After a short wait, the 6 of us enjoyed the Restaurant Week Lunch price fixed menu. Tapas, tapas and more tapas. Great efficient attentive service Thanks Alyssa and crew). The food covered a wide swath and all was cooked to exquisite perfection. The homemade sangria (we had the blanco) was fantastic! And the Estralla cerveza was tasty. We are looking forward to going back for dinner. read more

Amada Philadelphia - And then on to the Race Street Pier! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First time my boyfriend and I came we thought the food was meh. So we gave it another try and still we're not impressed. Honestly this place does not deserve a 4. It is good food but it's sister restaurant tinto is a lot better quality food and service. I gave this a three because the foot quality is ok- every time I go the food is dry. If I could rate the service I would give it a 1. The server I had was rude and messed up our order and drinks not once but twice and didn't even apologize. Poor service really takes away from the experience. read more

Great food, great meal, great drinks, great service. Went for a birthday celebration and everything was wonderful! Servers and Manager Jason went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect. Been around for a long time and they haven't missed a step. read more

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. read more

Despite the fact that it's usually quite crowded, I keep going back to Amada again and again. I highly suggest you order the Chef's Tasting Menu - it's like playing Russian Roulette but instead of guns and possible death there's food and happy tastebuds. Don't skip the sangria, either. It's the best I've ever had, and trust me, I've had a lot of sangria in my time. Give yourself a full evening to enjoy your dining experience at Amada, because it's like a food orgy. The food just keeps coming and coming...was that too much information? read more

For those who don't know about Amada, the restaurant is one of Jose Garces (Iron Chef's) restaurants. He's a recipient of the prestigious James Beard award in 2008, and word has it that this restaurant is one of the best places to get Tapas on the East Coast. At 4.5* reviews with over 900+ reviews in Philly, you can't go wrong right? I've been to 3 regional winners of the James Beard Award: first was Michelle Richard's Citronelle in DC, the 2nd was Cucharamama in Hoboken NJ, and the 3rd is this. Unfortunately, this is strike 3 of 3 and I feel cheated for wasting money on subpar restaurants that serve mediocre food. FYI my combined average yelp rating for all 3 restaurants is roughly around 3*. I find yelp review are far more reliable than listening to the likes of the James Beard judges. Today, I had high expectations for Mr. Iron Chef's restaurant and I tried 6 dishes for brunch. I decided to go with the traditional tapas dishes and dishes from the grill. The sixes dishes are: 1. PIQUILLOS RELLENOS-4*-crab stuffed peppers: the peppers were very well cooked and soft. It was stuffed with a creamy sauce smothered crab stuffing. This was the highlight dish of our meal. This was a great dish (not mindblowing). I cannot give top accolades to this because the taste was very, very predictable: the taste was very uniform from the moment the food entered my mouth until the tasting was finished. I really think that a bit of spice and flavoring to this dish would have worked wonders. 2. CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN-3.5*-we received 5 small pieces of croquettes. The sauce was an interesting hot pepper and carrot based sauce. It had the typical fried exterior with a small piece of ham at the center of the croquette. Unfortunately, this dish was extremely salty. If that issue is resolved it would be a near 4* dish. 3. ALBÓNDIGAS-3*- reminds me of Swedish meatballs. It was in a creamy, sauce similar to what was served with the crab stuff peppers. However, there was no crab to add flavoring to this dish. To top it off, this dish was way too salty. 4. Lobster-1*- for $16, I ordered 1/2 of a lobster (very small) that came with a parsley sauce that was prepared in a similar manner to a pesto sauce. The smell, however, was similar to kale. The lobster was...tough. Obviously, this was very very low grade lobster. How bad was it? I'd rather go to Red Lobster...yes you heard that right. 5. Calamari-2*- this was sauteed and had no flavors (oil sauteed) in the same parsley/pesto sauce as above. 6. Scallops-2*- low grade scallops that was very chewy and tough...it was in the same parsley/pesto sauce as above. Honestly, I was appalled. About a year ago, I went on a tirade about a very highly rated Italian restaurant in Philadelphia and how they used "Ragu" spaghetti sauce for multiple dishes that were served in their pre-fixe course menu. Bad Karma or what not, the same thing happened today at Amada with the multiple dishes and their "parsley/pesto sauce". What was so disappointing about the experience is that 3 dishes used the identical sauce (the parsley/pesto sauce). How lazy are you to recycle the same sauce for identical dishes or did I hit the lottery and happen to order the 3 dishes on the menu that used the same sauce? I wonder. To add to my grief, the service was subpar. The waiter really really did not seem to care. As a matter of fact, he did not ask once how we felt about our food. The other servers seemed the same based on my observations. In preparation of those who will try to derail my credentials, send ad hominem attacks (which happened with my previous review about a particular Philly restaurant), and who think I'm a Philly hater: 1. I''m not a Philly hater. There are lots of places in Philly I like: Bibou's bone marrow (which I think is one of the 5 best dishes I tried on the East Coast) + Capogiro Gelato(which I think beats out on any gelato I tried in Europe or the US) 2. My knowledge about tapas. I had at least 50 selected meals all with 4-4.5* ratings from European review sites and Tripsadvisor in Barcelona, Madrid, and Southern Spain including Torremolinos, Cordoba, Sevilla, Malaga, Andalucia, Granada, Marbella to name a few). First, Amada hits below average for a restaurant in all the aforementioned cities. Second, while Amada may sit "ok" or "good" with most people who ate in larger Spanish cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, tapas in the larger cities don't even come close to what you can get South of Madrid. For those in DC who want to gauge the food at Amada, it ranks a star below Estadio in DC. For those who think I'm being a bit unfair of comparing Amada to tapas in Spain, I'll throw a recommendation: Seabra Marisqueria in Newark NJ. While not all dishes are spectacular, their grilled octopus at $23.50 is the closest seafood tapas dish that resembles what I had in Southern Spain. read more

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... read more

Honestly this spot is amazing but for the price you're paying sometimes I wonder if the quality control is up to par. A lot of restaurants of this caliber end up over salting food for some reason. It could be just my taste but definitely throws me off on some dishes. The overall vibe and flavors are good though and definitely a cool experience w Tapas! read more

Quite possibly my favorite restaurant in Philly. I came here for Restaurant Week and was totally NOT gypped. Each of us was allowed two plates for two courses, and then one dessert each. Two people = ten plates = two totally satisfied fatsos. We ordered the chorizo pamplona (served with cornichons, caperberries and french dijon [my fave, but they were stingy]), gambas al ajillo, ham croquetas, and roasted vegetables with goat cheese toasts to start. EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. I had NO complaints about anything. I loved the roasted vegetables with the goat cheese. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and I loved that they included some chili peppers for those, like ourselves, that prefer things a little spicier. Our second courses were the asparagus with poached egg and truffle, chicken breast with fried egg and truffle, beef shortrib flatbread with horseradish, parm and bacon, and the scallops grilled a la plancha. The flatbread could've used a little more horseradish (again, we like spicy stuff), but everything else was cooked to perfection. I'm a big fan of truffle so I'm fairly easy to please. Definitely loved the asparagus dish most. The desserts were crema catalana and saffron arroz con leche, with complimentary almond tuile. Amazing. AGAIN, EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. I highly recommend this restaurant. I know some people are wary of "small plates" but we were sooooo full afterwards, and this is coming from an extreme glutton. read more

ROAST SUCKLING PIG CARVED TABLESIDE. get at least 3 of your closest friends and indulge. this pig is crispy and melts in your mouth. i think you can gather up to 12 people to share an entire pig. CALL 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE to eat this pig. it comes with sides, but we ordered paella too - after all you need to eat paella in a spanish restaurant. the service is impeccable, the food is divine and the sangria was great! I do have one tiny bit of complaint. The lighting is a bit too dim for me to appreciate how beautiful the food looks. The next time i come, i will bring a flashlight! read more

Definitely a Philadelphia must-try restaurant, partially just to say that you've been and cause they have some superb dishes. Everything is super flavorful! My upper lip was sweating despite downing water after every bite. The other people in my dining party seemed to be okay though. Winners of the night: Pulpo a la Gallega (spanish octopus) Chipirones (baby squid) Esparragos con Trufas (grilled asparagus) Paella Valenciana - takes a long time to prepare but definitely save room for this giant dish read more

Every once in a blue moon, I'll blow $100 bucks on a meal and for those times I make damn sure it's worth it- and Amada is worth it. My bf and I went last night and sat at a bar table, which to my surprise had great ambiance, and I think I would prefer it to the main dining area. Timing of the food and the service was impeccable. Melon + Serrano Ham started off the night right, delicious caramelization on the Melon was perfect. I'll cut to the chase and say that the wild mushrooms were the most amazing tasting mushrooms I've had in my 23 years of life. Favorite dish I had all night. In fact, I'm at work right now thinking of how succulent and incredible they were still. The pulled pork flat bread with apple and fennel was also delectable. It looked exactly like something Garces made for the finale of Next Iron Chef. Chorizo and Clams had such a good sauce we sopped up every last drop with bread. Hen breast with fingerling potatoes and the egg on top and some incredible sauce kept up the pace of our meal. Manchego cheese with lavender honey, mmMM Topped it all off with some dark chocolate creme brulee type custard with a pile of berries and a really F'n good berry sorbet. in SUMMARY: get the wild mushrooms get the meats get the red sangria forget about how much everything costs cause you're going to spend $100 anyway and enjoy! read more

OK, here's the secret to having a 5 star experience at Amada - go on a slower night (like a Monday during the summer) so that you can be seated comfortably and the noise level won't be too deafening (this is a LOUD, busy place). Go with a crowd - we had 7 ladies and ordered 2 plates each. Sounds like not enough? WRONG!!! Many of the choices are heavy. (Even at tapas size.) Standouts amoung the 14 different items we tried? Gambas (your basic garlic shrimp - done just right), Flatbread with Artichokes (divine), Yellow tomato gazpacho (perfect on a summer night) was garnished with crab salad and avocado ice cream (Yes - a savory icecream pluche). The crab-stuffed peppers were so incredibly creamy, crabby and tasty we ordered one more plateful. (So I guess we had 15 dishes among 7 ladies). The plate of veggies (can't remember the name) was simple and perfect - tomato, pepper, onion and a delectable eggplant dip. It was accompanied by crispy-thin bread smeared lightly with a chive goat cheese. HEAVENLY. Lamb meatballs were too rare (nearly raw) for most of the groups liking, but the sherry cream sauce and fresh green peas were tasty. The salad with figs and blue cheese came literally wrapped in Jamon. Weird and not my bag - but it, too, disappeared. Meanwhile, they ARE heavy handed with the salt and the (salty) cheeses - so if you KNOW this (you, smart -yelper-who-pre-reads before you go, you!) Ask for items light on the (salt) (Cheese) (Sauce) etc. I can't wait to come back here - at an off time - with more than 2 other people. 2 dishes apiece for 7 people came to $280 (including tax 'n tip) including ONE sangria each. (Well, not I, I had 2 virgin mojitos with a splash of pineapple juice). Jose, baby, you live up to your hype. And I have now been to all 5 Philly Garces joints. Huzzah! Oh - and if you don't eat pork or shellfish - you'll have a TOUGH time here. And if you are vegan - fuggedaboutit! (Dairy is hidden in things) read more

This place was good enough for me to let my meter run out and suffer another parking ticket. Amada is incredible. After celebrating Valentine's Day at Tinto, I was a little skeptical of more tapas (I'm a big eater), especially for Restaurant Week, but Amada did not disappoint at all. Being able to choose two plates each for two courses plus one dessert yielded more than enough deliciousness to sate my appetite. My favorite out of what we ordered were the ham croquetas, which were crunchy and packed with flavor, and served over some sort of sundried tomato puree, I think. The gambas was also awesome, the shrimp was perfectly cooked. I wasn't a big fan of the chorizo but that might just be a personal thing. There was so much more food than I was expecting, I was totally overwhelmed by both the amount and how good it was. We also ordered a pitcher of white sangria - light, fruity and tasty. I'm also not much of a dessert person but the arroz con leche was great, too. They have a special tasting menu for October to celebrate their 5th anniversary so I highly recommend you make a reservation ASAP! read more

What is going on here, Jose Garces!? I made a pit stop in Amada during my Philly trip. Given I wasn't dressed my best- but I DID have a button down, black jeans, and flats. I was given "the eye and glance over" by the Maître d, hostess, and her cohort as if I wasn't dressed well enough to be in there. My handbag was designer, damnit. I offered to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a table ..... and I was seated next to a recycle bin, garbage can, and the part of the bar that opens for the bartender to go behind the bar. ... It wouldn't have been a problem had there not been a lack of glasses for alcoholic beverages and the servers walking up to the bartenders, saying how they've been waiting 20 minutes for drinks, and multiple servers saying, "you have to talk to someone. We have to talk to someone about this." Like, what? The bad execution of service? I was asked three times over if I wanted food: 1. The first time was a given since I wanted the food menu. 2. The second time was because they thought I didn't order and never placed my order into the system. 3. Did you forget that I already ordered!? I had the bacalao. I understand that it's a tapas place but the piece of fish was the size of my palm, and was cold like it was sitting in the window too long. I ordered dark habits (lime, strawberry, gin) as my drink, and I had to say it was a great combination. The bartenders were also very apologetic for the horrible service. Overall, you gotta clean this place up, Jose Garces. It's your original restaurant, man. The service sucks. The food's mediocre. Your Maître d and hostess are unwelcoming. Your nice bartenders and good drinks can only get you that far. read more

I mean. What can I possibly write about this place that hasn't already been written? Just pretend that I recapped everything everyone in the previous 241 reviews has already gushed about. Now, a few personal highlights from the evening: 1. Lavender tequila martini?!! Are you freaking serious? Oh, delicious beverage, you are the kid who ruined the curve for the entire class. How do you overachieve with such vigor? 2. Garlic dulce de leche. My feeble little brain can't even understand why this is so delicious, but DO NOT HESITATE. It's amazing. 3. The ensalada verde dish wound up being the favorite dish of half of our table. Generally, I wouldn't go for a salad at a tapas restaurant, but with three other people eating, we had so many dishes, I decided to to try it. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Eat the shit out of this salad. I don't even know how they cram magic into vegetables. Maybe it's a special type of hydroponics? Who cares. It's amazingamazingamazing. read more

The first time I went here was before Amada had been reviewed anywhere, it was just this new place that opened in Old City that was suppose to have great tapas. And well, it was great. The place with buzzing nicely, the wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and even recommend a great wine. There was no rush and we sipped sherry while we enjoyed a front row seat to watch the flamanco dancers. I didn't get back here for quite some time. Now every db in Old City needs to be there. We couldn't get a reservation until 9:30 and were elbow to elbow with the other hurried patrons. The food was still excellent, but the staff no longer had time to chat with us. It felt much less special. Next time I'm looking for tapas, I'll be heading to Bar Ferdinand or possibly Tinto. I am making a vow to avoid Old City whenever possible. read more

I've already expressed my undying love for Jose Garces so I needn't repeat myself. However, Amada remains my favorite of his and one of my all time favorites. The shrimp and chorizo flat bread is amazing. Among my other favorites: the spicy potatoes, the garlic shrimp, and the spanish octopus. In addition, the seasonal vegetables are always excellent. The sangria is also awesome! The only dish I ever had here that I truly did not enjoy was the paella which was too smoky. Other than that, everything is delicious. Amada definitely conjures up a multitude of happy memories for me which is why I tend to go back all the time. It is one of my happy places. read more

Exiting the train station and entering the heart of Philadelphia felt really good. Hobbling along with a sprained knee, husband holding my hand, and my friend Jessica, visiting from California, leading the way as Philly's out of state tour guide extraordinaire felt even better. We were in the city, and cared not about the freezing cold spearing our necks. We were taking the town by storm, one eat and drink at a time from the burger and cask flights at The Dandelion Pub to drinks at Franklin & Mortgage Investment Co. The pinnacle, was, of course Amada and its $55 tasting menu. Chef Jose Garces's empire is here, amassing 8 restaurants in the city of brotherly love with Amada being the big brother of the bunch. The scene is not your usual casual tapas - it's sleek and chic with a well-trained service staff. It's a night out. We started off with creamy tuna-caper "salsa" drizzled with balsamic . It screamed tuna pang fulfillment. The rest goes as follows: Some artiseanal Spanish olives Aged Manchego with truffled lavender honey, El Cantu with sherry caramel, and Cana de Cabra with fig and cherry marmalade. The crowd favorite was the El Cantu in all its sharp, nutty, crystallized glory. Ensalada Verde: green salad, asparagus, avocados, green beans and fava. Something I could eat every day. Just pure refreshments with richness from the avocado and fava. Let's be honest, I am no beef eater. I usually pass on it or give it to my little brother or husband. But these wagu beef brochettes with royal trumpet mushrooms turned me into a believer. Hands down, the trophy winner tapa of the night. Gambas al Ajillo was also memorable in terms of sweet, just-barely cooked shrimp and abundance of addicting garlic. It is necessary to ask for extra bread to mop up the juices. Habas al la Catalana, a mix of warm favas and limas spiked with mustard seeds proved to be a hearty vegetarian dish with mellow, earthly flavors shinning through. Another trophy winner was setas - chantarelles massaged in a sexy parsley olive oil. Tortilla Española with saffron aioli equates to luxurious comfort at its finest. The last course was the Madre E Hijo, sous vide chicken breast, fried egg, mojama and truffles. I am not much of a chicken eater, but this changed my mind - fork tender chicken, runny yolk, and truffles? How can you not. We also got scallops that looked incredible, but I am allergic, so I passed. My dining companions were enamored. Dessert was a rich chocolate sorbet with arroz con leche - rice pudding with pine nuts and figs. We were beyond full, and the rice pudding would have been more appreciated as a light breakfast the next day. Overall the tasting menu at Amada explores some of the best traditional Spanish tapas with a few twists. No complaints and a bargain of a tasting menu. Everything consumed was spectacular and my husband and I are heading back for the more daring Chef's selection next time! read more

MMM. I admit that I came to Amada for a birthday dinner, and started with drinks at a local dive bar, had another fancy concoction at the bar while I waited for my table, and then plenty of white and red sangria (both delicious!) so my memory of the evening is a bit hazy, but I do remember that I liked it. A lot. It's cozy (though I didn't feel that it was overly crowded) and dark, but not too dark. There was a decent selection of vegetarian tapas, though I would agree with other posters that you should skip the olives (boring!) and dive into the cheese combinations. While other place might be cheaper and easier to get a table at, the atmosphere here is the best. read more

Perfect for special occasion (read: $$$$). Candle-lit, chic black chairs and thick oak tables, well-dressed waiters and diners make for an intimate ambiance and upscale experience. The focus here is tapas and wines (obvi), but feasts include a whole pig roast, lobster paella, and special occasion pre fixes. I recommend splitting a pitcher of the white sangria, and adorning it with pulpo, mussels, and an ensalada verde (as large as an upside-down cereal bowl). It's Garces, so good cheeses and meats as well. If you are into that . read more

I can see why this place has so many 5 stars. I went to Amada last night with 4 of my friends for restaurant week. It was busy but we were still seated within a few minutes of arriving. Service was perfect. Our waitress was great at describing the dishes, making recommendations and handling a busy night with a table of indecisive females. Food was brought out quickly but not too fast that we felt rushed. This is a great value for restaurant week. For $35, we each got 2 appetizer tapas, 2 entree tapas and dessert. My absolute favorites were the Aged Manchego Cheese and Ham Croquettes. The aged manchego cheese comes with this truffled lavender honey spread- when you put the toast, apple, cheese and spread together, it is heavenly. I am normally not a big fan of ham but the ham in the croquettes was subtle- I have no idea what else is in the 5 delicious balls but the taste is uniquely delicious and is now one of my favorite dishes in Philly. I also tried the garlic shrimp, madre e hijo (chicken breast with truffles & fried egg), scallops, and flatbread with shrimp, chorizo & garbanzo bean purée. I am not a huge fan of chorizo so the flatbread with chorizo was probably a bad choice on my part. It definitely has a strong taste of chorizo so chorizo lovers would probably enjoy it. All the dishes were tasty and generously sized for being tapas. I really liked both desserts- crema catalana (spanish custard, pistachio and semifreddo, cranberry) and arroz con leche (rice pudding, figs and pine nuts). Both were unique and very good. I can see how picky eaters may not like these desserts, but if you are looking for something sweet but a little different from the typical desserts, you will probably love these. I love the feel of the restaurant and the dim lighting. We sat at the front, closest table to the door and next to the large windows, so it was a bit chilly since it was only 19 degrees out last night. But I bet in warmer weather with the nice large windows open, this would be a wonderful place to sit. read more

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. read more

My boyfriend took me here recently for my birthday dinner, and it was truly a wonderful experience. After going there, I can definitely understand how popular it is regardless of what time of the day. The interior is wonderful - dark wood floors and furniture highlighted with creamy linens. It can feel a bit crowded when its full, but not uncomfortably so. The kitchen is also partially open to the dining area, with a bar right there (ideal eating location in my opinion), and the bar itself is on the side, partitioned off from diners. The food is delicious; it was very hard to choose only a few, especially since they offer so many traditional spanish tapas. The full entrees seem unnecessary compared to the tapas since we weren't even interested in them. We had: Escalivada: Roasted Peppers & Eggplant, Cippolini Onions & Confit Tomatoes (really good, but would skip next time) Morels Salteados: Morel Mushrooms, Thyme & White Asparagus (exquisite - its small, but very memorable) Grilled Baby Squid (simple but cooked to perfection, they were amazingly tender) Arroz de Langosta: Lobster Bomba Rice with Clams, Lemon Zest & Golden Pea Shoots (MmmMmm gooooood) Pimientos de Padron: Fried Peppers, Sea Salt & Salbitxada (delicately spicy - a must) Piquillos Rellenos: Crab-Stuffed Peppers (If you get one dish, this is the one. Amazingly good) Olas de Chocolate: Godiva Liqueur Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Milk Chocolate Ice Cream (definitely for the chocolate lover, and surprisingly large compared to the tapas) Banana Torrijas: Crispy Spanish Bread, Carmelized Bananas, Maple Syrup Ice Cream, Banana Anglaise (TO. DIE. FOR. If you like bananas, that is) We also each had a glass of sangria; I had the tinto, which was incredible and lived up to the ones I've had in Spain, while my boyfriend had their seasonal bianco with mint and mango, which he loved but was too sweet for my taste (weird, because I'm the one with the sweet tooth). The portions are smaller than some might expect, especially with some dishes, but for the two of us those 6 plates, two desserts, and sangria was perfect - however, it does leave a substantial bill at the end of the evening. However, we both agreed (especially me since I didn't pay ;D ) that it was completely worth it. And the service was spectacular, we had a very attentive, informed waiter. This is truly one of Philly's top restaurants. read more

I done fucked up. I came here for brunch instead of dinner. - The bloody mary was ok - The papas fritas were ok - Solo uno huevo para mi comida? Pero, tengo hambre, senor! - Chorizo esta peqeuno pero papas esta crunchy - El biscuits esta pequeno, tambien me gusto? meso meno. read more

Since Jose (in my dreams, I'd like to think we would be on a first name basis) opened up his first baby Amada, the place has been jam-packed, filled to the brim popular- with good reason, it was one of the first restaurants in the city to tackle and execute good Spanish tapas cuisine (Bar Ferdinand soon followed suit) and it was the first place of many that would start rivaling Stephen's empire. This place is on the pricier side, so be ready to spend a pretty penny if you want a no-holds-barred dinner (if you've got the pennies, try the tasting menu!). Avoid buying wine by the glass (the better pours are priced $13 and up and there isn't too much variety) and buy a bottle. It has been serving consistently good food since its opening with very few dissappointments. This is tapas, so portions are small and are meant to be shared. Food is more about substance and taste than presentation. Their rotating amuse bouches are always delicious and refreshing than your average bread service. (i.e. last visit served up a delectable tuna salad) The food is only a couple notches better than Bar Ferdinand, so if you want the tapas experience for half the price, go there instead. read more

Beautiful food. I am a sucker for tapas. Amada's cuisine is earthy, whimsical, and comforting. Here's what we had: Tortilla Española - thank god this isn't any bigger, the dense potatoes could easily overwhelm. Great aioli. Albondigas - lamb meatballs, my boyfriend liked them more than me, I was happy to eat the peas in the yummy sauce. Ensalada De Jamón - this was my favorite dish. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A perfectly dressed salad with serrano ham, cabrales, almonds and chewy figs. What could be better? Alcachofas a La Parmesan - I love artichokes. I hate dishes say they have artichokes in them and they really have those canned little nasties instead. This dish has real, fresh globe artichokes. Sangria - perfect. Pastel De Calabaza - came with bay leaf ice cream and what we think was citrus snot. Loved it. Your server will recommend 3-4 dishes per person, but that is a lot of food. We started with 4 between us and it was enough. Great service, cozy atmosphere. We spent less than $100 for two people. Reserve a month ahead. read more

You can not go wrong with Amada. My last visit here was for a baby shower which was held in a private room. Beautifully natural decor and friendly accommodating staff. They were serving small plates enough for each table. One of the ladies at my table is a vegetarian so they served us vegetarian dishes as well as meat dishes. Everything was delicious. I really mean it...there was not one small plate I didn't care for. Such a beautiful day made even more wonderful by wonderful food & service! read more

Amada Philadelphia - cheese mixto plate with spreads - Tapas Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Best tapas I've EVER had. Period. This was actually one of my favorite meals for the entire month I was in Philly. I stopped in with my husband and a girlfriend, without a reservation, and we were offered a table on the patio. Worked out great since we were a tad underdressed and it was gorgeous out. We ordered the mixto of three cheeses, the crab-stuffed peppers, the albondigas, the garbanzo beans, the scallops, and the flatbread with artichokes, mushrooms, black truffles, and manchego. I will say that everything was amazing, but highlights include the manchego with lavender honey (my new obsession), the crab-stuffed peppers, and that flatbread. We were all so amazed by it all. For dessert, we ordered the cheesecake with black currant and meyer lemon sorbet. Also delicious and a perfect sweet treat that was not too heavy. Service was excellent and the meal was actually not too expensive either. I'm considering downgrading my reviews for all tapas places I've been to because of this place. Who knew tapas could be THAT good? Shit just got real. Can't wait to come back. Lobster paella has caught my eye... read more

Best tapas we've had in a long time--we had the gambas al ajillo, ensalada verde, alcachofas, and the skirt steak and all dishes were delicious. Bobby provided great service. All around terrific experience! read more

I ain't afraid of a little snow!!! So, taking advantage of the snowstorm the day after Xmas, I called Amada to see if there had been any weather cancellations. Lo and behold a 5:45 had opened up! Boots, mittens, scarf, hat, jacket......a short, snowy walk to the PATCO (yes, I had to slog in from Jersey) and a few snowy blocks to walk, and there we were at Amada, where our sodden coats were whisked away, and we were seated at a table for two with really only one or two other tables seated in the entire restaurant...the weather really WAS pretty shitty... but, who cares about the weather, we just care about the food, right?!! So, in giddy anticipation of the explosions of flavor I have read so much about, we ordered a $68 bottle of wine (the waitress kindly let us try two different wines before we decided) and WELL WORTH IT!!!! Every drop of that bottle was enjoyed with our amazing food. Octopus, lamb meatballs, truffle flatbread, and stuffed peppers ohhhhhhhhhhhh happiness in my mouth! The food was simply divine, so many amazing flavors, excellent service, and a beautiful bottle of wine made this one of the best meals I have had in the past year. Our server was fantastic, offered excellent suggestions, and made us feel like we were the only two people in the whole restaurant....wait....we almost were! However, I was less than impressed, dare I say "underwhelmed" with the dessert. Warm brown butter cake with homemade ice cream.....the cake was blah, it was served cold (i was hoping for oooey goooey hot cake with carmel sauce or something like that) .... So I'll just forget about the dessert and go back to ranting and raving about the lamb meatballs... they were SO GOOD!!!! read more

As you can see, I previously gave Amada a 5 star review, and I kept coming back time and time again with delight. Unfortunately, this weekend I saw a different side of the restaurant. Nearly everything has gone up in price, and the portion sizes went way down. We ordered 10 dishes for the table, and more than half of them were tiny and skimping on the ingredients. For example, the clams and chorizo dish is $12, and it came out in a tiny dish with some broth, 3 or 4 miniscule clams, about 5 or 6 completely empty clam shells, and 2 small slivers of chorizo. We didn't know what to do with this dish or how to eat it as a group of four people. The spicy potatoes used to be a larger bowl that could be shared. Now it is just two or three small slices of potato spread out on a plate. The octopus ($13) was 5 or 6 tiny slivers of octopus with 2 or 3 slivers of potatoes. The meal came out to be nearly $300 total for 4 people with drinks, so we were hoping for more, especially since we are regulars who have been coming to the restaurant for years. They used to have a $55 tasting menu that would leave you completely stuffed. That menu is now $65. I understand that you have to raise prices in a world where costs are climbing. However, the portion sizes have become so extremely small that I feel completely ripped off after this meal. read more

Amada is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Philly. I try to order different tapas every time I go and so far everything I've ordered has been on point. If you're looking for more of an entree to fill you up in a way that tapas can't (not without breaking your wallet at least), their paella is good, although they no longer have the squid ink paella, which I loved. The Chuletta for two is wonderful as well. I've tried the roasted suckling pig and I'm almost sad to say that it was not that great. The presentation, side dishes and price for 4 people is all very good....even the crispy skin. However, the actual meat is bland, but tender. The decor of Amada is.....sexy. The simpliciy mixed with warmth and elegance is very inviting. Just watch out for the candle lined hallway to the bathroom after too many sangrias. That big metal pig in the entrance....that's Jamon. And fyi, on Aug.17, 2008 on Iron Chef, Jose Garces (of Amada, Tinto and Distrito) will be battling Bobby Flay. The week after this airs, those 3 restaurants will offer Garces' dishes from the episode. read more

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. read more

While the meal started out a little slow, it ended with a bang. The patatas bravas were kinda sucky and the pato of duck confit was fairly good, the rest of our meal was excellent. The fideos con mariscos, entrecote a la catalana and the crab rellenos were awesome. The drinks were delicious as well. Notably, the Matador and the Pomegranate Margaritas. Strong and delicious. Overall it was a bit pricey for tapas, but they course them out, so you really only need a few to feel full. Especially since the specialty drinks are on the heavy side. If your looking for lively, request the front room. If you are looking for low key, request the back room. Either way you are near a great bar. However the main bar is super tall, so shorter folks beware! read more

It was a chilly night in Philadelphia, and my fiance and I were looking for a new food experience. Amada came highly recommended, and we thought we'll give it a shot even though we fully expected it to be snooty and overpriced.. but boy were we WRONG! Walked in the door to a warm, inviting, lively atmosphere. The host told us it'd be about 30 minutes for a table but we were welcome to wait at the bar area, and took our coats. Two of the bar seats quickly became available and we sat down and ordered the famous Amada sangria. I ordered the Blanco, which was a crisp white wine with granny smith apples, green pears and oranges, my partner in crime opted for the Temporada, a white as well, with stewed or canned peaches, ginger brandy and mint. We both took one sip of the drink, put the glass down and gave each other that recognizable but rare look of astonishment of how absolutely amazing what we were tasting was! About halfway into the drink, the hostess came to get us to say there was a table available at the back bar which only had 6 seats, but higher bar stools for easier eating, so we decided to move to the back bar which had a quieter, sexier more intimate vibe.. We had already ordered the "Mixto" Charcuterie, but it was swiftly re directed to the back by the hostess. The charcuterie met all my expectations and then some. The olive oil it came with to dip bread in was top notch! We ordered the following over the course of the night: Smoked Trout with garbanzo been puree and Lemon cream fraiche - there was nothing boring about this dish. The textures melded together in an unexpected but wonderful way. The lemon cream fraiche was fragrant, the bean puree was smooth and the smoked trout flaky. Albondigas (Lamb Meatballs & Shaved Manchego with black truffles). This was one of the best things I have ever consumed in my life. If you love rich creamy fragrant delectable sauces and lamb, GET THIS, you wont regret it. We ordered the Garlic Shrimp next as the lady seated a couple seats away was exclaiming quite orgasmically, and not just once... about how amazing these shrimp were. One bite and I knew why she might have had such a reaction, they were succulent, perfectly cooked, don't think i have had better shrimp. I tried a bit of my fiance's chocolate dessert, but I was just so enamoured by the sangria, that i decided to get another glass not knowing when I'd be able to return to this gem of a restaurant next. If I could, I'd give this restaurant 6 out of 5 stars. Absolutely everything was perfect, and I'm looking forward to my next trip to Philadelphia months in advance because of it (Who'da thought?) read more

Amada is a great place for non-picky eaters. I had trouble selecting from the menu because I didn't know what many things were. Good thing that they have the option to let the chef decide for you! For $45 a head you get about 10 plates of various foods. It also comes with a bit of history. Our waiter, Johnny, explained to us what time of day the people of Spain would normally have the meal we were having. Although I don't know the exact names of all the dishes, here is what I could remember: You start off with a seasoned cracker and a tuna dip (delicious!) These are in no particular order: Spanish Olives in wine (delicious!) Carpaccio (its kinda like pepperoni) Lima Bean Salad Scallops on a stick (very good) Lamb meat balls Mini Cucumbers with mustard for dipping Garlic Shrimp flat bread Empanadillas - Artichoke and Spinach (delicious!) Bread with fig and bleu cheese on the side Madre e Hijo - Chicken breast with a fried egg on top (Delicious!) And you cant forget the free almond cookie in the end (we couldn't fit dessert) The restaurant was rather loud. There was music playing in the background but you could barely hear it. The service was very fast. I felt like they were watching constantly for a clear plate so they could take it away. I was impressed because they give you new clean plates for the main course. The tables are very close together (its a small place). We spent almost 2 hours at the restaurant but it didn't feel like it since we were never waiting for more than 5 minutes. There was convenient valet parking out front. I'll definitely be back to try the Lamb Chops. read more

What the sh*t??? Like seriously, what the sh*t??? Chef Garces, did you just trump my most favorite Iron Chef of all time, the master Chef Morimoto, for the best meal I've ever had? I may have to call this one a tie. Here's what went down: 1. Chorizo and some cheese I can't remember the name of - it was sort of like a blue cheese. Didn't eat these together, but they were both great on their own. 2. Some complimentary (yup, free!) tuna caper dip thingy with garlic chips. I don't do fish, but holy crap I almost licked the plate. 3. Patatas Bravas. Little bites of potato with a spicy (chipotle?) sauce. My first one was a little on the hard side, but the rest melted in my mouth. VERY good. 4. Lamb meatballs with manchego cheese. I think these were the highlight of my evening. Again, plate must be torn out of my hands to prevent me from making a fool of myself. (Sidenote - waitress offered to bring us extra bread for mopping up the rest of the sauce. My kind of girl!) 5. Parmesan artichokes. Pieces of artichoke with parmesan cheese crust. Never had anything like this, but ooh boy they were tasty. 6. Seabass. Again, I don't do fish so I only had a bite and don't remember too much detail about this one. But it was a very tasty bite to be sure - maybe the best bite of fish in my limited experience. 7. Wagyu brochettes. Little skewers with perfectly cooked wagyu beef and mushrooms in a bordelaise sauce. Highly recommended. 8. Garbanzo beans and spinach in a tomato-y type sauce. Sooo good but sooo full at this point. WHEW. Take a minute to catch your breath. So allllllll of the above for two people including drinks (I'm talking a glass of sangria each, a bottle of wine, AND two after dinner drinks) - grand total of around 140 bones (not including tip). I would have paid at least DOUBLE that in NY. Or at a certain Japanese Iron Chef's restaurant up the street (sorry M - you know I still love you). If you're a coffee lover looking for a nice after dinner drink, try the Kika. Apparently this was just added to the menu - tastes like chilled espresso with booze added, and just a hint of sweetness. In short, GO HERE NOW!!!! Each dish is as good as the next. It is worth every penny. read more

I honestly had high expectations going into dinner. We had over 7 different dishes and they all were too salty, undercooked and/or VERY small portions. I wish I had better things to say about this restaurant but I dont. Definitely wont be returning back. Save your $$$/time and go somewhere else. read more

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Im going to admit that it has been months since my trip to Philly but I can still remember every moment of our dinner at Amada. Everything from the atmosphere, to the staff and most important the food was exquisite. We had many many different items and remember loving them all. The sangria was nothing special but they had a great wine list. I would definately come here again when I am back in Philly. P.S. the prices are not too high and its a great spot for a date night ;) read more