Ambeli Greek Taverna

I wasn’t too impressed with food quality - it was alright but nothing to blow your mind off. I want disappointed per se but I wasn’t too happy about this experience. The service is great, attentive and quick. The fried on grilled chicken were quite soggy but the chicken was well-made.

Why have I just finally gotten here!?!? The reviews aren’t wrong. I wish I’d been here years ago. Went with a group of work friends, one of who is authentically Greek, so she took the lead and ordered an assortment of appetizers and entrées for us to all share. The service was warm and friendly. The owner is truly a delight: Warm, gracious and kind. Truly made us feel he was grateful to have us there. The food was fresh, full of Greek flavors and extremely well portioned. The pita & hummus is delish! The ambience is calm yet vibrant. …and BYOB! I am looking forward to going back with my family and enjoying more of the wonderful dishes Ambeli has to offer. Thank you for a wonderful meal & lovely evening. Dishes we shared: loukaniko Spread trio: tzatziki, spicy feta, skordalia Ambeli chips Pastitsio (pictured) moussaka Biftekia Baklava, Galaktoboureko & Yiaourti Me Meli

The food portions are generous and absolutely delicious. The owner is very friendly and genuinely cares about his customers. The waiters can be a little distracted at times, but they are not rude. I love the atmosphere — it’s very calming and perfect for having conversations with friends. With a little improvement in service, this place could easily become a 5-star restaurant.

We walked in without a reservation on Saturday night and the staff was able to squeeze us in. The service was great and the food was excellent. They start you off with warm pita and dip which is delicious. From appetizer to dessert, everything was fresh and flavorful. Will be returning soon!

A Taste of Greece, A Feast for the Soul! If you’re tired of overpriced, overhyped spots where the vibe is faker than the “extra virgin” olive oil they drizzle—STOP RIGHT NOW and run (don’t walk!) to this Greek gem that’s rewriting the rules on what dining out should be. From the moment you walk in, you’re not just greeted—you’re welcomed like family. The staff? Unbelievably warm, wildly attentive, and genuinely joyful. They don’t just serve food, they serve hospitality in its purest form. No fake smiles. No pretentious scripts. Just real people who love what they do, and it shows in every plate and every smile. Located in the perfect spot—convenient, vibrant, and just far enough from the tourist traps to feel like a local’s secret—the environment hits all the right notes: authentic, relaxed, inviting, and alive with the sights, smells, and sounds of a real Greek kitchen. It’s the kind of place you can laugh loud, eat more than you planned, and stay longer than you should—and no one’s rushing you out. Now, let’s talk FOOD. Holy Hera. This isn’t food. This is a culinary odyssey. Every bite is bold, fresh, and deeply satisfying. The quality? Impeccable. The quantity? Let’s just say: bring your appetite, or better yet, a second stomach. You want crisp, golden spanakopita? You got it. Tender, juicy souvlaki? Check. Creamy, garlicky tzatziki that dreams are made of? It’s here—and it’s glorious. And don’t even get me started on the moussaka—it’s the Zeus of comfort food. And the best part? There’s zero pretension. No trendy plating that sacrifices flavor for flair. No mysterious foam or microgreens. Just honest, out-of-this-world Greek food made with love and delivered with pride. If you’re looking for a place where the food is unforgettable, the people are incredible, and the experience is 100% real—this is YOUR Greek restaurant. A five-star experience without the five-star ego. OPA! 🥳🇬🇷

I would love to give it a 4.5 if it was possible. We loved the spreads and cheese assortment. It was amazing. The mixed meat platter was great. The only thing was the souvlaki was a bit over cooked, it was very dry. The rest of it was excellent. The mixed grilled seafood was cooked perfectly, I wish there was a bit more squid, but there was a abundance of shrimp and octopus. We also liked the large amount of choices on the menu.

Great service and great food. Ordered the gyro platter and was not disappointed! Even the coffee was good. Will definitely make a return trip. The place is handicap accessible.

Ambeli is everything a good restaurant is supposed to be! Delicious food, attentive (but not overly attentive) service and owners who spend time making sure every costumer is cared for. Went here with our son who had taken his gramma and sister here two separate times. His dad and I were so excited to try it after all the rave family reviews! We ordered the grilled octopus salad, shrimp/Garides Saganaki, moussakas and salads. Every dish was so good! We had a fabulous time and a delicious dessert to end our anniversary celebration out to dinner with family. Thank you Peter and Dino! We will definitely be back whenever we're in the area visiting our son!

Loved Ambeliii!!! Traditional Greek food and was very impressed with how well it was made and served! Staff go beyond to make sure customers are satisfied and pleased!! Sitting outside on weather allowing days are extra special and so happy they had that option! Reminded me of our Motherland, Greece! Nice location and easy parking to find. Definitely recommend and a must try!!

Loved it here! The owner was great! He greated us when we got there and checked on us all night. He even brought over people he knew and introduced us because we are from the same country. He seemed like a great guy who enjoys people and happy that you are trying his place. The food was great. We shared the Souvlakia chicken platter and the gyro platter. They were so good! Good portion of food- you won't leave hungry. The chicken was perfect, moist. The gyro meat was so good. We took a baklava dessert to go but it didn't taste good. Probably wasn't fresh. I wish we had eaten it there. I'm sure they would've fixed it and given us something else. It happens. So I recommend eating it there. But I would try the dessert again. I'm sure it's great when it's fresh. I will definitely be back. Loved eating outdoors. It was a nice night. It was busy but we were seated right away. Great location and nice area. Surrounded by other great restaurants. Can't wait to come back.

The Greek food here was absolutely delicious and authentic. Very flavorful and large portion sizes. From the moment you enter into the restaurant you greeted by the owner and his hospitality is amazing. You feel like you're arriving in his home dining room. Every bite was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. We enjoyed the dining experience as well as the meal.

Sadly our local go to Greek restaurant let us down on a recent visit and we had been craving Greek food. On a random visit to Cranford, we stopped into Ambeli for lunch. Man, I wish this place was closer to us because it may have taken the reigns as my favorite Greek restaurant. The restaurant is small and simple. The serve is attentive. The food is fresh and you get plenty of it. That's all I need and they deliver on all fronts. Looking forward to paying them a future visit.

I tried out this place and it was a pleasure for the senses. Tasteful food , good service and nice atmosphere. Highly recommended

This is my second trip to Ambeli. It's so good. Shoutout to my friend Wil for the recommendation. It's BYOB, which is nice. The food, service, and atmosphere are top-notch. The attention to detail is noticeable. I would highly recommend it.

Delicious authentic Greek food in a casual eatery in busy downtown Cranford. It's worth the detour even if this isn't right in your backyard. Great service and attentive owner. The moussaka was clearly homemade and fresh and cooked in an individual crock, not sliced from a premade square pan. There's a liquor store a few steps away so you can BYO. I'd like to go back and try some other authentic Greek food like the pastitsio and branzino.

I have nothing negative to say about this restaurant. Great dining room. The manager broke my balls over the Rangers hoodie I was wearing. We got a three dips and pita and a combo souvlaki platter. They gave us extra pita at no charge. Everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. It's so close to us so we will definitely be back! 5.0 / 5.0

One of the most personable greetings I've had entering a restaurant in a long time - the gentleman at the door (likely the owner?) immediately made us feel welcome with a warm handshake, eye contact, and a smile and sat us for an early dinner. Many of the customers showing up to dine in or take out were clearly regulars and shook hands or exchanged hugs with this man. He genuinely seems happy to greet you and checked in on us throughout the meal. I put this in the review first because it was memorable and made a strong first impression for quality customer service. All the other staff were also friendly and attentive as well. After being seated they dropped a basket of good olive bread with delicious hummus. All the food was fresh and flavorful. I loved their version of avgolemono soup - so simple, comforting and lemony. The salad and gyro platter were tasty with very generous portions, tzatsiki was *so good*. I wish I had ventured into more of the apps and dips, but we were traveling and wanted to be quick so we played it safe. The space itself is welcoming with a nice traditional Greek ambiance that feels cozy, clean, and unpretentious. Acoustically it was very easy to have a conversation even when the room was full. If I lived closer I would make this place part of my regular restaurant rotation!

5 stars isn't enough for this place. Everything was so flavorful. The dolmades were the all time best I've ever had. I got the appetizer Octapodi for my meal which was cooked so well. We also got saganaki and big Lima beans that I can't recall the name of. So much good food I love it here. The owner even came to talk to us. He had us laughing even after he left our table. BYOB too. Highly highly recommend

Ambiance and energy very good but service strained our experience. Constantly flagging down anyone for water. Tzatziki spilled on the table during appetizers. I asked the waitress if she could wipe it up: "No, I can't ". My friend made a surprised sound. Waitress added "I can bring you napkins." Kind of affects your feeling of hospitality.

Not sure what took me so long to come here after hearing only great things for so long. From the minute you walk in, you're made to feel like family. Authentic Greek food with so many options to choose from. Some highlights were the dip trio, ambeli chips, souvlaki platter and desserts. A great spot for dinner with family, friends or date night!

Just came from dinner on a Saturday. When we arrived at ~5pm it was moderately busy and by the time we left at 7:15pm almost all tables were occupied. Service: excellent. courteous, kind and timely. It was nice to see the owner/manager come out to greet the patrons. Food: -complementary olive bread: delicious, and this from someone who is okay with but doesn't love olives. -tsaziki: tasty. thick and rich. recommend. -keftedakia: delicious, less oily than other greek restaurants and well flavored. -kreato-pikilia: grilled mixed meat appetizer platter. we ordered it as our main. good portion, well seasoned, everything was good - thalasso-pikilia: grilled octopus, calamari and shrimp appetizer platter. we also ordered this as a main. again good portion and good flavors. Of note, they are BYOB and there is a liquor store a couple doors down. We did not have a single complaint about this restaurant. We very much look forward to returning. Highly recommend.

Very good Greek food in a small charming restaurant. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food is very good. I had the olive appetizer and a skewer of chicken. The appetizers are very large, definitely meant for sharing and not individual. The olive mix was a little salty for me (more salty than olives normally are), but the chicken was good quality and cooked well. I would like to go back and try more dishes here.

Girl's Night Out! I absolutely enjoyed every bite. Chris the owner is very welcoming and friendly. It's BYOB which is always a plus. The first thing that was brought out was olive bread and hummus. We ordered the grilled octopus and grilled vegetables with a side of Tzaziki as appetizers. The octopus was fresh and delicious. The grilled vegetables: zucchini, eggplant, onion, and carrots were grilled perfectly. For dinner I ordered the branzino with a side of Greek fries. The fish was flaky, seasoned well and a good size. We shared baklava for dessert. My friend ordered the chicken kabob platter. It came with fries, pita bread, lettuce and tomatoes. Will definitely come back. The restaurant is not too far from a lot. Street parking is also available.

I've been back several times since my original review and until now did not realize that I should update it. It is definitely a five star experience all around. The food is extremely tasty, the portions are very large, the staff is terrific, and Christos is probably the friendliest and hardest working owner of a restaurant that I have experienced. He greets everyone like they are lifelong friends. That is an amazing touch.

Amazing food, service and atmosphere! We get the octopus salad every time and always enjoy it. The manager is always so grateful and welcoming as well. 5 stars!

Love this place My favorite Greek restaurant Owner is so friendly and welcoming I can say the bronzini is the best one that I have had here Definitely recommend

Met friends here on a Monday night and was happy to see the restaurant was busy on what is considered an off night for restaurants. The staff and owner were very welcoming and friendly. Bread on the table was served with hummus in what I originally thought was a butter cup. The salads are plentiful, delicious and easily shared. The dorado was perfectly cooked, they offered to debone but I enjoy eating from the whole fish, our friend had hers deboned. The fish normally comes Greek lemon potatoes but we offered choices, spinach, or rice with spinach. While finishing our dessert we were joined by the owner for some pleasant conversation

I've been going to Ambelis since they've opened and they truly never disappoint. The food and music take you straight to Greece although you're in the heart of cranford. We recently went on a Saturday around 7:00 and were seated outdoors quickly. It's BYOB and there's a liquor store close by. The food came quickly when ordered, and all was hot and delicious. The spanakopita were my favorite and the filling was perfectly seasoned. I had my staple - the gyro platter- which always gives me enough food for a few meals. For the app and two gyro platters, the bill came to a little over $50 so reasonably priced!

Get this food. All is delicious. Only ordered in. This is high end stuff. We have ordered many times.

Ambeli is a wonderful Greek restaurant serving some incredible eats. Haven't tried everything yet but the souvlaki and gyro were delicious. Plentiful, reasonably priced.

Always terrific food, terrific waitstaff, terrific ambiance- fun, friendly, relaxed but elite! The owner is simply the best!

Really great food. Server was very attentive and kind. We ordered a lot of stuff. The ambiance feels like a family style place. Highly recommend.

Super nice BYOB place with amazingly friendly service. The Feta Saganaki - Batter coated feta pan seared in olive oil, drizzled with honey was great. The Spanakopita - A mouthwatering layered pastry of fresh spinach & feta cheese filling was a little different than I would normally expect, but it was actually one of the better renditions as it was surprisingly light and had a great taste to it. The Marouli Salata - Romaine lettuce, dill, scallions, feta cheese, olive oil, and lemon wasn't my favorite, but that was probably because of the dill. For my main course, the Paidakia - Charcoal-grilled baby loin lamb chops, served with hand-cut fried potatoes and spinach was amazing. The chops were cooked to perfection and having it over fries was unusual, but the hand cut fries were great! Other people at the table had the Hirini Brizola - Charcoal-grilled tender pork loin chop, served with roasted lemon potatoes and the Moussaka - Layers of eggplant, potatoes, & seasoned ground beef, topped with bechamel, oven baked to order. All of which they were happy with. For dessert, which I do not normally have, the Baklava (my weakness) - Layers of rich sweet phyllo pastry filled with chopped walnuts and honey was wonderful. Yeah, it says it on the menu (the online one anyway) but it's true--it is the perfect ending to your Greek dinner!

Amazing food and exceptional service. Greeted by owner who was very warm and friendly

Well this easily the best Greek spot I've been too not that I've been to dozens but the pull I went with (girlfriend and brother both agree. My first time I got the dorado fish which I liked but girlfriend loved and I was more intrigued by her dish the Pastitsio. My brother had the the chicken breast lemonati which was also really good. The owner came down from his office personally to introduce himself and even sat down with use towards the end of the evening as it was whinning down. He makes you feel at home very rare and the portions are generous next time my girl and me came we embraced as if we known each other for years. Ps The baklava Greek yogurt are the best any of us have ever had can have both daily if possible. Just writing about them makes me want to check them out today can't stress the hospitality and service the restaurant brings as a collective with Chris at the helm ambiance

Great food, especially the octopus and the gyro platter. Simple, yet warm atmosphere. Great outdoor seating in good weather. Very good, quick and friendly staff.

This places makes me feel like I'm in Greece. The staff and owner Are awesome. It's byob so that's a place and everything

I have eaten at a lot of Greek restaurants in my life, but this place definitely takes the cake! They give you fresh olive bread straight from the bakery in town is so soft and amazing in pairs so well with the hummus. We ordered a few appetizers to split and honestly it tasted just like food from Greece. We had grape leaves, fried feta drizzled with honey and sesame seeds, Yum the combination of salty and sweet was incredible. We also had the ambeli salad which was simple but yet packed with flavor. For my entrée I had a sizzling platter of shrimp melted with Greek cheeses, if you are in the Cranford area definitely stop by!

The week prior, we tried to get reservations and all booked. Made a reservation for 3 in advance! Our first visit and we were seated by the front door. It would get chilly when the door open! Friendly staff! Food was yummy! It's BYOB! Our wine was served and chilled! Served the salad with entree- I prefer to enjoy my salad before entree. Lots and lots of take out orders being picked up! And every table was filled with guests! Looking forward to the next visit!

Went with wife Friday after Thanksgiving, Had the lemon chicken soup out of this world. So we both chose two apps each. I choose octopus which is always so delicious and meatballs She picked shrimp that the sauce had a nice kick and also delicious And she picked a pastry with Regatta and yogurt and Greek cheese with honey drizzled over, so I may of mistakely added or miss what was inside but it was SO great. One bite each we saved it for last. Only downside the meatballs were so dry inside and over. Cooked? So I'm thinking maybe a Greek Meatball But no. The sauce on the side could of use Much more to help the meatballs So we use the deliciousness of the shrimp sauce. So love the food there the service is great. It was busy which is great to see. Meatballs huge disappointment

One of the best restaurants we've ever been to! Excellent food and great service. 10/10 would recommend!

My wife and I visited for the first time on a quiet Sunday evening. Many of our friends had been here and loved it as had many people on Social Media websites. I have to ask...Seriously? We were so disappointed. It hurts to chop down a local restaurant but my disappointing review will not hurt their business. There is no atmosphere. They start you off with a complimentary basket of fresh pita and humus. Pita was fresh but the humus was average. My wife and I ordered the Ambelli chips. Portion size was very generous but they were bland and tasteless. We had to add salt and pepper to get them up to speed. Disappointed. Our main entrees consisted of the Souvlaki platter with chicken and the Brizola Mosharisia (steak). My wife stated the grilled chicken was bland but the tzatziki saved it. My steak was bland. A few diced tomatoes on top but extremely disappointing. Portion was generous. Both orders of French fries appeared to have been cooked a while ago and were greasy. We took an order of the baklava home with us. It was excellent. Very tasty. Overall the service was ok, and the prices were very reasonable. There are parking lots within walking distance and some street parking. Maybe we hit it on a bad night?

This place has become one of our favorites! The owner is the NICEST guy ever and always makes sure everything is ok. The food is legit Fresh and delicious, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Love ambeli!!!!

All around an amazing dining experience! The owner is so hospitable and truly cares about his guests , the staff is very attentive and the whole restaurant makes you feel at home. It was truly the best Greek food I have ever had. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves great food, company & atmosphere.

This is my go to Greek spot if I want some really good food. The owner is really nice. So all together we been here 3 times. Between the first and second time we visited it the owner remembered us. It was a few years between visits but somehow he remembered us. It makes you feel special when you go there. The food is always good and service is always go. We went this past Saturday the 17th and we decided to eat outside being that it was nice enough. I had the "Pastitsio." It's a layered Greek macaroni that seasoned with ground beef and topped with bechamel sauce

Everything is great including the owner who is exceptionally hospitable. I highly recommend this byob Greek cuisine restaurant.

We did last minute reservation and they took us in. Service was great/excellent! Pareesa was lovely,full of energy and very efficient. Nice ambience and music playing in the background was just right. Everything we ordered, as recommended were delicious - the appetizers Octapodi, pita bread with Greek spreads, Ambeli chips, Moussaka, Thalassino Giouvetsi, pork skewers We were celebrating 2 birthdays and were given desserts by Thanasis, who put a candle in the dessert and joined in singing the "Happy Birthday" song. Had a great after work celebration hosted by our friends Thank you very much for the excellent service, very much appreciated

Delicious food prepared and presented well. Service is excellent, courteous and attentive. Ambience is superb. With indoor and outdoor seating availability. We ordered Kria Pikilia, Laxanika Sharas, Moussaka, Tsipoura (Doral Fish) Souvlaki ( Chicken) platter and a few sides and every single item was superbly prepared. Enjoyed it thoroughly and will come again and recommend.

This soup was $9 dollars. Not even a cup worth and it tastes horrible. I was just in Staten Island at Greek Express and got a avolemeno soup for half that price and got more soup and it tasted like my Yia Yias soup traditional avolemeno soup. This soup tastes horrible and they have the nerve to charge 9 dollars on Uber for this small tiny terrible example of avolemeno soup. They need to revamp their prices and find a good cook that knows how to make the real deal. I will never order from here again. And the Greek salad that's 20 dollars is not that big for the money and looks bland. I'm really disappointed and dissatisfied and they should be ashamed to call themselves a Greek restaurant and this is coming from someone that is Greek that knows good Greek food, that's from Greece. I clearly know traditional Greek food and this is not it. You should go to Greek express and try their food at half the cost with actual authentic flavor. They should be ashamed at themselves between the prices and the bad quality it's absurd. You spend all this money to get crap.

Outstanding food, warm attentive service in traditional Greek restaurant. Reasonable prices and generous portions. Our first time here and we'll certainly be back!

Came on a weeknight with a reservation. This is a BYOB restaurant so bring your best. The service was friendly and timely. There was plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. 1. Octopus - Tender, flavorful. Well cooked. 2. Branzino - Simple taste to it with good flavors. Had to add lemon to this! 3. Fries with feta - Could pass on this, soggy and not the best. 4. Dessert - Make sure you share with 2 or 3 people. These are huge desserts!

Ambeli Greek is an authentic greek tavern located at the heart of Cranford! It has a beautiful patio and indoor dining (now at full capacity). One thing that makes ambeli stand out from all other restaurants is the hospitality of the staff and the owners. They will visit each patron multiple times to ensure that everyone gets the best food and experience! We dined at ambeli on a Thursday evening and it was packed. Will highly recommend making an appointment. It has plenty of parking spots near by. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. The ambeli chips, are a must have! These spinach and zucchini chips are crisp and juicy! Next was the spinach and feta filled spanakopitas, crisp and flaky. There was a lot of spinach and little feta, still a winner. The fried calamari is as fresh as it could be, it was golden brown and melted in mouth. Our kids enjoy the chicken souvlaki and greek fries! Lastly, we would highly recommend the pita and dip platter, we enjoyed all the 6 dips. Over to the desserts, and the baklava was absolutely epic, i could eat 2-3 of baklavas and still want more. It was filled with pistachios and the honey made it so lush. We also enjoyed the creamy custard based greek dessert called galaktobureko! Ambeli is a BYOB a must visit in our books for the food and the warmness that will be showered on you by the staff and the owners!

Delicious Greek restaurant in Cranford. The Feta Saganaki is my favorite app EVER! All of the food is always fresh and delicious. The pork chop and salmon dishes are two of my favorites. A must try if you are in the union county area!

The food was ok. Got the gyro platter but it was kinda dry and room temperature. It might have been an off service but not sure I'll go back for another try.

All the stars are not enough! Mr. Christos is a superb host. The food is authentic Greek food served in an exquisite fashion. Spanakopita is as good as "Yiayia's" (grandma's) recipe, Feta Saganaki is simply a must try when you go. Better go very hungry, so good and so much variety to choose from!

Another amazing meal here at Ambeli! We have not been for a bit due to distance we live but never disappoints! From our appetizers the BEST grilled octopus ever, to our Greek salads- yum!! To grilled eggplant and lemon chicken- decadent each and every dish! We so appreciate the owner Christo- and our server Chris for amazing customer service! Highly recommend as best Greek restaurant we know. Looking forward to returning soon!

Great service from the owner and staff. Makes you feel like at home and family. Food is tasty and fresh. Made my mother's bday extra special!!