Pazo Restaurant

This is definitely the place to see the beautiful people as people are dressed to impress. The service here is wonderful from the hostess to the wonderful waitstaff who we let order our tapas and wine selection for us. Everything was good and the ingredients were definitely fresh, but none of the dishes gave me that "wow" factor. I would say that Jaleo in the DC area is better for providing dishes which cause you to crave for things. We had a good range of food and the highlights were the beef tartare and the pizza catalan. A definite miss was the empanadas. I could see coming back if I were in the area and someone wanted a hip place to go to with great service, but I wouldn't make a trip here for just the food. more

This place is in Baltimore? That is all that kept going through my mind as I entered the unassuming warehouse that opened up to the most sophisticated restaurant in this city. Its hip enough to come with friends and coworkers and yet offers private spots for a perfect evening with a loved one. They serve tapas (which you can also order as a big plate) as well as delicious pizza, and an extensive wine list. The lighting is kept dim, the paintings are somewhat renaissance-y, and the decorations are well thought out. The music was too loud at points in the night, but that was also because we were sitting two tables down from the DJ and speakers. On to the food. I would suggest allowing someone else to pick for you, as I did, because I guarantee you won't know what to get. I am going to briefly comment on each tapas so that I do not overload you with information. I would also like to mention that we went in a group of 6 which explains the large quantity of tapas. However, I must explain that tapas are small plates of the following dishes and you barely get more than one bite of each. The octopus salad (made with potato, herbs, and paprika) was liked throughout the table but I didn't find it so great because I just imagined an octopus with tentacles in my tummy the whole time. The grilled swordfish was outstanding which is confusing because last time I tried swordfish I swore never to have it again. The Halibut was one of my favorite dishes because of the green onions and chive sauce. The steak with scallions and romescu sauce was probably the best dish of the night. It was made to melt in your mouth. The grilled lamp chops were great of course because what is there not to love about lamb chops? Now the next item some people may be angry about, but the pasta filled with rabbit was probably my least favorite. This was partly due to the fact that I thought about Hazel with every bite and partly because I didn't like the consistency or taste of the meat. Another one of my favorites was the bruschetta served with shallots and goat cheese. WOH! What a combo. I thought that I was eating a fig instead of a shallot (similar to an onion) because it was so sweet from having caramelized. The rice balls were interesting but nothing spectacular. The tomato, basil, and mozzarella combo was definitely yummy, but somewhat overdone in my household this summer so it was nothing exciting for me. The tomatoes dish was delicious with the right amount of sea salt and probably olive oil. Finally the grilled mushrooms were really great!!! The pizza we ordered (that we all surprisingly still ate) was the seafood pizza (made with shrimp, calamari, anchovies and mussels) and the white pizza (made with spinach and zucchini). I only tried the white pizza since I was weary about seafood with pizza, and I was delighted. I love white pizza so this also explains things. Now let's talk about dessert, because quite frankly, the dessert was divine. I ordered the catalan mousse cake which reminded me of tiramisu but 100000x better. Fortunately for us we had two of these cakes at our table because one was for my sister's birthday that the waitress gave us. My sister ordered this chocolate torte that was intensely chocolate and rich which = everything great in this world. My mum ordered a fig dessert with some really yummy creamy sauce. YUM. However, their coffee was very weak, so that was a bummer. OK, let's try and sum up before people start to fall asleep: THIS PLACE IS THE COOL PLACE TO BE. GO THERE. more

Pazo takes the concept of tapas, or little plates, to a lovely new height. Immediately on entering you catch the vibe of this hip, young and beautiful crowd - dress to impress! The two levels offer two distinct feels - downstairs is more see-and-be-seen, upstairs a bit more romantic and intimate, with a large room for private parties as well. The food is interesting and with the prices, you can easily fill up on several tapas for very little money. The wine list is well-thought-out and many choices are available by the glass. more

This restaurant is incredible. Everything from the atmosphere to the layout to the drinks is perfect. This is a Tapas restaurant which means you order 3-5 dishes per person per meal. Expect to send about $30-$40 a person if you are having drinks. The food is fantastic and the service is great. Be careful with the delicate wine glasses as they break easily (mine burst into a ton of pieces in my hand). more

OK. I lived in San Fransico for 10 years (not close to it, right in the middle of all the great restaurants) . I recently moved to Baltimore and I thought there would never be a restaurant as great as the great ones there. I was wrong. This place not only has 5 star food, it has 5 star atmosphere but at 3 star prices. And the lounge/bar is actually a comfortable place where you can talk, get some great tapas, and not feel like a sardine. While it's really romantic, it's also a perfect place to go on a girls night out. Best of all, no smoking--- just like california! It's much better than Corks-- my former favorite restaurant in Baltimore. more