Pampano
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (347) 394-2648
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- 3rd Avenue
- Directions:
- E, V at Lexington Ave-53rd St; 6 at 51st St
- Best of Citysearch:
- Mexican Food 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:15pm, 5pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 5pm-11pm
Message from Pampano
Sophisticated & tropical seafood from the coasts of Mexico!
- Freshness Balance Creativity
- Fresh Tropical Seafood
- Specialty Drinks
Paid advertisement by Pampano.
Editorial Review for Pampano – by Kathleen Squires
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.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Where to SitThe best seats in the house are in the main dining room upstairs. Downstairs is noisier and often jammed with margarita lovers overflowing from the bar.
Save MoneyPampano offers a three-course lunch for $20.12 on weekdays.
Know Before You GoLove chef Sandoval's flavors but don't live uptown? Try Upper East Side favorite Maya.
User Reviews for Pampano
07/21/2008 Posted by AmityM
Went with 4 girlfriends last week for a 6:45pm reservation. We had requested outdoor dining specifically. We were NOT told it was "first come first serve" until we got there. They told us it would be a 45 min. wait so we told them it was not a problem and had a drink at the bar. After PATIENTLY and POLITELY waiting until 8:30pm we were still not seated!!!!!!! The hostess was supremely unaccommodating. The manager did absolutely nothing to compensate for the fact that we were misled first on the phone and secondly about the length of the wait. You would think they would have at least offered a complimentary drink or something along those lines! Instead they were rude and indifferent. With so many other restaurants in the area you'd think they would value their customers. Needless to say we left and went to Dos Caminos.
01/14/2008 Posted by jotho
I made reservations at Pampano after reading cuozzo's review of mexican restaurants in the post. The food really is unlike any Mexican I've had before - the flavors are familiar but presented in a beautiful and unexpected style. I would highly recommend Pampano to anyone looking for an upscale mexican experience.
Pros: Ive never had mexican seafood before - it was great
