March 17, 2023
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Chef Jose Garces' new Amada restaurant in Radnor — his third — will feature more than a dozen new menu items along with classics from the orginal location in Philadelphia.
Amada, the Spanish tapas restaurant that served as Chef Jose Garces' first solo venture in Philly nearly two decades ago, will open its third location this Friday in Radnor.
The new restaurant at 555 E. Lancaster Ave aims to put a Main Line spin on a standout of the city's dining scene. The original concept opened in 2005 at 217-219 Chestnut St. in Old City and a second outpost opened in recent years at Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City.
"We can't wait to meet even more foodies and get even more involved in our new community as we open our doors," Garces said. "We’ve created a gorgeous space that carries the best of the Amada Philadelphia experience through to the Main Line."
Amada is known for its rustic environment and Spanish cuisine from the Andalusian region. The Radnor menu will feature staples from the Philly restaurant including traditional empanadas, Tortilla Española and house specialties including the Paella Valenciana, a chicken and chorizo paella with cockles, shrimp and saffron aioli.
But several new dishes will be exclusive to the Radnor restaurant, which has an on-site, wood-fired oven.
Galacian-style octopus, herb-crusted tuna and Iberico pork tenderloin are among more than a dozen new delicacies at the Radnor restaurant. There also will be a special children's menu in order to encourage families to dine out together.
"I’m looking forward to developing some dishes that take advantage of the unique properties of the wood fired oven," Garces said. "This is an expression of the evolution of the Amada concept. We will be keeping many classic Amada dishes, but also creating new experiences for our guests."
Amada originally opened in Philadelphia in 2005 with a modern Spanish tapas menu. Garces is adding a selection of new dishes exclusive to the Main Line location.
The 7,000-square-foot space, formerly occupied by Harvest Seasonal Grille & Wine Bar, seats more than 250 guests and includes two outdoor patios with seating for larger parties during the warm weather months. The bar has space for 25 people and a private dining room will accommodate 45 people for corporate functions, weddings and other special occasions.
Amada's interior at the new Radnor location will seat about 250 people.
"It will be a great addition to the exciting and rapidly growing Main Line dining scene," the James Beard Award-winning chef said. "We have (had) so many Garces fans from over the years come join us in Old City, and now we are bringing the concept right to them in their own backyards."
Garces has had several new openings over the last few years, including Hook & Master in Olde Kensington and the reinvented Garces Trading Company inside the Cira Centre in University City. He also opened a Garces Eats restaurant at the Wells Fargo Center and is in the midst of an expansion of his Buena Onda taqueria alongside Ballard Brands, the company that acquired Garces Group after it declared bankruptcy in 2018. Buena Onda opened a Rador location at 226 N. Radnor Chester Road last year.
Hours at Amada in Radnor will be Monday-Friday from 5-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday dinner from 4-10 p.m. Happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 5-6 p.m.
