.
(3)Crysta L.
So much to say about this place. And none of it is good. At all. Trashy girls, men on the prowl. Totally just the who am I going to take home in a drunken stupor kind of place. Oh, and the cougars -- so classy at Amber, woman who shouldn't be wearing revealing clothing in tube tops and halters. Ick. Crowded at night, food isn't so great for the prices. Spendy, average drinks and average service. Yea, never going back. That place made me angry for all the stupidity and trolling going on. The only reason this place has a star is because I had to give it something to post this review.
(1)Lorna D.
I didn't really do the swanky bar scene in Belltown after a horrific experience where they would not allow my friend to just carry his Kangol hat into a place (he agreed to not wear it). I mean maybe it was this place, but I was probably too appalled to remember. Anyways, Amber is a pretty cool place considering that they let me in with my oh so casual clothing of sweater, jeans, and tennis shoes. Most everyone there is decked out in high heels/pumps and dresses or fancy tops. I don't know what it is about Seattle, but how come the girls look all dressed up but the guys can wear t-shirts and nice tennis with geled up hair? Okay excuse my digressions... I love the complimentary coat check at the door. I honestly hate paying for coat check, especially in a city that requires the use of a coat b/c it can be bone-chilling outside. Amber is enormous in size. The downstairs is very crowded and difficult to navigate, whereas the upstairs is less crowded and more intimate. Hence, the bar upstairs is much more accessible for drinks than downstairs. The drinks are EXPENSIVE but absolutely DELICIOUS!! This place has the best tasting cocktails out of all of the places that I have patronized for alcoholic drinks in Seattle. My lemon-drop was exactly like lemonade SWEET and NOT TOO TART. My Mango Mojito was not made with puree like at the Triple Door. The mint was fresh and the drink was very light and refreshing. It felt like Summer in November. Since it is so crowded it is very noisy and if you can grab a table and sit that is much better for conversation. There isn't a dance floor but the music is poppin' (literally). I'll come back here just b/c I want a great tasting cocktail and hopefully when I do, there isn't much of a crowd.
(3)Tammy V.
a typical bar, a typical crowd. (+) drinks booths type of crowd (young business) food (-) belltown = parking sucks extremely crowded on weekends downstairs bar overall this bar is pretty usual nothing that special. i've been here quite a few times and had a decent time. there is a bar in the middle of the room and another one upstairs in a smaller area. the middle bar is extremely odd because they have seats all around the bar so it's really hard to get a drink unless you want to shove yourself between two people sitting @ the bar.
(3)Ass Man Z.
Fuck this place.
(1)Ashley O.
A great improvement from the decor of Axis. The happy hour specials are good, and at that time, you can actually get a seat on the patio. Amber is a fun place to hang out with your girlfriends, but you will probably get hit on by the 40+ crowd (the male cougars?). We met the GM on a number of occasions, and found him to be very nice. The staff is usually helpful, but hard to find when it gets crowded after 9pm. still, it's a fun place to hang with your girls on a friday nite!
(4)Brooke S.
Amber is not really my scene. The service was slow, and bad, and the drinks are obviously trying too hard. But the interior is cool...pretty cool loungey upstairs area with leather-come-hither couches and low, blue lighting. I would dig if I was going out with my girls on a weekend looking to pick up dudes. Oh and if I had a lot of money. The calamari was good though.
(2)Tony G.
This place looks a little pretentious on the outside, but we gave it a shot on the recommendation of the 'concierge' at our hotel. We were there on a Sunday night, and they had a great bar menu, and everything was $5 (or was it $4, I don't remember). These are serious appetizers for cheap - we made a meal out of one of them, easy. It was entertaining to people-watch, as folks from many different backgrounds came and went. The beer selection is excellent, as you'd expect from any bar/pub in the Pacific Northwest.
(4)Tor T.
I was so looking forward to heading out with my friends from out of town, and wanted to hit a place prior to bar hopping. I heard great things about Amber, so we decied to try it out. boy was I disappointed, the first impression with a club or Bar are the bouncers, and it was not a good experience, the main bouncer Tall bold gentleman was extremely rude to us and that set the tone. Once we got in we settled down in the upstairs bar to see the action, have a few drinks and talk. i went outside for a smoke and came back in, and was told I could not go back up stairs. I tried to explain to the bouncer my friends where up there but he made me wait. with no explaination on why I could not go up, well my friends saw me and decided to head down. I guess the bouncer did not like the fact my friends decided to come down and hang with me because he was guarding the stair case and didn't want anyone to go up or down. He then said we disrespected his order and kicked us out. I can see bouncer getting agressive and handling people a curtain way if we looked like thugs, but they came into seattle for convention (all IT managers & Consultants) I tried to talk with the manager but they blow us off. I have never been treated this way at a bar, and will never go to this place again.
(1)Helen W.
Amber makes one wanting to look like a hoochie on a Saturday night perfectly acceptable.
(2)Amy H.
somewhere in the constitution, im pretty sure that every red-blooded american is entitled to life, liberty, and a memorable 21 run. mine? a weekend in vegas that consisted of blackjack, treasures (think whitesnake video vixens), and bouncers not feeling the need to card me. but i digress, tonight was about my trainer's wife and her special night. we started the evening at umi, and rolls and rolls later, traipsed down the block to amber, the heartbeat of belltown. being that it was halloween weekend, all the ladies were out in their sluttiest, and the douchebags of belltown were out on the prowl. lucky for me, amber offers a very respectable drink selection and served up my fernet and coke standard as i watched what seemed like a discovery channel documentary of white-collar predators hunting their prey. perhaps ben franklin said it best, "the constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. you have to catch it yourself."
(3)melissa g.
This is a good spot if you're looking for something a little more sophisticated and trendy. The lounge upstairs had great leather chairs which in any other city would cost you $$$ for bottle service. The drinks were good and service wasn't too bad either. If you're use to bars and lounges in SF, LA, NY and Miami you'll enjoy this place.
(4)James S.
Tasty food, but overpriced. Sit at the bar; the bartenders give much better service. Between 7 and 10 its comfortable... watch a Mariner's game and then wait for a player or two to show up later. M to F ratio is like 1/1 until 10pm, then its 5/1.... so move quickly, lads. Still, an overall pleasant experience. Oh... dress up a little, it doesn't mean you have to 'be pretentious', you just shouldn't be a slob.
(4)Ask me K.
Amber has a professional aged crowd ages 24-30ish on Friday and Sat nights. Not a bad place for starting the night out at in that the place is spacious enough for moving around in. If your a yuppie professional this is a good place. Ratio is usually 3 guys for 1 girl and the ladies look nice.
(3)Ross S.
Very cool bar with an extesive choice of martinis. Exotic and well crafted decore and a fun crowd on the Wednesday night I was there. Absolutely a 5+ start rating for the bar! However the restaurant part is very disapointing. The menu looks like it came out of a Denny's(except the prices are in the troposphere), and the dishes are pretty unimaginative. Very good service, but at the end of a day, the food is all what a restaurant is all about. Come for a drink (or two) but don't stay for the pie.
(3)Jennifer I.
I love me a good girly martini and this place has lists of them. The flirtini and strawberry martini are my 2 favorites. The downside is they're each 9-10$. It is pretty loud in there but I think that's just because everyone is having a good time. If you like to socialize with many people then it's a great place. It however is not a good place if you want to have an intimate conversation. I've never had a problem getting drinks from the bartenders, they have always been very attentive, and I've had many hangovers to prove it!
(3)Frederick G.
This place is just sexy...had a pvt dinner here on thursday and what a FUN time...and the atmosphere is just sexy..it makes you want to dress up and be seen.. Didn't have to wait in line but saw one forming when we were leaving and heard it is just outrageous on the weekends ..but the happy hour is great here...The food is awesome the ribs are great and the chowder is wonderful..I had the pork chop and it melted in my mouth ...
(4)Connie Y.
Came here for the happy hour, pretty good food for a decent happy hour price...I guess. Like everyone else said, it's really dark and the food is pricey.
(3)Yana K.
pretentious, pretentious, pretentious. waiting in line, having a south african bouncer let me in without letting my friends standing next to me in. too many people, most of them not that beautiful. you'd think that with so many people out in belltown that night ones with good DNA would make their way inside, but no such luck. i would suggest going upstairs, where it's a lot more quieter and you can sit, talk, point, and wish you were at king's hardware in ballard. never, ever again, that's for sure. they do pour a stiff drink though.
(2)Diego M.
Its nice to see I'm not the only one that thinks this place isn't all the 1st and Blanchard location it has cut out to be (not sure if that made sense). Amber. Wow lets go to Amber, its always cool, actually if you remember last time Timmy it wasn't. It was after 12 and there was nobody there except very cliquesh groups huddled around tables like a pow-wow. And the ratio of guys to gals was like vegas odds of me winning the next un-even bars at the olympics. This palce is VERY good from 8 to 10, not too many people, great crowd everybody is ready to jump to the next place, easy to start a convo. 10-12 its hit or miss, sometimes there is a line-up, never cover which is nice, but it gets crowded fast and unless you went there in a group you can get lost (its a little bit like Cheers where everybody knows your name, but usually these are the bar-hoping people that know your name and that gets annoying). I would recommend this as a very preliminary place and then hit up another place, where? No clue, but not here.
(3)Kaleigh H.
Gave shots of WATER! On my birthday last May we went to Amber for some drinks before hitting a different club. I had been there one time before in the upstairs area for a friend who had rented it out for a birthday and loved it! I thought it would have been a great place to go for my birthday, so I booked a table. When we got there, they sat us, we ordered shots of tequila and when my group (about 5 girls) took them, all of us looked at each other in confusion because it didn't taste anything like alcohol. There was no burn, no nothing. A friend tasted the last bit in her shot glass and said it was definitely water. Additionally, the drinks that we ordered didn't even taste like there was alcohol in them, and they were only vodka sodas with lime. We're thinking maybe the manager thought we were just a drunk bunch of girls who wouldn't have noticed? Well, that wasn't the case. What happened next was the worst part of all. We told the waitress, who went to the bar then came back saying the the MANAGER had poured the shots, and then brought her over to talk to us. The manager came over and started out by saying, "What's the problem? You guys are the only table complaining" and when one of my friends was leaning in to hear her, the owner then called my friend out and said "Are you okay sweetie?" in an extremely belittling and nasty tone, as if to say "Do you have a problem?" I was beside myself. I have worked in customer service for 5 YEARS and never had I experienced such horrible service. It was bad enough getting water for shots, which come to find out from a friend who serves that that is HIGHLY illegal to do, but then to have the manager's awful attitude on top of everything? I refused to pay for the service but two other friends did. Amber should be extremely grateful for that. I will never go back to this place, and I extremely advise against it for anyone else. If I could give no stars and just review on here, I would. If anyone has any questions, let me know.
(1)Pollyanna M.
Amber gets the job done right! I was just enjoying a rainy stroll and passed Amber at the perfect time (happy hour 4-7pm everyday). There weren't too many people in right at 4, so I got to enjoy a window seat. Ordered their $5 well gin and tonic, nice and smooth. The Tacos Al Pastor were delicious. The green sauce brought some heat to the plate. Also ordered the Wood-Fired Roasted Cauliflower Gratin, and it was dreamy. The server I had was very gracious and friendly. Would love to come back, sit outside, and enjoy one of their wood-fired pizzas!
(4)Meghan G.
My boyfriend and I were in a pinch for dinner before seeing a show at the 5th Ave. We found a LivingSocial deal for Amber and decided to try it out. When we first walked in, the restaurant smelled of a mix between dirty mop water and cigarettes...pretty gross. We sat near the fire, which was cozy, and our waitress came over to take our orders. You really can't beat their happy hour prices, although the food isn't that good. We had $3 Pyramid Hef's and four happy hour items. I ordered the Seared Ahi Nachos and Marguerita Pizza. My boyfriend ordered the burger and BBQ ribs. I actually really enjoyed the nachos and the pizza, but unfortunately my boyfriend did not like his as much. I tried his burger and it was undercooked - like it had been heated up in the microwave. The fries were soggy and just not that great. All that being, our waitress was very sweet. She definitely made the crummy food experience more enjoyable, although I have to say that we will not be going back there again.
(2)S M.
I wanted to sit and enjoy myself at a restaurant for dinner. This place is a bar. So, I say don't come for food. The service isn't good either. There weren't many people there at the time and we had to ask for things. There was also a strange smell. Maybe from smoking? I wouldn't suggest that you visit.
(1)Kellen C.
Went here for a sulyp.org event great ambiance we had the upstairs to ourselfs. Nice lounge furniture, for enough comfortable space for up to 50 once more came too cramped for my taste but great place for drinks and #kickback
(4)M M.
Not impressed with this place at all. The service was lacking and the food was nothing to scream about. I had the veggie burger with garlic fries. The veggie patty was so spicy that I burned my tongue! I should note that I really don't have a high tolerance for spicy food though. The fries were cold too. My friend ordered some taco dish as an entree that was done in less than 2 bites. You can definitely find much better food choices in the area. Skip this.
(2)S L.
Unfortunately this is one of the few larger "club" type bars in Seattle so I keep going back... went on a Friday night and there was a line, we had 4 gorgeous girls and were dressed up from a wedding but the bouncer showed us no mercy, in fact tried to take $40 for us to cut the line - so we waited instead. I really wish there was more of a dance floor and less of people just standing around everywhere - there could really be a better scene here with all the space but I think they're just happy selling drinks and playing loud music. I'm over this place unless something changes.
(3)Pma e.
The music is awesome!!! Food not bad. Customer service is not bad with the exception of a pushy waitress who thought me and my friends were lyin abt havn a reserved table. Happy we can prefunk before hittn tia lous next door!!
(3)Tony N.
This was one of our destination while we were bar hopping through the streets of Seattle. I was pretty buzzed by the time that I got there, but I remembered that the drinks were averaged priced. 2 beers, 4 hennessy, 1 vodka red bull for $45. It wasn't the cheapest I've ever paid, but it wasn't the most expensive. We didn't spend too much time here. If I recall, the place was pretty dead and we were practically the only group in there. I guess Seattle nightlife doesn't pop until Saturday. 2 stars.
(2)Joe T.
Service was super slow. They should cross train their employees. It would've been nice if the host could've taken orders to speed things up. Also food could've been better. The nachos sounded good on paper but were poorly executed. Give me a bunch of smaller bites. Not 6 giant chips with toppings all stacked on top of each other. Main reason it got 3* is due to the decor.
(3)Brie W.
I really like this place. Its a great atmosphere, good people. Great place to watch sports games, listen to live music, or hit up on a weekend to party. Never a cover, which is great. Classy, not trashy like their next-door counterpart....to be unnamed... They just re-vamped their menu, and its very appealing. I was here for HH with a couple friends and they had the Burger and garlic fries and had no complaints. I had the Fish Tacos, de-licious! To all the people complaining about the drink prices...uh..where do you think you are? If you wanted 'dive bar pricing,' go to a dive bar. You pay for what you get. I don't mind paying a bit more for a classier environment and better service. Joe, the bartender is awesome. Tina and Jimbo are great. Always making sure your well taken care of and having a good time. Definitely check this place out. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Hanley B.
This place probably would have been my kind of place when I was in college. It's pretty nice for a club, but definitely not my kind of place anymore. Loud music, younger people, clean, expensive drinks ($6 Coors Lite) and people dressed to impress. If you're going with a group or prefer conversation, this isn't the place for you. If you're going to meet people, dance, and spend a chunk of change doing it, then I can think of no better place. It's really an issue of preference, but in my experience there I can't say I've ever had bad service or treatment.
(2)Ren K.
Had one of the worst experience here! When me and my friends walked in we weren't even greeted. The waitress Alexandra had a nasty attitude. She kept rolling her eyes to my friend whenever she would ask her a question about the menu. But wait this is not it. I got charged gratuity without my permission when I gave her the tip in cash!! Shouldn't gratuity be if you have 6 or more people? Because I was with a group of 4 only! And we barely got served, I had only 2 drinks. So unreal. Worst service ever.
(1)Star L.
Went here to catch a game. The bartenders were fun and prompt. The pizzas were good and perfect for one. Would come back for sure.
(5)Aaron B.
If you're in the area Amber is a good choice for dancing. The music was mostly rap/hip hop and the DJ was not consistent but overall we had a fun time on a Saturday night at around 11.30. The food (top sirloin, flat bread, and clams) was actually pretty good -- definitely not as good as most of the restaurants near by, but for the venue pretty good. Food prices were also reasonable, but service was incredibly slow, albeit nice. There are definitely better places to go in the Seattle area, but if you want to go to belltown this is in the top three
(4)Trish S.
We weren't planning on this venue for our bachelorette party but after an unfortunate peanut incident at Cowgirl Inc, we were hooked up here for the evening. the couch set up was sublime! Thanks to Tina (The manager?) who spoke with the Cowgirl Inc GM to accommodate us. We so appreciated the quick switch! No cover, awesome! As we entered the gentlemen in our corner greeted the bride with cheers and excitement, yay glitter girl with crown who brings 8 chicks with her!! Who wouldn't applaud that hu? Our server was absent for about a half hour when we arrived after she sat us... a big group of girls we were ready for shots shots shots! When we were seated we had about 10 minutes left to order the 5$ happy hour drink, but as our server was absent, we missed out on that! Boo. We flagged down another staff member who was totally swamped, we felt bad for her! She took our table but was a little short with us. Where was her partner in crime? A pal to serve with? No idea. The club is nicely appointed, bathrooms clean and there was rarely a line. The dance floor looked like it was going to be so fun so we eagerly awaited the DJ to drop the beats starting at 10 pm. The music was so disappointing! What a cool place but sadly-The DJ was terrible, his whole playlist was circa 2010 or 11, he couldn't mix and stumbled from one song to the next. We went up to request newer anything and he replied "I can't play that".... so yeah, a DJ that can't play anything. Decent songs were few and far between and when they were on, the floor was packed. Mostly though we made fun of the songs, mouthing the words and being over the top: We had no choice! We had a good time, but we totally made our own party: In the end the 2 stars this place isn't getting from me would have been happily given with some top notch service and something (anything) I could've decently got my dance on to.
(3)Natarajan S.
Its a good lounge to hang out on a Fri night. The smallish dance floor keeps the hard parties away, which is great is you want to just have a couple of drinks and strike up a conversation. The drinks are reasonably priced and the bartenders are nice. The second floor is smaller in size and normally reserved for parties.
(4)Jennifer N.
I had a great time here on Friday night! Our friends rented out the top area from 8pm - 11pm, and then we stayed upstairs until about 1am. The decor was fun and the service was very nice. Once 11pm rolled around and we mingled in with the regular crowd, it was tons of fun! It was a dance club! Upstairs there were tons of people dancing, same with downstairs, just having a great time. It seemed like a good crowd - not too sketchy of people, etc. And at least upstairs there was plenty of room to dance with everybody and it wasn't overly crowded. The music was mostly current pop music, which I really like. Overall I really had a great time. I didn't eat any of their food so I can really only speak to the dance club portion, but it was really fun and they showed us a good time.
(5)Felix S.
Small plate, but the food is good. The starters very meh, but the entrees very really good. We order the chicken which was reallly tasty and juicy and also the steak with some tasty fries. The service was slow.
(4)Sarah R.
I've been here a couple years ago for happy hour and don't remember anything bad about the place. Just recently went here late night for drinks over the weekend. The decor is nice and a mixed crowd, good vibe. A fair amount of seating and a live DJ playing some good old school hip hop/R&B mixes and then some EDM. I liked the atmosphere, drinks were good, as well as service.
(4)Tammy Y.
This spot has really great prices on everything. Initially that made me think you would get what you pay for, but the negative reviews are a bit harsh. The food I had was really good - fresh tasting and delivered with great service. The waitress was attentive but didn't come bother us in the middle of conversation, which is a huge plus. The ambiance was great and it wasn't overcrowded on the weeknight or the weekend when I was there.
(3)Yvonne K.
Came here for an early happy hour dinner on a friday night with my underage sister so we sat outside. Food was okay. Got the HH salad (=plate of lettuce, a few olives, cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumbers), meze plate (~1 cup of hummus, 4-5 pieces of pita, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers) and the seafood paella. The "paella" (which wasn't prepared the traditional way/ they used a saffron risotto instead) and their service earned it 3.5 stars. Although the risotto wasn't quite perfect and pretty mild on the saffron, the seafood in it was delicious and abundant. It was a good 50/50 seafood to rice ratio. It looks like a slightly small portion for one person, but it filled both me and my sister up! Wish I had more of their mussels right now.
(4)Jessica C.
Came to Amber on a Saturday night around 8pm for dinner because there was no wait and all of the other Belltown restaurants couldn't accommodate a party of 9. We ended up pushing a bunch of high round tables together in the bar. The hostess was our server (aka we rarely saw her and had to go find her when we needed something). We were there for over 2 hours just for a drink and dinner. It was awful. They started setting up the dance club while we were finishing our meal, so we felt rushed despite having been there for 2 hours. When we finally received our checks, the drinks were double the price they were supposed to be for the happy hour so we had to wait another 15 minutes for her to redo all 5 of the checks. I definitely don't think I'll be coming back here.
(1)Vicki M.
First time here. Stopped by for happy hour to avoid the rush hour going north. Not impressed at all. Don't recommend the ahi tuna nachos, very little tuna and very dry. The tacos al pastor were ok.
(2)Stacy K.
This review is based on the food during happy hour (non-night club hours). It was a sunny day and we popped in because they had some good deals and it was pretty empty. We waited at least 10 minutes to be greeted; toward the end of those 10 minutes, the host/bouncer came over to let us know that the waitress was busy with a big party upstairs. The menu is pretty skimpy but there are some good deals if you're looking for a snack. There aren't many "meal" options so we ordered calamari, crab cakes (AMAZING) and a pizza to share between 2 of us and it was the right amount of food. They charged us full price for the pizza even though we ordered during happy hour. Something about looking at the full menu when you order something that's also on the happy hour menu seems to encourage waiters to punch it in for full price and hope that you won't catch it because this is the second time this has happened to us in a week. Anyway, on a sunny day this is a pleasant place to come for a bite but we probably won't go back due to the small menu.
(3)Liza C.
Happy hour at Amber was awesome! I went there on a Wednesday at 6 pm and the atmosphere was great; it was not crowded and had great music playing. I love that they offer happy hour everyday until 7 pm. Their prices are very cheap with overall quality food! I had the burger for $5 and a draft beer for $3. You can't beat that!! The fries that came with my burger were so yummy and had garlic. Also the service was great our waitress was very attentive. Definitely coming back to this place.
(5)Tim R.
I would have to agree with the other reviews. Prices are ok but service is lacking at best. Great vibe and good looking place otherwise
(3)Adriane H.
Amber is OK in theory, the staff is overly aggressive in the way they treat customers. Had a friend trip on a cord on the floor ok her way to the bathroom and a bouncer immediately asked her to leave for being too intoxicated even though we had just gotten there and no one had had anything to drink. Will never be going back.
(1)Pam S.
I came here to celebrate and get my dance on...soooo I did. The dance floor is itty bitty, so feel free to shake it anywhere else around the bar. The place isn't anything fancy, but music was fun, there was no cover, and the bartenders were quick.
(3)Bree M.
Just discovered this place on Wednesday! We were in Seattle for a show at Foundation night club. We were hungry so we thought we would try the all day happy hour they had. The staff were really nice and friendly. We got the pizza it was really good only like 4$! We had shots and some Stella on tap. The best part was they had a dj playing some really awesome deep house that I honestly could have just stayed there and had a great time. Wish I could have stayed longer but I will definently be back. This is my new favorite spot.
(4)Boun K.
I work very close to this place so I sometimes drop in afterwards for their happy hour. Can't complain, $3 on all their drafts and the staff is very friendly and personable. They have good happy hour prices on their food as well, but none of their offerings intrigue me.
(5)Ponarett X.
I threw my sister a birthday party at Amber recently and I was really impressed with the staff and experience! There were about 20 people at the party and I had reserved the back half of the lounge area downstairs by the dance floor. Our server was awesome! She was able to start multiple tabs and made sure everyone got what they needed. At one point, she even brought me my drink as I was on the dance floor. Now that's service! There was a small incident when some (uninvited) friends of friends of friends started directing some derogatory names at one of my sister's friends. We immediately notified security and within seconds they showed up to escort the guys out. I was really glad that they actually took care of the situation. I don't think many clubs would have done anything. If you're looking for a nice space to have a large gathering, I highly recommend Amber.
(5)Terence P.
Great location. Some cool bartenders, some rude. Especially the upstairs bar. Good mixture of age and races. The only thing besides the one upstairs bartender dude that sucks is the dj. I think management thinks it's good because people come but it really stinks. Old dr dre from like 2001 mashed up with corny pop music. Ugh.
(3)Michael H.
Good price on drinks, no hassle over dress code. Fun place if you come with your own crowd.
(3)Braden K.
pretty cool spot. solid ambiance, a good selection of TVS. happy hour vibes, the bouncers were cool as shit. talking football, a couple of shots of makers mark, though the mixed drinks were a little weak. the servers were super nice, quite friendly. i'll come back, no cover either? :D
(4)Astha C.
Went for dinner with my husband. We both tried some cocktails that came with a generous pouring of alcohol. The food was good and the service was pleasant. Love the ambience and lights.
(4)Margaret T.
I was drawn to Amber because of their happy hour menu while I was walking on 1st. Ended up coming for their happy hour and the food was meh. The plates were tiny. I remember their kimchee that was given with the Korean chicken wings were super bland and should not even be called kimchee. Their ahi nachos were drenched in some super thick sauce so I couldn't even taste the tuna. And to top it all off, we were being served by numerous people, all of whom were just awkward. We actually finished our 3 dishes and ended up filling ourselves up with real food somewhere else. I'm actually not even sure why I'm giving it two stars....I would NOT come back here.
(2)Stan L.
we came here recently for happy hour.. my wife enjoyed one of their signature cocktails (forgot what it was) and i grabbed a beer.. as for the food.. the flatbread/pizza was lacking in flavor and dough was a bit thick and rubbery.. the korean wings were damn good though although it was very a small portion apparently this place turns into a giant club/lounge at night.. i was told they don't have a cover charge
(3)Huong N.
what I liked: no cover charge at door when we were there on a Sat night. Free coat check. I could hear myself talk, has booths and places to sit and chit chat with friends. I would come back again. What I didn't like: my friends ordered 2 kamikaze, and it tasted like lemonade, no alcohol whatsoever. Music was so-so. Would come back every now and then.
(3)Mark B.
Good happy spot in Belltown. Really liked decor and good food. Draft beer selection was limited.
(4)Sarah M.
It's so funny b/c my husband informs me that this place is where all of the thugs hang out in the city. I came in and saw something totally different - it was just mid-20 somethings having dinner with their significant others and groups of friends. I came here for a bachelorette party and we were all in our own little world so if the clientele was totally sketchy or weird, (as deemed by some of the other reviewers) I didn't notice it at all. Perhaps because I was one of them. =) We had the front booth right by the door and it was a cozy little spot for a group of friends. We ordered a bunch of drinks which were great and the server was super friendly. It was kind of dead when we got there around 8 pm on a Saturday night but they told us that we were lucky that we got there when we did because it would fill up soon. (It did and there was a line out the door to get in.) Maybe I am totally jaded but I didn't think it was all that expensive. About $9 for a drink which to me these days seems pretty standard. I've never seen drinks that are less expensive with the exception of University District which caters to college kids. My favorite thing about this place was the fact that they have a drink on their menu called a "Penicillin martini." Delicious but super weird name. All in all, I was very satisfied with this place.
(4)Liz O.
What the Effffff Amber with a reversed e. My friend and I wanted another drink. That is why we sat there staring at you, miss bartender, dressed to a T in sTripper, with our glasses empty albeit the ice you packed in them the first round, when you quickly came by and picked up those glasses and failed to ask us if we'd like another one. And we couldn't even get a word in!!! It took 15 mins to get our first round ordered too, grrr. The guys that were trying to get a good f*** for the night were able to get their order in and slipped ours in too. Ya know, to help us. So Amber, you've got some potential. Like good music and nice decor. But make drink-ordering a little easier will ya?
(2)Megan M.
Great food!Nice decoration!i love their seared ahi Nalco $12. Best clam chowder $6 ever. Reasonable price.
(5)Alyson M.
Amber is where the older people go in Belltown. It's definitely a 30's scene. The drinks are pretty good though and I've always enjoyed my server/bartender. Way too loud to talk though even with the person right next to you.
(2)Tabia A.
I've been here a few times. I love that there's never a cover charge. The fries are good. They have nice drinks , but they are way over priced. $8 for a lemonade and vodka and $10 for a vodka and red bull ,please. I guess that's why they can afford not to charge a cover,since the drinks are so high. But they do have lots of seats where you can sit with a date or whoever. The dance floor is nice, just kind of small. I had fun dancing and the DJ played some cuts but too much Techno for my taste. I would go back again, but maybe for happy hour instead, when the drinks are a little cheaper.
(3)Das M.
Love!! Love!! Love!! We were recommend by a martini bar to come here for bar/lounge and so glad that we did.. The ambiance, the music was fabulous. The bartenders were so attentive to everyone .. We had heather and she was awesome.. The dj that night had everyone dancing.. Did a great job.. Will come back on next trip to Seattle..
(4)Isy E.
Dear Amber, Not cool. I got kicked out because I was goofing off too much with my friend. Granted, I wasn't following rules, but this is something I didn't think of as a major infraction at the time. The bouncer called me over, and I said, "oh, geeze, I'm sorry! I was just messing around with my friend!" (I had squeezed back into the gated smoking area outside after leaving-- I assumed he'd seen me both times-- whoops.) The bouncer asked for my ID. And I was like, "Oh, he thinks I'm some underage kid trying to sneak in." My ID was already inside; my tab was open at the bar, and I told him so. He, in secret agent fashion, spoke into the intercom for them to bring out my ID and receipt. "Excuse me," I asked, "does this mean I can't come back in?" Bouncer nodded. Wow... really? I'm not giving this place a bad review, because I understand that I did do something wrong. But there was NO line, and I wasn't cutting in front of anyone, or trying to do anything illegal, and I was by no means drunk, nor was I causing any sort of public disturbance... guess I caught the bouncer on a bad night, but seriously, I don't think what I did warrants getting kicked out. Lame, Amber. There's nothing about this bar that warrants such pretension. The food's good, the drinks are on the lame side of OK, and the barstaff is largely inattentive (though I DO like the waitstaff-- good job, ladies). I gave a good review because the DJ is good, and in general, I have a fun time with my friends without having to be harassed too much by the dudebros. But this definitely soured the goodwill I had.
(3)Valerie B.
The food was good. I really liked my clam chowder. Yum. And I loved my Mac & Jacks beer. It was good. I glad I tried a local beer. My burger was fine but eh, it's a burger. I couldn't taste the Brie on it too much but the fries that accompanied it were very yummy I'm giving this place four stars because my server Kate was sweet and super friendly. I was here alone so she came over and chatted when she had the chance. She made me feel welcome where sometimes being a party of one can be really awkward.
(4)Akili P.
If you like to wait more than 15 minutes to get service for your drink then this is where you should go. The dance floor is about 10 feet by 10 feet. No I'm not kidding. I'm being so serious right now. There hat rules changed all the times I've been here and honestly that's my last time coming as well
(1)Nathan M.
Here is my experience at Amber. I have only been here once but I don't think I will ever go back again. The server was absolutely confused with what was going on. I ordered the prawns and broccoli and got cheap shrimp with no broccoli. I think they put red dyed water underneath it... Yum...
(1)Princess J.
came here last night and cover was free for a Saturday night. that's the only plus. almost all the bartenders seem to hate their job. drinks were pricey compared to other place. 4 vodka cranberrys $48. wow! music was top 40 and hip hop. crowd was mixed was a sausage fest and mainly over 30+ crowd.
(2)Olga K.
Great place to meet people, and TIA LOUs is awesome to go dance at. The drinks are quite good as well
(4)Nate F.
Haaa.. Their drinks actually are watered-down. Not that I care, because I'm not a drinker. Just found some comments funny because they're true. Well, this place is kinda cool I guess. Went on a Saturday about midnight. They have a nice lounge area upstairs with comfortable couches. I really like the decor. It's a diverse crowd. Can get pretty packed on the lower level and someone might bump into you and drinks will be spilled. The dance floor is small, but who really cares about dancing all crazy? Music is pretty much top 40. The DJ wasn't special at all.
(3)Amber A.
Stopped here for the amazing happy hour menu. Now I know why they were so cheap. Waitress knew nothing about the beer options and there was no menu for them. Ordered calamari and it was in "rings"...sketch. Me and my boyfriend both ordered a personal pizza and I was really looking forward to the Mexican style pizza I ordered and instead I received a pepperoni. The waitress, who had to be new, looked really confused and didn't know what to do when I told her it was wrong, so my boyfriend had the pepperoni and I ate his. After being so disappointed about the pizza, the cherry on top was when they messed the check up. Did I mention the place was nearly empty so not sure why they were having such a hard time. Just pay a few extra dollars for somewhere better. Not worth it.
(2)J P.
Good club, but I was trying to zip up my jacket when I was approached by bouncers and they told me I was trying to pee on the ground???? Wtf? I dunno? I had just left the bathroom.... I understand their job, but bad call bc I had just bought a $9 drink..... Be careful zipping ur jackets.....
(1)Susan C.
Don't understand all the negativity towards this place. A group of us went for happy hour right at 5pm and used a Living Social coupon (yeah...worst case scenario). The bartender was very accommodating and polite, the hh noshes good portions and cheap ($4). Hot wings, sliders, ribs, salad, and even a good clam chowder. We wondered how the place (which was dead at 5-7 pm) could make any money. I can understand maybe vibe changes later in the night (some chick from American Idol was going to perform that night.) But my friends and I will definitely go back for HH, even without coupon.
(4)Alaina W.
If I were to decorate the interior of a bar, it may look something like Amber. I love natural elements mixed with strategic lighting. I guess you could call it "grown & sexy." This last time I went was on a Tuesday night. The vibe for having a drink with my boyfriend's out-of-town cousin was excellent. Not crowded, not too loud, and good music (Robin Thicke, Maxwell, Steel Pulse, to name a few artists played) made for the ability to have a conversation without yelling into each other's ears. There's a great selection of drinks for those of us who need suggestions. I went with the Nectar & the Strawberry Martini. Both were good, but I'd definitely get the Nectar again because it tasted like, well, fruit nectar. The tap thing for beer on the back of the bar was iced. Yes. It had a layer of ice around it. I'm told that it does it on its own and it can defrost instantaneously, if need be. I think that is pretty cool. I also think that it may show how much I really pay attention at bars... The only drawback that I had was the slow service we received at the back of the bar. I'd totally give some leeway if it were slammed, but there were at least two bartenders there that could have at least greeted us. It was a couple minutes before we were even acknowledged. I had to start looking at the menu on the counter that looked like someone was reading it to remember what to put in a drink that someone ordered. There were two females that came in and got service right away. (And no, it wasn't because they were two hot girls. They weren't.) I'll be back on a future Belltown bar crawl. =]
(3)Arthur K.
Everytime I go here, I am not a fan of the clientele. The women are attractive but incredibly stuck up & pretentious. Even the ugly girls are snobby. The guys tend to be pretty douchey and try to act cooler and richer than they really are. The upstairs is probably the only area that is comfortable, but tends to get pretty crowded up there too. Also, expect some pretty high drink prices that could use more alcohol. They're not weak but definitely not a generous pour at all. If my friends didn't have their birthdays here, I'd probably never go back.
(2)Jennifer F.
This place has actually improved their service as of late so I'm giving 4 stars when I would have given it 3 before.. The waitresses used to be snobby and inattentive. Even when they were attentive you could sense that they didn't want to be there and thought they were "all that".. so kudos for switching up the staff. The food is not stellar, just okay so that means you need to have great service to keep people coming back.
(4)Sandie L.
So what I really like about this place is its spaciousness, outdoor seating, happy hour everyday until 7pm! My friend and I arrived here one Saturday early evening for happy hour. We easily found a table near the window and enjoyed a wide selection of drinks and eats. $4 happy hour menu eats we tried the wild mushroom pizza on flatbread and selection of savory hummas treats... not too bad. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere BEFORE the night kicks in and it turns into a club atmosphere. The music during happy hour times doesn't blow you away and you can actually enjoy talking with your group opposed to some of the other bars nearby... i will return for another happy happy hour!
(4)Norma C.
Thank you Jess for suggesting Ambers. Had a very nice time. Food was good and Katie was great. She makes a killer drink.
(4)Julia S.
5 stars for people watching. 4 stars for the extensive drink menu and the variety of fresh-fruit mojitos 3 stars for good decor but overcrowding (guys--not hats, period. No matter how cold it is outside. They won't let you even bring it in in your pocket) 2 stars for being Douchebag Central (though 5 stars if you like watching them mate in the wild).
(3)Micah A.
If you could get through all the mobs, and kick out all the snobs, You would already have me walk up to the bar. Yet you only draw all the tricks, Only d'bags like this. And you can bet that I don't, You think you're cooler than me. You got rich kids in shades, Just to hide their face and They wear them around like They're cooler than me. And they never say hey, Or remember my name. It's probably cuz, They think they're cooler than me. You got your hot crowd, Heeled shoes on their feet, And they wear them around, Like they ain't sh*t. But they don't know, The way that they look, When their steps make that much noise. See I got you, All figured out, You need everyone's eyes just to feel seen. Amber, you're so vain, You probably think that this song is about you. Don't you? Don't you? If you could get through all the mobs, and kick out all the snobs, You would already have me walk up to the bar. Yet you only draw all the tricks, Only d'bags like this. And you can bet that I don't, You think you're cooler than me.
(2)Janis L.
I love the drinks, I love the atmosphere and the staff are really nice. I threw a bachelorette party up in the VIP area and it was perfect! It's definitely my favorite place to go in Belltown. My only complaint is that it gets shoulder-to-shoulder packed and REALLY loud every Friday and Saturday night. But, hey, that's the night life, right?
(4)Antonio A.
WOW. Amber, you're so classy. As classy as a $2 ho. I just got this Yelp message from someone who most likely works at Amber (just look at the way they worded it). "For your review of: Amber Just a reminder, if you wanna wear a hat go down to any pioneer square pub. Rules are made so idiots don't get outta hand and annoy other patrons. Yankees obviously are way more important then you sorry no hat ass. Your party was upstairs so you got no business downstairs unless you are a superstar and we don't know it. You and your baseball cap wearing lousy friends were lucky to be in a classy restaurant otherwise security woulda whooped all your llame asses... Just sayin..." Their obvious insecurity and immaturity is funny (pathetic) to me. As a person who frequently travels, shoots photos of, and reviews the best bars and lounges in many major metropolitan cities... it's pitifully apparent that Amber is trying WAY TOO HARD to give a semblance of an upscale appearance, but still doesn't make the grade. Amber is one of those pretentious-for-no-reason places that want you to come all dressed up with fancy shoes (let's not forget, NO HATS), but only delivers pricy drinks, blah atmosphere, and SUBPAR SERVICE. Don't get me wrong. The venue itself looks "aight," but the blatant try-hard douchebaggery of the staff (on site AND online apparently) has me convinced that I should never return. I'll make sure to tell everyone I know too. Think ONE person's voice doesn't matter? Maybe so, but now the 8000 people that follow us on Facebook, 1500 on Tumblr, and 3000 on Twitter (not to mention Yelp) ... all know that Amber sucks. Think PEOPLE and GOOD SERVICE don't matter to your business? Think again, Amber. You don't scare me. Read all the other bad reviews on Amber. All those unpaid Yelpers can't be wrong.
(1)Paul L.
Music: 3 Setting: 4 People: 4 Drinks/Prices: 2 You don't need a permit to hunt here... just a huge ego and lots of money. This has the reputation to be THE pickup bar in Seattle, were the made-up affluent crowd to find their significant (or at least similarly good looking) other to run the town with. This reputation is well deserved, and if you're into that scene, this is the place to go. The place is actually pretty nice looking with a patio and everything. The bar is in the middle allowing 360 degree access to buy drinks. They pump the music way loud so you're mostly relegated to looking at the pretty animals or ponying up a $20 for some cocktail.
(4)Karen L.
A great place to hang out with your friends and have some drinks. We came in early, so we were able to grab a table outside and chill there for a while. The interior of Amber is pretty swanky, though we were disappointed that the second level was blocked off for some reason. They played good music, and the drinks are good, too. I didn't want anything too strong, so I had a midori sour and it tasted like candy! Yum. This place seems pretty popular, because suddenly, a line formed around 11 pm, and everyone looked pretty dressed up (which was funny, because my friends and I were dressed super casual vs. the girls who were wearing skimpy dresses--don't get me wrong, I personally like skimpy dresses, ha). My friends and I enjoyed ourselves, and I can honestly say that we will be returning when we find ourselves in Belltown.
(4)Michelle R.
My fiance and a couple of our friends came here for an early start to happy hour on a Friday. Things were pretty quiet (but then again it was 3:00), so we were able to easily take our pick of places at the bar. The bartender was friendly and prompt with our drinks. The happy hour menu is small, but does a great job of covering what you'd want to snack on while chatting with friends. We each picked a wood-fired pizza and shared. They were all delicious; the mushroom, onion, and fontina pizza was my favorite. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, even as the place started to fill up. There wasn't anything negative about the clientele inside. In fact, people were actually pretty friendly. The crowd outside (at some neighboring establishments) was another story. Let's just say that I was glad to be walking around with four guys all over 6'2". I'd like to come back on a weekend night to see if the experience is any different.
(4)Melody P.
This is what brought us to Amber - we were lucky and parked right in front of the door :-) I gave the drink I ordered from Amber 4 stars because I didn't get the buzz I needed from the place I went previously. The seating was good. 4 of us sat in the dining area. It was actually quite comfy! Amber is known as a "meat market." As soon as I walked into Amber, I can feel the tension. People standing around the bar and they didn't seem relaxing or enjoyed the Friday night off. Maybe it's not easy to be on a hunt!
(3)Kristen A.
Tuesday is all day/night happy hour. $4 beers and lots of food for $4 too. Heck yes! The last time I was here they had a pumpkin cheesecake and fried banana ice cream on the menu (not happy hour, which is super sad) and they were AMAZING! We also had the $3 Clam Chowder, $4 Ribs, $4 Sliders, and $4 Pizza. Every bite was great and we were stuffed! They don't have cider though which is a huge bummer! Friday and Saturday nights the place turns into a bit of a yuppy fest and their cocktails start at $10, which is a turn off for me, but Tuesday totally redeems them!
(4)Melissa B.
Good setting for quite cocktails. Not a good dancing venue - the floor is too small
(3)Clara T.
I think Amber needs to get its act together. I went with a friend and we sat in the bar area. It took about 15 minutes before the bartender even addressed us, and when he did; he gave us this diva attitude. Ok, I swear I am not a difficult customer, but I know how I want my food! I asked for the Kobe Beef Slider burgers, well done; i like my meat cooked! He looked at me like he was so annoyed, and then told me that its probably going to burn because I asked for them well done, so I said I still wanted them that way. Well they burned. Then while my friend got his food, I had to wait about 20 minutes before I got mine. It was very delicious mind you, but I just felt really uncomfortable, I don't like forced to order my food a certain way, hell, even Burger King lets me order it my way! The vibe is very Seattle chic, which I really liked. Very modern, and ultra sexy. While the environment was nice, I will never come back to Amber.
(2)Ninette C.
I'm actually not sure why we keep coming back here. Its another one of those places that in theory should be great fun,but always ends up just ok. I like the pitchers of margaritas and mojitos and I like their way under-rated happy hour, but Friday and Saturday nights here are just ok. Its fun for people watching but bring your friends because I don't find the people here very social (gotta love that Seattle chill!). Also so many sections are reserved for private parties these days, I find the place a little cramped!
(3)Stephanie M.
My review is strictly for Amber's happy hour. They have $3 food specials (although nothing looked that great to me) and no drink specials. My martini was still $11. I've heard the nightlife here is fun and so I'm down to try it, but I don't know if I'd recommend Happy Hour. What's happy hour when there's no drink special?
(3)Danny K.
This place is a tapas style food joint/bar. The food was decent however the service was lacking. We waited for 15 minutes after being sat down before being waited on. The place was not packed. Once we ordered the food came out fairly quickly . The portions were decently sized and generally good.
(3)Gavin N.
The environment at Amber is actually pretty nice. I think it's definitely one of the more vegas-like bars in Seattle. However, given the look they were going for it attracts types of party goers I really hate, and the drink prices also end up being pricier than it's neighboring more dive bar establishments. I understand a bar can't help who shows up, well to an extent. So I'll give this place 3 stars. it was a cool concept, too bad it became a sausage fest full of douche bags with extremely overpriced cocktails. ~G
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