Pazo Restaurant

There is a saying... ""When something is good you tell a few people, when something is bad you tell everyone""\r \r On a road trip back to DC my boyfriend and I were extremely hungry. As we entered into Baltimore he remembered a restaurant where he had a lunch with a client. \r \r ""I know a place you with love.."" (as we exited the interstate)\r \r We were dressed summer chic, but casual to say the least for an 8pm dinner date. With no reservation there was no wait, our reluctant server lead us to the table. Glaring at the menu, I tallied in my head small plate, after small plate that I planned to enjoy. \r \r Our waiter was prompt, hospitable and informative. He recommended the Manchego Manzana Salad. We loved the slices of Manchego cheese, tart slices of apples and buttery almonds tossed in a delicate olive oil. My boyfriend enjoyed it so much he ordered a second plate! (greedy)\r \r I simply can’t remember every dish we ordered. Most of every bite was delicious: Stuffed mussels, perfect spinach with a hint of lemon. The lamp chops were so tasty at medium rare, but at $8 a pop we only got two. (I probably could have eaten 4 by myself. I mean they were THAT good!)\r \r ""bad bite..."" My 6ft 4 boyfriend wanted a small protein filled plate! We tried the Chicken, Date and Rosemary Pinxto, recommended by our server. “We didn't love it."" He had been spot-on all night. When he viewed the half-eaten plate, ""What'd you think..."" We responded simply “It was our least favorite plate of the night.” He apologized humbly and walked away. The ambiance at Pazo turned an ordinary drive home into a relaxing romantic evening that my boyfriend and I will never forget. \r \r The Manager approaches our table, asked how the meal was. We told him about the not so perfect chicken. He apologized, gave us options for another choice. We declined and asked for the bill instead. We received our bill and the manager kindly removed the chicken dish. \r \r I don't expect every dining experience to be perfect. We don't live in a perfect world. When I make food at home I make mistakes so a restaurant is entitled to them as well. We didn’t give negative feedback on the chicken in hopes of getting something for free. When people make mistakes, its not the inadvertence that leaves the lasting impression, but the way you recover from it. The recovery at Pazo is what will bring me back. \r more

Having recently relocated to the area I was thrilled to find Pazo! After six weeks of jeans, t-shirts, pubs, and crabcakes it was so nice to get dressed for dinner and have an adult evening! The atmosphere was upbeat and lively...upscale without being stuffy.\r \r Now please don't take that the wrong way - I LOVE this city and all it has to offer. I can't get enough crab and it is nice to be in a more casual environment.....but from time to time a place like Pazo is refreshing. \r \r We ate at the bar which is usually my preference for the first time in a restaurant. I've seen some of the reviews about service but my experience was really nice. The bar area was packed but the bartenders were totally on top of things. My drink was never empty and our food was out in less than half an hour.\r \r Let me start with the martini - perfectly chilled with floating ice crystals (thank you for knowing how to shake vodka) and to finish it off...blue cheese stuffed olives, beautiful! We ordered a few things off the tapas menu - the kobe brisket is a must. Then moved on to pizza....words cannot describe how wonderful this was. I spent six months in Italy and have tried time and again to find a place in the states that could recreate my favorite pizza. Pazo has done it! Thin crust, light sauce, heavy on the toppings. I suggest the buffalo mozzarella and cured pork...the flavors were clean and completely mouthwatering. Grazie! Pazo for taking me back to Tuscany!\r \r That's as far as we got into the menu on this trip but I will definitely be back soon. If you haven't been here...you are missing out! Pros: Great atmosphere and food more

The only thing Pazo's has going on is the atmosphere. I've unfortunately been there 3 times because it was the new place that everyone wanted to check out and each and every time the service never failed to disapoint me. Now everyone in our circle of friends has banned it. \r The worse experience came last weekend when one of my sisters friends decided to host her birthday party dinner there. I didn't know her well enough to warn her off from this place and how dismissive, rude and unprofessional the staff there can be despite the fact that you're bringing in at a minimum $500 worth of food and drinks to their place. Which by the way, the food made me ill the first time i ate there and have never eaten there again. I've only had their drinks which tend to be watered down at $13 a piece. Everyone in our group except for two people were medical professionals and our party was only 15 mins late so they gave away our table. I'm not exaggerating when i say 15 mins, literally, no more no less. After much pleading on our part to try and accomodate our group so that the birthday girl could celebrate, the staff was dismissive of our requests and simply said we could choose to wait 3 hours till the next table opened up but that we had to move away from the front door. By then we were annoyed and started calling other restaurants to get last minute accomodations. Luckily we got a table at Lebanese Taverna which is about 2 blocks up and had a fantastic rest of the evening. \r Please STAY AWAY from PAZO's you'll be disappointed to give away your money to a rude and selfish staff.\r Cons: overpriced food -horrible customer service more

Food has gone waaaay downhill. They keep changing the menu....bad move. They're starting to let city riff raff in (if you know what I mean.) Great for first dates - great atmospehe, ambiance, but go somewhere else for dinner then go to Pazo for drinks. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Food, Way over-priced for quality and portions that you get. more

It is a good looking place and the service was good throughout the evening we were at Pazos. The food was good, but not great - it was not worth the $100 we paid for our dinner for two. But the issue that soured us on the restaurant was that both of us got sick a few hours after we left. Because of what we ate that day and that we shared our food at Pazos, we are 100% sure it was something from the restaurant. Actually, we were not so down on the restaurant because we got sick; I understand that could happen at any restaurant. But what really infuriated me is that when we called to tell the manager, they said okay without offering to reimburse us for the food we lost. Literally, I can say that what food I ate and paid for at the restaurant left me a couple of hours later. I can put a dollar amount on the actual loss of product (without adding in several very unpleasant hours). Any place that would not reimburse us for their defective product is not a place I would recommend. Pros: good and friendly service; nice atmosphere Cons: poor management more

What can I say, I really love this place! After making reservations, I went there this past February for my 22nd Birthday with some girlfriends. I was looking for a nice lounge/restaurant type spot , and this lady who does restaurant reviews for Baltimore Magazine suggested this place to me (after emailing and calling her). I gave her specifics on the type of crowd I was looking for (young, hip and classy, goodlooking), food (whatever cuisuine as long as it was delicious) and overall atmosphere (music/live dj)...Pazo definitely delivered. Me and my party arrived late (I called to let them know), and no one fussed at us, and they still had a table waiting just for us. The attitude of the hostess, waiter and everyone else was super pleasant! They had a live DJ spinning the hottest music, and the food was delicious and came out in a decent time. Oh, our waiter was cute and made terrific suggestions on what drinks to get because we girls couldn't make up our minds; we didn't know what was good there being that it was everyone's first time there...He also was very pleasant when I didn't want a dish that I ordered after it came out (I didn't know it was going to be prepared cold and slightly raw.) He was cool about me sending it back and suggested a dish that I would for sure enjoy...I really love that place but haven't been back because of my schedule...\r I would definitely go again and again and again..Also, it was crowded and very lively, the cast of Wicked was on the first floor! (my party was on the second floor) Pros: Valet parking, food, live DJ some nights, beautiful ambience, wonderful service! more

We have been going to Pazo's since it opened and like it for its setting, food, and service. I believe the building was built as a boiler factory and the renovation has created a spectacular room framed on two sides by the bar and the kitchen. Dining and a lounge area make up the rest of the ground floor with additional dining and two private rooms upstairs open to the lower floor. Service is generally very good though the size of the place, and seeminly high turnover, results in you rarely getting the same server. Valet parking is fast and free (less the tip). The house wine, Pazo, is a good value though they have a lot of other selections by the glass and still more by the bottle. The food is excellent though the place opened with a strict small plate metaphor. I think this confused a lot of people as americans are used to getting heaping mounds of food and this is NOT the small plate style! Pazo's has morphed since the beginning and has now changed their menu to include a selection of full sized plates along side the selection of small plates. On our first meal with this new menu, we considered it to be a negative move. On our second visit with the new menu we decided that a half portion of the large plate is about 50% larger than the old small plates and that we could deal with it if we took the slightly larger size into account. We have been going to Pazo's since it opened and still consider it a great meal even with the changes. Three years later (3/10/2010) and Pazo's is still one of our favorite ""go-to"" places in Baltimore. We consistenly enjoy the place and feel like we get a good value on every visit. Pros: Small Plate Menu, Atmosphere, Food Quality, Service Cons: Can be Noisy more

My follow-up review for this restaurant. Read my previous review for this restaurant... more

Pazo is like a taste of NYC in Bmore. It's a great use of old warehouse space and I wish there were more... more

Pazo is like a taste of NYC in Bmore. It's a great use of old warehouse space and I wish there were more like this around town. Pazo has started ... more

My follow-up review for this restaurant. Read my previous review for this restaurant "*here*":/reviews/50763 more

I went there on 12/29/06 with a friend. It was a Friday night and quite crowded. Reservations are a good idea. This place is really beautiful and the staff is great. I have read reviews saying that it is a little pricey, but I did not find that to be the case. It is tapas, and our tab for 2 people came to $80, but we had two cocktails each. The cocktails are average for a decent restaurant in the city and run about $10 each. If we had no cocktails it would have been only about $40. If you are going to have drinks I recommend the bl**d (this won't let me type the word) orange martinis, which are fantastic and cost about $9 each. And the mushrooms were so good I had to close my eyes every time I ate one. The asparagus was great too, and my friend said her calamari was cooked perfectly. Also, try the Cava (sp?) which is champagne only better. Each tapas dish r*ns (can't use that word either) about $4 to $7, maybe $8 (but I am a vegetarian and perhaps my food is less expensive), and we ordered about 3 each plus a bread each. I just had a great time here and will go back again. It would be a great place to take a date, but not a kid. And dress for dinner. I saw one or two people in jeans but they really stood out in a bad way. Pros: atmosphere, food, free valet, drinks, service Cons: reservations needed on weekends more

This restaurant is now one of my top 10 in the country. This is the place to see and be seen in Baltimore. As soon as you arrive the hostesses are friendly and helpful. I strongly suggest that you make a reservation. This place is PACKED on Friday/Saturday nights! The main seating area is all upstairs and you look down onto the lounge area. There are a lot of candles and oversized couches. Very trendy/gothic feeling to it!! The food is good, not great - but the atmospere is top notch. I had great luck with the $54 prix fix dinner for two. Plenty of food, and you get to try a lot of different things. They even let you substitute for different menu items. Plenty of wine choices and they only start at $17. Also, wine is served in stemless glasses - very cool. Overall, Pazo is a sure winner. It is a great place to take a date, people watch, or just socialize. Pros: Atmosphere, Good Wine LIst Cons: Portions a bit on the smaller side more

This is a great Baltimore restaurant. Perfect for a date. It has a very hip feel. When you walk inside, you'll forget you're next to the old ""Bo-dome"", or even still in Baltimore at all. The interior is a huge open space with a lounge area by the bar, and several levels of tables. These small plates are generally $4-$10 each, but you will want to order many of them to enjoy all of the different offerings. The food is very, very good. more

Unlike many of the restaurants in Baltimore, Pazo has great ambiance. It is an extremely chic restaurant with dim lighting and sofas to lounge on and mingle. However, despite all of these attributes, the menu is a let down. When ordering tapas, expect to get one or two nibblings on a plate, which begin around seven dollars. Because you will need to order about four plates for a table of two, don't be surprised if your bill adds up and you still walk out hungry. Bottom line...its a place to mingle with a drink, not a place to dine. Pros: Ambience Cons: Value more

Its everything you could ask for in a tapas restaurant--including beautifully-blown, clear, *stemless* wineglasses. My one piece of advice to you: get invited to this place (so you can eat lavishly, without an eye to the pricy menu)!\r \r SCINTILLATING. The dark cherrywood interior combined with perfectly-lit chandeliers and deep rust orange and maroon furnishings are welcoming, to say the least. Plop down with a sweetheart on one of the oversized plush sofas in the restaurant's ""living room,"" decked tastefully with low-hanging wooden ""coffeetables"" and plenty of space for larger groups. Order tapas y sangria at the bar or from your sofa, but leave plenty of room for dinner.\r \r SPARKLING. The wine list is extensive, ranging from deep burgundies and warm reds to crisp, sparkling whites. If you ask (and sometimes, if you don't), Pazo waiters will give suggestions for pairing different wines with dishes. Tapas can be ordered in single-serving portions or, for groups with fewer tastes, in ""double"" or ""triple"" amounts. The apples and gorgonzola dish is a good starter but, no comparison to the ""goat's cheese agnolotti"" which, at $8 for a small plate, can actually serve as half your meal. If you opt for a few tapas and a pizza, Pazo will wait til meal's end to serve the pizza: a creative way to ensure your dining experience is well-balanced (and that you don't get too full, too quickly).\r \r SCRUMPTIOUS. I've been to 24 different tapas restaurants the world over and sampled some of the Mediterranean's most divine tapas. Pazo is not the Mediterranean but, it certainly brings the coast to you. The portions could be larger but, the atmosphere well makes up for it. Definitely a date-place. And certain to impress Baltimore businesspeople. My only hangup: our waiter informed the 4 of us that a carafe of sangria would only suffice for 3 (and that we should therefore order more); turns out, it was plenty for the table. Pros: stunning ambience, creative menu Cons: pricy more