Aquavit

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Athena Chang

Joined 3 years ago

Delicious Scandinavian Cuisine. My father used to work at a Swedish company and he used to travel there all the time for business. I was not so lucky in the aspect and I am curious what Scandinavian food consists of besides meatballs.

Finally, restaurant week granted me the chance to sample it for a reasonable price!

For appetizers, we tried the herring sampler and boar salad. I was a bit scared to trry the herring at first because it is basically cold fish. It tastes surprisingly good and there is very little fish smell. The wild boar salad was also great. My boyfriend, who doesn't like salad so much, was totally impressed.

I got the Asparagus Barlotto for entree and my boyfriend got the roast beef. The asparagus dish tastes like creamy asparagus risotto but it uses barley so it is actually healthier. I got to say the dark green color make the dish slightly undesirable but again it surprised me. The roast beef is also good but I guess it is not very special.

I really like their dessert, Budapest Cake, which is chocolate and hazelnut moose cake paired with ice cream. The dish I got, Cardamon pound cake, is good but nothing to rave about.

The service is definitely 5 star and I really like their simplistic design. I am glad I got another great NYC restaurant under my belt.

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Patrick Heig

Joined 5 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. Mod furniture and the clean lines of Nordic design make this Scandinavian fine-dining restaurant feel very 21st century, with dark wood tones lending the rooms warmth, and cherry blossoms in vases offering an elegant touch. Chef Marcus Jenmark's cuisine blends modern and traditional Scandinavian cuisine on his nightly tasting and prix fixe menus, so, yes, pickled herring, but also a butter-poached trout with roe and greens, or seared arctic char with cauliflower puree, nettles, smoked egg yolk, lobster and ale sauce. Also expect excellent wine pairings from the sommelier and desserts from pastry chef Candice Chia.

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Evanismo

Joined 3 years ago

Swedish Delight. Sometimes the food gods smile upon us, and we feel lucky. I was fortunate enough to feast with great company during Restaurant Week at Aquavit, whose dining room would otherwise be priced out of. This day, however, I was granted one of the more sublime lunch experiences I have had, in a warm, wood-paneled space that took me in out of the January New York cold. The quite affordable three-course menu had us tasting a melt-in-your mouth artichoke bisque spiked with truffle crème fraiche and bits of venison, a smooth and perfectly pink seared salmon topped with bright orange roe, and a chocolate lover’s dream of a chocolate mousse to end the meal. The service was also impressive: on our way out, no less than five people wished us a good afternoon, and one even walked me to the bathroom. I’ve never been to Stockholm, but if this is what its like, I’m on the next flight.

Doesn't Recommend

Wing Ding

Joined 3 years ago

Bland and Expensive. This is a pleasant room with high ceilings. Unfortunately, that's where the compliments end. The smoked salmon was utterly tasteless (odd for smoked salmon but true) and the poached cod was also very bland. Plain boiled potatoes tasted like plain boiled potatoes. Even the horseradish is weak. You can't definitively say the food is "bad", but this is only because it is all so bland. Is the Cafe expensive for New York? No. Is it expensive for small, plain and unseasoned fish dishes that would be outshone by fish at your local Greek diner? Absolutely. FYI the bartender also is terrible - the mixed drinks there stink.

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diningmae

Joined 4 years ago

Agree with good for business dinner. I've eaten here twice. Once for a business dinner and we ordered the chef tasting that was paired with the different vodka's for each course. And the dessert was great. Second time, the food was average, so there was some inconsistency, but the service was good. Although I couldn't understand what the wait staff was saying when describing the dish.. englsish was not a first language.

Doesn't Recommend

NYCInfatuated

Joined 4 years ago

Valentine's Day Dissapointment. We went to Aquavit for Valentine's Day. Granted, I understand they must serve more people than usual on a night like this, but I expected for $95 per person that the food would be decent. The prix fix menu (which they have every night) looked fabulous on arrival. Our drink order was taken immediately and the aquavit flights were delicious. However, the meal went downhill from there. They took our orders and specifically asked if we were allergic to anything - and we responded shellfish and squash. The appetizers were good, but the next course was supposed to be a tuna tartare and THEY RAN OUT OF TUNA! They instead offered us a beef dish that was bland and almost inedible. We told the staff that it was not good, and they tried to make it up to us by bringing us a soup course of squash soup. So, after telling them about our squash allergy, they brought us a squash soup! When I reminded the staff, they grumbled behind me, "well, i tried." My entree of beef was equally uninspired, but the trio of desserts were good. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. The entire meal lacked passion and you can eat much better food for that price.

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capibobin

Joined 5 years ago

good for business dinner. Food is good but pricy for non expense account dinner. We weren't pleased that they try to hide the restaurant menu. we had to request it.

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sakumawiki

Joined 5 years ago

Fantastic!. Aquavit is the type of place, at first glance, that seems a bit on the stuffy side - a little too stiffly pressed and polished. The door is so nondescript that you could easily mistake it for the entrance to any generic office building lobby. Once inside, however, you'll feel like you've been transported to the Helsinki airport or to some swanky hotel in Sweden. Relax, the staff here is so remarkably nice and helpful, you'll thank yourself for staying and letting them walk you through a tasting menu - drinks, meal and dessert. It's all fantastic - very grown up and utterly worth the price. Highly recommended.

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yankeefan1981

Joined 5 years ago

it was an expreince that I will never forget. I made a reservation here not knowing how expensive it was going to be, but it turned out to be the best meal of my life hands down. Yes the bill was around $250 for two, but it was an experience that I will never forget. The service and food was impeccable. If you are a foodie, save your money and come here at least once in your life.

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linneaviktoria

Joined 5 years ago

Can't wait to go back!. Since my mom is actually from Sweden (moved over to the US when she was 15), I'm always skeptical about Swedish food in America. My mom and I decided to take the chance and try Aquavit one night on a whim - we chose the cafe area rather than the dining room - and it instantly became both of our favorite restaurants. The choices in aquavit all sounded so good it took me forever to choose, and needless to say, there was no disappointment for either of us. Having always been my favorite Swedish food, gravlax is what I ordered. Not only was the texture and flavor sensational, but it was exactly the right portion as well. Swedish food has a tendency to make you feel heavy very quickly. With the portion I had, I felt full, but not heavy - a hard thing to do with this type of cuisine. After a couple quips in Swedish with the waiter (which I found extremely impressive for a restaurant in America), my mom ordered the Swedish meatball, which she makes at home from scratch for any Swedish holiday. She loved them! After dinner we split a princess torte (our favorite Swedish dessert), which we found impressively authentic, and lingered over our coffee because we both loved the environment so much. The style is clean and chic, but relaxing.

I could not imagine my dining experience being any better than it was here.