Recently, The Knockturnal had the pleasure of dining at brand-new West Village hotspot Ambra Cucina Italiana.
Celebrities and notables such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone, Quinta Brunson, Cynthia Nixon, Casey Affleck, Janet Jackson, Sarah Hyland, Aaron Paul, Ryan Tedder, Laverne Cox, Nico Tortarella, Christian Siriano, Michael Costello, Lele Sadoughi, DJ Cassidy, Gary Vaynerchuk, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Reach, Mario Cantone, Mario Lopez, Foodgod, Janet Montgomery, Lorenzo Antonucci and more, have already flocked to the welcoming West Village Italian eatery that is Ambra.
Tables had intimate lighting, and Renaissance-style artwork adorned the walls.
We started our meal with the house-made focaccia accompanied by three dipping sauces: whipped ricotta, caponata, and garbanzo puree. The bread and sauces were delicious and made for a tasty start to our meal. We also got to have three head on a shrimp scampi, which is seasoned with butter, white wine, garlic, and chili. The shrimp was big and juicy.
For our main course, we tried lobster fra diovolo and rigatoni alla norma. The lobster dish had tonnarelli pasta, chili, tomato, garlic, olive oil, herbs, and breadcrumbs. I enjoyed the bits of lobster scattered in the pasta and the mildly spicy sauce. The tonnarelli pasta was made in-house.
The rigatoni was made with gragnano imported pasta and sauteed in tomato, eggplant, and ricotta salata. As an eggplant aficionado, we loved the interpretation of this famous dish.
For dessert we had cheesecake and a chocolate mousse, both made in-house and so delicious. As a mocktail, we sampled the NI Il Padrino, which was made of red bell pepper juice, maple, lime, ginger beer, and club soda. From the extensive wine list we tried a glass of the Villa Caffagio Chianti Classico Single Estate from Tuscany. Another cocktail highlight menu is King of the High Seas, which is made of tonka-infused rum, luxardo maraschino, lemon juice, Jamaican bitters, and ginger root. World-renowned mixologist Keith Larry consulted on the mixology menu of Ambra, creating a highly anticipated cocktail program and wine list for the eatery.
Located in the West Village at Hudson and 11th, Ambra is the brainchild of notable chef John DeLucie (The Waverly Inn, Lion, Lumaca) and seasoned New York restaurateur Andrea Ienna (Capizzi)
Chef DeLucie shared, “The menu is an opportunity for me to cook my absolute favorite foods, aiming to excite our patrons, offering homemade pastas, and share them with our community in New York, which as a chef, is a privilege.”
Dining and cocktails service is available 6 days a week, Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm to midnight. Brunch soon will be introduced for weekends as well.
The service was very attentive, and we enjoyed our meal.
Additionally, to show their loyalty to their neighborhood community, any Greenwich Village local residing within the 10014 zip code, with ID Proof, will receive a standing 10% discount off their meal check.
Ambra is located at 569 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10014.
Follow for social media updates at @AmbraNYC.
Website: www.AmbraNYC.com
