This highly-acclaimed fine dining restaurant will forever change the way you think of Mexican food. Paloma serves superb French-Mexican fusion cuisine. There are no nachos, burritos or sauces covered in melted cheese.
Chef-owner Adán Saavedra combines Mexican ingredients with French cooking techniques to produce dishes that are refined, elegant, beautiful and full of flavor without the heat of spice. We will, of course, gladly accommodate those who prefer more chile heat!
Our dessert selection changes often and is wholly house-made, including special items for more adventurous diners, such as an incendiary mango-habanero sorbet.
Come see why Paloma has been called "Le Bec Mex," why Chef Saavedra was a 2011 semifinalist for a James Beard Foundation award, and why the 2013 Zagat Guide ranked Paloma in the top ten restaurants in the region for food!
"the food is delicious. very good, with layers of flavor. presentation is very special. and the ingredients are in interesting combinations. the menu has things that entice you to come back again and again. the mushroom flan is a must order."
Dined on 6/15/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"We are serious restaurant foodies and can't understand why Paloma isn't packed every night. Excellent food - creative without being precious. Great flavors throughout the meal. Charming, comfortable space and excellent service."
Dined on 6/14/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Often, people want to keep their favorite spots a secret so they don't get too mobbed. I want to make sure everyone knows about this lovely restaurant with excellent food and very accommodating service. We were there at 7:00 on a Saturday night and there were only about 5 tables occupied. We were a party of 5 and we ordered many different menu items among us, and everything was fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. It is not inexpensive, but seemed worth the price for the quality of the ingredients and preparation. I want to spread the word and make sure that Paloma stays open so that we can look forward to return visits."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Everything was perfect here, from the housemade jabanero sauce tableside to the perfectly poached shrimp. The desserts are beautifully presented and taste even better."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"This restaurant is a gem. They serve wonderfully creative and tasty food. The wait staff is attentive without hovering intrusively. They are friendly and seem genuinely happy to have you there. The reasonably-priced valet parking is great to have available in a crowded neighborhood."
Dined on 5/25/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"We Love Paloma and have been back many times. Food ALWAYS excellent. Everything was interesting and excellent. The DESSERTS ARE TO DIE FOR!!! I actually do not usually order dessert but Paloma"s all HOMEMADE desserts are an exception. Recommend all of them. My favorite, though is the Mexican Chocolate gelato. It is a flaor unlike any other I have ever tasted. SUPERB.
One off note was service BUT NOT indicative of the usual service. New waiter, forgot one order, got wife's order wrong, but a nice guy just inexperienced. All other times, service has been excellent."
Dined on 5/24/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, special occasion
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"BYOB Too!! Outstanding food, don't go in expecting traditional Mexican, food is unbelievable and cannot be categorized. Check out the menu. Save room for dessert!!"
Dined on 5/18/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"I can't believe I forgot to write my review of Paloma. I took my wife here for her birthday, and the result was a stunning cavalcade of fusions based upon classical French and Mexican traditions. Do not expect anything approaching tacos and burritos. This is seriously well thought out use of fresh ingredients.
I love the duck and the crab cake purse. The desserts, which we usually skip, are made by the chef's wife who also serves as front of the house manager. She in the entire staff were a delight: open and friendly, very helpful with suggestions, yet very unobtrusive. It's a welcome relief to enjoy good food without the Starr-like pretensions of snobbish service.
All in all, this is a can't miss dining experience, enjoy!"
Dined on 12/29/2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Paloma is a real South Philly gem. My wife was sure we'd been here before, and I was sure we hadn't. Well, we were both right. We'd been to Paloma at its Castor Avenue location several times and really enjoyed it. But, we hadn't visited its new location until last night which is even better. My wife and I, together with my 95-year old uncle, were thrilled with our meal. We had the chilled seafood soup and the mushroom flan to start; tilapia, crab and veal as entrees and bread pudding for dessert. Each was wonderful and beautifully presented; a real bargain for the $30 prix fixe (available Tuesday thru Thursday). If you try it, please keep it a secret because we'd like to be able to get a table when we return very soon."
Dined on 5/22/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"great food flavors with mexican spices to amp up the tastes. Soups are all great and do not miss desserts as they are all homemade. Most unusual selections of gelato and sorbet that you will ever see. Valet is past the restaurant in front of the mildred as they share it right now. Would love to see a special tapas night there as with the chef's flavors that would also bring in some younger people and be something different to go to. It was our anniversary and they went out of the way to decorate our dessert plates which was a nice touch. Definitely would rec anyone to try as they will not be disappointed."
Dined on 5/18/2013
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"I found Paloma from Zagat. I was looking for a good restaurant for a busy Friday night. Paloma was great. The service was excellent. The pastry chef herself told us about the desserts! The coffee was amazing. The food was fit for a foodie. Excellent presentation, delicious, and unique. This is not the place to go for tacos and burritos. If you're looking for generic Mexican food, then this is not the place for you. Nevertheless, the food is full of flavor. It's definitely for the finer diner."
Dined on 5/10/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"A real gem...creative cuisine, not dishes you find all over. Terrific seasonings. High quality ingredients. Quiet, good for conversation and reasonable, fair pricing."
Dined on 5/07/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"The food was delightful. We enjoyed the cold soup special, a wonderful fettuccine. Our fish entrees were delicious and cooked to perfection (shrimp and branzino). The only disappointment was the steak. The desserts are AMAZING. I wish we could have ordered all of them. After cleaning our dinner plates, we only had room for homemade sorbets and gelato. What a wonderful ending. The service was impeccable and we could actually hear our own conversation. We will definitely return."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"We are a group of 8 girlfriends and went to celebrate 3 of our members' birthdays. We went on a Tuesday night and enjoyed the prixe fixe menu...great selection and great value! Everyone loved the food.--especially the crab cake entrée. For dessert the three birthday girls received theirs on plates decorated in chocolate with Happy Birthday Wishes. There was great attention to detail devoted to each one. I think people think this will be tex-mex type food and it certainly isn't..it is much more like fine French cuisine with touches of Mexican flavors......nothing is too spicy or hot. We thoroughly recommend it and are certain to return."
Dined on 4/30/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Food was outstanding and excellent presentation ! The asparagus ceasar salad and deserts were to die for! Server was right on the mark with helping us with our selections."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, special occasion
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"The restaurant was on the list of nearby places to eat for the Walnut Street Theatre. My husband wanted 'Mexican' and this was the one that came the closest. I went to the website and read through the fascinating history and explained that we will be eating Mexican with a 'Twist of French!'We were also celebrating a wedding anniversary and the atmosphere, wonderful serving staff, and of course the food far exceeded anything we could imagine. The presentations were colorful and unique.We ended the evening with the toasted pecan biscotti and a trio of sorbet including cinnamon-vanilla. Amazing!"
Dined on 04/13/2013
2013
Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"The food was outstanding, the crabcake wrapped in filo dough was not only delicious but a work of art. The presentation of all the food was wonderful, we celebrated a birthday and the birthday message was personalized on the dessert plate. Service was excellent and I highly recommend this restaurant."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Went back for a second time within a week because it was so exceptional the first time, and we wanted to sample additional offerings. While our choices this time weren't as out-of-this-world incredible as on the first visit, that's because they were merely as good as anything you'll find anywhere else. The shrimp en croute in a chardonay cream sauce had a very subtle undercurrent of spicy poblano that snuck up on you slowly and then hit you over the head -- truly masterful, and consistent with the restaurant's theme that it would make you think about Mexican food in a whole new way. It paled in comparison only to Pablano's own food -- the such rillette I'd had the time before. Can't recommend this place highly enough."
Dined on 04/05/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"This restaurant is a find. The presentations were unlike anything I've ever seen (we were even taking photos of our dishes!) and the food itself was unique and high quality. The owner, Barb, is delightful, interesting and a perfect hostess.
They have an excellent prix fixe deal Tues to Thurs with a beautiful selection to choose from. I had a steak that melted in my mouth. My girlfriend had their award-winning crabcake that was wrapped in a beggar's purse. It was so gorgeous and so delicious.
And Barb makes all of the many varieties of sorbet. I had mole naranja and it was amazing as I'm told they all are. But watch out for the habanjero ones....they are beyond spicey!
The waiter Dan was excellent."
Dined on 04/03/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"This place has some of the most wonderful; food in Philly. The decor could be a little more upscale (although the paintings of Mexican scenes are quite charming) and a little less musty-smelling, and the service, while friendly and efficient, also is not up to the levels of the finest restaurants. But if all you care about is the food, this may be the single best restaurant in the city. We'll go back as soon as we can."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"A wonderfull and inventive blend of Mexican ingredients and traditional French cooking techniques. The asparagus Caesar salad was outstanding. The sauces for the main courses were so good I dredged up every bit. The curry sauce with the crab in Phyllo dough was rich and sweet. The champagne habanero source on the shrimp was perfect. Finally, the Mexican chocolate brownie was rich, dense, and had lovely notes of cinnamon and cardamon and was served with a home made coffee ice cream. This is a can't miss restaurant in Philadelphia. It is a BYOB which is really nice and keeps the prices very affordable."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"this is the 3rd time we have been to this restaurant. On this night, while the food continues to be excellent, the service was extremely poor and even though the restaurant was empty the owner continued to carry on a loud conversation with the table next to us.
it was very disappointing"
Dined on 03/01/2013
2008
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"Found the restaurant online while visitng philadelphia and think it was some of the best food we ever had. Amazing flavor combinations and beautiful presentation. Would return on our next viist."
Dined on 03/21/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Amazing place! I've been three times and continue to be impressed. Corn Chowder is so flavorful, all the main course proteins are perfect, specials always deliver. Leave room for dessert. The sorbets and cakes are great, and that cranberry orange bread pudding with the vanilla-cinnamon gelato on top, one of the best things I have ever eaten! I will be dining there again soon."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"A new favorite has been found! What a gem... the crab ceviche is crave-worthy! Cannot recommend the strawberry habanero sorbet enough...if you like hot! Just a wonderful evening and we can't wait to go back and take our friends!"
Dined on 03/16/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Second time here, and I'd been waiting for an occasion to repeat because first time was so good. This meal was even better! Appetizers were delicious (tri-color pasta as an appetizer, tower-o-crab [my name, heh heh] ceviche) were fantastic. However, the fish special (barramundi[?] with encased in two sauces) was phenomenal: succulent, flavorful, unique, delicious to the last bite. I had a scare when time for dessert came when the server told me they were out of the chocolate cake; Barbara (chef's wife and pastry chef) overheard my lamentations and promised (and delivered!) that if I could wait 15 minutes, she'd get back in the kitchen and finish the cake. A perfect evening!"
Dined on 03/05/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"Very interesting menu. I was expecting something more traditionally Mexican, and the menu threw me at first, but the bronzino was absolutely delicious, melted in my mouth. The special salad appetizer was very inventive and delicious, with tiny scallops. It's BYOB, which helps the budget, and actually we found the prices very reasonable, especially with the high quality of the ingredients and preparation. A nice time."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"we tried this restaurant a couple of weeks ago and were pleasantly surprised by the menu, food preparation and the wonderful desserts. Highly recommend it!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"What a wonderful dining experience. I chose this restaurant based oh high Zagat rating.Paloma was everything Zagats and diners said it was. Tables are not close together which is important to my husband & me. Food was outstanding..crab appetizer was awesome. I had the shrimp entree and my husband had branzino..both were best. We've been to most all top restaurants in Philly and this is the best we've been to."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"This restuarnt is a gem! My husband and I have eaten at Paloma on several occasions and have always been pleased. This time we went with another couple who had not eaten there before...All four of us agreed we had a great evening ...the food, the service and ambiance were terrific! You can actually hear your dinner partners talk across the table without screaming! What a relief! Our friends thanked us profusely for introducing them to this restaurant. We'll all go back....."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"I had the pasta dish which had a nice flavor and was good for a few bites, but then quickly became overwhelming and heavy because there was nothing else on the plate to balance out the pasta. My husband had the filet, which he said was very good. Dessert was wonderful and the service was very good."
Dined on 02/15/2013
2012
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"Food was truly outstanding. Innovative and beautifully presented and reasonably priced. Decor is tastefully done and the dining room is comfortable. I liked the fresh flowers on all the tables. Waitstaff was very friendly, but slow and sometimes inattentive (too long a wait to be served and between courses and at times could not remember who in our party of six had ordered what, requiring switching plates after being served)."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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