Aquavit, New York NY

2 Michelin stars. Fine dining. Wonderful experience with both food, service, and setting. A very reasonable price on the lunch pre-fixe (compared to others in the same class). I'm ashamed that I haven't come here sooner. Fun and delicious.

I usually talk about the dishes in detail - but I believe the surprise is part of the experience so, if you can resist, skip looking at the photos if possible and dive in blind. I did go in expecting heavy sea food - but was hit with a nice balance of creative dishes.

This was my first visit. I surprised my wonderful beautiful wife (who might be reading this) with a visit here for her birthday. I added the non-alcoholic pairing (I still had work to do later haha) and was impressed by how excited I was for not only the food but the drinks.

Staff were super kind and professional. And the restaurant has a simple gorgeous tone to it. What I couldn't figure out was why some chairs were draped with a sort of fur shawl. I'll ask next time.

This was likely our 3rd or possibly our 4th time to Aquavit during the last 20 years. First time at their original location and then all the rest here.

Atmosphere is inviting and helps increase the anticipation of what's to come.

The diversity of the menu and the preparations are still excellent. However, we were disappointed that the level of service, from reception, and throughout the meal, was not up to prior visits and expectations. Though we arrived at 6: 15, before most other diners, service for wine and amuse bouche was exceedingly slow for the first 30 minutes. Service especially from the sommelier who exhibited an attitude, was not appropriate.

This is a costly dining experience, and for $1000 per couple, everyone should be on their top game.

A very refreshing tasting experience. Every dish had a fresh taste, not sickening at all. I liked the addition of some sour flavours to the dish. It covered a wide range of foods as well (meat and seafood). I would recommend and would go again!

Wonderfully inventive cuisine and flavor combinations! The service was impeccable as well.

Slightly awkward service but hard working staff! I felt like some dishes were too gassy however, beyond that, it was still delicious!

This place lives up to the hype and stars. Every dish except the bread was out of this world. The signature bird’s nest dessert was not only delicious but so beautifully created that I almost did not want to eat it. Only downside is I was still hungry afterwards but not a biggie since I know an amazing Yakitori place only a block away

Amazing a la carte dinner experience at 2-star Michelin restaurant! We celebrated our anniversary here, and it felt like the entire staff knew us and our celebration the entire time; they went out of their way to make us feel special. They offered a complimentary glass of champagne to start. We had the juiciest herring sampler and two amazing entrees! They were incredible. The best part was the Princess Cake (not for those allergic to nuts, unfortunately). The restaurant easily accommodated food allergies. Highly recommend Aquavit!

Truly an exceptional dining experience. I had high expectations for this 2 star Michelin restaurant and the food did not disappoint. The venue itself is on the smaller side and not particularly fancy but that's ok as the more important parts, the service and food, were both outstanding. We came hungry and decided on the chef's tasting menu over the regular tasting menu which included 8 courses instead of 5. It was the right amount of food for us (the 5 course menu would have left us wanting for more). Upgrading to the caviar experience is a must. Every course was carefully choreographed and delicious. The climax was the "bird's nest" dessert which not only was visually stunningly beautiful but an explosion of carefully balanced flavors that melted together into delightful arrangements of flavors and textures at every bite. I look forward to dining here again.

I had the Chef’s tasting menu. The first half of the meal was absolutely spectacular. However, an insipid broth with the fish, a fatty, undercooked lamb and overrated dessert was the downfall of the meal. Wines were great and service was good and efficient (but decidedly NOT warm) and it unfortunately had the ambience of a hotel restaurant. I am glad I came to support a neighborhood restaurant— but I won’t likely be back. The highs were really high— but the lows were quite low.

I had the pleasure of dining at Aquavit about a week ago. I took my mom out for a celebratory lunch and had the tasting menu. The food was excellent, although we found that the cheese course supplement wasn't worth it. However, I found the service to be impersonal and distant; food was brought out in stiff, awkward silence, and staff didn't seem interested in answering questions about the dishes. Maybe this is the expectation for a midtown Manhattan lunch, but it's distinctly different from my experience at half a dozen comparable restaurants, where staff is personable, caring, and enthusiastic. Aquavit felt prim-and-proper. I reached out with feedback privately and never heard back. While we loved the food, we'll dine somewhere with warmer service next time.

Wonderful, our waiter was so kind and knowledgeable! I even got a princesstårta for my birthday dessert

Delicious Scandinavian inspired dishes composed with farm fresh ingredients in a comfortably elegant atmosphere.

Celebrate our Mother’s Day earlier due to we have trip next month. The food quality and presentation is average. The dish, rainbow trout is very disappointing. So I give 3️ only. The server are great, especially Bobby. Also, Sean who gave us a great advice for the wine is a lovely person too. Due to their wonderful service, we have a great time and raise 1 more ️for this restaurant.

Very good experience. Really liked it overall, the food is good. But of course you have to pay a price for it.

The only disappointment was the "main dish" of the chef's menu - lamb, it was really so so.

The food was incredible. The vibes were completely off. We also came with our children. They have been to a few Michelin star places and this by far is the worst we’ve experienced. It’s a shame I have to say this as I’m married to a Swede and we want to support them. But it’s 2023, how are kids treated like lesser beings still? They were quiet the entire time and the looks we got, the lack of menu options for them- how hard is it to put a little tasting menu together for younger adults, it was all VERY off-putting. Come here on a date but it’s a shame there’s no respect for children. But really the food was perfect!

Great restaurant - Birds nest dessert deserves 10+ 5 Stars

the bread on the table 5 Stars and so soft and unique flavor. Butter, whipped for the bread, did not taste so good.

Wagyu was raw and was hard to chew being raw meat with a 1 min 2 min browning of the meat on its sides. Not my best, maybe great for a raw eater. Wish they gave me an option for medium well cooked.

Appetizer - Gravlax- the sauce and smoke salmon were not that good- just okay 3 Stars.

Incredible seafood dining experience! The minimalistic atmosphere means all attention is on the food, with good reason. I loved the variety of ways seafood was prepared - fresh with the sea salt and smokiness that aptly captures the essence of Scandinavian cuisine. Plating was beautiful - simple with an artistic flair. We were so excited when the Head Chef Emma Bengtsson came by after our meal to say hi… what a treat!