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    Pa’La Downtown

    4.4 (334 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Pa’La Downtown Photos

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    PA’LA DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE

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    Heidi M.

    We celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary at Pa'La downtown, and it was lovely! We enjoyed their 3-course wine dinner that they offer on Wednesdays for $65 per person. We started with the Brie off the HH menu for our appetizer, and then for the 3-course dinner, the first course was the burrata salad, the second course was the cod, and the third course was the matcha cheesecake. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the service was phenomenal! The only thing I was a little sad about is when I booked my reservation online, I had requested to sit "outside", which I assumed was the patio area upstairs so that we could enjoy the sunset, but when we arrived, we were told it was already booked for a private party. Still a very nice evening.

    Table setting
    Sein G.

    I visited Pa'La Downtown on a Friday night for my friend's birthday dinner. Overall, my experience was underwhelming, and I'm not sure if I'll return to this specific location, though I might try their 24th Street location in the future. For tapas, we tried the Kurobuta Pork Belly ($18). The dish came with four pieces of sliced pork belly (two per skewer) and root vegetables. Unfortunately, the saltiness was way too strong. The seasoning was only on the surface, and it overwhelmed the bite. By the second and last piece, there was nothing left on the plate to balance the extreme saltiness. Perhaps a slightly larger portion of root vegetables or a side to complement it would have helped, but as served, it was difficult to enjoy. Next, I tried the Bucatini Carbonara pasta ($28). I have to be honest. It was extremely disappointing. Before visiting, I had seen photos and reviews online and was excited when I saw it was on the daily menu board, but the pasta was BLAND. Even after mixing in the Parmesan cheese and taking a bite with the guanciale, the dish tasted bland. We had to chase down someone for salt to finish the dish. The guanciale pieces were very small and didn't add enough flavor, and overall, the dish felt underwhelming. On the special menu that night, the Wood-Fired Branzino ($48) with shiso chimichurri, Romano beans, and einkorn was sold out by the time we tried to order. Instead, we went with the Miso Black Cod ($42), recommended by our waiter. This dish was exceptional. The cod was cooked perfectly, the miso flavor was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the ancient grains it was served on. The portion was on the smaller side, about 5 ounces, but it was excellent. The service was amazing. I cannot remember the server's name, but he was tall, dark-haired, very knowledgeable about the wines, and incredibly friendly. The wine list and drink menu were decent. The ambience is nice, but the inside was extremely loud, so if you're looking for a quiet dinner, I'd recommend visiting during a less busy time. Parking was convenient, with two garages nearby, and Pa'La validates for two hours, though you'll want to be mindful of charges beyond that. Overall, while the Miso Black Cod was a highlight, the pork belly and carbonara were disappointing, leaving me unsure if I'd return to this location. I may give the other location a try in the future.

    Burrata
    Kelley C.

    Update: came back again for a second try and it was a lot better when it wasn't super busy and food was super good. Ribeye was very yummy and cooked very well, favorite was also the crudo Kampachi. I was also super surprised how much I liked the sweet potato as the chili oil gave it a good kick. The waiter was super nice too and gave good advice for food.

    Jose V.

    Pa'La is definitely a must try in downtown Phoenix! On Tuesdays they offer the chef's tasting menu, which includes an eight course meal paired with wine for a fairly decent price. The style of food is wood fired, Japanese/South American flavors; portions are small tapas plates that are meant to be shared. Every course they brought out was delicious but my ultimate favorite was the Branzino! During the chef's tasting menu, you will share a "community table of about 6-8 people. It is a fun and great opportunity to interact and potentially make new friends while sharing a delicious meal. Check this place out!

    This was the main course. Steak (cooked perfectly), sweet potato, and branzino.
    Jose F.

    I recently came across this place decided to give it a try. Upon making a reservation I saw they offer different experiences. Tuesday's they have a "table" experience which consists of 8 courses with wine. If you can, I HIGHLY recommend you do it. Every dish was delicious and the service was amazing. I had accidentally booked for the wrong date but they still accommodated and allowed me to enjoy the experience. Definitely recommend!

    Crystal R.

    I would say 3.7 stars, service was great! I felt like I was famous haha also the flan was really good and I never like flan haha but also my boyfriend said the black cod was really good and soft. I thought the chicken Piccata was hard and on the dryer side. The potatoes were good though.

    Jennie T.

    I can't stop thinking about this place! In early October, I reserved a spot at Pa'la Downtown for my partner's birthday. Knowing how much he and I both love unique, multicultural food, I knew Pa'la would be a great place to visit. It serves tapa-style meals, with a blend of Mediterranean and Japanese style dishes, so you can try a variety of cuisine in one sitting. This is a spot for the most adventurous of eaters; I would not recommend coming here if you're not prepared to expand your palette. I am not a picky eater, yet I was even a little intimidated by some of the items on the menu. Each dish tasted heavenly. My favorites included the pork lettuce wraps, beef tartare, and branzino filet. My partner was a big fan of the bone marrow, but by the time that arrived, I was so stuffed I could only have a little bite. The service was incredible, with a kind woman leading us upstairs and not having us wait long to be seated. We had a proper introduction to the menu, along with a special birthday cheesecake. The ambiance was lovely; even with the live jazz band, it didn't feel as overwhelmingly loud as I expected. There were mostly couples around us, and one huge group taking photos of what seemed to be another birthday celebration. I highly recommend Pa'la Downtown! The staff gave my partner and I a night we'd never forget, and I'm already thinking of excuses to drive over an hour back to Phoenix so I experience it all over again.

    Complimentary bread
    Olivia R.

    My friend made us dinner reservation with our husbands for restaurant week. We had a great experience, food was excellent and the service was top notch. We sat upstairs in the lounge near the jazz players. It was a very cozy and romantic atmosphere. Their restaurant week menu was $55 per person for appetizer, entree and dessert. For my appetizer I ordered their burrata. There was way too much bread for the amount of burrata and I felt like the bread was way too thick. This dish was ok. For my entree, I ordered their bucatini mushroom pasta, this was fantastic. Bucatini pasta is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow center. This is not a pasta I see often at a restaurant. I loved it and highly recommend this dish! For my dessert, I picked their yuzu mouse cake. It was light and fluffy. It tasted a little like key lime pie. I enjoyed it! Our service was great, our waiter was very detailed and he did have a lot of information to share about the restaurant and menus.

    Ocean Trout Tartare
    Laura M.

    I'd been wanting to check out Pa'La for a while so I was excited to see they were participating in restaurant week. Pa'La means "for the people." The food is a combination of Mediterranean, South American, and Japanese flavors. Their menu changes daily because they use fresh ingredients at their peak. Their normal menu is set up like tapas and smaller bites, meant to be shared to experience a variety of flavors. They recommend about 4-5 plates per person. The restaurant week menu is a different style, with the starter, entree, and dessert for one person. Pa'La's chef does a lot of open wood-fire grilling and we also learned they do a Japanese style 'fireside' cooking called 'robatayaki.' The restaurant has a down stairs, along with a small bar and patio seating. Then upstairs is a lounge with a larger bar. The Upstairs Lounge is a vibe! They have live jazz music Thursday - Saturday nights. It's dimly lit, swanky, and a total mood. The rectangle bar has a red octopus mural on the ceiling, very unique. We had a reservation for upstairs. The hostess who sat us was great. We saw two open tables closer to the jazz band as she walked us to our table in the back. We asked if we could make a switch. She ended up moving us, which was fantastic. She also gave us the drink menu, food menu, showed us where to scan the QR code for specials, and told us about restaurant week, giving us that menu as well. That was great considering other places we've been for restaurant week haven't offered that menu and some even act annoyed you want to order from that menu, which is wild! If that's the case the restaurant shouldn't be participating in restaurant week! We went with another couple. 3 of us did the restaurant week menu and then my husband ordered a few different items off the regular menu. Our server was intense about the menu. He was super knowledgeable and excited about the ingredients, methods, and cuisine. We are all foodies so it was great, but for other people it could be a bit overwhelming since it was a lot of information. We started with some fun cocktails and they brought us the most delicious complimentary focaccia bread with olive oil. We ordered Olives with Smoked Chili Almonds and 1/2 Dozen Oysters off their regular menu to share at the table. I had the Ocean Trout Tartare, the Wood-Fired Branzino, and the Yuzu Mousse Cake. The Trout Tartare was delicious and served with Tallow chips. I loved it was Trout and not the typical Tuna. The Branzino was flaky and smoky. It was served with grains and a gremolata. I really enjoyed it. The Yuzu Mousse Cake was just okay. I like lemon and grapefruit tart flavors but I didn't love the mousse. My friend had the Burrata and enjoy it, but it did come with a lot of bread for the amount of burrata served. She had the Bucatini with Maitake Mushrooms and it was delicious. Her husband had the Iberico Pork Ribs in a Miso Maple Glaze and loved it. My husband had the Kurobuta Pork Belly with Sour Plum BBQ Sauce and Pickled Root Vegetables. He loved the flavor combination. He had the Mussels with Chorizo and more of that yummy focaccia bread to dip in the sauce. He also tried the Japanese Sweet Potato with Cilantro and Chili Crunch, so good! We had wine with dinner and then decided to try a bottle of their saki after dinner. Kind of random but we all loved the little light on the table. It was perfect for the ambiance and also came in handy when we wanted to read the menu better or for pictures. We will definitely be back. I want to try their octopus and also want to do their "Table," 8 course communal dinner with wine on Tuesdays. They offer this at both the downtown location and their 24th street location. The idea of a cozy long table sharing amazing food, wine, and conversation sounds so interesting and fun! Pa'La is a hybrid of flavors, a must try!!!

    Pork belly
    Raúl R.

    I give this place a 4.5 stars The only reason is, it did take a a while for them to provide me with my food. Other than that, the people were friendly, helpful, and very attentive. We came to check on me and see how my food was and I was like well. I don't have any food. If you're looking for a delicious fancy restaurant, this is a place to go. The menu changes often, so probably what I won't be available in a couple of weeks or days. Overall, but I enjoyed my favorite part. Was the mussels. I had never tried them, but the sauce it came, and was delicious. The ribeye was also good The meat was cooked. Perfection melted in your mouth. The only thing I didn't really like is all the garnish that was on top. It was in big fan of that. The other two items that I really enjoyed was the pork Valley and the sweet potato. I don't know what they put on it, but it worked really well. There was much more. I wanted to try, but it is pretty pricey. So, hopefully in my next visit. I'll stop by again and see what else they have on the menu.

    Wild U10 shrimp
    Jorey C.

    Overall wonderful experience. We were seated at a table right by the door and asked about a booth but they were all filled up so the hostess asked if we wanted a high top instead by the kitchen, which was very nice and cool! We had two servers take care of us and they explained the menu very well, very knowledgeable about all the elements of each dish and their allergens. There is a lot gluten free.. except there is no gluten free grain at all?? For instance, the cod has ancient grains with gluten but they have no rice that's gluten free at all. There's foccacia but no gf bread. So that was disappointing because a carb helps with a balanced meal. A lot of the gluten free was red meat which I don't eat so overall I was more limited hence the four stars - the grain got me... I wasn't going to pay $42 for a meal with no grain. And no chicken dishes? Odd. I ended up getting the wild u10 shrimp and Japanese sweet potato. The shrimp came with only four pieces - they were large but for $29... just expect to spend more money here if you want to be full. The shrimp was very tasty though! It had great flavor from the ginger and garlic and it was fresh and light yet packed a slight heat. Very juicy. The sweet potato also only came with three slices for $13. It was once again however, pretty outstanding flavor wise. The skin had a nice crunch while the flesh was pillow-y and delicate but still packed heat with the chili crunch. They are very good about providing adequate sauce. Also the sweet potato came out over 5 minutes before my shrimp, not sure if that's normal or something happened in the kitchen. My boyfriend got the special which was an egg pasta with pesto, cherry tomatoes, and shrimp. He said the pasta was outstanding - you could tell it was homemade - and he even liked the pesto and he's not a big pesto fan. He said the shrimp was nice And tender. He agreed the portion was small for the price but we both recognize we pay for high quality.

    Maria A.

    We decided to pop into Pa'la while downtown. We didn't have any reservations but the bar was the only open section. My friend has definitely recommended Pa'la and I have seen it talked about online. We tried the murmurs pork belly, fresh burrata, Japanese sweet potato, and wild u10 shrimp. My absolute favorites were the Japanese sweet potato and fresh burrata. The Japan sweet potato was completely different than expected. It was a sweet and chilli taste to it, not really sweet like a regular sweet potato. All the drinks were delicious as well. Definitely will be back.

    Looking towards where the band sets up upstairs

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    12 days ago

    The food was incredible, service outstanding and staff extremely friendly and helpful.

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    2 months ago

    The ambiance was amazing! We came on a friday night so we sat upstairs for the live jazz music. Truly made our experience that much better!

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    Great service and shareable plates makes for an easy dinner pre any event downtown. An amazing wine list as well.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Pa’La Downtown

    Can you make a reservation?

    Good morning, Christine. Thank you for reaching out. Reservations can be made through Opentable, PA'LA Downtown.

    This sounds perfect for my son's 20th birthday! But the jazz section is a must since he was in jazz band. Is it 21 and over?

    Hello Christine, thank you for reaching out. We are a restaurant, the "lounge" is our second floor, where the jazz band plays on Friday and Saturday, from 6 to 10 pm. Everyone is welcome, no need to be over 21.… Read more

    What are their hours?

    Tues/Wed 11a-3p Friday/Sat 11am-10pm

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I checked out thea for my birthday dinner on a Sunday. Located on the rooftop of the Global…read moreAmbassador Hotel, this Mediterranean restaurant was quite the experience. Parking is valet only, but since I'm not about that life, I found some parking on the street in a residential neighborhood five minutes away on foot. Ambiance (5/5): Definitely one of the areas in which thea shines. While they have both an indoor and outdoor area, I highly recommend sitting outside on the rooftop. If you do, you'll experience scenic views of the mountains in the background. If you can catch a sunset here, even better. Outside of the views, the restaurant has the fresh decor you would expect from a Mediterranean/Greek restaurant. There's also an outdoor area, and an indoor bar area, if you're just looking for drinks. Service (5/5): Attentive, friendly, and efficient service. Exactly what I was hoping for, especially on my birthday. They were kind enough to hook me up with a dessert for my special day. Much appreciated! Drinks (4.5/5): A full bar with a nice wine list and an interesting cocktail menu. I split a bottle of wine with my parents, but also started off with a refreshing cocktail. Food (5/5): I started off with the flaming saganaki because how can you say no to cheese flambeed table side. Dinner with a little entertainment. If you've never had saganaki cheese, it's a delicious Greek cheese. Pair it with some pita bread and you have yourself a delicious app. From there, I had the grilled skirt steak with crushed potatoes. Naturally, I ordered my steak medium rare. The skirt steak was sliced and cooked perfectly. The potatoes were well seasoned and paired nicely with the steak. All in all, a perfect meal. My parents similarly had great things to say about their selections. Thea isn't cheap. And it does have the see and be seen type of vibe which I'm not a big fan of. Yet, despite all of that, it's an excellent dining experience all-around. While it's more of a special occasion type of spot in my book, I'm definitely looking forward to stopping by again sometime!

    Such an enjoyable afternoon. Came here on my husband birthday to have some cocktails and appetizers…read morewith a Mountain View. We didn't have a reservation but they allowed us to have a few cocktails on the patio, as long as we were up before their 5:30pm reservation. On this occasion, we had the Calamari, Muhammara and Manti Dumplings. The Calamari and Dumplings were great. I would pass on the Muhammara. Would have loved to dine here so next time will make a reservation. The views, quality of drinks and most of the service was impressive and impeccable. Down to the uniforms, this place is high on impressions and they made a good one. Appreciate the special care they put into making my husband Birthday Happy Hour special!!! Tips, no Happy Hour and reservations are highly recommended. Valet at the Global is cheaper than the self-serve parking lot.

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    Pa’La Downtown - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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