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Amada
Category: Restaurants Tapas Bars Tapas Bars [Edit]
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
668 reviews for Amada
Review Highlights
"...12 "Piquillos Rellenos" Crab-Stuffed Peppers were excellent."
(in 34 reviews)
"Can't wait for Jose Garces new restaurants."
(in 60 reviews)
"We took the $65 prix fixe Chef's Tasting Menu."
(in 35 reviews)
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668 reviews in English
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Review from Brian C.
Philadelphia, PA
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 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 Patrick H.
Philadelphia, PA
2/7/2012
In last night for some food and drinks with friends.
We had a great time. Just read LaBan's artical on sunday and we are making the rounds.
We enjoyed the first stop Amada Very much. -
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 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 stuffI 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. -
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 Hannah C.
Philadelphia, PA
2/3/2012
My husband and I went to Amada during Restaurant Week and had a great time. It's the first time we've been to one of Jose Garces' restaurants, so I can't compare, but we'd definitely go back.
We went for a Friday lunch on the last day of Restaurant Week. The servers were prompt and polite, although not overly friendly (probably ready for RW to be over).
For the first course we ordered (along with the Tinto Sangria, which was excellent):
Croquetas de Jamón (ham croquettes) -- first thing out; good and tasty, though nothing out-of-this-world.
Aged Manchego Cheese -- paired with crisp green apple slices and truffled lavender honey. I'm still swooning a little bit from the honey. it is definitely heavy on the lavender, so be sure you like lavender before ordering. If you do, you won't be disappointed.
Second course:
Beef Brochettes -- the star of the meal! If we'd known how good they would be, we probably would've ordered two plates. They were cooked medium rare, and when we weren't silently drooling about and simply enjoying how incredible they were, we were telling each other how incredible they were. These alone are a reason to come back.
Chorizo a la Plancha -- this was tasty, although very, very salty. I only had one slice (the plate came with three skewers with three slices apiece), and my husband had the rest. He commented that it was quite good, but that he was probably having his sodium intake for the week.
Chicken a la Plancha & Romaine Heart Salad -- topped with shaved parmesan, migas, artichoke and creamy garlic dressing. The chicken was perfect and the salad refreshing. A nice pairing to our otherwise meat-heavy meal.
Shrimp a la Plancha -- this was the only disappointment. I love seafood, and especially shrimp. The first of the three shrimp that I had was fantastic. My husband, who is usually so-so for seafood, was impressed enough with my reaction that he tried a bite of another one. Then, he promptly washed out the taste with some sangria. The second and third shrimp were anything but good. Very, very fishy.. A bit of a bummer because the seasonings were great (although a bit salty again).
For dessert, we got one of each:
Pastel de Chocolate -- flourless chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate-hazelnut caramel. I'm still sighing with happiness. This was intense and rich, but not excessively heavy. I would definitely get it again!
Crema Catalana -- vanilla custard, caramel veil, ginger, and pine nuts. Delicious. My husband was more than happy to let me have a few bites, then leave the rest to him. Perfect pairing of all the flavors.
I think we'll definitely head back at some point -- probably not during Restaurant Week -- and see if the service is a little more up to par/friendly. We will definitely order the beef brochettes (if available), try some new dishes, order a few of our favorites, and stay away from the shrimp. All in all, a good first Jose Garces experience... enough to convince us to come back! -
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 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 Meg S.
Philadelphia, PA
2/1/2012
Restaurant Week at Amada: not exactly what I expected.
The service was incredibly lackluster-the entire time I felt like a lower being for deciding to come during RW; dishes between courses were thrown out within 1-2 minutes of each other, hurrying our meal. In terms of the food itself, I was actually pretty disappointed in the majority of the dishes. The olives were maybe a half-step above eating straight out a can; the croquettes and chorizo relatively one-note, etc. The fava bean salad (although very liquid-y) was relatively good, but at non-RW prices, I'd probably find it hard to justify ordering again.
The real standouts were the beef brochettes and the desserts (we got the Catalana and their chocolate cake). The beef brochettes, medium rare, were amazing. As I truly only liked three dishes, I find it hard to give Amada more than 3 stars, although I would have loved to. I'm definitely planning on coming back during non-RW to see if it's any better or different. -
Review from Nalin O.
Philadelphia, PA
2/6/2012
Amada is the place to be!
Love the simplicity of the concept. Everything came along nicely. Even when we visited it during the restaurant week.
Quality of the food & service is very consistence. Always a good experience on every visit. Thank u!!... :) -
Review from Matt K.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I stopped in for lunch, and was tempted to give my experience 3 stars, but so much of the experience brought the rating up to 4. I'll get right to point, the food was way too salty. I expect more from Garces, and have dined at most of his restaurants and loved it. Perhaps his lunchtime chef is heavy-handed.
Anyways, I had the Galician soup. which was wonderful, piping hot, nicely balanced between spice and earthy meaty and beany goodness. There were some greens sprinkled on top which gradually melted into the soup. A little creme fraiche cheesy item on top. Yum. The soup was a little salty, but I attributed that to the sausage in the soup. I think in retrospect I was wrong. Everthing in the soup was salty. Read on.
The pork sandwich was very tasty, it featured some red cabbage slaw in it for a nice sweet and sour tang. The red pepper aioli dressed it. Aioli, salty. Pork, salty. Cabbage, salty.
The fries on the side were oversalted, as was a second dressing of the same aioli. Why twice?
By the time I was 2/3 of the way through I began to quaff large gulps of water, they had to refill my glass 3 times.
Service was impeccable, timing of everything was too. But too much salt! -
Review from Steve D.
Conshohocken, PA
2/4/2012
The staff couldn't be more friendly and helpful. This place really knows how to treat its customers! My date and I arrived with 4 travel bags, and they happily stowed all of them. The food was artfully presented, extremely flavorful, and all served quickly and accurately. The ambiance was romantic, elegant, and stylish. I am totally floored by my Amada experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Great for dates as well as delicious outings with small groups. Make sure you try their sangria!
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Review from Vanessa G.
Lowell, MA
1/12/2012
The meal I had here a few nights ago has a place on my top five. I know another yelper has said the same thing and it's no lie. It was one of my most memorable dining experiences.
I have a gluten allergy and was so delighted when I informed my server and she returned with a menu that almost everything on the normal people menu except the flatbreads. Hell she could have just said "you can pretty much have everything but the flatbreads".
We ordered a pitcher of sangria and started with the mixto of meat. MMMMmmmm meat. I don't remember what they all were but just get the mixto because you get all of them.
We then had a selection of cheeses. This I will have to refer to the menu for because it was an experience. the pairings were out of this world.
We had the aged manchego with lavender honey. Woah. I don't usually love honey except in my greek yogurt but this combo was divine. We also had La Peral which is a blue cheese that was paired with a currant pistachio...jam for lack of a better word but it was so rich and caramelly that jam doesn't do it justice. I LOVE blue cheese and I LOVE spanish blue cheese so I knew no matter what I would not be disappointed. But this pairing was so wonderful.
but then. BUT THEN. Against my POOR judgement, I almost didn't order the cadi urgelia...it was paired with a chocolate hazelnut puree and it just seemed wrong at the start of a meal. But I couldn't decide on a third cheese and my server (Jenn I think?? delightful) chose this one for us.
OMG. The cheese alone was delicious but with the chocolate hazelnut puree...I could have not eaten another thing all night and been completely happy. In fact if I ever go back, I will probably get a mixto of three cheeses and just have three servings of this. And I know you're thinking nutella. Yes but times 1000. Just order this cheese.
We took it easy on the tapas and just ordered three and it was perfect for two people. We had the olives (all of which seemed to be marinated differently and were all surprising). We also had the traditional tortilla espagnol which was just ok for me. compared to everything else it just couldn't compare. And finally we had the dates. stuffed with blue cheese. and almonds. wrapped in bacon. and grilled. with perfectly cooked cippolini onions.
I gasped. I closed my eyes in ecstasy MANY times through out this meal and I barely got through 1/8 of the menu. Please go here. And report back. -
Review from Retta H.
Philadelphia, PA
2/3/2012
One of Garces' better Philly restaurants. Ambience, food, service are all good. Flatbreads are awesome. Great deal for restaurant week. If you haven't gone, go during restaurant week because it is pricey at other times (like all tapas places). Great pitchers of Sangria. Tight space on the weekends, but obviously that means its good!
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Review from Samantha P.
Princeton Junction, NJ
1/16/2012
Went here this weekend. Spent a lot of time reading reviews and here is what we ended up ordering that I thought were the best dishes. We split each tapa 4 ways, so I really only ended up getting a small bite of each of these.
The Spanish Octopus - so flavorful. Wish I didn't have to share this dish.
Garlic Shrimp - I make this all the time at home, and it's pretty hard to screw this up.
Pernil Asado - my all time favorite. Crispy skin, moist pork. So. Good.
Clams and chorizo - Good sauce, order extra bread for dunking.
We also had the ham croquettes, escalavida, artichoke and wild mushroom flatbread, cured meat mixto. These were all good, but not my FAVORITE. The ham croquettes were tiny, the flatbread was just okay, the meat was good but nothing out of the ordinary. -
Review from Chris M.
Hemet, CA
2/4/2012
Best Pulpo I have ever had, period. One of my favorite restaurants in the world. Words do not do this place any justice, just go eat here.
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Review from Olivia J.
Philadelphia, PA
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 Jessica H.
New York, NY
1/7/2012
Absolutely love this place!
My boyfriend and I came here with a friend of his when we were visiting Philadelphia, and decided to get the tasting menu with special requests for certain dishes. We ordered a pitcher of sangria that was very delicious as well.
Halfway through the meal, our plates were cleared, and as we were already quite full, were quite ready for some dessert. However, when clean new plates were set in front of us, more tapas dishes kept coming and we were all very happily surprised. To be honest, there were so many dishes, and each one just as amazing as the next, it is extremely difficult to pick out my top one. I think the best way to taste all these dishes is to go for yourself! -
Review from Krista S.
Philadelphia, PA
1/1/2012
You have to try this place... One of my top five meals ever (and it was just brunch!)
Food - There were a lot of tasty looking options on the menu. My husband and I shared six of the "traditional tapas." They were delicious! Each was flavorful, but not overpowering. They were served warm and brought out at an appropriate pace. The only thing that didn't wow me was the spicy potatoes... They were just fries (though they were good fries.)
Service - Our waitress was attentive, but not overbearing.
Atmosphere - Quite nice... The big windows in front let in a lot of light. It is spacious, clean, and simply decorated.
Cost - Our bill was appropriate to the quality, no complaints.
Try it out! -
Review from Ingrid W.
Somerdale, NJ
1/30/2012
Amada, I have been to you a few times and I was hoping to be able to write a stellar review after I went last night for restaurant week. However, I regret saying it was a pretty bad experience.
To start the food, it was brought out way to fast, and they didn't even change our plate between the 1st and second course, which is something I know they do normally. As a matter of fact it only got changed after we had to send some food back, and we were waiting for it to arrive again, ie it was changed for one dish. We were left eating off of dirty plates the whole time.
First Course:
Garrotxa with garlic dulce de leche - the best item we had from the first part of the menu.
Serrano Ham - the ham as eh, it wasn't anything special. The Dijon that came with it was way to overpowering, i mean i put almost none of it on and it was all I tasted and could still have my sinuses cleared out. Also I don't understand giving 4 pieces of bread for 6 pieces of ham.
Escalvida - the 4 pieces of bread were pre spread with the goat cheese, and it was so thin, that you could barely taste it., The roasted vegetables that came with it tasted good, but was a bit on the greasy side.
Croquetas de Jamon - they tasted ok, they were not stellar, but were not terrible. We had to send them back the first time as they were brought out cold, the second time they were luke warm. The one redeeming thing about this was the sauce that they were sitting on.
Second Course:
Beef flat bread: It tasted great, although some parts of it seemed to be lacking some meat.
Lubina al pescador(sea bass): The sea bass was cooked perfectly, although there was an odd flavor in the potatoes, but I have to say this dish overall was excellent, due to the way the fish was cooked.
Scallops: Probably one of the best items of the night. The presentation was interesting, but the flavor was amazing.
Madre e Hijo: This dish I have had before and had no issues with. However, we had a lot of problems with it last night. 1) it was first served with an over cooked egg. So we sent it back, as the yolk was almost cooked through. 2) The second dish had less than half the amount of chicken on it and it was over cooked and dried out so it as sent back again 3) This one was finally made well.
Dessert:
I tried both. The chocolate one is heaven. The vanilla one was eh.
PS this is not the first time I had issues with how the food was made, on a previous visit I had the garlic shrimp and there were more red peppers in it than shrimp making it completely inedible due to how spicy it was.
Service:
The one issue I have is that you think when people keep getting overcooked food, or cold food that you would send over the manager to talk to them. NOPE no one came over to talk to us at all. Our server asked in passing oh is this one better and then walked away. The dishes were brought out a bit haphazardly, In my experience usually in the first course you get the cheese and meat first and then get the hot food. We got the cheeses last and it was kind random. I am glad I was sharing all of the items with my friend, otherwise there would have been many times where only one of us would be eating.
Needless to say after this being my favorite restaurant to go to, I will be hard pressed to come back here again. -
Review from Jordana L.
Philadelphia, PA
1/26/2012
I read the reviews and have had friends and family who have eaten at Amada. They all enjoyed it so I was really looking forward to good food.
I was extremely disappointed. The food was way too salty, the seafood undercooked and I couldn't even figure out what the chocolate dessert was. And to top it off I've been feeling sick since I've been home.
Not sure if the restaurant wasn't on top of its game bc of restaurant week but I won't be going back to find out. -
Review from Lily W.
Philadelphia, PA
1/29/2012
I came here for Restaurant week - I have always been attracted to tapas style eating and love Spanish food (who doesn't?). We made a late rez (9:30) and were late (oops) but we were seated as soon as we entered, no hassle.
We order a pitcher of the white sangria, the aged manchego, the serrano, the chorizo, and the spanish tortilla. All were really really good. Other people love the lavender honey but I was not a fan - the lavender was too overpowering for me. Doesn't matter, I still enjoyed my manchego and bread! I am dreaming about the serrano ham right now.
For dinner my bf (shellfish and nut allergy) got the shortribs flatbread and chicken thing, I got the shrimp and chorizo flatbread with the asparagus and poached egg. They were all delicious, but I think my favorite was the asparagus. Mmm.
Then onto dessert - I got the flourless chocolate cake with hazelnuts and the poor nut allergic bf got stuck with some sort of vanilla caramel thing. The flourless chocolate was amazing!! Soo tasty. The vanilla thing without nuts was good too.
My ONLY complaint is that the tables are a little too close together - for example, while I was trying to enjoy my chocolate dessert the only thing I could smell was the garlic shrimp from the table next to me. It was a little distracting. -
Review from Philly P.
Philadelphia, PA
1/7/2012
There is not much to review about Amada when the food, service and ambiance of this place speaks for itself. It is amongst one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. If there was something more than a 5 star this place is the one which deserves it the most.
Their food portions are perfect, the salads are to die. Most of the dishes are well thought n well presented.
A must for every local and visitor to go n enjoy this amazing place. -
Review from kathy l.
Philadelphia, PA
1/4/2012
I have been here 3 times thus far - drinks, restaurant week, and birthday dinner. The place is great, lovely atmosphere. All the food items I remembered tasted great --- I definitely recommend coming here for restaurant week. Have a small group of people so you can try multiple tapas. I have had my share of tapas in Spain and yea, I will give them 4 stars.
Next time, I'm going to sit and watch them prepare the food! -
Review from Jay R.
Moorestown, NJ
12/30/2011
It is great that the 'lesser known' of the 'Iron Chefs' such as Chef Simon, Chef Cora and now Chef Garces have topped the 'bigger' ones!
Had the mixto cheese/meat and 6 of the small plates for four of us. Wow, excellent! Sangria was off the charts! -
Review from Ettya F.
11/25/2011
Boys, makeovers, and candy? Sure, as a teenager, I loved them all, but not as much as I loved (rather obsessed over) horses. There was something so captivating, so majestic, so regal about those four-legged beasts galloping over the emerald, wildflower studded prairies. Everything else seemed secondary to learning about, riding, and watching the creatures.
My favorite encycolopedia showcased some 100+ breeds of horses with full color photos. Nearly 15 years after purchasing it most pages are worn, but there is one that is tattered more than the others. This page features the most galliant horse of them all: the Andalusian.
His strong, sloping neck is reminicent of snow covered hills. His shiny mane glistens like water unter the midday sun. His large, round black eyes offer a glimpse into his compassionate soul. And his back...
-ZIP- where was I going with this?
Oh that's right...Amada - the restaurant with the Andaulsian tapas. The giddy, surreal, yearning I had as a teenager longing for an Andalusian horse of her own was finally satiated by dining at Amada.
The bacon wrapped dates induced fits of ecstasy, and are worthy for royal tongues. They're figgy, with a hint of bacon richness. The ground almonds offer a musky-sweet undertone while providing a subtle crunch.
The crab-stuffed peppers were as exciting as rallied up crowds make bull-fighting appear to be (...eh). The colorful cannons of mild red bell peppers offer the perfect conduit for blasting moist crab meat into your mouth.
The Lemon Torta with its bilberry jam and bilberry swirl confit was cleansing, slightly sour and surprisingly succulent. The slightly lemony essence of the confit and ice cream base accentuated the berry tartness of the billberries.Listed in: FYI: How to Make Some Fall in…, FtA: Egocentrism
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Review from Christine L.
Philadelphia, PA
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant has a very nice decor, split into two sides. One for main dining, and one where the bar and actual "deli" is, where a group of four of us sat at a high top table. It was busy for a Sunday night, which should be expected for a Jose Garces restaurant in Olde City, Philadelphia. We all heard good things about the restaurant and decided to come here last minute. I ordered a "Dark Habit" to start off with, which consisted of lime, strawberries, and gin. Simple, but good.
We ordered other tapas including oysters and crab-stuffed peppers. The food was good, but seemed to get less and less appealing as they came out. Our least favorite was the pernil asado. I thought that it would be as close to the roasted suckling pig as you could get without getting the $225 for half a pig, but it was a bad choice. Overall, the portions were small and food was overpriced, but hey, it's Jose Garces! I've had way better tapas in Spain for a lot cheaper(cliche). -
Review from Trang N.
12/15/2011
A friend and I stopped in at Amada for a quick after work dinner. After returning from Spain, I was eager to try the 'authentic tapas', but after my Chifa experience,* see Chifa review* I really didn't want to try another Garces Restaurant.
Upon entering into the restaurant, I was warmly greeted by three hostesses. I was surprised to see how large and spacious it was. Beautifully decorated in a contemporary style, dark and light wood contrasting against each other. The bar area was accented with a milky cool granite countertop which complimented the street side white restaurant front. Candlelight danced on the tabletops from the lanterns through the restaurant. If the chef could produced delicacies half as good, as the interior decorator delivered on ambiance, this dining experience would surely win me back on the Iron Chef Garces' bandwagon.
Our server Jen was quick, attentive and very pleasant, she strode over as I said down asking if I wanted a cocktail to start. She had to patiently come back several times as we had begin chatting away.
We were brought some bread and some tuna salad dip, I can't quite recall, and then a complimentary(*see Chifa review) Amada's Empanada- which was a fluffy warm pocket of spinach, manchego and artichoke, it was very well done and I knew we were in for a treat.
Our Order-
Aged Manchego- apple with truffled lavender honey- Garces does this well, I believe he has the same course at Tinto.
Oysters- strawberry escabeche & Cava Granita- a wonderful marriage of flavor, I highly recommend this
Albondigas- Lamb Meatballs & shaved Manchego- the lamb was a nice medium rare but did not have the usually gamey taste, delicious
Chipirones- baby squid- grilled to perfection
The table next to us had a paella, which made my taste buds curious, but the platter was the size of the table top, maybe next time with a large group of people.
The restaurant was packed for a Tuesday night, which made me almost forget that I had work the next day!
It was a nice happy hour and I will be curious to try the suckling pig next time, as it is featured on 'The Best Thing I've Ever Eaten' on food network channel!! -
Review from Theresa P.
Philadelphia, PA
Updated - 1/15/2012
I wrote my first review a year ago and was looking forward to being able to write another one. I have since been to Amada for a VERY romantic dinner where we enjoyed the Chef's tasting menu. I take back everything I said before. The portions were hearty, the service was top notch, and the food was INCREDIBLE! We actually left with leftovers! Although it was a pricey evening, it was WELL worth the price tag and I can't wait to dine here again. Highly recommended!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/9/2011
My first Jose Garces restaurant experience was for an office luncheon. As a person who typically… Read more »
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Review from Andrea G.
Lansdale, PA
1/19/2012
This may be one of my favorite restaurants in Philly. I always walk out of Amada completely satisfied and happy and full! No matter if your getting the tasting menu or the pig (remember to call ahead for the pig) you will have a great experience. My favorite dishes are Costillas de ternera, the wagyu sirloin, shrimp and believe it or not the lima bean salad. No matter what you decide to try you'll love it. Another great thing about Amada is that its not nearly as cramped as some of Garces other places or any place in Philly for that matter. All around a great experience.
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Review from Babs S.
Gladwyne, PA
2/1/2012
Anything with octopus or squid ink, get. Especially if they have it in a paella special.
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Review from Rachel A.
10/18/2011 1 photo
The Cochinillo Asado meal brought me back to Segovia in Spain where they are famous for the roast suckling pig. Mmm mmm I could taste it right now, the crackly skin and the tender juicy meat. This pig needs no sauce or additional seasoning.
We specifically went to Amada for the roast suckling pig and it was well worth it. At first I had reservations. About $200+ for a half pig... We could get a whole le chon for that price and feed a party of 30 from a Filipino restaurant. But once you try the roast suckling pig, you will find that there is absolutely no contest. I choose the Cochinillo Asado hands down.
It arrived crispy and golden on a carving table complete with a personal chef who carved it away. I thought it looked tiny, it is baby after all, but after having a serving or two, I realized there was more to this pig than I had thought. Our table was left with a heaping mound of suckling pig and after six people had eaten one, two, three servings of it, a dent was barely made. Oh man your money stretches at Amada. We were all able to take home the leftovers. That's 16 lbs of pig for six people. It is no joke. I ate that pig for dinner the next day and it was just as delicious, juicy, tender, and tasty as it was the day before.
The sides are nothing to go raving about but made for a nice plate. I did enjoy the fingerling potatoes and Rosemary White Beans a lot. A tad salty and drenched with olive oil but definitely hit the spot.
We ordered the Paella Valenciana and I was gravely disappointed. The paella is a fake with strips of dry and flavorless chicken sitting on top along with toasted bread and saffron aioli. Huh? It didn't even have a crispy bottom. I am glad my request for lobster was denied. The paella is a waste of money. Stick to tapas if you feel that your suckling pig meal will be lacking. If not for the paella, I would have given Amada 5 stars.
The sangria was great. Have a drink at the bar while you're waiting and bring the pitcher to your table when ready. The atmosphere is young and hip, very lively. Definitely a fun spot for family and friends.
We actually closed down Amada and got kicked out of the restaurant for lingering too long. Ah, who said weekends in Philly are not fun? -
Review from Jessica W.
Philadelphia, PA
1/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This was the best meal I've ever had. I took my boyfriend here for a christmas/anniversary dinner and we couldn't have been happier. Though I can't recall the proper names, we had the Green salad, lamb meatballs, short rib flatbread, baked goat cheese, wild mushroom rice, and quail stuffed with chorizo. Everything was so flavorful and satisfying. The server informed us that 5-6 plates would be good for two people, but we left stuffed... I think you could get away with 4-5 plates for two people, especially if you're drinking with your dinner. The beer and wine lists were great. And it has such a relaxing and romantic setting.I think our total bill was around $100, but it was the best hundred dollars I've ever spent! I can't wait to take everyone I know here.
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Review from Teri R.
I'm just such a fan, I can't find a complaint.
Last night we did the Chef's Tasting. We chose to go into it pretty blindly, the only info asked or given was about food allergies and will-not-eat foods. Our lists was basically non-existent, so we had no idea what (or even how much) would be coming.
The on-the-house special of the night was a tuna caper salad thing served chilled with flatbreads. Very good size for an amuse bouche ... maybe a teeny too big.
We ended up with a total of ten savory plates and 2 dessert plates. The savory ranged from a meat plate, to seared octopus, to a crazy salad that came rolled up on a log, and as you cut it and placed it in your plate, it suddenly transformed into a perfectly composed salad.
My two real stand-outs of the evening were both a surprise, and left me grateful that I chose the Chef's Tasting, since I would not have otherwise ordered either.
The oysters with the strawberries and cava. Served on a bed of sea salt. They were PERFECT. Crave-able (as in, I was craving these at about 3:30 in the morning.) After swallowing, I said that it was like licking the bottom of a boat in the bay off new jersey, but I meant it (and still do) in the most flattering way possible ... this was eating shellfish as it was intended. There is some real flavor complexity here and it's brilliant.
Speaking of flavor complexity .. though I love all the flatbreads, the artichoke, mushroom and manchego is now my favorite with the surprising and bright finish of lemon zest.
The rest of the meal was excellent, though these were the two dishes last night that I would feel compelled to urge someone to try.
Next time I really REALLY want to try the roast suckling pig. Just have to find some help .... :DListed in: Tapas and small plates
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/19/2011 ROTD 10/6/2011
Jose Garces, will you marry me?
Really, what can be said about Amada that hasn't already been said?… Read more »
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Review from Victoria L.
Philadelphia, PA
11/29/2011
Came here with my boyfriend for Restaurant Week because we loved Tinto so much. Having gone to Tinto the week before, we were slightly disappointed in Amada. We came to the consensus that the former is superior. I do enjoy the layout of Amada better because it's less narrow than Tinto.
The food was nothing to write home about. It was good tapas. However, I did not enjoy the jamon-wrapped melon. It was wayyy overly sweet for my sweet/salty preference. Service here is not as organized either. Sometimes there would be nothing on our table, then it would be too crowded. I like how each course comes out at once at Tinto. -
Review from Christine G.
Aurora, CO
11/16/2011
Our culinary adventure at Amada was the roast suckling pig extravaganza. One of our good friends in Philly managed to get 9 other friends to show up to indulge in this meat-fest. We got a whole pig plus all the fixin's and ordered some other appetizers besides. In a word, too much food. Like, Ancient-Roman-Feast-Level too much food. Fortunately, several diners lived in Philly and got to take home huge doggy-bags.
Yes, everything was delicious, and our server was very attentive and organized. However, my biggest nit-pick was the level of salt in just about everything. It gets to be overwhelming after a while. I understand that the suckling pig was brined, but it would have been nice to balance out all that saltiness with side dishes that weren't salty.
The bottom line is that a suckling pig feast should be experienced before you die, but do it before you develop high blood pressure. -
Review from Dom R.
10/22/2011
Celebrated my 25th birthday at Amada with a group of 6. We pre-ordered the Cochinillo Asado aka The Roasted Suckling Pig Feast. I went in with very high expectations for this place. I don't know, say Iron Chef Expectations. The Pig lived up to my expectations, however everything else was forgettable. The service - forgettable. The prices - forgettable. The sangria - forgettable. The dessert - yup, forgettable. Again, maybe my expectations were set to high.
What was UNforgettable was the Whole Roasted Suckling Pig carved table side with tasty sides such as Charred Green Onions, Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Garbanzos with Espinacas & Rosemary White Beans. All delicious and complimentary to the Pig. The Pig was excellent, perfectly roasted with crispy skin and all. The carver asks if you want to be served some of the more interesting pig parts. Do it! They artfully present you with the Pig's head deconstructed and then plated in a way to, well, resemble the Pig's head again. Brains and all. This is certainly not for everyone, but if you are an adventurous eater like myself, I highly recommend it.
To recap: Pig Feast= GOOD. Everything Else that factors into a restaurant experience = .............
I keep reminding myself to get back to Amada and order off of the Regular Menu, but honestly...I keep forgetting it's there.
Oh well, 3 Stars for now. -
Review from Xiomara P.
Weehawken, NJ
1/4/2012
OH MY GOD! Amazing! I miss going down to philly just because I miss this place! Everything is delicious! Pricey, but delicious! Worth every single dime!
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Review from Ryan A.
Philadelphia, PA
11/30/2011
Food:
If I ever go back here it will be for the Chicken Paella. It was the best thing on the menu but it was huge. We ordered a bunch of smaller tapas style items before hand and could barely finish this. Not complaining it was great the next day - just saying. A lot of people I know have talked up this restaurant so much that my expectations were that I would be blown away. I wasn't blown away but it was good. I think the menu could use a revamp personally.
Service:
Our waiter was really nice. The service was great.
Ambiance: The decor is beautiful. I especially loved the lighting. We were seated at a table for two along the wall farthest from the bar. I have to admit, I was surprised by how small the dinning room was - it was a little cramped where we were while on the other side (with what I'll call the bench picnic table) has ample amount of extra space all around it. The food and waiters all come through a little narrow passage way surrounded by people seating and eating. It probably could be laid out better to accommodate more people.
