AmadaIf I could marry a restaurant...If I could marry a restaurant, it'd be this one! I've been here twice, both for girls' nights. Excellent drinks and wine menu. And absolutely AMAZING food! The kind of food that puts you in a happy trance. My friends and I always order about 2 or 3 things each and share everything so we get to try a good portion of the menu. I loved the filet mignon, shrimp w' eggs, gazpacho, and crab stuffed peppers. This place is a little pricy, but it is definitely worth it!6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic experienceMy husband and I went out to dinner with 2 other couples. Our table ended up being located in the back room which we loved! There was only I other table in the room so we felt like we were almost in a private room6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time at Amada, and I'veFirst time at Amada, and I've wanted to go for years. I wasn't disappointed! The food was great, the service was outstanding and the ambience was just right. Since it was our first visit, we asked our waitress to help with our selections and she couldn't have been more helpful. I will definitely go back in the future!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply, this place is Fantastic.Wonderful both our first and second times around. Great chef tasting selection and serving pace is very good. Wonderful spot to relax and not only enjoy great food but also some quality conversation in between courses.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food, Poor Quality ServiceThe food was great, as all the other times we had dinned at this establishment. Service however was lacking completely. We had to request the complimentary "torta with tuna spreading" after we already had one of our tapas on the table. No one would come to fill our glasses with our Sangria (got a pitcher). The food didn't arrive spaced out and finally after our meal was over it took more than 20 min before we could flag someone to come. By that point we had no interest to look at the desert menu and were ready to leave.
If you are in Philadelphia just for a short while on a trip, try one of many Steven Starr establishments. You get good food with great service usually.
Sad for Garcias that he doesn't have better wait staff6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific for groupsWonderful, lively but not too noisy atmosphere, excellent tapas and warm service make this a great pick for groups.
We love Amada!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMA Vegetarian's ViewAs an ova-lacto vegetarian, my options are usually quite limited, but Amada's tapas menu offers more than a dozen suitable selections. While the grilled asparagus and wild mushrooms were my favorites, all but one of the dishes that my vegetarian daughter and I shared were winners. (The exception--the Spanish tortilla--was acceptable, but bland.) My meat-eating husband raved about the ham and fig salad. Two caveats: First, the portion sizes vary greatly, from a few sprigs of asparagus to towering mountains of salads. Ask the waiters, as they are knowledgable about each dish. Second, the wines by the glass are even more expensive than those at similarly priced venues (e.g. Alma de Cuba). Even sol, Amada is one of the best in Philly.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA consistent favoriteWe've been to Amada many times and have always loved it. We went last night for an anniversary, did the chef's tasting with the wine pairing, and we instructed our waiter to surprise us with any and everything he thought we would love. You don't often get an invitation like that to upsell :) But we just got our dinner delivered quickly by several different servers without much conversation. The food was good, as always, but I admit I was hoping for a bit of a better experience overall.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food and service!Service was great and the food was amazing. Food is all served tapa style and it comes to you as it is ready. They are very accoodating to food allergies too which is very nice.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ExperienceWonderful food and service. Sleek decor. Very noisy.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMPhiladelphia Gem!Our party of four enjoyed sharing the small plates. We didn't find one we didn't like! Unexpected flavors put together that were exciting to the palate. The service was very good. We found the pitcher of sangria to be a better deal than buying separate glasses. It was delicious, too! Great relaxed atmosphere. Not pretentious - a very comfortable place. The meal was affordable in comparison to many of the restaurants we've eaten at in Philadelphia.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceOrdered the "adventurous" Chef's table menu option and it did not disappoint.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMTasty TapasWe had the jamon iberico (closest thing to Barcelona we've found in the States so far), tortilla espanola (excellent rendition, the saffron aoli was wonderful), albondigas, pimientos de padron (they have a little kick to them), calcots (hard to get in States), setas and the Chuleta which were all wonderful. The paella was the only dish that was only okay (a little too salty for my taste). The red Sangria was the best I've had ... the specialty cocktails were good, not great. The Pastel de chocalate was the best dessert that we tried. Even with all that, the price was quite reasonable, cheaper than the tasting menu6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was my second visit andThis was my second visit and the first time I was seated at the bar, but remembered the food was wonderful. I was able to get a reservation and had a comfortable seat. Again, the food was wonderful. My friends and I ordered an assortment and everything was pleasing to at least two people at the table. Tapas are wonderful, but we did not order too much so there was room for desert.
Nice dining experience.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMExceptional to the end!Drinks, food and service were all stellar! I don't know what else to say without gushing about every item. We were pleasantly surprised at the bill at the end of the night for two people considering we ordered 6-7 plates - and not the cheapest on the menu. Two people with drinks and our bill was 1/3 of what we recently spent at a high-end chain steakhouse. Amada was way better! I just wish it was easier to get reservations on the weekends.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply spectacular!As always, the dining experience at Amada was wonderful. We chose six dishes, and two desserts. Sharing each one was a pleasure. The wine is wonderful and the servic,e the best. After a beautiful meal, we lingered with our wine and watched the activity around us. Amada is the first on our list when it comes to eating out in Philadelphia!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazingTapas are carefully crafted and well balanced, with nuance it would be difficult to duplicate.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMthe food was delicious andthe food was delicious and the presentations were beautiful!!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Dining ExperienceAmada's was a fun and delicious dining experience. We were a party of three and we shared several tapas. The menu was appealing and extensive and we had a hard time choosing which items we wanted because many of them sounded good. Our waitress was attentive and helpful in selecting what we wanted. We would definitely go back again.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved it!Almost everything about our visit to Amada was spectacular! The food, the service, the ambience, all excellent. We dine out a lot and went to Amada for our anniversary. We loved all the food. The only disappointment was there was a rather small wine selection, all Spanish wines, which makes sense, of course. But it was very expensive and we didn't have wine that we really liked. We told our serve the kind of wine we tend to like (full-bodied Cabernet) and he made a recommendation. But it was just okay.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was excellent, had theFood was excellent, had the chefs tasting and it was fantastic, highly recommended.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMyou can't go wrong at Amada!I love this restaurant and it is consistently delicious. The service is also impressive, you get treated like royalty even though you are just an average Joe. I highly recommend this gem!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMsimply outstanding - foodsimply outstanding - food service and atmosphere.....5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Birthday DinnerSeven of us went to Amada for a birthday dinner/'welcome to Philadelphia' dinner and had a terrific time. There were varying palates withint he 7 attending and a few food allergies that were tended to - everyone loved their meals. The potato bravas and mushrooms were excellent - get a few! The short rib flatbeat was amazing! I could go on and on... with 7 of us we ordered so many plates. Excellent food, service, ambiance - a must if you're thinking of heading there, just do it.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ExperienceI cannot say enough about this restaurant. The food selection is just amazing and everything we had was so good. The sangria was the best I have ever had in a restaurant. The atmosphere was very energetic and I would say modern and all in a good way. The server was there whenever we needed anything and the food came out just at the right time. My daughter and I were there for a girl's vacation and it was the perfect start5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it!!Been to Amada many times and they never fail to impress!! Gazpacho was great, love the Albondigas, and I ordered more Octopus and Garbo0nzos to take home5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMHad the chef choice and enjoyedHad the chef choice and enjoyed every plate except one.
Restaurant was a little noisy but energetic.
Staff was very helpful5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGood tapas, but very smallGood tapas, but very small portions for the prices. Need a child's menu, too.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat time with dateOur orders took a while to arrive but we actually ended up getting three dishes on the house because of the wait. They even gave us the most expensive item on the dish free. Because of this I would come to this place again! The noise was a little bit loud though.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGarces Doesn't DisappointMy husband & I went here for our anniversary & made a reservation about a month ago without a problem (don't wait until the last minute with this restaurant to make a reservation as they fill up fast!!!). We both got a cocktail to start, I got the Dark Habits which was delicious, but as a side note you need to like sweet drinks for this one. My husband got the Tinto sangria which tasted just like being back in Spain. We got the more expensive version of the Chef's Tasting menu & were able to get it with our diet restrictions. It is definitely worth the price!!!! Everything they brought out was terrific, but my top picks were the manghego, mushroom truffle flatbread & the lamb chops. Waitress & staff were very friendly & efficient.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't get enoughWe went to Amada for my fiancé's graduation dinner and had a magnificent experience. Our server was appropriately eager to tell us which items he loved and we ended up loving every single bite. The must-eats are the Parmesan artichokes, patatas bravas, and the pear cake with pear clove sorbet (I could eat this everyday and be the happiest girl alive)!5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAuthentic Spanish TapasEven our friend from Barcelona was impressed with the food at Amada, as it was the most authentic Spanish fare he has encountered since arriving in the USA about six months ago.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMVery niceThe food was excllent and the service excllent. The salmon special that was plain and the mushrooms were way too salty but the other 7 plates we shared were outstanding. Will definately go back again.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent!We went for my wife's birthday and we had a wonderful time. A true Spanish Tapas restaurant. We went with the chef's choice which was fabulous and almost too much food (which surprised us because tapas means "small plates") it was a lot of "small plates"! We will definitely go back the next time we are in the city.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful, as always.We love Amada, and it's always such a treat to eat here. The food is outstanding - highly recommend the Paella Valenciana! The tables are large and nicely spaced so that you never feel crowded or cramped. I really appreciate when a restaurant that could pack more tables in - and fill them - chooses not to do so. Amada never disappoints!5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMTreat yourselfI plan to systematically try every item on the menu. Loved every morsel. Sangria is too perfect with the tapas.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOriginal and perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It is an original tapas restaurant with recipes and tastes that you find i the Mediterranean, so it is can be considered representative of its kind. Loved the selection of cheeses and cured meats which came together with great accompaniments.
Definitely a city-must!
Will go back again!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific Tapas SpotI'll start off by saying that Spanish tapas portions are a little small for me. Even after seven plates between two people I still left feeling not completely full. I considered ordering a couple more plates, but my guest was done, and very satisfied.
That being said, almost everything we had was delicious. The standouts were the flatbread with wild mushrooms and artichokes and the lamb meatballs. They were fantastic! I would get them again in a heartbeat. Again, all of the food we had was really good, but those were the best.
Service was great. The restaurant was very busy, but the staff were on point and we never waited long for anything.
I look forward to going back and trying some of the other tempting plates on their vast menu.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMwonderful meal each coursewonderful meal each course was better than the last . service was spectacular.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMfirst date with girl of my dreamsfood was great. ambiance was great. service was a little slow though. there were times throughout the night that we found ourselves waiting for periods of time.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLove the food and the LaurelNo need to talk about the food, rarely gets better. But a waitress like Laurel is hard to find, such a postive experience5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazinf fareSome plates werereally outstanding in both flavor and presentation.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved everything. Our PartyLoved everything. Our Party all got the tasting menu and we were very satisfied. Two words: white sangria5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMSangria and TapasWe had a 6pm dinner reservation this past Saturday (this place books up fast - reserve in advance!) and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Excellent sangria and the plates are perfect for sharing - the crab stuffed peppers and bacon wrapped dates were stand-outs. I'd definitely return!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAmbienceI requested a nice table for my partner's 65th birthday and they provided us with a lovely table in the rear of the restaurant. The rest of the restaurant is much too loud and it would have been impossible for us to hold a conversation without screaming at each other.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMDate nightMy date and I decided to give Amada a shot after seeing that it got excellent reviews. The atmosphere was nice; it was not too noisy and the lighting was romantic. The food was generally decent. Each dish ranged from being very good to tasty but nothing special though. The best dishes of the night were the mixto sampler, garlic dulce de leche cheese, Spanish octopus, shrimp a la plancha, and Wagyu sirloin with smoked eel. We were disappointed with the overly salty lamb meatballs, and the artichoke and mushroom flatbread was nothing special. As for cocktails; Matador, and Broken Hugs were very good. If we go again I would get the Tie Me Up Tie Me Down, just for the sake of the name. Overall, we had a very good experience.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFavorite of Old CityBeen coming to this restaurant for over 5 years, and has not once disappointed. They have great food in the form of tapas, shared by the table, great ambiance, and great staff. Not to mention the best sangria I can find in the city that even closely resembles what I had in Spain.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time having brunch hereFirst time having brunch here and we really enjoyed it. We had actually been in for dinner on Friday with friends, and went for brunch here because of the proximity to our hotel. My husband loves the albondigas, he said they were done better during brunch then they had been the other night. Two complaints, the half lobster was overcooked and tough to eat, really a shame, and I wish our server had checked back with us more often, our food took ages and we were given no explanation (everyone around us was being served the same dishes we ordered, but were sat after us), and I would have liked to let someone know about the lobster.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMAmada continues to be oneAmada continues to be one of the best restaurants we have eaten in anywhere. We have returned here many times and the food and service is always consistently the best.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMDon't go if you are extremelyDon't go if you are extremely hungry! But it's must to get the roasted suckling pig!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AM