Pampano

Pampano

Owner

Our sophisticated, tropical restaurant serves dynamic seafood from the coasts of Mexico and celebrates the partnership between renowned Chef and Restaurateur Richard Sandoval & Maestro Placido Domingo. A beautiful front bar area leads to Pampano's intimate downstairs dining room. From the bar, our original cocktails and margaritas are made from the freshest fruits. We feature an impressive tequila list, along with an international selection of wines by the glass and bottle. The upstairs dining room is decorated with ornately crafted iron railings, and tropical touches adorn the whitewashed walls. Outdoor seating is available on our second floor terrace. Whether dining with a group or as a couple, Pampano is the perfect restaurant to savor the tastes, sights, and sounds of sophisticated modern Mexican cuisine!

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
The white-washed interior of the bi-level space feels like an exclusive beachside hacienda, especially in the second-floor dining room, which always seems filled with light. Palm trees sculpted onto the walls, lazy fronds spinning from the tall, angled ceiling and arched doors leading to an outdoor terrace add to the "on-vacation" vibe for a mix of midtown suits and funkier food lovers.

The Food
Chef-owner Richard Sandoval applies his chile collection so skillfully that he never masks the essential flavors of each fish. An improbably delicate chipotle and manchego cheese sauce gracefully embraces shrimp and bay scallops, and refreshing cubes of salmon tread above the citrus-habanero sting in the ceviche marinade. Whole red snapper arrives like a seafood sculpture, artfully de-boned, rounded out, stuffed with tangy cactus salad and surrounded with a chile de arbol lake. But most impressive is crispy, guajillo-enhanced pan-seared pampano, which is worthy of the restaurant's good name.