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Amada
Category: Restaurants Tapas Bars Tapas Bars
217-219 Chestnut StPhiladelphia, PA 19106
Neighborhood: Olde City
(215) 625-2450
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 4 pm - 12 am
Sat 4 pm - 2:30 pm
Sun 11:30 pm - 2:30 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
719 reviews for Amada
Review Highlights
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"...12 "Piquillos Rellenos" Crab-Stuffed Peppers were excellent." In 34 reviews -
"Can't wait for Jose Garces new restaurants." In 59 reviews -
"We took the $65 prix fixe Chef's Tasting Menu." In 35 reviews
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719 reviews in English
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Review from ivonne c.
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Oh look, another person raving about Amada. What else is new?
Look, it goes without saying that anything with the Garces name attached to it shows a lot of promise and I go in there with high expectations. Getting in on a weekend without a reservation? Next to impossible! But my wedding anniversary was right around the corner, I made plans dammit. I want to see if the hype is worth it.
Being that it was our first time and it was a special occasion, we rolled with the upper tiered chefs tasting menu.
A) the amount of food they bring out is obscene. Almost too much, next time we go with the lower tiered version or order on our own.
B) it is absolutely the best way to go if you are looking to get your money's worth.
They brought out so many dishes that I cannot remember them all. 3 courses, 3-4 dishes each + dessert. There were definite notables: the ensalada de jamon, the spanish octopus, jamon segoviano. All really good dishes, only one dish was a little on the let down side... mushrooms that tasted like they had 1/2 a stick of butter in them. Too heavy. One so so dish out of all of them? Not too shabby. Funny enough, that salad was the winner of them all. We are still raving about it.
Overall the service was on point and the meal was fantastic. Definitely plan on going back. -
Review from Stephen K.
Levittown, PA
5/14/2012
Everyone gives this place a five, because it is amazing and it is. The food is great, but there is some hype to it. With that hype there is a cost, and it's passed onto you. Yes it is in olde city. I am sure the overhead is a lot and that is why the dishes are high, but I expect more then two small scallops cut in half to look like 4, when the dish cost $12 and it was nothing but scallops with a drizzle of sauce. Most of the cost is the name and expenses of the location and staff. So charge a little more and give me 4 scallops.
I went on a Friday night. I did not have a reservation but was lucky to get a high top table next to the bar after a 30 minute wait.
My date and I had a few drinks each and some apps. We sat there for two hours so I gave a generous tip to our server for occupying her table for a while. The total came to around $160.
The sangria is really good, but be careful. After 3 each for two people you are already over $60 after tax and tip. We had a cheese platter which was good. Our 3 choices were: ERMESENDA with Chocolate Hazelnut Purée, AGED MANCHEGO with Truffled Lavender Honey, FRESH QUESO DE CABRA with Balsamic Strawberries. The platter came with sliced bread and sliced apples. This was very good and a value as well. Also had the scallops as I mentioned above. the last selection was the COSTILLAS DE TERNERA. One word... AMAZING!!!! I would say the flatbreads seem like their best value. This one had Beef Shortribs, horseradish, Parmesan, Bacon. It was cut into four pieces and was my favorite.
I would love to get a group back and try the Roasted Suckling pig dinner.
A great time to go (though tough) is Philly's Rest Week's.
Def will go back, as I am eager to try more places. -
Review from Lan G.
Updated - 5/14/2012
A couple months ago, Amada hosted a special pig out event for all-you-can-eat suckling pigs. I was very excited and booked a reservation for a group of us. However, I was extremely disappointed with how the dinner turned out.
First of all, we had to wait for almost 20 minutes to be seated. I would be okay with it if we were just here for any other day. But for a special event like this, they have already known how many people to expect at an exact time. I am not sure what caused this long wait.
Second, the majority of our dinner was actually the side items many of which are rather salty. Over the course of 2 hours, 9 of us were served with 3 small plates of suckling pig. I am certain that this is not they meant by "all-you-can-eat."
Finally, at the end of our dinner, we noticed that we were not the only ones who were disappointed. The manager ended up going around each table and offering to take care of this dinner. The reason she provided was that they underestimated the amount of pigs they ordered from local farms, therefore, they ran out of pigs in the middle. Note that there were other earlier seating prior to ours. I don't understand how they were not able to foresee what may be a problem, and act to prevent it.
Overall, our experience did not match with what I expect a Jose Garces restaurant would and should offer. I truly hope Amada can keep up with the level of service they used to offer.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/12/2010
I have been wanting to try out this place for a long time after hearing all the good things about… Read more »
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Review from Angela P.
Bellevue, WA
5/2/2012
I dream about this place....literally have many a dream about the next time I can eat here. You see, I am from Seattle and happened upon Amada on an East coast adventure. Now, I am constantly checking http://kayak.com for flight deals to Philly and figuring how to convince my husband that it's ok that I am flying all this way for a night at Amada...really, it is.
We sat in the bar and stuffed ourselves with some ridiculously amazing cheese and meat platters, drank the best Sangria I've ever had and finished the night off with the flourless chocolate cake that made me drool.
The bartender was the best bartender I have ever had the pleasure of being tended by. The place was packed but our glasses were never empty.
I will come back here again, damn it. -
Review from Evan G.
4/25/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Iron Chef Garces works his magic, for sure. The tapas are fantastic -- they're filling but also rather light, which is much appreciated since you'll want to try several dishes. I went for brunch on a late Sunday afternoon. Though I made reservations, these didn't appear to be necessary.
Though all of the dishes were tasty, one really stood out -- the baked goat cheese. I highly recommend the baked goat cheese.
The restaurant's decor was nearly exquisite. The lighting was well mixed, including grand old front windows that allowed brilliant streaks of sunshine to creep in and mingle with the more mysterious and shadowy nooks of the main dining room. The table linens and silverware were beautiful and clean.
Aside from the brilliant food and decor, however, the service was just okay -- not horrible, but certainly not special in any way.
Grade: low A-, only because of the mediocre service. -
Review from Kelly P.
Updated - 4/21/2012
Wow. So much food. I am drafting a review in anticipation of the impending food coma.
Tonight I enjoyed the chefs tasting menu with wine pairings. The amount of pig I consumed tonight is simply not fathomable. There was delicious flavor after delicious flavor and our service was top notch. Some of the favorites were the spinach empanadas, sea bass, and both desserts, as well as the tempranillo. I have to say that this expensive meal was a most memorable experience in KP's Philadelphia dining history. the desserts were heavenly but i had such little room left! note to self: be sure to save room next time :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/29/2010
i know i used just 3 stars, but overall not a bad experience! not many vegetarian options on their… Read more »
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Review from Steve M.
4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Oh hell yes.
I plan to come back here lots of times, but here's some highlights from my most recent trip:
- The complimentary tuna dip starter with garlic crackers was out of this world! An excellent start!
- Lechón Con Queso Azul - slow cooked pork shoulder flatbread with cheese, pine nuts and an apple cider reduction. So bright and delicious.
- Calamari linguini with clams, scallops and sweet onion cream. Unreal.
- Salad with figs and almonds, wrapped entirely in slices of serrano ham. I wasn't in love with the salad itself, but that ham more than made up for it! Plus... it's enormous. Like a loaf of bread... only it's covered in delicious ham.
- The sangria was delicious and a *great* value for the amount you get: a big fat pitcher with no ice to water it down!
Amada didn't need another five-star review... but it deserves it! -
Review from Joyce L.
5/6/2012 1 photo
Three friends and I decided to splurge on a good meal by going for the chef's choice menu at $65 per person. Paired with the white sangria, it was quite a filling, satisfying meal. My friends and I concluded that this menu is more worth it for two people, and not three. And we were a little disappointed by the lack of flavor variety. Almost every plate had the green sauce or the truffle oil. It was delicious, but striking to us that every dish was prepared with similar sauces--or maybe we don't any better and it was the chef's intention? Either way, I am happy to go back to find out.
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Review from Leslie H.
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Probably the best Spanish tapas meal I've ever had. We made reservations for a Sunday evening at 7:15, and even though the weekend was just about over, the restaurant was still packed. We started out the meal with some of their Tinto sangria, made with spiced red wine, apples, oranges, and cinnamon. I especially liked the fact that they gave us two stirrer straws because I was able to use them like chopsticks to pick up the bits of fruit. This sangria is so delicious. But watch out, it tastes so good, but it packs a good punch!
Our meal began with some complimentary crackers and tuna aioli. We ordered an assortment from their menu with a focus on the traditional tapas.
Pimientos de Padron - These were fried green peppers that were dusted with sea salt, piled high on top of two dipping sauces. One was a bit smoky and sweet in flavor and the other was spicy and creamy. I only had two peppers, both of which were sweet, but I heard from my companions that some of the peppers were hotter than hot. The thing is, you can't tell just by looking at them! The peppers tasted really fresh and had a nice crisp bite to them. Recommended.
Gambas al Ajillo were described on the menu as garlic shrimp. They brought out a dish of 7 perfectly cooked shrimp sitting in a pool of garlic butter with bits of chopped garlic and whole sliced garlic. It was accompanied by a plate of 5 toasted baguette pieces, which we ended up using to sop up the garlic butter. The shrimp had a perfect texture and were really good, but the start of the dish was definitely the sauce. After we finished the toasted bread we started with, we asked the server for more and she brought out another 7 pieces which we promptly used to soak up the rest of the sauce.
We also got the Pulpo a la Gallega which is Spanish octopus. These were actually really small bite-sized pieces that had been grilled and had a nice crisp crust to them. There were also little potato wedges interspersed on the dish. The wedge of lemon added a nice acidity to cut through the richness of the flavor. I liked that we could use our little pronged forks to stab these tapas.
Costillas de Ternera was a Spanish flatbread topped with beef shortribs, horseradish, melted parmesan, and bacon. It wasn't huge in size, but each of us got a good sized piece. The flavor that I most remember was that the shortribs were perfectly tender and seasoned. The parmesan on top was mostly a distraction in my opinion, but that may be because I'm not a huge fan of that type of cheese. I didn't really taste any bacon at all. But I did like the surprising bites where I could taste the horseradish. It also cut through the richness and gave a pleasant jolt to the palate.
The Esparragos con Trufas were perfectly cooked grilled asparagus in a delicious cream sauce with a beautiful poached egg on one end of the dish. When you break the yolk, it mixes in beautifully with the cream sauce to make it even more rich. The asparagus were cooked just right. I didn't really taste much truffle, but it was probably oil mixed in with the sauce. The dish was topped off with a parmesan cheese cracker. It was really good, and we finished all of the sauce, using it as a dip.
Finally, we got the Arroz Teporado which was basically a really delectable risotto with peas, wild mushrooms, and rich manchego cheese. This was probably one of my favorite dishes, even though the wild mushrooms ended up being a single mushroom. The amount was about a fistful, but it was so rich that I'm glad we didn't have more to eat. I would definitely order this again and could probably eat the whole plate by myself!
We closed out our meal with the Paella Valenciana, which is their basic chicken and chorizo paella. It comes topped with slices of a grilled chicken breast as well as four toast points topped with an absolutely delicious saffron aioli. There is a tiny artichoke and tomato salad in the middle, but mostly It looked like parsley. I didn't taste much chorizo, but the chicken was quite tender. The rice was really good, and I would recommend ending your meal with this.
At the end, the server brought an almond cookie to be shared, which was a nice way to cleanse the palate of the richness of the meal.
If I come back, I'd definitely be interested in trying the roasted suckling pig though, as a neighboring table ordered it and we got to see the platter being transported by us. It requires a couple days of advance notice to the restaurant though.
Service was super friendly and efficient throughout the meal. Our server came by multiple times to refill waters and to bring us another pitcher of sangria. And there were busboys who also came by regularly to sweep away empty plates and to swap out used dishes. A meal for three + two pitchers of sangria + some paella leftovers came out to just around $200 after tax and tip. I would definitely return! -
Review from Jade V.
Amaaaaadaaaaa. Let me tell you about Amada. Actually... wait, no, you don't need me too. Let 711 other people (the current number of reviews at this time of writing) tell you about Amada. Wait, stop. Just look at that score. Almost perfect. 4.5 stars. Just get off the computer, or smartphone, or whatever device you're reading this through, and go. To. Amada.
Well, maybe it's not open yet. Then, maybe you'll want to read my thoughts.
- If you're gonna get the tasting menu, come HUNGRY. Ravenous, even, 'cause it's a LOT of food. At times, we had to rearrange dishes on the table, Tetris-style, to make everything fit. Which is what makes it an amazing deal. Oh baby, I was practically rolling out of there. I can't believe it took me so long to ask for a doggie bag.
- The chefs are a little heavy-handed with the oil for my personal liking.
- Friendly, friendly service and amazing drinks. Please tell me you'll try a red sangria.
- I really loved the skate. And the pork.
- It gets crowded, so arrive early or make a reservation.
Now get going down to Old City! -
Review from Andy V.
North Wales, PA
4/29/2012
AMAZING TAPAS!
they have a drink called "women on the verge of a nervous breakdown".
a favorite of some of my peeps! -
Review from Christine L.
Market East, Philadelphia, PA
4/20/2012
This restaurant has been on my to-eat list since forever, glad I jumped at the chance to go for a friend's birthday.
Ambiance is great, elegant but understated feeling. Service was lovely and accommodating. Seems like they are used to many newcomers to the restaurant and so were very helpful and glad to recommend dishes, etc. I appreciated that the restaurant and waitstaff are welcoming, not stuffy as one would assume fancy restaurants are..
I enjoyed all the dishes we tried, so I can't particularly recommend one. I will say that though the menu is meat-heavy, vegetarians too will be pleased to dine at Amada, so don't shy away! -
Review from David B.
4/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Good tapas are deceptive in that they are difficult to execute beautifully. Cooking must be perfect and the quality of ingredients impeccable. I've only had tapas in the US: I have not been to Spain. Still, I've had good and bad. Amada were very good!
I started with their salad: beautiful to behold but ultimately disappointing. The ingredients that were supposed to accompany it, cheese for one, were scant. The best: their pork special...OMG! Succulent ribs perfectly prepared. To balance the meat, I had their fresh sardines. They were fresh, bright clean flavor, and nicely presented. I was by myself and the three dishes were plenty...no desert.
Service was friendly and efficient and I liked the interior...dark a vaguely exotic. Since I was there on a weekday, very early in dinner service, I just walked in and was seated. I look forward to returning with my hubbie to share is heir glorious food! -
Review from Julie M.
3/25/2012
I've already expressed my undying love for Jose Garces so I needn't repeat myself. However, Amada remains my favorite of his and one of my all time favorites.
The shrimp and chorizo flat bread is amazing. Among my other favorites: the spicy potatoes, the garlic shrimp, and the spanish octopus. In addition, the seasonal vegetables are always excellent. The sangria is also awesome!
The only dish I ever had here that I truly did not enjoy was the paella which was too smoky. Other than that, everything is delicious.
Amada definitely conjures up a multitude of happy memories for me which is why I tend to go back all the time. It is one of my happy places. -
Review from Lisa H.
4/7/2012 20 photos
I came to Philly to visit a couple of friends and we decided to have dinner at Amada on a Thursday night. Thankfully, since we arrived early at 6:30pm, we were able to beat the dinner rush. I definitely recommend making reservations, even on a Monday night.. you just never know when it comes to a spot that serves such scrumptious food as Amada does...
Being that we were a party of 7, having tapas was a bit difficult, but due to my expertise cutting skills (HA!), everyone was able to get a taste of each and every tapas dish we ordered. We must've ordered around 15 different ones.. but here are some of my favorites:
Barramundi - Australian Sea Bass
Piquillos Rellenos - Crab-stuffed Peppers
Costillas De Ternera - Beef Shortribs, Horseradish, Parmesan & Bacon
Grilled Scallops
Albondigas - Lamb Meatballs & Shaved Manchego
I would also recommend the cheese and charcuterie platter to share if you come with a decent sized group. They also have a great alcohol selection (sangrias, mixed cocktails, beers and wines) so there's something for everybody. Delicious all around! Maybe next time I visit, I'll be prepared to participate in their Cochinillo Asado- roasted suckling pig dinner or their pre-fixe! -
Review from Denise L.
Philadelphia, PA
5/5/2012
"Oh gee! ANOTHER five star review for Amada!?", you groan as you start reading this. "Is it really THAT good? I mean, it's just tapas!", you wonder aloud.
"Yes and yes!", I reply.
We showed up at 8 PM on a Saturday without a reservation and were told there would be a 30-45 minute wait; we were seated within 15 minutes at the counter in the Tapas lounge. (Swanky!) It was perfect because there was just 3 of us, and since we were at the end of the counter, I could sit and face the other two people in my party without having to worry about getting my hair in someone's ceviche.
We started with the Tinto sangria - amazing! The cinnamon really gives it a nice flavor. And we got 3 full glasses each, which was certainly better than a 'by the glass' option. (My friend's husband ordered a glass of red wine, which despite a fresh bottle just being uncorked, had bits of cork floating in his glass. But the bartender was quick to refresh it.) Then we all ordered 3-4 plates each and it became "Night of 1000 Bites!"
First up: The tuna starter with crackers. (This ain't yo' mama's tuna snack!)
Second: Patatas Braves (spicy potatoes) & Croquetas de Jamon (Ham croquettes) - The potatoes were amazing; the sauce on top was flavorful and a perfect compliment. The croquettes were so-so; their sauce was a little lacking and not so complimentary.
Third: Cana de Cabra: The cheese was so sweet and delicious. The Fig and Cherry marmalade was sweet but not overpowering. I still can't believe we left almost half of the cheese wheel left because it was so good, but they did give us a lot. We split the first half generously between the 3 of us & there was still some to spare.
Fourth: PULPO!!! My friend found it a bit salty for her taste but I thought it was fantastic, with little sliced potatoes mixed in.
Fifth: Bacon wrapped dates: Yeah, they're covered in bacon - I don't think I need to tell you more. Anything + Bacon = The best ever.
Next: Spanish Tortilla - the buttery spread kind of overwhelms the flavor, so try it without first. Then decide if you want to bog all that down (you won't, trust me)
Followed by: Duck Confit Flatbread - I would make this every day at home if I could. It was seriously one of the most amazing things I've ever tasted. So many delicious flavors! Who knew flatbread could be so upscale?
Even more: Braised Pork Shoulder - it was like a little mini sandwich! Very delicious and flavorful! (I'm sure it made up for my friend's husband's side trip to Pat's for a cheesesteak earlier that afternoon)
I saved everything that I personally ordered for last since my tastebuds had a higher stake in these items:
-Baked goat cheese: GET THIS! Eat it all! Don't share with your friends! Seriously! My friend's husband said he had "OD'ed" on goat cheese in his youth so he couldn't have any of it, which was fine by me! The tomato basil sauce was so creamy and delicious and the cheese is sweet and warm and gooey - the combination of both of those things is pure perfection.
-Calamari: Squid is a love/hate thing; either you love it or you hate it. It's also a can get it perfect or really mess it up thing. This kind of wavered in between. It was served lightly tossed in garlic oil. I didn't squeeze the lemon on it at first, but after I did, it made a difference. Could also probably have used a little salt and was just a TINY bit overcooked, but not bad.
-Asparagus: MULTIPLE MOUTHGASMS! Asparagus! Truffle! Poached Egg! Cheesy crisp thing! They saved the best for last! I even went back and dipped the remaining Calamari in the truffle/egg yolk mixture - now THAT definitely improved it!
Overall: The food was phenomenal. The ambiance was great. (The tapas lounge seemed a lot less stuffy than the front of house; darker, wooden walls, more intimate) You definitely get a lot of food for your money as opposed to some OTHER tapas places in this town (side eye to a certain NoLibs staple) And it's a Garces restaurant, so really, that speaks for itself since you know what you're getting before you even walk through the front door. (unlike some places in this town monopolized by a certain restaurateur who leaves you feeling empty in your stomach, your wallet, and your sense of self respect when you're treated like throwaways by the too-cool hipster waitstaff instead of actual customers.)
I can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu and hopefully even the chef's tasting sometime because I'd love to see what else the Iron Chef has up his sleeve! -
Review from David M.
4/5/2012
Best tapas I've had in years.
House marinated olives provide a true test for a tapas house, and Amada's can't be beat. They make the perfect combination with any of their dusty, leathery tempranillos.
Another good test dish is the calamari. Does it have the consistency and clarity of flavor of a fresh squid? Has it been over-cooked or is it rubbery? How does its natural taste stand up to the flavoring of the chef's treatment, whatever that is?
In Amada's case, Garces handles the dish classically. A true gem.
These simple treats, along with the great service we received could not have been better. A place truly deserving of Yelp's highest rating.
Salud! -
Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
There is a reason why this place has such high ratings, the secret is in the ingrediants and savory small plates, with a little help from Iron Chef Jose Garces. I looked forward to trying Amada, because I love small plates and they had such high reviews. We decided to order up a little of everything, including:
*Charcuteria, Cured Meats: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Cheese Platter, manchengo, garrotxa, cabrales cheeses and matching sauces: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Artisan Spanish Olives: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Grilled Scallops: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Crab Stuffed Piquillos Rellenos: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Grilled Chroizo: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Warm Lima & Fava Bean Salad: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
All paired with the Ommegang Witte, a nice 5.1%ABV Begian Style Ale. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The food and lunch was perfect, the plates came as they were ready so we sat and enjoyed our bites of different things during conversation. It's lunches like these that inspire my cooking and make me feel like a lucky girl.Listed in: The *GREAT* American Fun in…
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Review from Winnie F.
Philadelphia, PA
3/24/2012
Definitely a Philadelphia must-try restaurant, partially just to say that you've been and cause they have some superb dishes. Everything is super flavorful! My upper lip was sweating despite downing water after every bite. The other people in my dining party seemed to be okay though.
Winners of the night:
Pulpo a la Gallega (spanish octopus)
Chipirones (baby squid)
Esparragos con Trufas (grilled asparagus)
Paella Valenciana - takes a long time to prepare but definitely save room for this giant dish -
Review from Sumito A.
Manhattan, NY
3/16/2012
Get to the Chase:
Pros:
1) Every single choice is delicious, well-executed, and mouth-wateringly worth it
2) MMMhmmm fun boisterous place great for a group
3) Classy meets Casual with some damn good eating
Cons:
1) Pobre gato, you'll be paying mucho cuz ull be paying per tapas order and they be smaaaaall pickings
2) Can get packed and hard to get a table -
Review from Thor T.
Philadelphia, PA
4/1/2012
Because I had a hankering for the lemon ricotta pancakes served at Amada's brunch, I invited some friends today for brunch there. We had a nice table near the big window looking out on Chestnut Street and ordered away from the desayuno menu: the said pancakes, asparagus with poached egg, smoked bacon and truffles, chorizo con papas, and the Amada omelet (wrapped in serrano ham with potato hash). Of course, we also ordered the tortilla española and the mixed charcuterie plate, and some other dishes to round out the meal (ensalada verde, olives), knowing that the size of the Amada plates would be on the small side.
The food was all quite good, even very good, if very routinized, more four stars than three. The puny amounts of food however, made everything overpriced, sometimes grotesquely so. A little pile of fries,with very little chorizo and an egg yolk on top was $11, the pancakes were so thin - and dollar size - that all of them stacked on top of each other barely accrued the heft of one of the great ricotta-lemon pancakes I had at Plow in SF. Price: $13. Maximum price for minimum size always struck me as the motto of many Garces places but that maxim really struck home when I left Amada with a $30 pp bill and a group of still hungry friends. -
Review from Matt K.
Updated - 3/16/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I love most Garces' restaurants. My favorites are Tinto, Chifa and Distrito. Amada is fourth. That is not a indictment, but it lacks the originality and/or excitement of the others. We came for dinner and overall the experience was very satisfying.
We had 6 tapas.
The salad verde was really good, it had a ton of bitter greens which I like and cheese. It was piled high into a tower. Happy stuff.
The lamb meatballs were very tasty, and the sauce was wonderful. We finished all the sauce.
The artichokes were kinda small but good flavor, to the plate. Very similar sauce to the lamb meatballs. Hmmmm. Covered with parmesan cheese.
The shrimp was very good too, but that sauce kind of reappeared. The yellowy, cream and butter based thing again?
One other that escapes me but finally, the special skewer, the pork belly! I have officially decided that pork belly is passé. I mean seriously people, it's bacon with a fancy name! Undercooked! Not crispy! You want fancy bacon get pancetta!
I swear I have had pork belly like 20 times in 2 years, and I hope it has run its course. So often it is either undercooked or bland. This one was both. I am not sure why I wanted to try yet another pork belly, but I couldn't resist. But I am officially done with it.
Their wine list is depressingly short and almost all the wines on the less expensive list are from 2009 or 2010. We actually had a couple glasses of the 2005 Tempranillo, which I recommend.
I think it's time to spruce up Amada before Philly's fickle diners get bored and move on, but I could be wrong. It was mostly full on a Thursday. All in all, pleasant. But Amada is out of my Garces rotation.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/26/2012
I stopped in for lunch, and was tempted to give my experience 3 stars, but so much of the experience… Read more »
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Review from John I.
3/12/2012
A very expensive, pretentious restaurant that serves mediocre small plates. Although the Chef recommends three plates per person, I think you can actually get away with two. The food was not fresh and seemed to have the precooked feel to it. The scallops were fishy and had no unique flavor. The ESCALIVADA (Roasted Peppers & Eggplant, Cipollini Onions & Confit Tomatoes) felt like a week old marinade and isn't worth ones stomach. Finally, the MADRE E HIJO (Chicken Breast, Fried Egg, Mojama & Truffles) sounded good, but again was dry and even the egg tasted off. There is really something wrong here.
Also, I highly recommend that you avoid sitting at the bar facing the chefs. Your back is to the restaurant and all you feel are the servers walking back and forth. That motion actually creates an eery feeling of being on a boat and hence some motion sickness is possible.
Not a great experience. A high price point. A loud restaurant with poor seating. Food was off that night.
Can't recommend. I am sorry. Good luck in Philadelphia. -
Review from Lowell J.
3/19/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Very fancy, excellent service, very expensive if you get the tasting menu with wine. I was there for a special occasion and it fit the bill.
Nothing really blew me away food-wise but the service was great and my two guest really enjoyed themselves -
Review from David B.
Philadelphia, PA
5/12/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The food has been nothing but stellar each and every time. Just one experience where the wait disappeared after taking our order, next time we saw him was when I had to find him to get our check. Still, the food is so good you can't keep me away.
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Review from Ayana P.
3/24/2012
I had dinner at Amada for Valentine's Day last year. It was really busy but still intimate. We ordered about 5 dishes and they were all very tasty. I remember having a very attentive server as well.
While I enjoyed the food and atmosphere, it was comparable to any other fancy restaurant. Nothing really stood out. I guess I'm not that into tapas. I had also just started eating chicken a few months prior. That wasn't helpful considering the non-meat, chicken-only options were limited. I'd still go again. -
Review from Sean H.
2/25/2012
Amada is, quite simply, my favorite restaurant ever. Having lived in Spain, I can honestly say that Garces serves up better tapas than you typically get there. I made the mistake of falling in love with Amada first before trying the real Spanish deal, which resulted in constant disappointment when a bowl of shriveled gambas al ajillo appeared on my table. Garces has taken what, in Spain, is basically a free snack that comes with every €4 beer and made it into an epicurean delight.
Now that I've fully qualified my opinion, on to the food. It's all wonderful. A lot of my friends are vegetarian, and they always had plenty to eat at Amada. But they also have every kind of meat and seafood that you could want, too. My only issue, if there is one, is that the menu has remained relatively static over the years. That's totally fine, since it's an outstanding menu that I basically know by heart, but I would like to be surprised from time to time.
My advice: get a jug of both the red and white sangria, order the paella, and whatever you do, order at least one Madre e Hijo. That is the perfect dish. Period.
I'm actually gonna not type any more, because I could be here all night. Just go to Amada. -
Review from Lianna N.
I had been waiting for a long time to eat at Amadas but had never found the right time where we (friends and I) could all go together. Finally got a chance to go during restaurant week, but was a little disappointed with the food and the service. First, the party was large, but we were promised seating in the main dining area. Instead, we were seated in the back room, and while it was fun to have our own "private room" I do feel like we missed the ambiance that the front dining area has because it overlooks the kitchen and the street, and there a more decorations etc.
Secondly, I feel the menu was ok, but the mix of foods on there is enough for a stomachache if you dont pick the right dishes together. They get an A+ for originality and unique flavors.
Lastly, as the dishes came out, the servers just randomly put them wherever there was space on the table- with no effort to figure out who's dishes they were or what the description of each dish was. Since it was restaurant week and we ate off a set menu, we each had picked many of the same dishes and they got all mixed up. To this day who knows if we got all the dishes we had ordered.
Bottom line- I really want to try it again, I dont feel like Amadas and I got off on the right foot. -
Review from Sarah H.
2/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Top three reasons I'm glad I'm not a vegetarian:
(1) Amada's Costillas De Ternera Coca
(2) Amada's Costillas De Ternera Coca and, you guessed it
(3) Amada's COSTILLAS DE TERNERA COCA
...also known as the impeccable unification of crispy flatbread topped with thinly sliced beef shortrib, shredded horseradish, parmesan and bacon. Seriously, just tryyyy it.
Other meal highlights included:
(1) The aged manchego appetizer accompanied by truffled lavender honey. I repeat: TRUFFLED.LAVENDER.HONEY (the emPHAsis is extremely necessary).
(2) The asparagus/poached egg/mahon crisp/truffle dish. O-face.
(3) The chocolate-hazelnut-caramel flourless cake. It's like a whole jar of nutella hopped into your mouth and exploded (in an utterly realistic and delicious way, of course).
Areas for improvement:
(1) The seasonal wild mushrooms. I don't know what it was but...this dish just wasn't spectacular (which I came to expect and demand after my first three plates, naturally).
(2) The serrano ham and melon - while I appreciate the unique flavor and lovely presentation, it was excessively sweet for my enjoyment.
(3) THE LACK OF SPACE. Squeezing out to use the restroom involved far too many bending/sliding/shuffling motions for this fancy of an establishment.Listed in: you don't even know what…
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Review from Jeanny C.
Philadelphia, PA
3/16/2012
I have been to this restaurant twice: once for restaurant and another w/ friends from out of town. Both time was truly an amazing experience. The whole menu is tapas! We've tried almost everything on there, you can't go wrong ordering anything. It is simply delicious. If you ever need help, just ask the servers they are very well familiar with the menu and will not guide you the wrong direction. I am not exactly an alcohol drinker, but their white sangria is light and sweet, just perfect for someone like me.
The only thing I did not enjoy as much was their dessert, it did not meet the expectation I had after a wonderful main course. -
Review from Steven B.
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great Expectations is not only the name of a famous novel but also a description of my feelings as I visit a Garces restaurant. Last night the lovely wife and I kicked off Restaurant Week by visiting Amada and as expected, our meal was extraordinary.
Depending on the dictionary Amada translates to darling or beloved. Whatever the translation, I am in love. We are no strangers to Garces places and have visited Distrito and JG Domestic several times. This is also not our first visit here.
Our Open Table reservations were honored perfectly and we were seated about five minutes early. Our waiter was Harrison and throughout our meal he was competent and friendly.
The Restaurant Week menu included two appetizers, two entrees and a desert each. So the two of us enjoyed a total of ten plates. Note to new visitors; five plates each was the perfect number. We were pleasantly full but not stuffed.
As we sighed and moaned over each delightful morsel we discovered we had a problem. We would have a very difficult time deciding which dish or dishes were our favorites. If you are visiting a tapas restaurant this is exactly the problem you want to face.
In the interests of brevity I'll mention three wonderful plates. The Cana De Cabra cheese with fig and cherry marmalade was a perfect appetizer. My wife's eyes lit up when she had her first taste and I agree. The Costillas De Ternera Coca (beef shortrib flatbread with horseradish, parmesan and bacon) was beautiful to behold. The kick from the horseradish worked well with the beef. Finally the Madre E Hijo (chicken breast with truffles and fried egg) was plated beautifully. I am a sucker for truffles and I was not disappointed.
At a Garces restaurant I've learned to expect at least a four star if not a five star experience. Once again we were blown away. Kudos to Jose for creating one of the best dining destinations in Philly.Listed in: Worth A Special Journey, Garces Obsession
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Review from Rocco R.
King of Prussia, PA
4/22/2012
Went to Amada for the first time and LOVED it!!! I think it was the combination of the flavorful food and accomdating staff. Everyone working was very friendly and helpful, I felt like a GUEST and not a customer!!
The food was great!! Went to spain this summer and ate at an authentic tapas restaurant and I felt like the food at amada was more authentic then the food we actually had in Spain. Some of the more memorable dishes were the Manchego cheese with lavender truffle honey. omg so good. The little potatos were delish, ham croquette sauce awesome, and the flatbread with the short rib was cooked perfectly. Goat cheese to me was just ok, but my husband loved it. However, you could tell time and effort was put in the preparation of every dish. We also ordered a pitcher of Sangria, for 32 dollars got like 3-4 glasses each out of it, you really cant beat that.
The restaruant itself is very cozy inside and as stated before felt elegant without being overdone. We sat in the back room which was signtifcantly quieter then the front room. I'm glad we did, might have been too noisy up front. Def recommend reseravtions we made ours about a month in advance.
Really looking forward to going back soon!! -
Review from Chris W.
Glenside, PA
3/6/2012
Everything was increidble. We had 6 people and nobody had a complaint.
I really want go for a sunday night pig roast sometime. -
Review from S A.
Edison, NJ
2/17/2012
This review is for my experience at Amada last night.
This was supposed to be a Valentine's dinner for the wifey and I was let down by the quality of the food. We did the $65 tastings menu and got 14 dishes. The only ones that were good was the roasted pine nuts dessert, cheese sampling, grilled octopus and oysters.
The main issues were that most of the dishes felt extremely rich (especially the sea bass in some kind , everything related to mushrooms was completely doused in truffle oil overwhelming any natural umami mushroom flavor and lastly the lamb chops were undercooked. Also it was disappointing to not see any lobster and prawns.
In fairness though I think my expectations were quite high since we had an incredible experience at Tinto's and expected more from Amada. The wine pairing tasting menu was superb and lastly our server Harrison was great and very knowledgeable. -
Review from Ruchi M.
2/9/2012
I'm sad to give Amada three stars because it's been described as an amazing, perfect restaurant to me by several friends. But everything was oversalted when we visited.
The highlight was the cheese plate - incredible - we got the fresh queso de cabra , the manchego with the delicious lavender truffle honey, and the cana de cabra which was good and kind of funky. The gambas al ajillo, or more specifically, the chili garlic oil used as a dipping sauce for the bread, was also really delicious.
The pernil asado had great crispy skin but the pork was dried out, and the octopus was meh. The ensalate verde and the bacon wrapped dates were good (but not great), but the lamb albondigas were perfectly cooked (the sauce would have been great had it not been...too salty). The wagyu had too much going on and was incredibly salty to boot. Oh as an FYI - bc I definitely didn't realize this - the quail with chorizo was a sausage and I couldn't taste the chorizo though at that point my tastebuds might have been blown out with salt. -
Review from Brian C.
1/29/2012
By far the best Jose Garces restaurant in the city.
Make sure you go with a party of about 4 in order to try all the different tapas and delectable fare they offer without either having to order several of the same dish or feeling you're unable to try many dishes.
Here are my suggestions:
Cheese Mixto - Really you can't go wrong with cheese paired with different jams, fruits, nuts etc. All the pairings are delicious, I personally love manchego and that truffled lavender honey that it's paired with is so good we asked the waitress to bring us some at the end of the meal and bought a small bottle right there.
Jamon Iberico - This until recently prohibited meat is like eating ham flavored butter. So soft with a melt in your mouth texture. Salty and nutty. Yum.
Pulpo a la Gallega - Don't be afraid of eating this cephalopod. It's prepared in a very non-affronting way and perfectly grilled and seasoned.
Esparragos con trufas - Anything with truffles really can be quite delicious yes I know, but perfectly tender asparagus and a nicely poached egg is a perfect pairing.
Anyway, anything you get here is sure to please. Make a reservation early because it can get quite packed. Just enjoy. -
Review from Sarah B.
2/3/2012
Boyfriend and I were able to snag a reservation during - oh my gosh - Restaurant Week. Unheard of!
I've yet to have a bad Garces dining experience, and Amada didn't disappoint.
The high points:
- Serrano ham:
- Croquetas de jamón
- Gambas con garbanzos coca: the better of the two flatbreads, in my opinion
- Scallops: cooked and seared perfectly
The low points*:
- Costillas de ternera coca: this flatbread was sweeter than I would have liked
- Lubina al pescador: I usually love sea bass but this was a little more "fishy" than other sea bass dishes I've had elsewhere
*"Low points" doesn't mean that the dishes were bad, it just means they weren't my favorites that night.
I was disappointed that the desserts published on the website and those on the actual RW menu were different. I was so looking forward to trying the lemon torta. Instead, I opted for the chocolate dessert, a flourless cake with ice cream. It was really rich and very tasty.
In all, the meal was decent, the service was great, but if I find myself craving a Garces meal (and we all do from time to time, right?) Amada would likely not be it. -
Review from Olivia J.
1/22/2012
Went here with M for brunch Sunday afternoon. I think their brunch menu is quite different from their lunch and dinner menus, so I would want to come back to try their lunch and/or dinner menu sometime.
Between the two of us, we got five tapas and we both left satisfyingly full :)
Chorizo Con Poppas - best ever. Yummy fries with flavorful sausages with tomato salsa thingies. We devoured this one.
Tortilla Española - pretty bland, potatoes and some other things in a tortilla? I liked the sauce that came with it.
Salmon Ahumado - everything on this little tapa -- smoked salmon, some sort of eggs, and fried bread thing on the bottom -- went really well together! Nomzz
Barramundi -- Australian sea bass. M loved this one. Very chewy.
Lobster -- SO GOOD yet so little sigh. M and I are both lobster lovers, and we finished this one in like 2 minutes. Its tail meat is divine.
We also shared a glass of Sangria Blanco. Super fruity! -
Review from Christina P.
Philadelphia, PA
1/30/2012
It pains me to give Amada 3 stars after all the amazing things I've heard about it. Maybe my expectations were set a little too high but my visit for restaurant week last Thursday left me disappointed. We arrived for our 7:30 reservation and were sat within about 10 minutes. The restaurant is bigger than it looks at first glance but there are so many tables crammed in there that it is really difficult to walk through when it's busy.
We immediately ordered a pitcher of the Tinto sangria (red) when we sat down at it ended up being really fruity, bold and delicious. It was a little steep at around $34 but poured about 6 glasses after some of the ice in it melted. When placing our order our waiter did answer our questions but he kind of seemed annoyed by them. We all ordered different things and shared, so I will report on the things that I tried:
Cana de Cabra with fig/cherry marmalade: A soft goat's milk cheese served with apples, bread, and the amazing marmalade. Such a good combo of things, maybe my favorite of the night
Seranno Ham: delicious, salty ham served with more bread, a couple large caperberries (different than capers), a few tiny pickles, and SPICY mustard. Once again a great combo.
Melon con Jamon: we were not a fan of this. I usually like the salty/sweet thing but the melon had carmelized sugar on top which made the sweet too overpowering
Gambas con Garbanzos Coca: This was delicious, but it's essentially a pepperoni pizza with some shrimp on top. The chickpeas are the only thing that's pureed, under the cheese, and it provided interesting flavor and texture.
Lubina Al Pescador: This was a small piece of roasted sea bass with mashed potatoes and some other veggies. The potatoes were so incredibly salty we agreed they must have been prepared wrong. The rest of it tasted like a microwave dinner.
Esparragos con Trufas: This dish has all the components to be one of my favorite things, but it missed the mark. It was essentially grilled asparagus drowned in a hollandaise like sauce with a poached egg, served with a parmesan crisp. The sauce was delcious, but they should have served it with some bread to soak it up since most of it (and the egg) was left in the bowl.
Pastel de Chocolate: This was a solid chocolate dessert. The cake was very light an airy which was a nice contrast to the rich ice cream on top. Nothing amazing, but good.
After the food, sangria, tax and tip we ended up spending $60 each, and I just felt cheated. I don't think I've spent that much on one dinner in a long time and I didn't feel it was worth the price. I might come back and try Amada when they have their regular menu to give it a fair chance, but it will not be my first choice. -
Review from Rizwan A.
2/5/2012
This place has pretty delicious food even though some of the dishes are simple and uncomplicated. I guess they go for purity of taste on some of their food. I don't think I have the tastebuds for that kind of stuff once you take into consideration all the junk food and artificial stuff I eat. I'll have to take someone else's word for it if it's any good.
Most of their dishes are small and kind of on the pricy side but everything tastes good. Surprisingly they also have a burger on their menu which didn't disappoint.
What I liked best though was the great service. Would definitely come back, although not sure how often. You have to be in the mood for their food.
