Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)
Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)
Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
(3)
Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)
Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)
Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)
Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)
GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)
Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)
Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)
J W.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
(4)
Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
(5)
Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)
Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)
jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)
Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)
Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)
Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)
Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)
glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)
Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)
Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)
Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)
Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)
Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)
Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)
Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)
Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)
AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)
TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
(5)
Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)
Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)
Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)
Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)
Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)
Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)
Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)
Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)
Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)
Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)
Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)
Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)
Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)
Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)
Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)
Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)
Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)
Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)
Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)
Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)
Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)
Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)
Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)
Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)
Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)
Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)
Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)
Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)
Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)
Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)
Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
(5)
Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)
Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)
Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)
Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)
Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)
Jean-Bernard L.
Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)
Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)
Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
(3)
Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)
Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)
jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
(3)
Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)
Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)
Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)
Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)
GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)
Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)
Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
(5)
Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)
J W.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)
Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)
Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)
Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)
Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)
Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)
Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)
AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)
TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
(5)
Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)
Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)
Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)
Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)
Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)
Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)
Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)
Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)
Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)
Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)
Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)
Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)
Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)
Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)
Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)
Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)
Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)
Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)
Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)
Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)
Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)
Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)
glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)
Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)
Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)
Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)
Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)
Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)
Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)
Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
(5)
Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)
Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)
Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)
Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)
Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)
Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)
Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)
Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
(5)
Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)
Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)
jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
(3)
Jean-Bernard L.
Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)
Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
(4)
Gail M.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)
Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)
Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)
Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)
Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)
GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)
Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)
Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)
Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)
Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)
Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)
Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)
AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)
Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
(5)
TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)
Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)
Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)
Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)
Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)
Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)
Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)
Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)
Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)
Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)
Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)
Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)
Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)
Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)
Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)
Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)
Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)
Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)
Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)
Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)
Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)
Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)
Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)
Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)
Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)
Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)
Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)
Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)
Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)
Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)
glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)
Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)
Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)
Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)
Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)
Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)
Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)
Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Jean-Bernard L.
Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
(3)Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
(5)Jenny T.
Are you looking for a place where the food is soo good it blows your mind?! Paloma did just that, it blew my mind!!!! Paloma serves a french cuisine with Mexican ingredients. The atmosphere is elegant, not stuffy. This place is a great spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion. The noise level is low and you can hear each other speak. Which is great! The servers are very attentive, and patience. I had the best crab meat at Paloma. We ordered the crab Castillo, wow it was amazingly good. I wish we would have ordered two! For entrées I had the chili relleno, the best one I've had EVER! It wasnt over cooked and the puff pastry on the outside gave it a really nice touch. The medley of flavors and veggies inside the relleno were so good it was like opening a present! My guy ordered the branzino which he let me try and I was totally blown away on how delicious it was. Lastly dessert, I ordered the Mexican brownie. It was sooooo good and warm I wanted MORE. It was paired with a gelato which I was not crazy about. It had a strong taste of amaretto and I hate amaretto. Next time I'll ask for the Mexican vanilla. We also tried the sorbets, I was told the the strawberry habanero was pretty epic! It was cold and sizzling hot at the same time. I didn't try it, too spicy for my liking. Paloma is a byob so we brought tequila with us. I'm not big on tequila but my margarita was really good. It was the perfect balance of tequila and sour mix. The pastry chef is the wife of the owner/chef, what a friendly, warm, welcoming lady!! She takes such pride in her desserts and it shows both in flavor and presentation. I can't believe we waited sooo long to try Paloma, I was really missing out! I will be back and SOON.
(5)Randall C.
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)J W.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
(4)Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
(5)Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
(3)Grant B.
Delicious and incredible flavor combinations. We had the red cactus soup special and the tuna tartar special as appetizers. Both fantastic. For entrees it was the salmon special with the most delectable carrot purée sauce. And the paiche. A very soft delicate and mild Amazonian fish. And the service was very knowledgable and attentive. A definite place to recommend and return!
(4)Gail M.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
(5)Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
(5)Thor T.
I don't know why I did not go earlier to Paloma since I knew that Adán Saavedra can really bring out the complex flavors of his native Mexican cuisine. The Tu-Th $30 three course prix-fixe is one of the great deals in the city, with many choices in each category (appetizers, entrées, and desserts). We began with the mushroom flan, moist and earthy, with a lovely texture, the crema de poblano, rich and addictive, the carefully constructed ensalada Margarita, and a special - a cold soup named Caesar soup (excellent). Of the four entrées, the pescado Azteca surprised by its (almost) quenelle consistency. The flavors were sweet and clean, same goes for the crab cake purse Acelia. The 12 oz New York Strip steak - an amazingly generous cut for the prize of the menu - came medium rare as ordered. We also enjoyed the roasted boneless chicken breast stuffed with huitlachoche mousse and served with a good tomato sauce. Of the desserts, we liked the rich bread pudding and the sorbets. The biscotti were more an accompaniment to our coffees. The service was attentive and efficient (the restaurant has beautiful plates). I found the decor perfectly adequate, even if the lay-out of the restaurant is a bit awkward. I plan to go back to the Dove with a larger group of friends and try more of the beautifully cooked dishes Mr. Saavedra can offer. p.s. one problem the restaurant might have is the frequent association of Mexican food with heavy, cheese drenched dishes. Paloma is a place where patrons can savor a more sophisticated take on one of the world's great cuisines.
(4)Mel T.
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
(5)Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)Jean-Bernard L.
Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
(3)Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
(3)Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
(5)Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
(5)Jenny T.
Are you looking for a place where the food is soo good it blows your mind?! Paloma did just that, it blew my mind!!!! Paloma serves a french cuisine with Mexican ingredients. The atmosphere is elegant, not stuffy. This place is a great spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion. The noise level is low and you can hear each other speak. Which is great! The servers are very attentive, and patience. I had the best crab meat at Paloma. We ordered the crab Castillo, wow it was amazingly good. I wish we would have ordered two! For entrées I had the chili relleno, the best one I've had EVER! It wasnt over cooked and the puff pastry on the outside gave it a really nice touch. The medley of flavors and veggies inside the relleno were so good it was like opening a present! My guy ordered the branzino which he let me try and I was totally blown away on how delicious it was. Lastly dessert, I ordered the Mexican brownie. It was sooooo good and warm I wanted MORE. It was paired with a gelato which I was not crazy about. It had a strong taste of amaretto and I hate amaretto. Next time I'll ask for the Mexican vanilla. We also tried the sorbets, I was told the the strawberry habanero was pretty epic! It was cold and sizzling hot at the same time. I didn't try it, too spicy for my liking. Paloma is a byob so we brought tequila with us. I'm not big on tequila but my margarita was really good. It was the perfect balance of tequila and sour mix. The pastry chef is the wife of the owner/chef, what a friendly, warm, welcoming lady!! She takes such pride in her desserts and it shows both in flavor and presentation. I can't believe we waited sooo long to try Paloma, I was really missing out! I will be back and SOON.
(5)Randall C.
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)J W.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
(4)Grant B.
Delicious and incredible flavor combinations. We had the red cactus soup special and the tuna tartar special as appetizers. Both fantastic. For entrees it was the salmon special with the most delectable carrot purée sauce. And the paiche. A very soft delicate and mild Amazonian fish. And the service was very knowledgable and attentive. A definite place to recommend and return!
(4)Gail M.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
(5)Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
(5)Thor T.
I don't know why I did not go earlier to Paloma since I knew that Adán Saavedra can really bring out the complex flavors of his native Mexican cuisine. The Tu-Th $30 three course prix-fixe is one of the great deals in the city, with many choices in each category (appetizers, entrées, and desserts). We began with the mushroom flan, moist and earthy, with a lovely texture, the crema de poblano, rich and addictive, the carefully constructed ensalada Margarita, and a special - a cold soup named Caesar soup (excellent). Of the four entrées, the pescado Azteca surprised by its (almost) quenelle consistency. The flavors were sweet and clean, same goes for the crab cake purse Acelia. The 12 oz New York Strip steak - an amazingly generous cut for the prize of the menu - came medium rare as ordered. We also enjoyed the roasted boneless chicken breast stuffed with huitlachoche mousse and served with a good tomato sauce. Of the desserts, we liked the rich bread pudding and the sorbets. The biscotti were more an accompaniment to our coffees. The service was attentive and efficient (the restaurant has beautiful plates). I found the decor perfectly adequate, even if the lay-out of the restaurant is a bit awkward. I plan to go back to the Dove with a larger group of friends and try more of the beautifully cooked dishes Mr. Saavedra can offer. p.s. one problem the restaurant might have is the frequent association of Mexican food with heavy, cheese drenched dishes. Paloma is a place where patrons can savor a more sophisticated take on one of the world's great cuisines.
(4)Mel T.
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
(5)Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)Sari A.
Paloma is one of Rena's,my friend, favorite restaurants, and she took me there as a birthday dinner surprise, and Yes, I had many. At first, I didn't know where Rena was taken me. So when I got there and saw the restaurant's sign said "Paloma Mexican Haute Cuisine," I entered with bells on! The restaurant was cozy,dated, but so elegant and clean in the same time. The service was good, there were only two occupied tables that night, including ours. After all, it was a cold rainy Tuesday night. I ordered from the Prix Fixe menu. I started with the mushroom flan, and that was so phenomenal and delicious. Followed by a tender and juicy steak. I finished up with toasted pecan biscotti. Enough said! The food was served in an elegant and refined presentation. However, I wouldn't say Paloma is a Mexican nor French restaurant. I know for fact that Chef-owner Adán Saavedra, is Mexican who was trained by a French Chef who is currently at Union League- 1862 restaurant. I will come back, I was warmly welcomed and had a wonderful dinner at Paloma. Four Yelps!
(4)Bryce B.
What an unexpected delight. I had no idea this place even existed and regret not having known! Haute cuisine Mexican meets traditional French themes at this white tablecloth, charming south Philly byo. Decent stemware and a waitress who knows how to strain cork and decant like a pro. I had the lamb in red wine and chile sauce which came out braided! Yes, they braided my lamb, and everyone else's presentation was equally as impressive. Last, but certainly not least was the owner who was absolutely awesome and terrific to chat with. A great time. Highly recommended.
(4)Alex K.
Had new year's dinner here with my girlfriend and another couple. It was fantastic. Started off with the Crab Ceviche. Crisp, fresh, light and delicious. Rack of lamb was seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Best served medium rare. Poached lobster with puff pastry was a velvety sauce of goodness. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lilly R.
This restaurant is absolutely a must go to. Great service and the chef is incredible. Definitely do the mushroom flan.
(5)Audrey J.
Everything we had was delicious. Service was fast and friendly. We'll likely dine here again!
(5)Sarah S.
Amazing, beautiful food! The owners are sweet, the restaurant intimate, and the food-OMG! I will be making reservations here again when I go back to Philadelphia. We were warned the prices were high, but they really are the around the same for any nice restaurant. I was worried I could not handle spicy, but they made everything with wonderful flavors and mixtures. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try some really great food!
(5)Jeff M.
Dinner was very good. The stand out of the night was the brownie. It was a delicious combination of biscotti and brownie.
(4)jackie p.
Loved the presentation of food. Home made ice cream and sorbets are awesome. Leave room for dessert.
(3)Jean-Bernard L.
Fantastic food, cozy BYOB. The food seemed more like a Spanish (Spain) French Fusion then Mexican.
(5)Katie L.
In a search for another one of Philly's great BYOs and Mexican cuisine, a group of colleagues and I found ourselves at Paloma on a Friday evening. The menu looked good online, and as my co-workers are always in the mood to try something new, we thought, "haute Mexican, why not?" Other reviewers have commented that Paloma is more cuisine than Mexican, which I would definitely agree with. Even the take on Mexican flavors was more mild and subtle than I would have expected. That being said, the flavors were well-balanced, and the food was beautifully presented (although the pyramid of rice that accompanied my entree made me ask myself, "did I forget my shoulder pads?") I went with the mushroom flan (reminded me of a mushroom pate that I made at home once, although much richer) and the rest of the party all went with the corn bisque. For our entrees, there was a the venison (a giant, manly hunk of meat) and the red fish, that was beautiful to look at, but not as flavorful as one would hope. My duck breast was pretty good (I love duck, and it's wrapped in bacon, so it's got that going for it), but the caramelized shallots inside the breast, that I was so much looking forward to, were underwhelming. The desert menu is extensive, so save room if you can. We filled up the space that we had left with the Mexican brownie. One final thought: I usually avoid the pre-dinner trappings of bread and butter, but whatever they are putting in the butter at Paloma - it's not to be missed. Delicious.
(3)Grant B.
Delicious and incredible flavor combinations. We had the red cactus soup special and the tuna tartar special as appetizers. Both fantastic. For entrees it was the salmon special with the most delectable carrot purée sauce. And the paiche. A very soft delicate and mild Amazonian fish. And the service was very knowledgable and attentive. A definite place to recommend and return!
(4)J W.
Very tasty. BYPB. Mushroom flan was great, filet was tasty and cooked great. Had sorbet trio- delicious. 4 stars- Leaving still a little hungry.
(4)Gail M.
Last night we had the most exquisite meal at the Paloma . The food was so good, so expertly prepared. Delicious doesn't even describe how good it was. And the desserts! The Mexican chocolate gelato is to die for. I highly recommend Paloma.
(5)Stephanie A.
Fabulous BYOB with fresh , creative food, ranging from the most delicious fish to duck incorporating a french, mexican twist. Served by professional wait staff. The dessets , created by owner, Barbara, daily...are magnificent and delicious . Paloma is truly a fabulous dinning experience in Philadelphia!! Paloma might get overlooked because it is not a New Hot Spot! Paloma's chef really care about creating a magnificent, delicious dinning experience at a reasonable price! Must eat at when in Philadelphia!!! Mouthwatering!!
(5)Theresa A.
I am so disappointed to write such a lame review as we really had high hopes for our dinner at Paloma. We booked our reservation through Opentable.com and made sure to include in the notes that we were celebrating our 6 year anniversary. Unfortunately, I guess our being under the age of 30 (just barely) meant that we were not qualified to receive the same level of service as, say, the table directly next to us. Blatant examples of this included us having to ask if there were any specials, to which we received 3 word answers--whereas the table next to us got mouth-watering descriptions of each of the nights' offerings (including at least 2 that were not event mentioned to us). After placing our order, we never saw our server again--or at least did not have an opportunity to speak to her (since we saw her at other tables throughout the small establishment). Our meals were delivered by food runner or the like and no "how is everything" was even attempted. Overall--I would rate it a C- of an experience. Although the food we got was tasty, the "doctors office" feeling of the interior was made worse by the cold, distant service. We did the best we could to enjoy ourselves, considering the momentous occasion (at least in our eyes) but ultimately I don't think we will make any effort to return anytime soon. A total bummer seeings as it's in the next neighborhood over from ours and we're huge fans of BYOB's. There's plenty more out there though so we'd much rather give our business to the other more gracious options out there.
(2)Steve I.
Enjoyed dinner here last week with a group of friends celebrating my retirement. Had about a quarter of the restaurant reserved for our party. This is a byob and we brought along some first rate wines that were a perfect match for the excellent food we received. The Crab Ceviche was full of tasty fresh jumbo lump crab with avocado slices on tomato slices. Every one enjoyed the Corn Chowder, a truly excellent soup. The grilled black angus filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chipotle cappuccino sauce was a different but delicious change. The desserts are all made in house one better tags the other. A great meal with great people in a very nice location.
(5)Kim S.
Valentine's Day Delight - The food was amazing - more "haute" than "mexican". Varied menu with lots of fish and interesting combinations of flavors. Beautiful presentation. Dessert was worth every calorie. So delicious. Varied clientele made us happy - young and old - gay and straight - Servers were friendly and attentive but not overbearing. It is a BYOB and that is always a plus in our opinion. The decor was cozy but a bit dated with fine art replicas on the walls and a peculiar dining room layout. We spent a bit of our dining conversation discussing who we wanted to bring with us the next time - Definitely a "do over" - Yum!
(5)GF M.
I have very high expectations of Mexican food. I make it, I study it, I track the local restaurants and taquerias. I am known to my friends as a Mexican food snob. A friend booked Paloma for his birthday and we were game. I so appreciated the way Mexican and French cuisine were blended. The chef is so talented and creative and we enjoyed every bit. Desserts were equally as wonderful. My husband and I cannot eat wheat, they had GF and most options were GF (even had GF bread budding for dessert!!) The Staff was delightful, the co-owner/pastry chef was livelya dn fun to talk with. the other staff was warm and well informed. I felt like I was in a fine restaurant in Mexico. I will return.
(5)Walter K.
Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic. Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner. Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French. Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good. I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables. Still, the decor is nice. Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines. Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order. The service overall is fantastic. During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget. Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options. I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad. Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous. I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction. The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that. This dish is fantastic. My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice. Any dish will likely be of high quality. Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this. Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals. Get here soon.
(5)Jenny T.
Are you looking for a place where the food is soo good it blows your mind?! Paloma did just that, it blew my mind!!!! Paloma serves a french cuisine with Mexican ingredients. The atmosphere is elegant, not stuffy. This place is a great spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion. The noise level is low and you can hear each other speak. Which is great! The servers are very attentive, and patience. I had the best crab meat at Paloma. We ordered the crab Castillo, wow it was amazingly good. I wish we would have ordered two! For entrées I had the chili relleno, the best one I've had EVER! It wasnt over cooked and the puff pastry on the outside gave it a really nice touch. The medley of flavors and veggies inside the relleno were so good it was like opening a present! My guy ordered the branzino which he let me try and I was totally blown away on how delicious it was. Lastly dessert, I ordered the Mexican brownie. It was sooooo good and warm I wanted MORE. It was paired with a gelato which I was not crazy about. It had a strong taste of amaretto and I hate amaretto. Next time I'll ask for the Mexican vanilla. We also tried the sorbets, I was told the the strawberry habanero was pretty epic! It was cold and sizzling hot at the same time. I didn't try it, too spicy for my liking. Paloma is a byob so we brought tequila with us. I'm not big on tequila but my margarita was really good. It was the perfect balance of tequila and sour mix. The pastry chef is the wife of the owner/chef, what a friendly, warm, welcoming lady!! She takes such pride in her desserts and it shows both in flavor and presentation. I can't believe we waited sooo long to try Paloma, I was really missing out! I will be back and SOON.
(5)Randall C.
Flavors you won't soon forget. Quiet, tasteful and tasty byob that will really open your eyes to Mexican gastronomy. The seafood is particularly impressive, with subtle combinations of flavors and textures. Very elegant. Save room for dessert.
(4)Kathleen K.
It was ok but we won't be going back. The decor wasn't great, but I found the atmosphere itself more distracting. It was a very upscale atmosphere, and not cozy and intimate like the BYOBs that I'm used to. The staff was very nice and service was well done, but the bus boy(?) was a bit odd. No big deal there though. As others mentioned, the sour cream "butter" that is brought out with the bread is different and fantastic. We had the crab salad appetizer which wasn't amazing but no complaints. My boyfriend had the rack of boar special and that was really good and it came with a great risotto side . I had the duck which was surprisingly dry and unexciting. My duck also came with some sort of veggie rice side dish which was rather bland. For dessert we got the orange cranberry bread pudding with vanilla cinnamon gelato. It was good as well but not outstanding. The thing I found most odd was that we were originally looking for a reservation for 4 and couldn't get one until 8:30. When our friends weren't able to make it, we were able to get a table at 7. Throughout our whole meal, the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. There was really no reason to not accept a table of four at the same time we were there. Heck we were SITTING at a four top table.
(2)Paul H.
Hmmm.... This one's a little tricky. He says four stars. She says three stars. He writes the reviews. We arrived around 6:00 pm on a Saturday night to meet friends here. The place was COMPLETELY empty, which always makes you wonder if you've made some heinous mistake! By the end of the evening, I would say that maybe half of the table were taken. I hope they stay in business. We had a good meal. Indeed, it is 'high Mexican,' which turns out to taste a good bit like French. Her fish was excellent. I'm trying to remember - thinking I had the lamb. Not a good sign that I can't remember. What I DO remember is that if you bring your own tequila, they'll make a margarita for you, which we did. It was much tamer than the typically Don Pablo fare - I REALLY liked it. Of course, it was made with good booze (Patron Gold) but still, very nice mixture and presentation. So I think we'll go back at some point. Happy to add it to our Philly BYOBs
(4)Nash N.
My friends took me here for my birthday and it was a beautiful experience. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The owner, who we discover does the desserts, was super inviting and friendly. The server was very attentive and patient, being we were the only people there, considering it was the coldest day in Philadelphia in the past 20 years (literally). We all chose from the preset menu, I had a salad and steak which where both delicious, the steak was cooked perfectly to temp. My two friends had the soup of the day, a carrot/ginger soup and the crap cake, which they both agreed were delicious. When you order a crap cake, you always expect a deep fried patty, but this was fresh! The ambience was relaxing and each dish looked like a work of art. I attached pictures of the food, and the personalized bday dessert! We all went home satisfied and full. I believe it was moderately priced at $35 for the menu that includes an appetizer, entree, & dessert. Always helps that it's BYOB too! Thank you to the owners, husband, who does the cooking, wife who does the desserts, and server, John, who patiently hung around while we took our time enjoying our meal, on such a slow night (due to weather).
(5)Andrea V.
Paloma...where to start with you. Well, let's start with the decor. It needs to be updated. Soon. Once you get over that, the experience gets better...sort of. My date and I did the $30 prix fixe menu. I had the soup of the day (a chilled cucumber and serrano chili concoction), the pollo culiacan, and the orange cranberry bread pudding. Date had the mushroom flan, the fettucine tres colores, and the biscotti. The cucumber soup, mushroom flan, and orange cranberry bread pudding were fantastic. Would definitely order all of them again. The pollo culiacan was good. I like everything it contains (chicken, bacon, huitlacoche, tomato-chorizo sauce) but I think the chicken was slightly overcooked. It would have been better had it spent fewer minutes in the oven. That said, the pyramid of rice and asparagus that came with it was smooth, buttery, and delicious. I ate the whole plate and it wasn't bad, I just expected more from it. I didn't care for the fettucine and my date didn't finish it, so I don't think he cared for it much either. The biscotti itself was good, but they didn't give him anything to dip it in. Dry biscotti is kind of pointless on its own. He left some of that behind, too. Service was impeccable throughout, so no complaints there. Overall it was a confusing meal. Parts of it hinted at amazingness, and other parts were forgettable. I feel like if this place had an overhaul, it could be truly exceptional. But for now, it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.
(3)Frances X.
Great, fabulous, superb, truly extraordinary food, from the courtesy bread accompanied by the chef's own spicy butter --wow!--, followed by everything else, exquisite soup and out-of-this-world real-fruit sorbets (we could hear everyone around us sighing with delight too!). Beautiful decor and atmosphere. BYOB and enjoy!
(5)AB H.
I can't believe this BYOB is getting awards or even 5 star reviews, and I'll be surprised if it's around for long. The food was OK, and some dishes were just bad. The mushroom flan was tasty, as was the crab served with tomatoes and avacado. Unfortunately the beef tartare tasted like the smell of raw hamburger meat. The veal was overcooked. The desserts were too heavy and had funky (not good) flavors. My bread pudding was so sweet and heavy with a orange liquor flavor that I couldn't finish it. We had to explain three times to the waiter how we wanted our appetizers served (some as a first course, some as a second) and he was so confused he forgot a course. We were all pretty disappointed with the experience. It says it is wheelchair accessible, but there are three steps to enter.
(3)Melissa V.
Fantastic! Perfectly executed, creative menu. We had the crab ceviche to start. The duck and a nightly fist special for our main course. We also ordered two fantastic desserts! Service was excellent. Husband and wife team owns, cooks and bakes. Nice people. Give this neighborhood gem a try!
(5)TAmi S.
One of the BEST restaurants! The food is 5 star, the service is 5 stars. Can I say that it was excellent!!
(5)Thor T.
I don't know why I did not go earlier to Paloma since I knew that Adán Saavedra can really bring out the complex flavors of his native Mexican cuisine. The Tu-Th $30 three course prix-fixe is one of the great deals in the city, with many choices in each category (appetizers, entrées, and desserts). We began with the mushroom flan, moist and earthy, with a lovely texture, the crema de poblano, rich and addictive, the carefully constructed ensalada Margarita, and a special - a cold soup named Caesar soup (excellent). Of the four entrées, the pescado Azteca surprised by its (almost) quenelle consistency. The flavors were sweet and clean, same goes for the crab cake purse Acelia. The 12 oz New York Strip steak - an amazingly generous cut for the prize of the menu - came medium rare as ordered. We also enjoyed the roasted boneless chicken breast stuffed with huitlachoche mousse and served with a good tomato sauce. Of the desserts, we liked the rich bread pudding and the sorbets. The biscotti were more an accompaniment to our coffees. The service was attentive and efficient (the restaurant has beautiful plates). I found the decor perfectly adequate, even if the lay-out of the restaurant is a bit awkward. I plan to go back to the Dove with a larger group of friends and try more of the beautifully cooked dishes Mr. Saavedra can offer. p.s. one problem the restaurant might have is the frequent association of Mexican food with heavy, cheese drenched dishes. Paloma is a place where patrons can savor a more sophisticated take on one of the world's great cuisines.
(4)Mel T.
The food was quite good. But the service left much to be desired. We opened our own wine after sitting there waiting too long. The food took a long time to come out and then they mixed up several fish orders, which they did correct eventually. One person ordered soup and the crab appetizers. She asked the waiter to bring it as her entree. When we got the bill, they charged us for the crab cake entree. When we pointed this out, the owner came over and told us that they served her the entree, not the appetizer and she should have pointed it out when it was served. She didn't realized it was an entree because it was so small. Maybe if the waiter knew anything about the menu, we wouldn't have had so many problems. We ordered coffee, then ordered dessert a few minutes later. The gelato and sorbet came and was delicious. But we finished it and still had no coffee. The owner did take the dessert off the bill to make up for no coffee, which was very nice. But overall, there were just too many mistakes to overlook. I won't be going back.
(2)Anna Marie C.
so other than the fact that you can BYOT and have quite the tasty margaritas (and the staff makes them quite strong!)--i'm not so sure where the mexican is within this restaurant. but whatever you call the food, it's pretty darn tasty. i had a venison special (how often can one get venison in philly??) that was cooked perfectly. my ceviche (crab, avocado... i'm not so sure you can call it that) was only alright. but my fabulously fabulous cheesecake really made my meal. my dining partners also enjoyed their meals. yes, the decor is dated, but overall, i'd go back for the food, margaritas, and warm service.
(4)Martha S.
We recently hosted an engagement party at Paloma. I can't say enough about the helpfulness of the staff and the elegant ambience. Equally important, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Among the standouts were the mushroom flan, corn chowder, paiche with habanero cream sauce, filet mignon with espresso red wine reduction sauce, and crab cake with penang curry. Several guests said that the filet was the best they'd ever had! The chocolate orange layer cake was "to die for", as they say. One of the owners worked with us to make sure that everything went smoothly, making the evening delightful and leaving our guests very impressed.
(5)Jose A.
It's often the little extras that can push you from thinking "not bad" to really enjoying a restaurant, and I was reminded of that on my recent dinner here. To be honest the appetizers and entrees were good, but for the price I thought that they were just fine. I had the corn chowder, some nice flavors but maybe a little muted. The shrimp had a good sauce, the portion was a little small, and for the price I guess I thought I'd be wowed more. The date loved the salad and thought the dorado was really good. But again, it's the little things... we hit it off with our waiter, thought he was a nice friendly guy, made the experience of eating at paloma enjoyable. And then those desserts... it sets it apart from a lot of other restaurants who might offer some delicious dessert but not create something memorable. The chef's wife is actually the pastry/dessert chef and she obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into what she does. And it seems like she really likes her ice cream maker. Being that the gf is lactose intolerant is quite the treat to see the huge amount of unique sorbets that paloma offers. And it brought the experience from nice to memorable.
(4)Jesse E.
One of the better Byo's I've been to lately but not great. I really wish yelp would let me give this place 3.5 stars but alas the star rating system made famous many years before I was born still reigns here. The appetizers were really good if maybe a bit overpriced. Our entrees were also quite good but not great. My main complaint is that my filet was medium not medium rare as ordered but the sauce and accompaniments were excellent. Maybe the best part of the meal was the dessert . The woman who comes to take your dessert order is the one who makes them all from scratch so she can guide you to a perfect choice, even if you're stuffed I suggest at least getting one to share for the table. Our waiter was very nice but something with him wasn't quite right .... no complaints just a little off. The space is bigger than most byo's which is nice but it can still get pretty loud. Would probably come back, but would get to one of the better south philly byo's first.
(3)Gary S.
Been meaning to get here for a while and not disappointed at all. Excellent service. Very unique "Mexican fusion" cuisine. Talented, creative chef. Reminded me of how Tashan has created unique Indian inspired food, that uses Indian flavor profiles but there are few if any recognizable Indian dishes on the menu. We both started with the corn chowder which was very tasty. Then I had the Branzino Veracruz-style with capers and olives, and my wife had the poached shrimp, both delicious! Will definitely return to sample other dishes - and desserts, which are made by the chef's wife (who was also the gracious hostess). Sadly, because we stopped in impulsively, had no wine with us so could not take advantage of it being BYOB. Next time will bring wine!
(4)Steve B.
Elegant "haute mexican" restaurant - no burritos or tacos! White table cloths, fine china and cutlery, elegant glassware. Linda Ronstadt singing canciones mejicanos quietly in the background. We had the 12 oz rib eye steak - more like a full pound, and the crab cake - all real crab wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Deserts were fabulous - a pomegranate fruit sorbet and a yummy bread pudding with a bit of choc ice cream. Great coffee to top it off. Total bill about $76 including the coffees and bottled water which were extra but excluding tip. Tues through Thurs is their $30 prix fixe, which we had, with plenty of options - choice of six entrees, 5 appetizers and 3 or 4 desserts. Its a BYO so bring your own vino. We will be back soon, I'm sure.
(4)Sharon J.
We were a party of six, and everyone loved it. The corn chowder is superb as is the paiche. If you like duck, don't miss it. It is perfectly cooked and so delicious. The service was as good as it gets. We were there for a long time and we never felt like they wanted us to leave. We will definitely be back! Thanks, Paloma, for a great meal.
(5)Kate L.
What this restaurant lacks in decor and ambiance, it makes up for in food and service. And seriously, there is a lot to make up for. The decor is pretty horrible. It's dressed up like faux-fancy hole in the wall from 1992. Every dish I've tried has had a subtle and amazing array of flavors. The crab avocado appetizer is simple and delicious. The presentation of this stacked dish is also excellent. I split this with a friend (big mistake :-)). The tortilla soup was life changing. Calling it tortilla soup is almost doing it a disservice, it's so much more. Also beautiful presentation. It's like the flavors were folded in. Beautiful colors, too. Definitely save room for sorbet! The mole sorbet is life-changing. Apparently the owner brings back habaneros from Mexico to make the sorbet? Not verified. But still absolutely delicious. Totally odd, but I swear that on one occasion I was served by a teen. He pretty much had to run and find the answers to every question I asked. Very sweet, and provided good service, but definitely strange. This place is in need of an interior designer and a marketer. Let them do their work and this could be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
(5)Decoda H.
Absolutely a wonderful experience ...wonderful infusion of flavors...wonderful owners....it is a must go to restaurant .
(5)Ky T.
The food here is great. Didn't understand why it was so empty. The crab ceviche was excellent. The crab cake was also very good, huge lumps of crab. Sorbets were wonderful too. I thought the best item on the menu here was the orange chocolate ganache cake. Would definitely come back just for the cake. Service was a little slow. It looked like there were just 2 employees running the whole restaurant.
(4)Mark G.
I attended a celebratory dinner last night at Paloma with my wife and 3 other couples. I read the menus before going and thought it looked interesting and was encouraged by the many positive reviews I read beforehand. What I found was a one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time. Starting with Pablano with caviar soup it offered the perfect combination of spice , heat and creaminess. My entree was a veal chop with red wine reduction that was fantastic. My wife had fillet of brazen with a habanero Chardonnay sauce that was as good as it sounds unique. The entire menu just as interesting and the service was as good as the food. We will absolutely return and if you are looking to break out from your normal dining routine this is a great way to do it.
(5)Alex V.
I'm really shocked that Paloma doesn't have more reviews. The place had a decent amount of press when it opened, and I believe the chef is nominated for a James Beard award. The dinner we had Paloma was excellent. All the dishes we had were extremely fresh and the presentation was amazing. Every dish looked like a piece of art when it came out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, the dim lighting prevented me from taking pictures. I highly recommend saving room for desert. The cheesecake and sorbet were both great.
(4)Jenn V.
I wish I could say this place blew me away... and I really wanted to be impressed by it- but it just wasn't there. Maybe we went on an off night...but we probably won't be back to figure that out. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm- unusual but not too odd for Philadelphia during the summer. Our first server was really soft spoken- made him difficult to understand and made us feel kind of awkward straining to hear him and asking him to repeat himself. A new waiter came over a few minutes later and was a big improvement. I normally don't rave about the bread and butter places give you- but wow. They start you with a bread basket with this amazing sour cream "butter" (although no butter in it) - slight kick to it but soo good. Next we the crab avocado appetizer and the Tortilla Soup- the soup was probably one of two highlights of the night. It was absolutely delicious and we soaked up the remainder with the bread. The crab and avocado appetizer was okay- i think the presentation of it was better than the flavors of it. We both found it to be somewhat bland. For entrees I got the crab cake wrapped in phyllo dough and don't get me wrong- it was really good. But I also think that crab cakes aren't too difficult to mess up (especially when paying $25 for it)- and I tend to like anything that is wrapped in Phyllo dough. The carrott-curry sauce definitely added to this good dish- it was a unique flavor that I never would have thought it went so well with crab. My boyfriend got the duck. It was incredibly dry and if they didn't serve enough of the red wine reduction with it- it would've been difficult to choke down. Have definitely had better for a similar price at other Philly establishments. We finished the meal with the trio of sorbets and the cheesecake. We both thought the cheesecake was amazing - actually crave-able. Very dense with great flavor. The sorbet was different - we got the strawberry-habernero, the mole, and a third flavor that i can't remember. The strawberry-habernero had some real heat to it- which was an odd surprise for a cold dish. I didn't find the prices to be as bad as other reviewers had mentioned (total bill for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was about $90) and was on par with some Top Quality BYO's in Philly- except for the fact we didn't think the quality of the food was on par with those Top Quality BYOs...
(2)Craig D.
(4.5) ~ This is a Hidden Gem! OUR MENU: * Corn Chowder w. Shrimp ~ (4.5) Very Good ~ Ask for a side of their Homemade Hot Sauce for an added kick!;-) * Filet Mignon ~ Wow ~ (5) Excellent! ~ Perfect Flavor & Texture! * Layered Cake w. Buttercream ~ (5) Excellent! * "Mexican" Chocolate Mousse ~ (5) Excellent! * Coffee ~ (3.5) good PARKING ~ About a block away ~ Ralph's Italian Restaurant (on 760 S. 9th St.) allows Paloma's customers to use their Valet Parking ($8) for Friday & Saturday. You need to go to Ralph's to use it. -OR- If you can get there (15-20 min.) before your reservation you could try and find a spot on a nearby street., but it's like sardines;-)lol
(5)Rob S.
Cuisine. Seriously, they don't serve food at Paloma. They serve cuisine. Every fiber of every dish placed in front of me was a gift. The soup du jour was a squash soup with shrimp. Loaded with shrimp. Incredible. BYOB, BTW. Oh yeah, the waiter, who I would prefer to call a gentleman rather than waiter, gently pressed me to order a salad that sounded particularly boring read from the menu. However, I was astonished by the flavor of salad dressing at the ingredients chosen for the salad. I mean it was a really good salad. I had a pork loin as my main course, and my wife had crab meat baked in phyllo dough. TV food critics are always talking about "presentation". If you want to eat somewhere where you can talk about presentation, and go to Paloma. To quote the gentleman mentioned above, "parking can be a challenge". It's worth the challenge. I do agree with the other reviewers, it's a surprise to spend this much in a BYOB, but worth it. I'm not sure, but I think they actually bake their own bread for the table. What we asked for more bread, I was surprised it took so long, but when it arrived, it was obvious.
(5)Shannon G.
Menu sounds incredible. I was pretty psyched to go here. I hadn't eaten good Mexican in a long time. Atmosphere is pretty typical of a small upscale restaurant, not bad. Service was extremely attentive and they did a good job conveying the menu. I got the mushroom flan everybody is raving about. I love mushrooms, and it was interesting to see it presented differently. There wasn't really much depth to the flavor though, just kind of seemed like pureed mushrooms and cream mix shaped to resemble flan. It was good but begged for a little something else to be added. Wife had the Poblano-Smoked Salmon Terrine, which she thought didn't have enough poblano in the layering. They brought habanero sauce out for her which she said made the dish much better. Entrees were inexplicably mild / boring. My sole, as a fish, was well cooked and good. The serrano-vanilla sauce was about as hot as Anna Verna. Wife had the same comment about her fish dish. What gives? Both dishes were pretty bland. A friend had the rabbit tenderloin, which after trying a bite was easily the best dish at the table. Surprisingly not gamey (this was my first encounter with food rabbits) and good flavor on the sauce. Dessert was good, we ordered two of the layer cakes and they did not disappoint. I had the chocolate-orange and it was rich and delicious. Overall pretty seriously disappointed. Good presentation, good dessert, and being a BYOB helped them out a bit.
(2)Newport L.
Being your own tequila! Fantastic food and service! Atmosphere appears to have been spruced recently... lOVE the chilled soups.
(5)Herb L.
All really good food. Service top notch.
(5)Steve P.
Very interesting and ambitious menu. Kind of French/Mexican fusion. Forget tacos, etc., this is very sophisticated, well seasoned food. The desserts are homemade. All excellent, ranging from several delicious cakes to flavorful sorbets, one of which (habenero included) can take your head off.
(5)Barrett L.
The BF and I came here last night using a gift card from Rue La La. I didn't do too much research ahead of time except that I knew that Paloma is BYO and that you can bring your own tequila for Margaritas. I expected it to be kind of fun, hip, younger, etc.., but instead I felt like I was eating dinner at an older relative's house. On the whole, the food is very good, but there was nothing that truly made me want to return for a second visit. First, I'll agree with the other reviewer here who mentioned that the decor needs a serious upgrade: it's dated and stodgy. The service was also a bit slow in the beginning (at least to take our order), but after that, the food came out at the perfect pace: not too fast, and not too slow either. To start, we split the crab ceviche and the mushroom flan. The former was our favorite of the two: you actually get a decent amount of jumbo lump crab meat on top of thick tomato and avocado slices. The mushroom flan was interesting, but wasn't really something we would want to eat again. For dinner, I ordered the filet mignon while he ordered the duck. I thought my filet was actually pretty good and cooked really well, especially with the red wine reduction and mushrooms. Plus, the sides were pretty tasty (very buttery mashed potatoes, crispy potato slices, and sauteed spinach). The duck, on the other hand, while aided by the addition of smoky bacon, didn't really stand up as well. The BF lamented how the duck could have been more tender. Finally, the desserts were terrific. I had the kaluha cheesecake which was served with a mexican dark chocolate crust (excellent, especially since the crust contained hints of cinnamon that elevated the cake to a whole new level). As for the trio of sorbets and gelatos, I wasn't as impressed. Much to the BF's disappointment, I couldn't get into the concept of a spicy sorbet (the strawberry-habanero sorbet, to be exact), and found the heat to be too overpowering for dessert. So while the food was actually really good, my main problems are with the concept, decor, and pricing. It's a little too expensive for food that's just good and nothing that is going to want me coming back for more. Aside from the cheesecake (which is apparently made in house), you could easily get any of the other dishes at any other restaurant in Philly, and probably at the same if not better quality. Also, I don't understand why the restaurant advertises itself as "haute mexican". It's really more of a European fusion concept, and aside from some nods to Mexican/Latin American cuisine (ceviche, horchata ice cream, blue corn gelato), there is little evidence that you're actually at a Mexican restaurant. And finally, if not for the gift card, this definitely would have been much more of a splurge than a simple dinner out. Overall, good food, but the atmosphere, menu, and concept need to be improved to match the quality of the cuisine.
(3)Leslie M.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Paloma twice now. Both times, I came with a group and we were lucky enough to have the Chef agree to do a tasting menu with us. We were served 5 courses and dessert. The cold soups were creamy with a nice heat from an array of peppers. I love the Chef's use of smoked salmon in the soups. The appetizers are always a nice portion, but not filling enough to spoil the rest of the meal. Both times, we were given a seafood course and two meat courses ranging from boar and duck to beef and veal. The meals are all cooked to perfection, but the sauces are the highlight. The chef is truly talented and makes such a beautiful and delicious plate of food. By the end of the menu, we were stuffed, but thankfully we saved room for dessert. The Chef's wife makes gelato and sorbet to die for. Unique flavors such as Horchata and Dragonfruit. You MUST try the Strawberry Habanero. It is such an odd experience to taste the cold, sweetness of strawberry and have it followed so quickly with the heat of the habanero. All of this food (and it is A LOT) for only $65 a person. The experience is made complete by the service. The servers are professional and attentive. Being a veteran of the service industry myself, I can safely say, these guys are pro's. The chef has come out both times to personally thank us for our patronage, and his wife is usually managing the FOH. She's a delightful woman who has a clear love for what she does. Ask her about her desserts and you will definitely learn a lot. The restaurant is also BYOB, so bring your friends and your wine for a great night out with great food. I can not wait to return.
(5)Candice E.
This is a review of the new Paloma location on south 8th Street. I was excited to try this new restaurant in my neighborhood, but I doubt I will return. The food was overwrought, not very tasty and wildly overpriced. Entrees range from about $28 to $35. Appetizers are $9 to $15 or so. We had two appetizers, two entrees, and our bill was $85. Our first appetizer was the mushroom flan, which was the best item we had. It was interesting and flavorful. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Next came the Caesar salad, which was presented as a bunch of romaine lettuce stalks arranged vertically on a plate with a crouton shaped like a napkin ring holding them together. It needed to be knocked over before it could be eaten. It tasted ok, but the presentation was just bizarre. My entree was the crabcake, which was $30. It was totally overpriced and unexceptional. It was also presented vertically -- crabcake on top of mashed potatoes on top of spinach in one odd pile. My husband had a bronzino, which was $28 and slightly overcooked. Overall, it felt like the restaurant was trying very hard to be a formal, fancy restaurant. For instance, our server scraped our table for crumbs. But, in reality, it is a BYOB in Bella Vista. If this place wants to make it, I think it should reimagine itself as a casual neighborhood restaurant with lower prices and more straightforward food and presentation. I doubt it is going to survive serving mediocre $30 entrees.
(2)Amy G.
Food was amazing, service was excellent. The chef came around and shook hands with all the diners and our checked coats were brought to our table when we stood to leave without having to ask. The only negative was the parking situation. You pretty much have to valet or get lucky finding a spot on the street and we waited on valet for some time before he showed up to park us. Still would definitely go back!
(5)Tamara B.
Great neighborhood locale, parking is an issue if you are driving in to Philadelphia. Nothing in the decor suggests high end Mexican, and only small clues in the menu. Group meet for an early dinner, the appetizers ordered were the standard salads and some soup. Salad was tasty, not overly dressed and enough to share. Another diner had the Mexican tortilla soup with crab and said it was delicious. The warm bread with sour cream "butter" was marvelous and the hot sauce they brought out to taste was super spicy in a good way. The service seemed spliced together - our waitress explained the menu and took our orders then food brought out by different people that offered pepper and filled water glasses and we never saw her again. My branzino special was interesting - more like a gefilte fish - deboned and in a an excellent curry coconut sauce, with vegetables and rice. Husband's crab cake in pastry was moist and flavorful, the pastry was gummy on the bottom because it was on top of the rice. Wish we could have stayed for dessert - the items sounded wonderful! BYOB - would good again, with more time.
(4)Floss L.
Floss L. 7/5/2013 love this place. three of us had corn soup and crab ceviche (to die for) as appetizers. Two in family had fish which they said was excellent and I had the poached shrimp in pastry shell which was done to perfection. It was my husband's birthday and the two owners came out to give congratulations. Our waiter Daniel couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant. Desserts for two were the homemade sorbets including the hot ones. I chose a delicious pound cake with blueberries. There is not one thing you can find wrong with Paloma. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live (it's in south Philly and I live in the far northeast) or I would go more often. It's really a special place. They make you feel really welcome and the food is superb.Do yourself a favor - next time you have a special occasion - celebrate at Paloma.
(5)Leah G.
Is it a little more than I want to spend at a BYO . . . yes. Was my crab avocado appetizer delectable . . . yes. Was my server the nicest server in the world . . . also yes. We enjoyed a lovely diner at Paloma . . . it was quiet on a Wednesday night and the space felt a little big to me (i prefer cozy) but we will definitely go again.
(4)Tina T.
A hidden gem. It is expensive for a BYO, but the food was superb. I had the crab and it is the best that I have had in Phila. (Lived in Baltimore for 8 years and have high expectations for crab)
(5)Miller W.
I wrote a scathing review, and felt bad so I am deleting much of it. I wouldnt go here again. Think the restaurant is run by nice people who mean well and try hard. But, in my opinion, the decor needs major work and the food was bad. but maybe I caught them on an off night? I sure hope so.
(1)Elena S.
Delicious! Had never heard of this place before my friend found it on a recent Travel & Leisure article. We went with a group of six and were blown away by how fantastic the food was. As others have noted, this place is not nearly as full and hyped-up as it deserves to be, in part b/c they aren't part of the mega-restaurant marketing machine and b/c they are a bit out of the way. The good part of that is that you can enjoy unhurried service and attention, easy reservations, and it's actually possible to hear the other people at your table. I can't say enough nice things about this restaurant. The service was so professional, friendly, and knowledgable. We brought three bottles of red wine and the waiter (perhaps also an owner or manager?) examined each one, and recommended an order and pairing. He then walked us through the menu and the specials, patiently answering all of our questions. And then the best part - the food! The tuna ceviche was outstanding and the Ensalsa Conchita was refreshing and delicious. The best, however, was the Fettucini Tres Colores. So yummy. For entrees we had the wild sea bass, the dover sole, and the branzino. Every dish was perfectly balanced, sophisticated, and super flavorful. There aren't a ton of meat options - only rack of lamb - and only 6 entrees (plus specials), but it's clear that someone has really thought through this menu and the ingredients, and is making sure that each dish is well-executed. For dessert we all shared several sorbets (the mamey is awesome!), the biscotti, and two of the pound cakes (banana walnut was my favorite), which were absolutely delicious. Definitely save room for something sweet at the end. Highly recommend getting there before this place gets really busy!
(5)glenn g.
Excellent French-Mexican BYOB. Terrific presentation and smooth service. Highlights for me were delicious totally non-fatty duck entree embedded with spinach, and amazingly flavorful mango-habanero sorbet, made in-house. Bring a good wine. Fairly expensive for a BYOB, but worth it. A little noisy due to less than state of the art acoustics, but most good places are these days.
(4)Dell P.
Dinner 9/10, food was unusual and quite tasty. I had duck something or other; my wife had a pork special that was delicious. Recipes were quite interesting. The waiter was as informative and friendly, while being respectful, as you will find. The house-made sorbet was amazing, the Capogiro of sorbets. Though a little pricey, we will definitely go back.
(4)Lori D.
Not a pickie one but was hoping for a warmer BYOB -- dining room is a little "cold"; food is presented extremely well and is interesting. Quiet dining room made it hard to talk -- felt like everyone was looking at us every time we laughed. Salad was great, tuna ceviche amazing! Worth a trip if in the neighborhood but would recommend going at prime time to improve ambience.
(3)Charles R.
Ok, but not great. Maybe my expectations were too high, because so many things sounded wonderful in reading the menu online. It's too bad things didn't taste as good as they sounded. The Margharetia salad sounds like an amazing blend of flavors, but it was very bland with almost no taste at all. The Caesar was way to eggy tasting. I love Caesar salads and while the presentation was nice, the dressing was so heavy that it was too heavy and didn't have a good blend of ingrediants to it. The Talapia was very fluffy, not sure how they did that, but it was tasty and fresh.. The duck was also good, and came with a nice rice pyramid. Tried the sorbets, and the trio we picked were all good, but the Mango Haberno and the coconut-lime were the best. The staff was pleasant and while the presentations are very nice the food itself could use more flavoring. This is the second Mexican restaurant I've been to in the past couple months that really disappointed with seasonings. Maybe they try to keep in the middle of the road to appeal to everyone. It's BYO, no corkage, and they take all plastic. Parking is street, which in the Italian Market area can be problamatic. Hope they make it, but another upscale Mexican 2 blocks away closed their doors last year, so maybe this isn't a great location for anything other than Italian.
(3)Kristy L.
Best. Duck. Ever. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering duck because it is often too chewy for me, despite my love of it's flavor. My husband ordered the duck at Paloma and it was by far the best duck I've ever tasted. Not sure if it was smoked or what, but it was fork tender with amazing flavors (bacon, spinach and something a little spicy). We also had the tuna ceviche and rack of lamb, which were both very good, with lovely plating. The sauces/reductions are so unique. They combine the richness of French cuisine with the heat of Mexican. The desserts are pretty large portions and very good. BYOB, so the price is right, especially with their generous portions. Service was superb as well. Very friendly and helpful.
(5)Demo L.
The best Cesar salad. Delicious shrimp entree. Amazing chocolate orange layer cake. A hidden gem. Definitely worth an evening out. Decor is a bummer but the food makes up for it...
(4)Frank Z.
It's worth seeking out this northeast Philly establishment at least once for it's unique blend of French cuisine with a Mexican twist. Make sure you first pull off from their website the detailed directions on how to get there. We started with the Corn Bisque, a satisfying puree of fresh corn topped with jumbo shrimp, and the Wild Mushroom Flan, heavenly creamy and served in a puff pastry nest. For entrees, don't miss their "best of Philly Crab Cake", baked in phyllo dough and served with carrot-curry sauce, though it could have been a bit spicier for my taste. Another outstanding dish: the Shrimp Vol-au-Vent - jumbo shrimp and fresh vegetables in habanero-chardonnay sauce, served in a puff pastry nest. They have a great selection of Mexican beers, reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortable. The service was a little slow, even though the room was mostly empty.
(4)Steve S.
Our monthly wine/dinner club met here on a Tuesday evening that we will remember for some time to come. First of all, I loved the decor, in contradistinction to some of the comments below. No it's not "hip", it's white table cloth, four-star restaurant continental style dining. A bit more formal than you might have been expecting from a "Mexican" restaurant, but then again, is it really Mexican? Not really. I'd love to sample everything on the menu, but based on my experience, it's really Continental cuisine, French accent, with Mexican influence and spicing. I know that night sound crazy, but it works, and works brilliantly. We went for the $30 Tuesday-Thursday prix fixe -- one of the great bargains in the city. Please give this a try. Unique concept but a sound gastronomical basis for the "Mexican-French" intercourse. We will definitely go back. Check our their menu online. BTW, I had a strip steak (I know, rather pedantic), but it was perfect, with a red wine reduction sauce. One of the best I've had. The poblano soup was fascinating, and the dessert, I forgot what it as after the 13th bottle of wine for the evening, but I'm told it was excellent! Excellent reviews from all 12 of us!
(5)