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Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Olde CityBring Amada to your home or office this holiday season with our Roasted Sucking Pig To-Go. Pre-order now! complete with sides and dessert.
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Let me start this review by saying that I have been to Spain and I am quite familiar with traditional Spanish cuisine -- when I was in Spain I did nothing but eat regional dishes cooked by locals and traditional restaurants for two weeks. Never EVER, in a million-billion years, did I ever think that I could find Spanish cuisine that came anywhere close here in the States. Chez Garces certainly proved me wrong.
Garces is Spanish, so these are true Spanish tapas -- very few Latin American twists to the traditional recipes. You'll find tapas and wine from all regions in Spain -- of which I sampled on my last visit to Amada. Tapas from Catalan, Segovia, Toledo, Madrid and wonderful wines from each region to compliment every bite.
Every detail of your meal is thought out -- right down to the sparkling water... Absolutely check this place out if you haven't -- it is a MUST-go when you're in Philly.
Yes... I'm giving this place 5 stars because it was exactly what I needed...
I had had the longest of long days. I was in town producing a Rocky Parade. That's right - a parade of 1000 Rockys. Followed by a celebration of Rocky on the plaza of the Philadelphia Museum of Art... So - after putting in a 10 hour work day on a Sunday, I wanted to treat myself to a nice meal. How to find such a place when 2000 miles from home? With the Yelp...
The walk over took me right past the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall, a great bonus for an out-of-towner.
When I arrived there WAS a homeless, pantless man sitting outside, but I choose to not blame the restaurant for that!!!
Food was stellar... The only middling reviews I've seen on here are from people who ordered sampling dinners, then ended up with some stuff they didn't like... Well - order what you like then!! All of the dishes I had were complex without being overwhelming. And, contrary to how I normally consume food when alone, I took my time and savored every bite.
Thanks for the great meal, Amada. Open up in LA!
A while ago, we decided to go to Amada practically on a whim. Being responsible adults, we called ahead and asked for a reservation. Apparently it takes at least 3 weeks to get reservations to Amada at a normal hour (between 6:30pm and 9pm)...
So we waited 3 weeks and gradually I managed to built my expectation to a point where they were not even through the roof, but in some distant universe... Watching Chef Garces on the Next Iron Chef, did not help with the anticipation and growing expectations at all...
Finally the day has come and we went to Amada. I was deadly afraid, as I know myself - if I have high expectations it's almost impossible to meet them, 'specially if I was building'em up for 3 weeks.
Once we entered, the place was nice - well decorated and totally inviting. As we were a little early, we set at the bar and had a drink. The drinks were good and the scent of cured meats was almost intoxicating. Few minutes later we got seated and ordered $55 Chef Selection of tapas.
It was a feast. I don't know how anyone can actually finish the entire thing. Almost everything we got was amazing and somehow managed to exceed my expectations.
Tuna salad with was really good, though if you don't like mayo, it might not be for you..
Cheese platter was out of this world, especially (I believe) Cabrales with a dip that sort of reminded of Nutella, but obviously was not.
The sardines were okay, rather the fish was really good, but I was not a big fan of the sauce or whatever they were served in.
Salad with asparagus, favas, avocado was amazing. Personally, I think there should be just a bit more cheese, as once you put the cheese with the greens, it made it taste THAT much better... but it was still great..
Spanish Flatbread with shortribs, horseradish and bacon left me speechless...
Lamb chops were really, really good...
Wild mushrooms were even better...
I can go on and on with each specific dish, but I guess it would be easier to say that with each bite there was an explosion of taste and apparently I have taste buds that I was never aware of, probably in places that should not even have taste buds and each one of these newly found taste buds was totally enjoying the bacchanalia of superior taste...
I'm not even ashamed of admitting that I went because I'm totally rooting for Jose Garces on the Next Iron Chef (God, I hope he wins), but that is completely besides the point. This place is not only surprisingly and simply gorgeous inside, but the menu is perfect. Everything we ordered tasted fantastic. The tapas dishes we were familiar with had a great little twist to them, and the ones we never heard of before were so inventive and exciting to eat. I can't wait to go back.
Loved the relaxed and classy ambiance! I ate at the bar with a friend and we found seats fairly quickly at 8:30pm on a Saturday night. Eating and drinking at Amada really did remind me of eating at this one particular restaurant in Barcelona, so that was great and set the stage. I ended up only drinking the blanco sangria and it was good - light and sweet. I highly recommend the fried green peppers (they were not spicy, although I would have preferred them to be slightly so), spiced octopus, any one of their flatbreads, olives, salads, and selection of cheeses/meats. Loved everything I tried - including the rice pudding dessert that was both sweet and tangy.
Pretty solid. Everything was tasty, and I love tapas so much I don't think I could be unhappy with Amada.
That being said, everything was really rich. I might be in the minority, but I like it when a meal includes vegetables, not just meat and cheese and starch. We ordered some of the vegetable-based tapas, like the fava beans, but those were not very good. It's not too hard to make something taste good by piling on oil and cheese (and serrano ham and chorizo...mmm....), but making vegetables taste that good takes a little more work. But I sympathize with restaurants on this- no one makes a name for themselves for having amazing sauteed spinach.
But anyways. Everything else was very tasty, and they had some very nice cocktails as well.
Food was incredible. Went for the restaurant week menu with 2 pals and we each got something different to take down the menu. Top-of-mind delights: scallops, shrimp flatbread, truffled asparagus with poached egg, wild mushrooms. Also the chorizo and garlic shrimp appetizers were delicious (even better than the serrano ham - which was unfortunately doused with oil).
Be warned that you'll walk away smelling heavily of food. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing :)
Pleasantly Surprised!
In town on business...I was told we were dining at a restaurant that takes a week to get a reservation! I am a little fearful of eating at the most popular place in town as the service and quality of the food is at its weakest!
Good atmosphere for an early dinner....small restaurant....noisy but "alive". Decor is traditional with a modern edge to it.
As for the food...The tasting menu is a great idea. The chef choices on the menu give you a wide range of dishes. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about the food and wine they serve.
I've been to Amada many times over the year. I would say it is one of the best tapas. However, with my recent dinner visit I got a major stomach flu which I'm still recovering (4 days). I may have to think about going back again.
Ya know, I came here by myself for restaurant week. I left feeling like a beach whale. I'm always surprised how stuffed one can get with eating tapas style.
I really liked the decor of this place. I can't really remember the things I ordered but I'll try to list them
-Olives (yeah love these)
-shrimp in garlic sauce -uhmmm scrhimps...lol
I got some of the flat bread items. I didn't like the one with the pull pork...the sauce had a bitter aftertaste that I didn't appreciate. Then I got something else that i forgot. ..oh yea some fish something. didn't really like it...I was really scared it wasn't cooked all the way. I hate raw meat/fish.
My dessert was tasty. Not the best but it was good.
man I was stufffffedddd. Glad to have finally tried this place.
Being that this is the restaurant of the moment in Philly, I felt surprised and lucky to get same-day reservation for four last Friday night. So thanks to OpenTable for that! We had a great dinner with some delicious Spanish tapas, white wines, and all the eye candy offered by Philly's most beautiful-people scene.
Pros
-Great location and restaurant layout. Really cool space, with a large, mood-lit bar in one room then a brighter, airy dining room. Check out the river rocks on the floor.
-Excellent food - the seared tuna was excellent, as were the vegetable dishes - garbanzo beans, asparagus with poached egg, and a julienned vegetable ravioli which might have been the star of the show.
-Service was professional, friendly, prompt and helpful by dint of anticipating needs like new silverware between courses.
Cons (quibbles, really)
-Wine - mostly Spanish stuff, which I'm not as keen on, but we got a not very good Viognier that tasted kind of like soapy water for $45/bottle.
-Cheese - great cheeses dot the menu, so we tried a few and then realized they all come out in the same paint-by-numbers arrangement of a 3 wedges of the cheese (3 wedges, when we had 4 diners isn't a cool move), a stack of sliced apples and a cup of flavor (jam or whatever). I'd like to see some more out of the box thinking.
-Dolla' dolla' bills yo! (But what were you expecting?)
A friend and I had the top tier chef's tapas tasting menu ($65 each) and the second tier chefs wine tasting menu ($20).
I really wanted to love this place based both on recommendations from friends and the hype surrounding chef Jose Garces. Maybe I set my expectations to high, but I was really disappointed. For a place that prides itself on top notch food and wine (with a hefty price tag to match), Amada succeeds in kitchen execution but fails in final touches and flavor pairing.
The food looked gorgeous. The ingredients were fresh and top notch. The meat/fish in every dish was cooked perfectly. The hands in the kitchen obviously have skills.
The problem was that they ruined most dishes by finishing everything too liberally with either some type of oil or a rich sauce. The meal started heavy and just got heavier as it progressed. The excitement for our courses left to come was overshadowed by the fear that our stomachs couldn't handle the richness of it all. I expect a good chef to better understand the balance between heavy and light... especially when you pay them good money to pair it on your behalf. While each course had a stand out item, they didn't always fit together that well. Our last course was 3 dishes which were all drowning in the same finishing oil?!?! Any difference in flavor we could have experience there was completely lost.
The other downside (I admit that I might be a little too picky here) was that the wine wasn't served in the appropriate glassware. They have a killer wine list, but It was all served in the same small/medium sized wine glass. Good wine benefits from the appropriate glass and I would also expect a good chef to emphasize this in the meal. It's subtle, sure, but that subtly is what often takes food from average to amazing.
I don't plan on returning. It wasn't worth the expense. If you go, I certainly wouldn't do a chef's selection. You could probably have a decent meal if you choose each item yourself.
Act II, Scene 3.
(Setting: Brad's apartment. BUDDAKAN is sitting in the dark at a desk stage right. The clock reads 1:35AM. BRAD enters.)
BUDDAKAN - Where were you tonight?(Turns on light)
BRAD - Hey. I thought you were in AC this weekend. What are-
BUDDAKAN - Where the hell were you?! If I have to ask again then I'm leaving.
BRAD - Jake and I went to the pool hall.
BUDDAKAN - I spoke to Jake's wife an hour ago. He's in Seattle you goddamned liar!
BRAD - Oh dammit. (Aside)I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to say I was at Amada. I didn't want to say that the piquillos rellenos(crab-stuffed peppers) were prepared to perfection and tasted exactly like you'd imagine something to taste if it was made with an ancient technique, guarded by the lives of its keepers through the generations.
BUDDAKAN - Hey, ok. I came on a little strong.
BRAD - (Aside)I didn't want to say that the garlic shrimp was probably the best shrimp I've ever tasted.
BUDDAKAN - Look, I'm sorry that I yelled but I want an answer.
BRAD - (Aside) Amada had spanish flatbread with artichoke, wild mushroom, black truffles, and manchego. It tastes better than it sounds like it should. Their rabbit sausage was unique and I'm now in love with Sheep Cheese Cavatelli, which I'd never had before. It was...I can't hide it anymore.
BUDDAKAN - Brad?
BRAD - Fine. I was at Amada.
BUDDAKAN - Oh God! What did you have?!
BRAD -Atun w/ potato salad/black olive puree and calamari.
BUDDAKAN - How was it?
BRAD - The potato salad and calamari didn't blow me away.
BUDDAKAN - Was the tuna good?
BRAD - Extremely.(BUDDAKAN begins to cry). Hey its ok. You can't be the only one for my extravagant dinners and special events.
BUDDAKAN- But Amada is Tapas! You always make crude jokes about Tapas places because you're a big guy and need food and-
BRAD - Yes...I know, but this time it was worth the absurd price. I was actually happy with the wide variety of flavors I was able to try.
BUDDAKAN - (wiping tears from her eyes)You'll come back to me won't you? I'll do better next time. Those Jose Garces places keep trying to steal you away, but you're still mine right?
BRAD - Of course(They embrace).
Exeunt.
(The clock now reads 3:04. BRAD enters in bathrobe and pours himself a glass of water from the sink.)
BRAD- I lied. She knew I was lying, but didn't care. I love both Amada and Buddakan and both of them understand that I need diversity. Variety is the spice of life that helps me forget, even for just a little while, that I will one day become dust.
(End Scene.)
Really, really disappointing. We ordered the Chef's tasting menu and were let down by dish after dish of varying levels of mediocrity. Let's see if I can remember:
0. Flatbread with tuna dip (on the house): tasted like the tuna fish sandwich my mom used to make. Not a bad thing, but I never paid this much money for something that tastes like Chicken of the Sea.
1. Oyster shooters: just plain weird. But admittedly, I'm not a fan of oysters.
2. Cheeses, spreads and bread: Okay. There was a nice honey-truffle oil that was actually pretty good. The other two were duds.
3. Salad of a bunch of stuff, all green: This was ok, but nothing special.
(at this point, my wife and I were still pretending to like what we were eating. We were, after all, celebrating our one-month anniversary.)
4. Calamari: Very lightly breaded calamari with mayo-based dipping sauce. I like the fact that it was lightly breaded, but man, this was one of the most bland calamari dishes I've ever had.
5. Spanish flatbread with cheese and tomato: Pretty good, but between this and Domino's thin-crust, it's a toss-up.
6. Lamb meat balls: These were pretty good. The meatballs were cooked medium rare in a brown beef-stroganoff-like sauce. I wouldn't choose this if I were ordering, but it was still a nice dish.
(At this point, my wife and I stopped pretending to like the food and just started laughing. We thought it was tragically comic that over halfway through a $55/person tasting menu, we hadn't yet been served a serious meat dish).
7. Seared Tuna, Potato Salad, Black Olive Puree: Again, nothing special.
8. Chorizo: Jimmy Dean!
9. Sauteed Mushrooms in Truffle Oil: These were excellent. For me, the highlight of the menu. Several different types of mushrooms in truffle oil.
10. Rack of lamb. Again, just ok. We had two chops, one of which was seared nicely. The other one reminded me of the many times I've tried broiling a steak, yet just wasn't able to achieve the crusty layer. I don't like eating my own culinary mishaps, so you can guess how I felt about eating someone else's.
To me, a good tasting menu should introduce you to a few dishes that you'd order on your own. With this in mind, Amada was an utter failure.
Oh well. I guess you know you've found the right person when the two of you can laugh about how abominably disappointing your one-month anniversary dinner was. At least I can thank Amada for showing me that.
Wanted to take advantage of the last night of Restaurant Week. We gambled on finding a spot at the bar and snagged the last two spots. $35 per person got us enough food to feed four people. Thumbs up for the ensalada verde (a huge mountain of asparagus, avacado, fava and green beans) and the scallops. Oh man, the scallops. These rival the best. Grilled and skewered and drizzled with a ridiculous parsley sauce (I realize it's probably not the parsley that provided the flavor, but it's sticking in my head for some reason).
Not so thrilled with the chickpeas and spinach (tons of paprika give this an overpowering smoked flavor) although the bartender did warn me about this upfront. The bartender was attentive and knowledgeable and very understanding when we accidentally ate someone else's beef brochettes - oops.
The red sangria was notable and strong and poured from barrels lining the wall behind the bar. The watermelon and basil sangria was a little to sweet, though I admire the attempt at the combination.
Overall, very happy with Garces' flagship.
Round 2: Amada vs. Mari. Ding ding ding!!!
Amada doesn't stand a chance. Mari's last visit involved mediocre food and Amada went down with an easy one, two punch. Tonight, she's brought her cynicism and disdain to keep her thinking straight. Amada has to make a significant effort if he thinks he's going to win.
Amada quickly throws a round of Farmhouse beers at Mari. Good move, Amada. Get her in a euphoric state so she can't leave unsatisfied. Her gaurd's clearly down but Mari's no lightweight. His strategy continues with a Cana de Cabra cheese plate. The cheese has got her melting like butter on a skillet. That's right, the heat is on.
It looks like it's going to be a tough match for Mari. He punches out a garbanzo beans and spinach dish... but, wait.. Mari's ducked and the beans are a miss! Undercooked garbanzo's and sparse spinach has got her critical eye back in the game!!
Amada's scheming something big. He's doing some fancy footwork- and bangs out a Madre E Hijo chicken dish!! Very unexpected. And it doesn't look like he's done yet. A shrimp and chorizo flatbread! Mari's not looking so good... Her eyes are starting to roll back and drool is slipping down her chin. Was it the climactic egg yolk breaking over the chicken generously sprinkled with truffles? Perhaps the fusion of the perfectly cooked shrimp and spices on her crispy flatbread! Either way, the pressure's wearing her down.
She's barely hangin in there. She's losing focus.. And.. Amada's hurled a rice pudding with blackberry compote dessert onto the table!!! Where'd that come from?! Thick and creamy, not too heavy, very unique. He's got her swaying in her seat!
One... Two... Three! That's it! She's down! She won't get up!!!
She can't get off her stool.
Good fight, Amada!!! He knew he had to bring his A-game to gain some respect and he did. Tonight, Amada's won Mari over.
When I go to trendy restaurants I try to order the exotic dishes on the menu, but less than a week… Read more »
I don't eat here nearly enough. I wish it were in my neighborhood so i could hit it way more often. It still stands as the only place in Philly that i've found that makes my favorite Spanish dessert: Crema Catalan.
I mean the rest of the meal was amazing, but when i first saw that dessert on the menu, it took me back to my time in Spain. For a restaurant to be able to do that is pretty special.
Another time we had a bday dinner there with a large party, and the guy who arranged it contacted the chef and they provided an AMAZING feast with entree after entree after entree of just ridiculously good food. Just so so so so good.
Il y a quelque chose absolument délicieuse et on peut la découvrir chez Amada. This place is capable of making your taste-buds swoon and your mouth speak in romantic foreign tongues. It's that good. Franchement.
We arrived early in order to avoid any crowds and it paid off. We were seated in the very comfortable and intimate lounge area in the back. It definitely offers a better mood setting in comparison to the other parts of the close quartered dining area. The only peculiar aspect was the seat cushions sank really, really deep. I'm not a short guy by any means and I literally looked like a five year old at the table. So make sure you prop yourself up on two or three pillows, especially all you little hobbits out there.
Service was eggscellent. Our waitress, Shelly, kept a watchful eye on our table but was far from intrusive. She was friendly, warm and offered knowledgeable recommendations.
The food was, how shall I say, merveilleux. All plates were elegantly presented and were little beauties to be admired, relished and then savored. In that exact order, s'il vous plaît.
We studied the extensive menu, debated and ordered as such:
1) Amada's Empanada - piping hot and executed perfectly
2) Sardinas Curadas - rich tasting, but a tad weak in flavor
3) Chipirones a la Romana - succulent and spicy
4) Patatas Bravas - someone please smack me, no wait, I don't want to wake up
5) Gambas Con Garbanzos - wow. period.
6) Revuelto - if ever there was a perfect wet dream involving food, this would be in it
We finished the meal with a surprise dessert - arroz con leche. I could have passed out from this devilishly delicious finale. It was sublime!! This was a thoroughly phenomenal dining experience. Just about every bite was a flavor explosion and I washed it all down with my lusciously refreshing blanco sangria.
Amada mio
When we're together
I'm in a dream world
Of sweet delight
Amada - you're dreamy.
Man, I'm so disappointed. I came here for the 3rd time and finally had the mid range tasting menu. It was not worth what we paid and didn't even come with dessert!
The main problems: no beef (no beef??) dishes, too much truffle oil served with too many of the dishes, dishes arrived sparingly for the first 3-4 courses, then suddenly all at once, as if they'd forgotten about us.
I think you're better off ordering what you want from the menu. Service as always was great.
Wonderful restaurant but I have to knock off some stars because the portions were so very… Read more »
Though I've done my fair share of "restaurant tourism," (since I can't afford to actually travel all over the world at the moment), I had yet to go to a tapas place. So when my partner-in-crime got the idea in her head that she really wanted a salad with figs and piscuitto in it, who was I to argue?
We sat outside, because we weren't really dressed for the occasion inside, it was a nice night, and there seemed to be a fair amount of douchebaggery afoot. As I've said in previous reviews, I'm a misanthrope so take that as no slight against this particular restaurant.
We ordered the fig and piscuitto salad, a white bean and ham soup, an olive plate, and rabbit sausage with chanterelle mushrooms. We also shared a watermelon and basil sangria.
The salad was probably the stand out best. The gorgonzola cheese was incredibly intense (a good thing), paired well with the figs, piscuitto, and almonds. Based on the intensity of the flavors, they probably could've been a bit more sparing with the oil but it was still damn tasty. The olives were diverse and tasty, the rabbit sausage was good and had a kick, though there was something slightly lacking about the sauce. Like it had kick but not enough substance. The soup was rustic and tasty but also a little flat in flavor- possibly just because it was being compared to the gorgonzola.
I feel like there are probably better tapas places in existence, and the atmosphere, though nice is a tad on the pretentious side- but it's a damn tasty meal all the same.
I just went here for the first time tonight for an anniversary :) it was the best meal i've ever had at a restaurant.
i had the beer tasting menu, and i know that i limited myself by not liking fish, but they cater to your likes and dislikes, it's amazing.
the service is wonderful, everyone is so kind, explaining every meal to you... but lets get down to the highlights:
MERGUEZ.
CHEESE PLATE.
CHICKEN
SALAD
LAMB
SAUSAGE
(the one thing i didn't like was the green bean almondine)
oh wait. that was my whole meal. please, everyone, have a sincere visit here because it was so wonderful.
Close to a four stars. I guess I'm in the minority, but I found this place simply "good".
We've been here a handful of times and the service is alright. The food is very thoughtful and well presented. We've had almost everything from the salad with beans (very good), to the baby squid, the spicy potatos, to the flatbreads, the sardines, the vegetarian eggplant dish, the grilled scallops, the ham croquettes, to the squid pasta dish. All were good, but more than a couple dishes were doused in oil and very heavily salted. Even the salad (which I requested they hold the dressing) was oiled down, with the dressing on the side.. odd.
I'll be back again, but perhaps not first on my list.
Sunday night was the 45th birthday of a friend, so we celebrated here. Commuting in from the burbs was definitely worth it. The atmosphere is romantic and authentic, the food delicious, and the service was terrific. Tapas is one of my favorite ways to eat - sampling from the vast array of plates that were delivered with speed and gusto - aromatic, flavorful, and unique. The mixto of meats and cheeses were divine, as was the shrimp flatbread. We also shared the lamb chops which were perfectly done and palate lollipops. We will certainly be back. Also do not miss the white sangria - yummy!
Ohhh Amada, how I love thee. Amada is like a precious pearl that is a very rare find. After living in nyc for over a year, I have not found a place as delicious and wonderful as my beloved...despite searching far and wide! In fact, Amada is top on my list of places to visit on a short trip back to Philly. Considered I lived in Philly for 21 years and spent the latter years exploring the increasingly impressive restaurant scene, that is something to write home about! Whether you live in Philly or strolling through for a long weekend, Amada is as essential a visit as the liberty bell!
I was here once last year and once this year and each time the service was appalling. Service during my first visit was arrogant and this past time deserves a whole explanation.
My mother and I were seated at 8:25pm for 8:00 reservation on a Thursday night. We had a drink at the bar while waiting which should have been comped but was not. It took nearly 10 minutes for the server to come to our table, which are very uncomfortable because if you are sitting on the wall side your neck will be close to table height. When our server finally did come by our table she was not knowledgeable and her clothes and breath smelt like cigarettes. As someone who's worked in many restaurants I am 100% positive she was taught to mint after a smoke before returning to a table. The service itself was adequate but far from friendly.
If I never had Spanish food in Spain I'd probably really enjoy this place. I know tapas are bold and unrefined but the tapas at Amada are to heavy with butter, oil and garlic. Grilled dishes such as lamb are very good. A salmon with a foam was also very good.
If you order the chef's menu you will not believe how much you'll get. I cannot say whether or not I will ever be back at Amada. If I ever do come back it may be at the bar to escape the downfalls of the service and I'd certainly not order any tapas.
We visited this restaurant on a Sunday afternoon at 4 pm for an early dinner.
Super ambiance, very attentive helpful staff and top quality food.
I would qualify the food here as a sort of 'nouveau cuisine tapas'.
Prices are steep, but worth it, like on average $11 for a glass of wine and tapas at $9 to $14 each.
I'm often suspicious of small plates and tapas restaurants--one can often spend a lot and still leave hungry. But that's not the case here. Amada is phenomenal. Here are the highlights:
Knowledgeable, attentive, and accommodating staff.
Delicious food. The tuna and yellowtail are works of art.
They pay as much attention to booze as the food. Great beer selection, refreshing sangria, and some of the best cocktails in the city (especially the Matador).
It's a fun scene. The front is always lively and the lounge (though still busy) manages to be romantic and intimate. And it's entertaining to sit at the counter and watch some of the prep.
My only complaint is that it can be too busy so you have to wait even with a reservation; but something this good is bound to be this popular.
A unique experience - never been to a tapas restaurant before!
Atmosphere was pretty nice, simply decorated though I was surprised how small the restaurant is. Our waitress was ok - she seemed to rush us and she kept pushing me to get the watermelon sangria instead of the other white wine one so I got the watermelon one and it was...OK. Oh and it must be coincidence that it was more expensive.
When they say that the tapas are small, they mean it. Our waitress convinced us to order more tapas than what we originally picked (I see consistency here...) but we did end up full. We liked how the tapas came out one at a time so it gave us time to digest.
I highly recommend the beef short ribs, the shrimp/mushroom wild eggs and the garlic shrimp. I was excited about the potatoes from the reviews but they were ok. My mom didn't like most of the food because a lot of it was salty. For dessert, the sorbet and chocolate was pretty good. My mom liked that...there was no salt in it! HA!
No idea what the check was since it was a birthday dinner gift for me. However I have a feeling that it was quite high because we had to order so many plates. It was good for the experience and the food was great and the servers who came out with the dishes were better than our waitress. Just a tad bit less salt and less pushiness and we're good to go.
A wonderful restaurant if you get the chance to eat here. Just a few notes its very crowded, the tables are tight and its quite loud in the restaurant. A few times I couldn't hear the waiter ask us a question.
We had the 10 course tasting menu.
- Crispy Flatbread with a tuna salad mixture.
- 3 cheeses
- Mixed Salad
- Oyster Spoons
- Cane Sugar Scallop Kebabs
- Lamb Meatballs
- Lamb Shank
- Kidney bean compote
- Squid Compote
I forgot the 10th item, but with so many tasty treats its easy to forget.
Enough said. Brilliant!
Decor:4
Food:5
Service:4
Would I go back? You bet your pastrami I would!
I came down to Philly for the weekend and this was my first stop.
We ordered (in order of enjoymen) (1.grilled octupus, 1.5. pitcher of sangria, 2. short rib flatbread, 3. serrano ham and fig salad 4. olives 5. pernil 7. grilled shrimp)
Everything was delish and our waiter was awesome. I LOVE this place and will definitely be back....
Love this place! Came here on a weekend trip in May for a wedding. Having gone to school in Philly, I always love coming back for the city's culinary treasures. This was our first time at Amada and we will definitely be back! (luckily, another Philly wedding in September. Heehee :)
The food was amazing. Hubby and I did the $65 chef's tasting and I think there must have been a dozen or more dishes. All the dishes were just bursting with flavor and character. Everything was delicious but some of the unexpected standouts include an olive caramel dip that came with the cheese plate. I'm normally not an olives fan but that was delicious and perfect with the manchego. The asparagus with poached egg on top was surprisingly good too- never had asparagus so perfectly cooked. Each spear had a "gentle" crispness to it and just this very subtle natural sweetness. Yum! So many dishes so little room in my stomach to enjoy it all.
The only complaint we had was the portion (too big!) and pacing of the dishes. We didnt know how many in all there would be and they brought dishes out in clusters of ~3. About 8 courses in, the "main" courses started coming out and we were already stuffed! Broke my heart to not be able to do the rest justice (so perhaps a 4.5 rating is more appropriate.. but who's counting?). Love love love the food!!
My favorite restaurant in the city.
Wonderful tapas and amazing sangria. The flatbread pizzas are out of this world. With four restaurants in the city, Jose Garces, is quickly becoming one of my favorite chefs not only in Philadelphia but the country. I can only describe this as exceptional. Would highly recommend, especially for a great date night!
We ate here during restaurant week, so maybe that caused the lack of quality, however counterintuitive I think that might be.
The service seemed rushed, we received a wrong plate, the manchego cheese tasted like it sat out for quite awhile, I received that feeling from some of the bread too, the truffle aioli was lacking truffle, and one of the flat-breads was burnt.
That being said, the decor was lovely, the honey lavender sauce was amazing as was the beef flat-bread, local mushrooms and ham croquettes; albeit they go a tad heavy on the salt for me. Out of 15 plates, those were the only worth mentioning, the rest were plain dull.
Our waitress (when we saw her) was helpful and polite which was greatly appreciated, seeing as how the host was borderline mean.
If my experience was representative of their everyday foods, I doubt I will be going back, my money is better spent at Tinto which has many less flops.
This place is AMAZING!! I highly recommend trying the arroz de langota, hiramasa, ensalada verde, and garbanzos con espincas. Every single dish we (a group of 8) ordered was fresh and absolutely delicious. Definitely try the Matador (ginger and bourbon). As for the service and atmosphere: excellent. You will not be disappointed.
I love Amada! It's very vibrant and lots of attractive people. Their sangrias are so delicious. I like both the blanco and tinto. I haven't tried their new sangria w/ watermelon yet. I like the mix cheese. Most of the tapas i've tried were really good. I really liked the garlic shrimp.
It's packed and loud and good! Very very good! From the appetizers to the hot "small plates," to the dessert (which we ordered twice) the food is some of the best in the city. Servers are attentive without being overbearing. The decor is appropriate. Pricey but worth it.
Food: 5/5
Drinks: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Decor: 4/5
Bang 4 the $: 4/5
Must try: Leche Frita
Will come back: Yes
This place is amazing! We had the garlic shrimp, octopus, calamari, jamon serrano, flatbreads and the portions were plenty. We went during restaurant week and I thought maybe 4 tapas wouldn't be enough for each person. It was more than enough and there was plenty. The sangria is unique, I like the white more than the red. The white sangria had fresh pears/apples/rosemary while the red had fruit and cinnamon. I've been to tapas in Spain and to Jaleo in DC and this place is quite authentic. I can't wait to go back. Everyone loved the food in my party. The service was quick and our drinks were always filled.
I went to Amada on Tuesday with some people from work. I had been to Tinto, Chifa, Disitro - now I had to visit Amada.
The next best thing to the food there was the fact that my boss picked up the check :)
So the place doesn't look like much from the outside but inside it is nice. The staff was great about going over everything on the menu.
Cheese Dishes:
Aged Manchego with Truffled Lavender Honey -- Incredible.
Baked Goat Cheese/w Tomato Basil - Never ate goat cheese before -was okay
Salad:
Serrano Ham and Fig Salad - very tasty
Tapas:
Shrimp and Wild Mushroom Shirred Eggs w/ Truffled Toast - AMAZING!
Spicy Potatoes -nice smokey taste
Flat Bread:
Duck Confit, Serrano Ham w/ Date Glaze - yummmm
Carnes:
Chicken Breast with fried egg and trufles. - Another one to die for
All was great -- I would recommend this to anyone - I enjoyed the flavors and the fun of it all.
An elite restaurant that exemplifies why I love to go to eat. Perfect execution, great service and a beautiful interior are the reasons why Amada might be the best restaurant in Philadelphia.
I went here for dinner on 12-April. This was one of the top 3 dining experiences I have ever had. The flavors weren't the boldest I have ever had but the way each component blended together showed great synergism. Each dish was clearly well thought out and planned. Everything on the plate worked together. The pork belly had a crispy skin that complimented the nice fatty aspect of the pork. The lamb chops were perfectly grilled. The chickpea dish tasted like a good summer BBQ with little crispy skins on the chick peas. The sangria was the best I have had at any restaurant.
The servers were very professional. This is a HUGE asset to a place that serves food that some people might not be accustomed to.
I can't wait to go back to Amada. Best restaurant I have been to in Philly!
My boyfriend and I tried Amada for the first time last September for a special occasion. The location itself is prime realty in Old City, and the interior is unlike anything I've ever seen.
We ordered five different items from the menu along with a pitcher of sangria. The food was beautifully prepared and the timing of the courses was perfect. Each course was two or three bites per person and just the right amount. The sangria was delicious, and our waiter was attentive.
The only drawback to this wonderful place is the actual space that they have inside the restaurant. It is not a big location to begin with, and they have crammed more tables in than necessary. Sliding into the booth side of the 2-tops that are lined up is uncomfortable to say the least when you are almost on top of the couple next to you. A little more spacing would do everyone, including the waiters, some good.
I am looking forward to my next meal at Amada. It's definitely not a place that you could go every week for dinner - the whole experience is just that, an experience. It is a little pricey and best saved for a special occasion.
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
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