A rather disappointing experience....I've heard that Garces' restaurants are really good and Garces is a celebrity chef so we had high hopes. The start was ok; we got our jamon iberico and cheese plates fairly quickly. But then our flatbread was canceled because the oven broke per our server; then all of the other tapas came out more than 30 minutes afterwards. Then the kitchen forgot about our diver scallops and wild mushrooms. The server even commented that the kitchen was disorganized. Toward the end of the meal, our mushrooms never came so we canceled it. The only memorable tapa was the pulpo gallego. The octopus was tender and not rubbery at all. It was a tad salty....full of flavor. We won't be going back though for the slow and inattentive service for a high-priced restaurant. read more

Most amazing Tuna dip and pork ever. Unreal atmosphere. Wow! Wine list was awesome and shrimp and garlic rock! Went again yesterday for lunch! The food is amazing and I love the service and atmosphere! read more

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Have been going here periodically since around when it opened. Amada is a Philly Classic at this point, and really kind of marked the end of the Stephen Starr era (at least in terms of its height) in Philly. Generally is recommended you get 3-5 small plates, or a large plate with a couple of small plates (I usually use the former approach). Service experience is very good, although food can be slow to come out when it's crowded, which is almost always. Seafood is better at Oloroso overall compared with here, but overall, there is a much greater diversity of dishes here with more small plates options. Tapas style and food preparation is more traditional at Amada, so if you are looking for a very traditional preparation, I'd go here. Recommended dishes (warning long!): Cured Meats: Chorizo Pamplona, Serrano Ham, Jamon Iberico, Mixto Cheeses: Garrotxa and Aged Manchego Traditional Tapas: Tortilla Española, Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus), Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp), Croqutas de Bacalao (salt cod croquettes), Datiles con Almendras (Bacon wrapped dates), Boquerones (white anchovies), Piquillos Rellenos (Peppers stuffed with Crabs), Olives, Revuelto (shirred eggs and shrimp), Albondigas (lamb meatballs), Habas a la Catalana (fava bean salad) Salads and Soups: Ensalada Verde, Ensalada de Jamon, Tuna Salad, Caldo Gallego Spanish Flatbreads: Alcachofas y Setas (artichokes, mushrooms, and truffles), Costillas de Ternera (beef short ribs) Vegetables: Calcots con Salbitxada (Grilled green onions), Escalivada (roast peppers and eggplant), Queso de Cabra (Goat cheese), Empanada (spinach, manchego cheese, and artichoke), Esparagos con Trufas (Grilled asparagus and truffles) From the Grill (a la Plancha): Shrimp, Scallops, Chorizo, Lobster, Calamari, Setas (mushrooms), Lamb Chops Meats (Carnes): Madre e Hijo (Chicken breast with fried egg and truffles), Pernil Asado (roast pork and white beans) Enspecialidades de la Casa: Lobster Paella, Paella Valenciana, Suckling Pig (must reserve 72 hours in advance) Sandwich (lunch only): Vegetarian Postres (Desserts): Crema Catalana or Chocolate. read more

I brought my boyfriend here to celebrate his birthday and overall had a good experience. The service we got from our waiter was just OK. He was really nice and brought out a dessert with a candle at the end but it was difficult finding him for most of our meal. Still, the food was amazing - I highly recommend the arroz temporado - and atmosphere is very rustic and laid back. Would definitely come back here for another meal! read more

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I've been to Amada twice now and everything has been amazing. I first came for restaurant week and it was an amazing deal. My friends and I got the cheese plate as one of our first appetizers and the sides that come with the cheese were the best part. The lavender truffle honey is so good. We also got the shrimp (so buttery and garlicky and good) and calamari. I can't remember what else we had, but I was so impressed with the service and the amount/quality of food you got for the restaurant week price. I then returned to Amada for brunch this past weekend and it did not disappoint. I opted out of the brunch special and decided to just get the tapas I wanted. We got the cheese plate (once again amazing and the hazelnut spread that was clearly homemade was one of the highlights), we had the anchovies (delicious and presented beautifully), the garlic shrimp (again didn't disappoint), the Spanish tortilla (was just ok nothing special), the calamari (fairly good not amazing though), and the potatas bravas, which were slightly disappointing since this is a Spanish restaurant. The potatas bravas weren't cooked evenly (some were more done than others) and there wasn't enough of the sauce to eat with the whole potato. Overall though, I loved my experience. Most of the tapas are amazing and they have such a large selection. I will definitely be back! Also don't miss out on the cheese plate! read more

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I really enjoyed my experience at Amada. I visited for a friend's birthday during Happy Hour and was very pleased with my drinks and tapas! The beer and mixed drinks ranged in price from $5 - 8 and the tapas were $5 each. We tried 4 varieties of tapas and they were all delicious! I was with a friend who was a vegetarian, and there were plenty of meatless options that we all enjoyed. I am excited to go back for another happy hour! read more

Horrible customer service. Bad attitude from the staff. We went for dinner years ago and it was nice then but this time either the management changed or something happened. My rating is 0 for the service , the food we didn't try it because of the rudeness of the staff read more

The tapas were all delicious except some of them were so ridiculously salty. The green beans were good but we couldn't finish them because of the salt level. The seared tuna was perfect and the cocktails were very good too. For their high end signature cocktails ($14-16) they could probably use a better bourbon than Jim Beam but they were good nonetheless. I would five star this restaurant if they just toned down the salt on a few of the tapas. read more

Overall Value: We came for a birthday dinner for my mom, and splurged on a really nice dinner. The food was fantastic, but it gets a bit too pricey for dinner for my frugal tastes. That said, they threw in a bunch of free dishes and the service was amazing, but I'll probably still limit myself to restaurant week (which is a 5-star value) and lunch in the future. The Food: High quality tapas at a high price. I'll just give blurbs about each to keep it short (-ish), in the order of what we enjoyed most. Pernil Asado ($18): OMG the crispy skin on this pork. It's a must get. Super fatty in all the right ways, and perfectly balanced by the white beans/arugula to cut some of the richness. Empanada ($12): Oh my, a surprise hit! I almost didn't even bother ordering this, and we ended up getting a double order. The super crispy shell with the incredibly flavorful interior (spinach, manchego, artichoke) was amazing - best empanada I have ever had. Manchego ($9): I could drown in that truffled lavender honey. Chorizo ($10): two skewers of 3 pieces each come in an order, and we got two orders. Very bold flavors in the grilled chorizo - my mom wasn't a fan even though she normally likes chorizo, but my wife and I really enjoyed it. Mixto of cured meats ($17): I love spanish cured meats. I'm a little spoiled because you can get a whole package of acorn-fed Iberico in Spain for like $5, but we aren't in Spain, and this brought back good memories. Garlic Shrimp ($12): Very garlicky and flavorful, and served with bread which is great to soak up the garlic oil goodness. Pinxtos de pollo ($15): Good flavor on the chicken and crispy sweet breads, although the rice was a bit bland (didn't really get much saffron). Huevos rotos ($11): Interesting that they use potato chips for this. Good flavor combination but maybe a bit too salty with the serrano and chips without enough else to balance it out. Croquetas de jamon ($7): Super crispy exterior and flavorful. An old standby for tapas. Patatas bravas ($7): I think I enjoyed the lunch version of these more, where it is more like fries with the spicy sauce. These were good, but the dinner version is more of a small bite. I guess I'm basic. Calamari a la plancha ($10): It was very tender, but a little bland. My dad is Greek and not impressed. Caulilini ($9): Sweet stem cauliflower a la plancha. It was fine, just not overly flavorful and bit forgetful. Space and Pace: Made reservations about a week in advance for a Saturday evening (initially nothing was available when I looked online, but I called and they found some space for us). This place was packed! I love the interior - really cool Andalusian-style lamps throughout. It was a bit dark inside, but very atmospheric (made for some dark pictures of the food - sorry!). I love this interior. Definitely a great way to spend the evening, and the dinners are not rushed - you can have a long, fantastic meal over several courses. Service: Great service. The waiter divided up our many many tapas into three courses to give the meal some structure and let us pace ourselves. As I mentioned, they also gave us a few extras as well. Top notch, notwithstanding the crowd. read more

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Amada was amazing, and almost everything on the menu was cooked to perfection and all jamons, beers, accoutrements, were selected exquisitely. I would certainly go back for the tapas and the plantxa. The only thing that was slightly disappointing was the paella; there was no deliciously browned crispy crust, and the flavors were not as elevated as we expected. Was still delicious but as a renowned Spanish eatery I was a little surprised. Will still be visiting again. Tchau! read more

We went back to Amada because few years ago we had a fantastic experience at this restaurant in this location. 1- When we were in our car in front of the restaurant 1/2 hour earlier than our reservation time, we called the restaurant to get help to find a parking nearby. Rain was pouring and Chestnut street was blocked at the intersection of Chestnut and 2nd, in short it was miserable outside. The person answering the phone got us lost lost . Instead of giving us the address of the closest parking which we found out was Ritz Parking - only few hundred yards away from the restaurant- gave us the address of two far away small parking lots which were difficult to get to and FULL when we got there. We finally got to the restaurant 1/2 later than our reservation time. 2- The waitress seemed impatient, rolled her eyes at one point for no good reason, and seemed annoyed although we were pleasant and non demanding patrons. Towards the end of the service, she was gentler. I understand it is COIVD times and everyone is on the edge , but again we were a polite and grateful bunch , so there was no reason to be tough. 3- Food quality was not consistent across tapas and the menu. - D Á T I L E S was very good - COCA DE COSTILLAS was very good - PINTXOS was very good. - C R O Q U E TA S was good, - ALBÓNDIGAS was too salty . - GAMBAS AL AJILLO was ok -I would not order it again -TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA was ok -MANCHEGO was average -PATATAS BRAVAS were good 4- I am writing this review in the hope of, if interested , the restaurant may use this feedback to get back to where they were in terms of quality of food and service. Great restaurants that create great experiences for the patrons are highly appreciated. Thank you read more

2 stars for the food and 1 stars for the nice waitress. I would have a very bad impression on Spanish cuisine if this is my first Spanish meal. The paella was plain without any salty flavor and no scent of saffron, and the chef forgot to put chopped chorizo in it. We were then offered a plate of grilled chorizo but still couldn't make up the paella's mediocrity. The driver scallops were too salty and the hams in Ensalada de Jamon were just ordinary hams which you can get from any grocery store. read more

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Happy hour starts at 4PM and has very good deals. Would recommend the brussel sprouts and the patatas bravas. The ambient music was much better than at similar restaurants. read more

We walked right in at about 7pm on a Saturday night. Restaurant was busy and we did not have a res so we went to the bar which surprisingly had a spot open for four. Proceeded to enjoy white sangria- so refreshing on a hot day with apple, orange and fresh rosemary garnish. Had Mahon and manchego served with Granny Smith Apple slices and honey. Chorizo blanco and jamon iberico de bellota which is like San Danielle prosciutto but from Spain, with extra nuttiness from the acorn fed pigs. Garlic shrimp, scallops and chorizo sausage a la plancha, chic peas and spinach and my favorite being the spinach salad with fresh figs rolled in thinnly sliced jamon. The guys behind the bar were friendly, we had a great time while they laughed along with us. Just a super awesome place. Always find myself really enjoying the food quality and service which is top notch. If you don't want to or are intimidated by making your own selections from the menu just go ahead and order the chef menu where the Amada team will take over and make a multiple course tapas meal for you. I'd recommend adding the wine pairings also! read more

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Came here to celebrate my birthday. Sadly my pictures didn't come out however peruse the great pics on Yelp and you will get a gist of how great the food and presentation is. Tapas has always been a favorite meal for me. They take me back to Spain where the tapas are delectable and delicious. Amada has 2 rooms: the first, upon entering, has a buzzy and fun vibe. It was busy and packed thus we were seated in the second room which was quieter. The menu has a variety of dishes to choose from: traditional tapas like croquetas de jamon( delicious) Grilled specialties ( a la plancha) such has brochettes ( chicken, skirt steak) and the delicious flatbreads ( skirt steak with bacon or what I chose which was the chorizo with cheese and garbanzo beans to die for!) the Fideos con Marescado comes with pasta, clams and scallop sitting in a sweet cream sauce also to die for! There is also a Suckling Pig course that must be ordered in advance and the great Paella Valencia. We shared the bacon wrapped dates with almonds and the Aged Manchego with lavender honey and green apples. The restaurant gives you a complimentary toasted flatbread with tuna. We accompanied these delicious plates with a pitcher of white sangria. Who would think you could get stuffed with small plates of tapas? Yes you can! Thus we were too stuffed to enjoy the desserts: creme Catalan or olive oil cake. Next time for sure. This is an amazing dining experience that must be tried when in Philly. I believe Amada resides in NYC in the Wall Street area. if you want a taste of Spain, Amada is the place! read more

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Came early for our 545p reservation on a Saturday evening. A major thunderstorm was blowing through and a bunch of folks were ducking in just to escape the wind & rain. We were told that they could seat us if we only waited a few minutes so we headed to the bar and had cocktails. My wife got a red sangria which she liked and I had a glass of Valdehermoso Tempranillo, very tasty. The restaurant was wonderfully full of fabulous aromas wafting throughout. The open kitchen really adds to the ambiance. Every chair at the bar was taken. Shortly we were brought to our table. The restaurant is louder than most - ok with us, but the servers and waitstaff had to lean in and repeat themselves often. We ordered tap water and a bottle of the same Tempranillo - it was really quite good but a bit overpriced at $68/bottle. The place really began to fill up by 6pm I can only imagine what the 8pm seating is like. As this is a tapas place we ordered many dishes to share. Initially we were brought a complimentary spanish tuna dip/salad accompanied by tasty chips. The tuna was mixed with capers, creme freche and black olive oil, quite tasty. We then ordered flavored honey with manchego, lamb meatballs, stuffed peppers with crabmeat, short-rib flat bread, vegetable flat bread & wagyu beef brochettes. Each dish was unique and presented perfectly. As we tried each my wife and I attempted to pick our favorite - we could not do it. We tried to buy a small jar of the honey but our server reported after checking that they had none in the house at this time. I will check the Garces website. There was a slight dead spot in the service between the tuna and our first tapas dishes and I had to have a word with our server. We noticed folks around us were getting a few dishes having ordered after us. We were promptly provided a second unexpected complimentary dish of soft cheese, can't recall the type, red sauce and crusty slices of bread. Very tasty. Shortly, we were back on schedule. The food here is outstanding and a bit unique and tastier than most places at this level. This is a high end foodie place and we strongly recommend it. We say food "a", service "b", ambiance "a", value "b". Nancy & Mark. read more

Always yummy! It's our go to spot for when out of towners visit. It's a little bit of a tight fit if your trying to have an intimate dinner, otherwise it's great! read more

So good! We got a few tapas when we went-lamb meatballs, croquettes, patatas bravas, garlic shrimp. And the paella was delicious. Came for a birthday dinner and staff and food was outstanding! read more

I will come back to Philly for Amada. Such an inspiring meal, with the most complex sauces. My uncle, his wife, and I came here for brunch, which I usually avoid due to my overall impression of brunch being a moneygrab that fills you up with mundanely done eggs, potatoes, and bread. I could not have been more wrong. We ordered the jamon croquettes to start, and they were the perfect little bombs coated in crispy golden brown breadcrumbs and filled with a creamy ham center. The sauce underneath, however, was without a doubt one of the three best elements of the meal. We also ordered the Spanish tortillas, served with saffron aioli. The potatoes were tender, but I feel that waxier potatoes would have lent the dish a better texture and more present flavour. That saffron aioli will be haunting my dreams for years to come though. It was out of this world, and hands down the star element of the meal. Then came the prix fixe brunch items. Between the three of us, we ordered the insalada verde which was refreshingly bitter, the avocado toast, and the roasted pepper and goat cheese toast. One thing to note here is that they do their toasts right: really good bread sliced an inch thick, topped with something creamy, something crunchy, something spicy, and something acidic. The waitress told us that they constantly tweak their take on these toasts, and you can definitely tell that there's been a lot of thought given to the toasts. For the mains, we shared the crab Benedict, soft scrambled eggs, and the omelette with manchego sauce. The crab Benedict was alright, but I felt that the chorizo overpowered everything else. The scrambled eggs were creamy and loose, which I enjoyed. The biggest disappointment was the omelette, however. It was cooked at too high a temperature and ended up being dry and spongy - if the cheese had been rolled into the omelette it might have been marginally better. The sided of grilled mushrooms and charred scallions were delicious. The grill's temperature was high enough that the vegetables gained their burnished character before turning mushy. We saved the olive oil cake from the bread basket as dessert. And for those of you who were counting, that's the third element that hit it out of the park. read more

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Went here on Saturday for dinner. This is my 3rd or 4th time coming back and I must say, this place never disappoints! The food, portions, service are all perfection. The drinks are amazing as well. I usually take pics of the food we got but I was honestly too busy enjoying it. We shared a bunch of small plates and cheeses. If you like cheese, get the Manchego and Blue Cheese cuts... also the goat cheese on the tapas was amazing too. The crab stuffed pepper and also the calamari and potatoes are to die for. I usually try to give an area of improvement on a restaurant so the only thing I would say I didn't like as much was where I was seated, but the server made up for it with her service. Get the chocolate cream puffs for dessert- you won't regret it. read more

We were seated at a table next to the hostess in a practically empty restaurant. Not a person attended to us for 10minutes to offer a drink or a menu. My wife had to go to the hostess to ask for both. Once our very knowledgeable waitress came by, everything was great. She made some great suggestions. Extremely helpful and attentive. The food was fantastic. Would come back again. read more

Unfortunately, not impressed. Small portions at not the best price point. Ham croquettes - did not enjoy. Did not have the creaminess/richness of traditional croquettes. Was too crunchy. Sauce pairing also seemed off. Would not get again Patatas bravas - comes out as 7 pieces of potato. The potatoes were not fully cooked through. Did not like the paprika dusting. Would not get again. Bacon wrapped dates was okay but did not like the embedded almonds. Artichoke flatbread was 3/5 but the short rib one was better (4/5). Unfortunately, the short rib topping was added post baking it seems and it was cold. Horseradish taste was also slightly overpowering for some bites. Husband said tuna dish was pretty good, I didn't try it. Wagyu beef was probably the best of the lot. Service at the bar was lacking. Overall, unlikely to return. read more

I was in a mood for something new. Most of the good restaurants are within 10 min away from my hotel. Due to unpredictable showers and wet footpath, I decided to take a cab. Going through Market st, 4th st and chestnut was a shot sweet ride. I made a reservation the day before. I got down at the door step of the restaurant. We were greeted by the Smily receptionist. It was noisy and decorated averagely. We were escorted to our reserved table. The waitress was very friendly and paid extra attention to our food restrictions and allergies. She also made some food recommendations based on our taste and expectations. The service was relatively fast based on the number of guests. We got two plates almost at the same time. There were lot of options to choose from. The portion size is small and the presentation was nice. The grilled octopus was tasty. It was full of flavor. The crab stuffed peppers was ok, love to have little spice in it. Lamb meatballs were delicious. The trout fish made my day. It was served with crispy skin and mild spices. Little disappointed with the size of lamb chops. It could be little bigger. We were too full to order dessert. The price is $$$. Otherwise it is a great place to have a fine meal. read more

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One of my favorite places for a nice meal in the city. We have been here twice for anniversary meals and both times we got the Chefs Tasting menu. My fiance only eats chicken and cannot eat beef/pork/fish. The chef was able to accommodate to us and bring out tapas that we could eat. Each tapa we tried and both times got a different variety, they were all delicious and the flavors blended well. We came once during COVID times and we felt safe eating there with all the precautions they had. Its become one of our favorite spots for special occasions. Cant wait to come back here again! read more

Best food I've ever eaten. The bacon wrapped dates are perfect. Even at high prices, the food is so good that it's worth it.

We happened to be in Philly during restaurant week and I had Amada bookmarked for quite some time. Luckily they participated in rw but we were concerned it would average fare and smaller than normal portions. We were not disappointed! Since we had the little guy and he was asleep we were lucky to score outside seating (on the sidewalk in front). Bonus was it was a really nice night to be outside. Since it was tapas, for $35 we got to choose 2 from the first course, 2 from the second course and a dessert for each of us. Here is a list of what we ordered: AGED MANCHEGO CHEESE w/Truffle Lavender Honey (delicious and perfect combo for the manchego lover. TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA - Spanish Tortilla, Saffron Aioli (average) ENSALADA VERDE - Green Salad, Asparagus, Favas, Avocado, Green Beans (delicious and refreshing) CHORIZO PAMPLONA - Caperberries, Cornichons, French Dijon (meh - we thought it would be hot chorizo but it was more coldcut style) COCA DE COSTILLAS DE TERNERA - Flatbread with Beef Short Ribs, horseradish, Parmesan, Bacon (by far the best item on the menu - perfect!) ARROZ TEMPORADO - Wild Mushroom Rice, English Peas, Black Truffle, Manchego (exactly like I enjoy rice - creamy and plump and everything else worked well together). PERNIL ASADO - Roasted Pork, White Beans, Arugula, Orange (fatty but good) MADRE E HIJO - Chicken Breast with Truffles, Fried Egg (was a bit dry) MILHOJAS - Puffy Pastry, Hazelnut Praline, Bergamot, Banana (ok but the other one is better) TOCINILLO DE CIELO - Egg Cream, Vanilla, Orange Meringue, Pistachio (better of the two). Service was good and he did recommend a few items. Drinks were on the pricier side (especially specialty cocktails). Overall a very good meal. ENJOY! read more

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Real nice place to have dinner! I enjoyed here with my friends so much. Every dish is small, so I can try so many of them read more

Amada - Tuna Salad - Tapas Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We came here for the winter restaurant week for dinner ($35) and enjoyed the food, ambiance, and service. The restaurant has a cozy feel and the staff were quick to help us when we had a change in our reservation. For the restaurant week menu, you get to choose two tapas from the "first course", two from the "second course" and dessert, which was definitely enough to get us full and then some. The cheese pairings were unique, we tried the Garrotxa goat cheese with came with a hazelnut chocolate spread similar to Nutella and the garlic shrimp was one of our favorites. For the second course, I tried the mushroom and artichoke flatbread and the chickpeas and spinach dish, both of which were good. The dessert was "milhojas", a hazelnut praline with banana which honestly could have been better. But overall a great pick for restaurant week! read more

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Made a reservation, was quickly seated in the back room. I like that it's spacious and there is plenty of room between the tables. The mojito was "ok", nothing wowing though. It honestly tasted like I was drinking sweet water with mint in it, no strong flavors. We ordered six plates, a few were great but mostly just good. I expected the flavors to be impressive but mostly fell flat. The service was good, didn't feel rushed. Tapas style is fun but you end up leaving feeling like you spent too much on little food if it wasn't amazing. read more

This restaurant is not what it once was. The staff we interacted with were lovely but the food was underwhelming. We went here for brunch and ordered the set menu where we got to choose our main. The potato dish was lukewarm and the sauce was bland. The bread was served cold and was boring. The set menu didn't seem to go together at all. There were no vegetables anywhere. The main course I ordered was the shaksuka, which is mostly a tomato sauce with poached eggs that you eat with bread. However the amount of bread that was served with it was about equivalent to half a banana, so most of the dish had to be eaten without bread, which was very strange. My mother's crab benedict was made with huge 1.5 inch slices of bread that were way too much in comparison to the toppings. I have adored Jose Garcas' restaurants in the past. Chifa was probably my all-time favorite restaurant. I don't know what is going on with Amada but it was pretty disappointing. Usually a Jose Garces meal is something you think about for weeks afterwards. This time it really missed the mark. read more

Definitely some great things going on at this restaurant. The service, drinks, and food were top notch. The ambiance was inviting yet intimate. read more

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Came for restaurant week and was very disappointed especially given the hype. All dishes were just average in flavor to other Spanish restaurants I've been to. They ran out of the croquettas de jamon that I was really craving as well as another dish. For the restaurant week menu they didn't provide an adequate replacement. The pimientos de padron were also unfortunately replaced with shishito peppers instead of padron peppers (common but still disappointing for a place like this). Additionally, service was poor and our waiter was rude to our table and just seemed to want to get us out of there. In summary, not worth the normal price for the quality of dishes here and service didn't help either. read more

A delicious experience I will not soon forget. Reservations are a must - even with our reservation they were very busy! I recommend the wine pairing with the tasting menu, it was perfectly paired, the sherry with dessert was a nice touch. The tasting menu was such an incredibly delicious experience. Everything was filled with immensely perfect flavor and you can tell that much thought and care was put into the creation of the menu. It was definitely worth the splurge for a special occasion. read more

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Amada is definitely one of those restaurants that offers both variety and value. I made a reservation for Restaurant week after hearing good things and was not disappointed. The candlelit decor provided charming ambiance while the Spanish style tapas all hit the mark on flavor and presentation. For appetizers, we got the patatas bravas, pimentos de padrons, chorizo pamplona, and aged manchego cheese. The aged manchego cheese definitely proved to be the star of the night: the subtle hint of truffle lavender in the honey paired beautifully with the cheese and set a wonderful precedent for the rest of the night. For entrees, we both settled on the hanger steak (amazing!), paella (just ok), and spanish octopus (another favorite!!). Finally, we ended with their Spanish cheesecake and Catalan xiuxiu (a puff pastry filled with chocolate over apricot jam). Usually I'm not a fan of dessert, but I have to say these hit the spot. The cheesecake had a citrus kick that I loved while the chocolate in xiuxiu was also very yummy without being overbearingly sweet. The service was also extremely prompt and we never found ourselves with an empty plate in front of us! Loved it here and would definitely recommend for a date night :) read more

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Wowowow. I think that was my entire thought process during my meal at Amada, which was stellar from beginning to end. I came here for for their restaurant week deal, and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. My friend and I ordered a ton, so here's a quick breakdown on all the tapas we got and my thoughts on them: Aged Manchego cheese: 4.5/5: I would eat the truffle lavender honey it comes with by itself. Downside: only 3 small pieces of bread Patatas Bravas: 4/5: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The sauce on top also gives it great flavor, but not spicy at all Gambas al Ajillo: 4/5: garlic-butter sauce was delicious; shrimp were extremely juice and flavorful Croquetas de Jamon: 4/5: wasn't a huge fan of the sauce on the bottom, but the croquetas were super rich and perfectly fried Scallops a la Plancha: 1000/5: the best thing I ate this evening. Rubbed with spices, super flavorful, and extremely tender. I would've been good to call it quits right there Hanger Steak a la Plancha: 4.5/5: also extremely flavorful, medium well Coca de Butifarra: 5/5: think of the world's best pizza. That's what you have in front of you - every bite was delicious, and it was a great combination of tomato, spinach, and sausage Madre e Hijo: 4.5/5: I didn't know chicken could taste like that. It was extremely soft and was fantastic. Bonus points for the truffles Tocinillo de Cielo: 4/5: meringue on top is absolutely perfect, and pistachios add a nice small crunch TLDR: I had the best meal I've eaten in weeks. Everything about Amada is great, from the service to the food. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Absolutely delicious meal last night. Lots of tapas, drinks, the SUBLIME pernil, and then dessert and coffee. Great atmosphere, wonderful service, and freaking delicious. Worth every penny. read more

Amada - Roasted pernil w white beans, oranges, and arugula. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My husband and I came here for our anniversary on a weeknight. We made reservations, which is recommended because we saw another couple get turned away with a pretty empty restaurant. The tables did get filled within the next hour so I'd imagine they were being saved for later reservations. The red sangria was pretty good and when one of our orders was taking a little longer to come out, the sever comp'd us another two glasses of sangria, which was a great move. We weren't even that upset about the food taking a while, but to automatically do that was definitely memorable and left an impression. For food, we got a sampling of tapas. The octopus was decent, the croquettes were amazing with a little sauce underneath that made the bite stand out when eaten together. We were pretty disappointed in the patatas bravas as they had wayyy too much paprika and not enough flavor. The stand out dish which will keep me coming back for years to come though was the pernil (pork). It was moist like it had been slow roasted for many hours and the skin was crispy and flavorful. This dish was recommended by our server and far exceeded my expectations. Definitely give it a try. You'll be singing its praises for weeks to come! read more

A place to get tapas.. I love tapas!! I ate so much here but was only able to capture a couple pics. The light is dim and the atmosphere is very cozy. This place is not for casual eating and more of a special meal kind of place as it can get pricy! The lobster and bone marrow were so good! read more

Amada - Patatas Bravas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Amada is apparently very popular. At 8:30 on a Tuesday evening, there was a 40 minute wait for seats in the bar area. Luckily, there's a bar in the bar area; bars are good for drinking, and drinking is good for waiting. It is also quite charming; I took my girlfriend to here for the most romantic of dates. When we arrived, I leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "Bitch, you wait here, I've gotta take a squirt." She also needed to use the facilities, and followed me towards the back. As we worked our way past the packed bar, we found ourselves in a long hallway lit only by intermittent candles. A Labyrinth of Passion, if you will, which also happens to be one of the [laughably named] signature cocktails.* "This is a very romantic hallway," she smiled seductively, "It makes me want to..." "What? Eat? Are you hungry? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you gassy again?" I never did find out why she was looking at me like that, but our meal ended up strangely silent, and was punctuated by angry glares from her. Luckily, the food kept us occupied. We both enjoyed the crab-stuffed peppers that came highly recommended, as well as the shortrib flatbread and the cheese plate. I was less enamored with the unimpressive mushroom rice recommended by a friend we made in the bar. He was a vegetarian though; I should've known he couldn't be trusted. All in all, a slightly pricey spot with good tapas and better atmosphere. __________ *Talk to Her? Broken Hugs? All I know is that I couldn't order a Law of Desire and respect myself in the morning, so I got myself a Matador. Because nothing says "macho" like drinking in a strong, Spanish man. (On the real, I enjoyed the bourbon, elderflower and ginger concoction.) read more

It was late afternoon Girls night out A cold, sweet treat was needed Sangria? Sangri-YEAH Four girls and a pitcher Four dishes and a dessert. We went on a restaurant Week, and it was a good excuse to give Amada a second chance. For $35 we got five choices including one dessert. It was simple, with an understated sophistication. -First Course: (choice of two) 1) TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA: Spanish Tortilla, Saffron Aïoli. DELICIOUS. 2) GAMBAS AL AJILLO: Garlic Shrimp. Yum Yum... -Second Course: (choice of two) 1) BACALAO: Black Cod, Tomato & Pepper Stew, Potato Confit, Fennel & Olive Escabeche. It was too fishy. 2) MADRE E HIJO: Chicken Breast with Truffles, Fried Egg. Really good. you won't be disappointed. - Third Course: (choice of one) AkA dessert. CREMA CATALANA: Traditional Spanish Custard. TASTELESS. Worst desser I ever had. Overall, the ambiance was lovely, the service was great and the food was good- other than the fishy fish and tasteless custard. Four solid Yelps. read more

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