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✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
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Familiar Cuban eats are dished out in this unfussy cafe where the barstools are made from congas.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 950 E Melbourne Ave, Melbourne, FL 32901
Phone: (321) 327-8389
Website: http://www.elambiacubano.com/
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El Ambia Cubano Cuban Restaurant in Melbourne, Florida. 4.5 stars (2066 reviews). Cafe. Hours, menu, photos & directions.
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Reviews
Bibi LeBlanc
What an incredible experience! Even though the restaurant was technically closed for lunch, the owner greeted us in the parking lot, invited us inside, and insisted on cooking for us anyway. That alone says everything about the heart behind this place.
Every inch of the restaurant is filled with history, photos, and stories — and the owner took the time to share his journey with us. We ended up staying for nearly two hours, not just enjoying amazing Cuban food, but also hearing unforgettable stories about his life and how this restaurant came to be.
The food was absolutely delicious, but the hospitality and personal connection made this one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. If you’re looking for authentic Cuban food served with genuine warmth and a story, this is the place.
Highly recommend — and we will definitely be back!
… moreEvery inch of the restaurant is filled with history, photos, and stories — and the owner took the time to share his journey with us. We ended up staying for nearly two hours, not just enjoying amazing Cuban food, but also hearing unforgettable stories about his life and how this restaurant came to be.
The food was absolutely delicious, but the hospitality and personal connection made this one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. If you’re looking for authentic Cuban food served with genuine warmth and a story, this is the place.
Highly recommend — and we will definitely be back!
Lisa B
Best Cuban sandwich! Wonderful service!
We ordered a sampler of the first 4 desserts listed for the table to share. The bread pudding and flan are made in house and were in a three-way tie with the upside down pineapple cake as all time favorites!
… moreWe ordered a sampler of the first 4 desserts listed for the table to share. The bread pudding and flan are made in house and were in a three-way tie with the upside down pineapple cake as all time favorites!
Ecuawoman
We visited El Ambia Cubano Restaurant in downtown Melbourne for the first time today. My husband and I are always on the hunt for authentic Cuban cuisine in the area, and this place definitely caught our eye. It’s got a cute and quaint vibe.
We decided to do takeout this time just to sample their menu. We ordered the grilled chicken breast with white rice, black beans, and sweet plantains, the ropa vieja with the same sides, and I personally tried their traditional roast pork with congri and boiled yuca. The food was tasty! We noticed they have live music in the evenings, which makes the atmosphere even livelier. We’ll definitely be back to dine in and enjoy the full experience. If you’re looking for a place to get some solid Cuban food, give El Ambia a try!
… moreWe decided to do takeout this time just to sample their menu. We ordered the grilled chicken breast with white rice, black beans, and sweet plantains, the ropa vieja with the same sides, and I personally tried their traditional roast pork with congri and boiled yuca. The food was tasty! We noticed they have live music in the evenings, which makes the atmosphere even livelier. We’ll definitely be back to dine in and enjoy the full experience. If you’re looking for a place to get some solid Cuban food, give El Ambia a try!
ie W
Beautiful food and service with live music. 🙂 We went around 5:15 pm on Saturday night and it was pretty crowded but they accommodated our seats when we asked to be moved away from the stage. Everything was served fresh and felt perfectly cooked.
… moreL
I will leave 3 stars, because, even when the food was bad, and our server didn’t manage to bring anything from what we ordered, and they add random things in the bill, maybe thinking that as long as is less than $2 it’s ok for them to charge a “administrative fee “. Basically making me pay for … what? What am i paying for with this money? Anyway, bad food, bad service, stealing from you, but I still give them 3 starts because they stated very clearly their Cuban spirit in the menu and ambience at this place, and I admire that, I was very impressed. While I won’t be coming back and I won’t recommend it to anyone, I won’t discourage anyone that wants to go , unless you are looking for really good food. If you just want something that’s close to be cuban, this place is ok.
… moreYvette B. Reyes
This little treasure is worth the drive for authentic Cuban food and service. We were in town preparing for a Christian retreat with Dare to Love Ministries and in search of great food on a Thursday night. When a friend from the area suggested this restaurant for Cuban food, the Cuban American girls (including me) initially resisted.
What a delight and surprise to be able to enjoy delicious, authentic and traditional Cuban food outside of Miami!! Carlos was our server and he was extremely helpful, patient and attentive. 5 star service and excellent recommendations. The roast pork, fish platter, beans, empanadas, and so much more that we sampled tasted home-made and fresh.
The traditional Cuban/Spanish music playing in the background created an air of nostalgia for us. Alfredo, the owner, has done a beautiful job with this place and I hear he is a musician there on the weekends. We look forward to returning on a weekend to enjoy the music, food and ambiance.
… moreWhat a delight and surprise to be able to enjoy delicious, authentic and traditional Cuban food outside of Miami!! Carlos was our server and he was extremely helpful, patient and attentive. 5 star service and excellent recommendations. The roast pork, fish platter, beans, empanadas, and so much more that we sampled tasted home-made and fresh.
The traditional Cuban/Spanish music playing in the background created an air of nostalgia for us. Alfredo, the owner, has done a beautiful job with this place and I hear he is a musician there on the weekends. We look forward to returning on a weekend to enjoy the music, food and ambiance.
Victor M. Robleto
Good cuban food. My best friend loved it. Every time I visit my kids in Melbourne FL. I go have Dinner with them and the family.
… moreS. F.
We arrived on Monday around 530 on March 24,2025.
We were a party of 5…2 adults 3 children 17,13,11
Outside seating was open and only 2 tables inside had patrons.
We decided to dine outside and take in the nice weather!
Our server greeted us and took our drink order and while he was gone we looked over the big menu.
We ordered and our food was brought out shortly.
The whole snapper was good but to us needed more flavor.
The traditional cuban pork was excellent even better with the onion Mojo sauce.
The Ropa Vieja was excellent to not one person didn’t rave on it.
We ordered a couple Mojitos..not the best I’ve had but not the worst.
We ordered 1 Pinapple upside down cake and no disappointments!
The only thing that caught me off guard was an automatic 20% gratuity added!
Information on the service charge or automatic gratuity should be clearly spelled out on menus and on receipts the business must also explain who is receiving the gratuity or service charge, and how much of it they are getting.
What if the service was below standard or above?
A gratuity should be decided by the patron dining at an establishment.
Overall not a bad experience, but looking forward to other restaurants in the area.
… moreWe were a party of 5…2 adults 3 children 17,13,11
Outside seating was open and only 2 tables inside had patrons.
We decided to dine outside and take in the nice weather!
Our server greeted us and took our drink order and while he was gone we looked over the big menu.
We ordered and our food was brought out shortly.
The whole snapper was good but to us needed more flavor.
The traditional cuban pork was excellent even better with the onion Mojo sauce.
The Ropa Vieja was excellent to not one person didn’t rave on it.
We ordered a couple Mojitos..not the best I’ve had but not the worst.
We ordered 1 Pinapple upside down cake and no disappointments!
The only thing that caught me off guard was an automatic 20% gratuity added!
Information on the service charge or automatic gratuity should be clearly spelled out on menus and on receipts the business must also explain who is receiving the gratuity or service charge, and how much of it they are getting.
What if the service was below standard or above?
A gratuity should be decided by the patron dining at an establishment.
Overall not a bad experience, but looking forward to other restaurants in the area.
Lorenzo
El Ambia is a nice quaint place for a small gathering. The servers are friendly and helpful. The food is quite tasty but the portions are small. It’s a nice setting to hang out with friends or your special person. The only down side is it can be noisy when bikers ride pass.
I’m sorry I didn’t take photos of the food but we very hungry and dug in as soon as it was served.
… moreI’m sorry I didn’t take photos of the food but we very hungry and dug in as soon as it was served.
Heather Hostetler
We’ve visited several times in the past and originally loved the food, service, and atmosphere. Unfortunately, over time our experiences have gotten progressively worse, and this most recent visit was the worst yet.
The food was noticeably more bland and dry compared to earlier visits. The service was also very poor. Our waiter rarely checked on us unless we flagged someone down.
The biggest issue, however, was the music volume. It was so loud that our group of six (4 adults, 2 kids) could not hold a conversation. I couldn’t even place my order without pointing at the menu. By the time we left, my head was pounding. For such a small space, the sound level felt excessive and took away from the dining experience significantly. It felt more like a live music venue than a family restaurant.
It also seemed like many guests were primarily there for the live music rather than dining, and some appeared very familiar with the staff, which further added to the “entertainment/club” vibe rather than a relaxed dinner atmosphere. Our table was on the small patio, which had a sound system that felt unnecessary and inconsiderate given the size of the space.
Additionally, diners should check their bill carefully for added fees and gratuity, as our waiter didn’t mention them.
Update after reading the restaurant’s response:
I was disappointed to see the response focused more on defending the restaurant than addressing the concerns raised. The food quality has clearly declined over time, and several people in our group mentioned it afterward, but during dinner we couldn’t discuss it because the music was too loud to communicate. I also noticed multiple guests adding extra lime, hot sauce, and salt/pepper to their dishes, which reinforced that the flavor was lacking.
Additionally, the response stated the volume concern was not communicated. I did attempt to mention it, but the music was so loud that conversation, even with staff, was difficult.
I genuinely want local small businesses to succeed, and feedback like this is meant to help improve, not to attack. But dismissing customers instead of taking concerns seriously is exactly what makes people stop returning. Unfortunately, this experience and the response only reinforced my decision not to come back.
Finally, I noticed several recent reviews praising the food at lunchtime. It’s possible the experience differs depending on the time of day. My previous visits have been a combination of lunch and early dinner, which could explain some of the contrast. Regardless, the dinner experience we had, with loud music, poor service, and blander, dryer food, was very disappointing.
… moreThe food was noticeably more bland and dry compared to earlier visits. The service was also very poor. Our waiter rarely checked on us unless we flagged someone down.
The biggest issue, however, was the music volume. It was so loud that our group of six (4 adults, 2 kids) could not hold a conversation. I couldn’t even place my order without pointing at the menu. By the time we left, my head was pounding. For such a small space, the sound level felt excessive and took away from the dining experience significantly. It felt more like a live music venue than a family restaurant.
It also seemed like many guests were primarily there for the live music rather than dining, and some appeared very familiar with the staff, which further added to the “entertainment/club” vibe rather than a relaxed dinner atmosphere. Our table was on the small patio, which had a sound system that felt unnecessary and inconsiderate given the size of the space.
Additionally, diners should check their bill carefully for added fees and gratuity, as our waiter didn’t mention them.
Update after reading the restaurant’s response:
I was disappointed to see the response focused more on defending the restaurant than addressing the concerns raised. The food quality has clearly declined over time, and several people in our group mentioned it afterward, but during dinner we couldn’t discuss it because the music was too loud to communicate. I also noticed multiple guests adding extra lime, hot sauce, and salt/pepper to their dishes, which reinforced that the flavor was lacking.
Additionally, the response stated the volume concern was not communicated. I did attempt to mention it, but the music was so loud that conversation, even with staff, was difficult.
I genuinely want local small businesses to succeed, and feedback like this is meant to help improve, not to attack. But dismissing customers instead of taking concerns seriously is exactly what makes people stop returning. Unfortunately, this experience and the response only reinforced my decision not to come back.
Finally, I noticed several recent reviews praising the food at lunchtime. It’s possible the experience differs depending on the time of day. My previous visits have been a combination of lunch and early dinner, which could explain some of the contrast. Regardless, the dinner experience we had, with loud music, poor service, and blander, dryer food, was very disappointing.