Amber India Restauarant - Santana Row (San Jose)

Located in San Jose’s swanky Santana Row area, this upscale restaurant called Amber India serves traditional and contemporary Indian cuisine prepared by award winning chefs. Swathed in eclectic artwork with a refined but definite Southeast Asian bent, Amber India Restaurant is a chic dining venue, and its exotic cocktail menu gets extra points for creativity and flair while pairing perfectly with the cuisine. It represents an inviting atmosphere of modern elegance, comfort and sophistication, and provides a wonderful reprieve to the avid shoppers and night-life lovers on the street!

As you enter the doors, you are drawn to the modern bold shades of blue and green on the walls, showcasing artworks that seem to convey a message. The top of the ceiling is painted deep dark blue, interspersed with yellow twinkling stars! Now if that's not dreamy, what is!!:) Its colorful yet soothing at the same time. The borders on the walls are marked with Sanskrit shlokas, and their english translations, representing Indian heritage in the western world. The dining area is more archaic, with white walls and colorful paintings. The wooden tables are covered with white linen sheets, accentuating to bring out the color of the food. Soft lighting and large space gives a feeling of warmth, and is ideal for family dinners.

The executive chef Vitthal Shetty, hails from Bangalore India, and has served in the prestigious Oberoi Hotel. He believes in presenting Indian cuisine by adhering to the authentic & traditional recipes but using local and seasonal ingredients, creating classic dishes with contemporary twists. The Cocktail Menu is definitely recommended, and showcases some really wonderful drinks. The Lunch and Dinner menu is a bit upscale, and features quite a few novelties for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. For the first-timers, they also have some interesting samplers so you can get a feel of several dishes together. The Tandoori appetizers and some unique main-course entrees are a highlight of the Menu(link below). The spices in the food are generally mild, so if you are looking for some authentic taste, ask the waiters to make it medium-spicy. The Desserts re a class part, unseen in other restaurants, and they cater to an elite clientele, so this could also be an ideal place to take a close a business deal:)

Overall, this is a wonderful place for dinner when you are in the mood to spend a bit more for a memorable evening. The location, friendly and professional service, and the extra-ordinary management give this place at least a 4-star rating. Be warned though, they also have 2 other branches in Mountain View, California, and the restaurant there is not even half as good as the Santana Row location. They also have a Cafe in Mountain View called Amber Bites, which serves more fast-food varieties, and has some interesting dishes like Chilli-Idli Fry and Achari Paneer Tikka wraps. The paav-bhaji is also commendable. I'd say the Cafe is a good place for a quick tasty meal. Amber Indian Restaurant has been rated among the top 10 Indian resturants in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I think they deserve that, disregarding the Mountain View location. Santana Row offers a lovely experience, and I think you should definitely check it out when you get a chance.



Address:
377 Santana Row
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 248-5400
Amber Indian Restaurant

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