El Ambia Cubano

WOW! So happy a friend recommended this hidden gem in Melbourne. The food was exceptional! My wife ordered the shrimp and had the fish plate (snapper). I would suggest either, so delicious. Our server, Dawn, was very attentive and super friendly. This place is small but big on flavor. The owner, Alfredo, introduced himself asked how our meal was, very welcoming. We will back soon...now one of our favorite Cuban restaurants.

I went to a late lunch and found the parking empty, usually full so I felt lucky. Not too hot so I sat on outside porch with a lovely view of crane creek. My waiter was young and he was very attentive. I ordered a President cerveza and the daily special, arroz con pollo. The owner stopped to ask me if I was enjoying my lunch and offered a small sampling of meats they serve. Another beer and I felt transported to a tropical paradise. Thanks for the wonderful lunch!

Great sangria, can't wait to try more things here

This was our first visit and we can't wait to go back. Everything was fantastic- service, funky little place & best Cuban food ever.Good place to stay.

Impeccable service, unbelievably delicious menu, perfect Cuban coffee... unequivocally the best Cuban place I have ever been to in the states.UPDATE:This place is so freaking amazing, this is our third day in a row. Attempting to try everything on the menu.

Great food at great prices. My server, Anthony, was outstanding. I will definitely be back when I'm back in the area.

So glad they are back open and following strict cleaning and sanitizing guidelines. Food is always delicious, and service with a smile and yes! tres leches!!! yum

Dawn was amazing. She has a great attitude and the food was good

My family was visit from out of town and we checked out this spot for lunch and loved it! Right by the water, friendly service, and delicious food. Loved all the cool decor inside and out.

Slightly overpriced. Not too tasty. Decent service. Could be a little more attentive.

Whenever I'm in the area, we make a stop here priority. I'm a fan of the coffee here. The food is exceptional as well.

Food was fabulous. Service was welcoming and knowledgeable. Ambiance was refreshing. Great experience will return.

This is the must eat Cuban restaurant in FL! We drove 1.5 hours one way from Orlando and it is 1000+% worth of the effort! Everything here is so good! It is indeed the authentic Cuban food! Staffs are very friendly and professional! I definitely will come back again if I am in this area!

Good food for the price. Sweet plantains and cuban coffee were delicious. The service is excellent.

The first off cool little place. Great atmosphere. I highly recommend the pork empanadas they were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. I was a little disappointed in my Hemingway rice. I thought the rice was a little mushy another personal preference I'm really not into tomato-based rice and fish so maybe my fault for ordering it. I would definitely eat there again

Found this place on Google. Read the reviews. I must say top notch eats! I’ve been to a dozen and a half Cuban restaurants all over Miami and the keys. This place beats them all! The service was great and the food was to die for! Even the owner gets involved making sure everything runs smooth. Great little place!!!

This was my first experience with Cuban food. The waiter was very knowledgeable and attentive. The food was delicious and fresh. The only issue I had was I ordered yellow rice instead of white and didn't find out that I didn't get it until I was home, other than that, great place, cool atmosphere, definitely will go back

I usually don't get dessert but I am glad I did. The tres leches is absolutely wonderful. I will issue a warning about the appetizers, slow down and save room for your entre and dessert. They are amazing and you can easily fill yourself up on the appetizers alone. The staff was great, the drinks were great, the environment and the food were also great. Highly recommend.

Fantastic food, good patio to sit and eat. Service was very helpful especially when they learned I have food allergies to like half the menu. Helped me find a great tasting plate. Not too expensive especially midday. The owner was there to greet everyone and was very very personable. Seems like a great guy. Fish tasted fresh and well cooked and the rice was beyond good. Very nice spot and the owner said they have live music too!

This was our first visit and we can't wait to go back. Everything was fantastic- service, funky little place & best Cuban food ever. Even the simple white rice & red beans were mouth watering & delicious. The fried pork chunks were perfectly cooked with tasty onion sauce. Nice size tasty lobster tail topped the wonderful Hemingway Rice lunch. Such a great atmosphere with inside and outside seating~

The name of this quaint gem in Historic Melbourne bears witness to its friendly charm. "Ambia" is Cuban slang for "friend," so it's fitting that the service comes with warmth and a smile. The food is delicious and beautifully served. I had the Hemingway Rice with shrimp, fried plantains, and a lobster tail on a bed of lettuce, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. For dessert, I had the bread pudding with rum sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry, along with a Café con Leche (sweet and rich, like a dessert coffee should be). I'm stuffed and very satisfied. I'll definitely be back again. I highly recommend El Ambia Cubano in Melbourne, Florida.

Everything here is delicious, it's also a great place to embrace the Cuban culture. Even the owner will come around and say hello to everyone. The prices are very fair and the food is to die for.

Very, very good food! Eclectic decorations. Great outdoor patio. Charming find.

Best Cuban food that I have had so far in Florida! The Cuban sandwich and their Mojitos are absolutely amazing!

Wonderful little Cuban restaurant on the water! A eclectic mix of artifacts! Outdoor dining, we arrived prior to closing and grabbed a quick Cuban coffee! Will return!

We used to visit my in laws and go here 2 or 3 times per trip. Love the food here!! Now that we’ve moved to the area we go about 2 or 3 times per month. Great little place, always friendly. Good for singles, couples, small groups and kids. There’s a small indoor restaurant part and a slightly larger, covered outdoor patio.

First time to this awesome restaurant and my husband and I will definitely make this a habit. The food taste so fresh and delicious and the view of the river was nice as well! The waiter was friendly and when I asked about different food on the menu he was able to assist me with my choice. New found restaurant for our future lunch/dining experience!!!

Love this place! Amazing food, great service!

Going to El Ambia Cubano is like stepping into an off-the-beaten-path home style restaurant. It's a pocket of its own character amid the bustle of downtown melbourne. The food is consistently delicious, in many cases exceptional, authentic, and well plated. A hidden treasure for sure.

They were busy on the outside but still tended to us on the inside and kept up with us. Good was hot and came out fast 10/10 would recommend!!

Had a lunch of ground beef, rice and black beans and a drink. The flavor was good but the $16 check was a bit much for what I got. $18.50 by the time I added a tip.

Just an unbelievable dining experience quiet small open kitchen just amazing food all across the board I could live off of their appetizer menu just for the rest of my life it is that good their entrees are just as great our waitress was really nice kept our during school in got our orders correct the chefs there or I'm just banging out food and it was the highest quality of any Cuban restaurant I've ever been to we will definitely be back again hopefully as often as possible

My first but not my last time here. Great atmosphere, yummy sangria, tasty plantains, and a delicious snapper sandwich on Cuban bread. Our server, Anthony could not have been more pleasant!

Best Cuban Menu and the quality of food their menu is excellent! Bad experience last Sunday having a bad welcome from an stressed waitress but Leni came took over the service like a professional! The food was excellent and the service by Leni's was exceptional. They are a bit disorganized by not having a hostess to sit people and while waiting for our service we saw 3 big groups of family waking away because no one wants to sit in a parking lot being ignored then attacked by a stressed lady who told us that even thought we were sitting down we would not get a service even though Leni had already sat us down.Then Leni came took care of us in the best way possible to fix the unwelcome and we were very satisfied with his efforts to fix someone else's bad attitude!

Great Cuban food. The slow cooked pork is mouthwatering and the plantains are tasty. The staff are friendly and do not mind your child dancing to the tunes.

Nice little Hole in the wall place ,nice decorations & story behind the creation of this place, my hat's off to the owner! Menu was very limited and food like the paparellena were Awful, Cuban Sandwich was mediocre the pork in it was awesome, 1 slice of Ham & cheese was not quality swiss again 1 slice they should fix it or sell it like a pan con lechon ,well the best was left for last the Bread pudding was Creatively prepared like a piece of Art & the taste was a Spaceshutle launch to experience time after time!Gringos will eat anything?

Oh My!! Excellent food!!! Hemmingway Rice with Awesome Black Beans. Outstanding! Beautifully styled cuban restaurant downtown Melbourne along the river side. Live music at times. Exceptional servixe Sebastian 🌹 This is a great go to place. Don't forget the Expresso Coffee 🙌💗💞💞

First time at authentic Cuban place 10/10 delicious, my bf LOVED the Cuban sandwich and the chorizo was fresh and sizzling. Definitely coming back again

We had a wonderful experience. Although we can't personally attest to Cuban authenticity it sure seemed authentic and was certainly excellent. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Overall, just great!

Went here for date night. We had the Ropa Vieja and the Cuban sandwich. They were hands down amazing. The mojitos were the best in town and to top it all off the best tres Leche cake I've had! Definitely recommend!! Jesse was a great server and the owner was super nice!!

Tasty te Derek pork served up with "Cuban Love".

Best Cuban food around Melbourne. Good price, great quality, wonderful staff. I eat there whenever I am near Melbourne. You should as well.

Food was ok. Felt like my shrimp was missing something. Maybe a small amount of spice. My party enjoyed the chicken plate. We opted for the tables outside our server was nice enough to light the propane heat up which was a plus! It was a lil chilly that night. Thank you!

Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner outside with the cool breeze !!! Alll of us our having a wonderful time thank you again for giving us such a great meal and friendship

Great food and atmosphere. Authentic Cuban food. Be prepared for a bit (maybe 30 minutes) of a wait as this place is small but definitely worth it!

Casual eclectic spot. Food was great and very friendly service. Away from main part of town but busy and delicious.

Nice ambiance! Service of food is quick. Lively music!

Very good! Great friendly service! Food was excellent. I had the Cuban with black beans & rice. For dessert, bread pudding. Delicious!

Outstanding Cuban sandwich ... and very reasonably priced, too. Nice porch seating, friendly wait staff, lots of interesting Cuban memorabilia. A must-visit in Melbourne!