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Acqua
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Italian American (New), Italian [Edit]
4453 Lake Ave SWhite Bear Lake, MN 55110
(651) 407-7317
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 4 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Acqua
Review Highlights
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"...chocolate souffle cake with graham cracker ice cream which..." In 3 reviews -
"...the pork shank with sweet potato puree which was excellent." In 4 reviews -
"My girl friend got the Ossobuco di Porco (pork shank." In 6 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Sam M.
Circle Pines, MN
4/27/2012
My wife always likes to get wine when we go to a place like Acqua.
Not tonight. We decided to sample some of the novel cocktails they had on offer. A Pepper infused bourbon with passion fruit for me. My wife had a cucumber margarita.
They bourbon was quite snappy and was well complemented by the sweet fruit taste. The cucumber was more subtle and light.
Acqua is a repurposed house on the shore of White Bear Lake. It overlooks the harbor and features a patio for summer dining. The atmosphere is casual, but the dining room lends an air of elegance to the place. It is an enjoyable place to have a quiet conversation.
We were promptly seated for our reservation, our drink orders were taken and delivered promptly. A nice crusty loaf accompanied by a lightly honeyed butter was more than welcome.
We selected the three course meal. My wife picked spring greens. I picked spinach with prosciutto/apple/pear. Both were great with subtle flavoring.
We both had the walleye as a main course. Tender- not overcooked at all. I am not a fish guy, but I found it intriguing.
Dessert was creme brulee for me and butterscotch pudding (with sea salt) for my wife. Both were a nice way to wrap up the meal. -
Review from Tracy D.
St Paul, MN
5/11/2012
This place is phenomenal, service is excellent, foods is to die for. Make reservations, because this place is always busy. One of the best meals I have ever had, make this a must of your bucket list, you will not regret it.
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Review from Karyn P.
St Paul, MN
Wow, that's all I can say. The service is greAT the food.even better. All I can say is they change the menu and go eat there. It's amazing.
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Review from Mike C.
Las Vegas, NV
Updated - 3/18/2012
The reason for the update is that I love this place. Service is always good and the food is always consistent which is important to me. The menu is simple but well executed (I think that is the problem with some restauarants with a large menu). We had a great night celebrating my birthday. The Ragu alla Bolgnese is always a treat. Please read my previous review.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/1/2011
This is a Hidden Gem! I have frequent this place since it first open. Darren and the staff are… Read more »
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Review from Karin M.
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I must admit that with a Yelp 5 star rating and 16 reviews we had extremely high expectations for our visit at Acqua. Wow, not only did they meet those expectations we were all planning our next visit before we even left the restaurant.
Reservations are a must, at least for a Saturday night. The only dim spot was when we walked in (use the entrance on the side of the building) and had to wait a few minutes for our table...it was a little crowded and awkward without a very big waiting space/entry. Once seated, perfection began. The wait staff works together so very well it is simply a joy. All four of us had something different and all four were more than pleased with the offerings. Our friends shared the scallop small plate which looked divine. Hubbs and I shared the cured meat plate which was outstanding. Dinner was Ossobuco for me, a featured pork entree with figs for hubbs, scallops/shrimp with the purple potatoes and the filet with crab for our friends. It looked like our friend licked his plate clean, it was that good.
Desserts were the butterscotch bundino, the chocolate cake with graham cracker ice cream and marshmallow cream (combining the flavors was like eating a s'more, and the banana's foster cheesecake. Once again, all delish!
Can't wait to go back...this is one place where I would love to become a regular at. -
Review from Dan R.
Saint Paul, MN
5/4/2011
Last night we went to Acqua to have great food and eat on their patio. Unfortunately, the breeze coming off the lake was just a little too strong/cold! Although we couldn't sit on the patio (they would let us if we wanted to), we still had a great time and excellent food.
This was our second time here and both times we had great food. This time they had a 50% special on all bottles of wine! They always have a tasting menu with three courses for $30. I had the pork shank with sweet potato puree which was excellent. For dessert, we shared the Butterscotch Budino with caramel which was topped with whipped cream and a little sea salt. The sea salt added a little depth to the dessert. Although this was tasty, next time I'm going to try the Warm Chocolate Souffle Cake with Graham Cracker Ice Cream and Marshmallow!
We'll go back to sit on the patio again, but might have to wait until July! -
Review from Kim R.
Updated - 5/4/2011 6 photos
We stopped by Acqua for the second time last night and the food wowed us again! This place just can't go wrong in my book. Everything we've tried here has been top knotch.
I ordered the crab ravioli and it had the best tomato sauce I have ever tasted. I could have just ordered a bowl of the sauce and eaten it with a spoon. It had such a warm, rich flavor. I wish I could replicate it at home. I think I might just dream about that sauce for weeks to come.
For dessert we ordered the butterscotch budino. I was intrigued by this dessert after reading a few Yelp reviews that raved about it. I'm not usually a fan of pudding and like a little more substance to my desserts, like cake or brownies. But this dessert was definitely tasty. It started with a layer of creamy butterscotch pudding that was spiked with rum and was topped with a layer of salted vanilla bean caramel. On top of that was fresh whipped cream and a bit of sea salt. While this was a good dessert, I can't say that I would order it again.
If you like tasting menus, this is the place for you! Every night they have a three course menu for $30, such a great value.Listed in: Best Places for Date Night, Outdoor dining, Best Italian Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2010
On a recent trip to Acqua, we sampled a number of dishes including the Panzanella and Caprese… Read more »
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Review from Natalia C.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
Hands down one of my all time favorite meals was at this charming, little spot! They have everything right . . . the service, wine, ambiance and food is all incredible!
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Review from Frank M.
St Paul, MN
12/2/2010
This was the second time I've been to Acqua, and both times my girl friend and I have had a great experience! We had reservations for dinner and when we arrived we were warmly greeted and asked if they could take our jackets and hang them for us. Our previous visit we sat on the main floor in a room towards the back and right next to a nice fire place. This time we were brought up stairs (which wasn't open our previous visit) into a room with a beautiful view of White Bear Lake. Even though it was winter the view was still nice and I can only imagine how much nicer it'd be in the summer. Once again we were sat next to a fire place. It was very cozy and kept us at a perfect temperature.
We decided to each get the 3 course meal for $30. We were more than pleased our previous visit with this deal so we decided for it again. We also got a nice bottle of white wine which was very good. I highly recommend the chili for your starter. We both got it and thought it was amazing. For my Entrée I went with the Ragu alla Bolgnese (pasta). My girl friend got the Ossobuco di Porco (pork shank). We both shared our food and thought they were each delicious in their own ways. The bolgnese is a ton of food so be prepared to eat a lot. I also thought the mashed potatoes that came with the pork shank were extra amazing. I'm not sure what was different about them, but I suspect there was a lot of butter and possibly honey in them!
For desert I got the apple crisp and she got the Pistachio Semifreddo with Warm Dark Chocolate Ganache. Both were once again very good, but the apple crisp was my favorite. But I do love apple deserts so I am biased.
After being there for 2 hours and enjoying a bottle of wine, a 3 course meal, great service, and great atmosphere, we couldn't have been much happier. The location is very nice being that it over looks White Bear Lake. The restaurant itself is an old house that was nicely renovated with multiple fireplaces and hard wood floors and warmly decorated with lots of candles and chandeliers. Acqua is a bit pricely (our bill was over $100 after tip both occasions) but well worth it for special occasions. -
Review from matt k.
Woodbury, MN
9/21/2009 3 photos
Acqua is run be people with years of experience in fine dining restaurants located in and around Minneapolis and the service and food definitely reflects that. With its fresh ingredients to sea food flown in daily, you can definitely tell that care is put into the unique dishes served.
The items we ordered for our meal were:
Calamari
Caprese Salad
Mussels
Saltimbocca del Pollo
Ossobuco di Porco
Trio of Izzy's Ice Cream
Double Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache and Almond Whipped Cream
All phenomenal. But the Mussels (http://twitpic.com/i85is) were exceptional and the broth they're served in might as well be served as a soup it was so tasty. The chicken breast was moist and flavorful and the risotto done very well. The pork shank fell off the bone - it was all great and a great experience.
We sat outside on the porch overlooking White Bear Lake. This was our view, http://twitpic.com/i801r
Give it a shot. Seriously. You won't be disappointed! -
Review from Mollee F.
7/18/2011
You won't regret making the drive to White Bear Lake for this restaurant. Service is top notch. Setting is both scenic and intimate. And the food is the among the best the metro has to offer (down to the butter). Ragu bolognese is lick-the-bowl good. Great place to impress out-of-town guests with.
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Review from Tiffiny C.
Minneapolis, MN
6/5/2010
My parents took me here in April for dinner, and I was surprised by how great it was. I think this was my best fine dining experience in White Bear Lake to date, and I grew up here.
I started with this tasty blackberry/gin drink. AWESOME drink, strong, and a specialty drink on their menu.
For a starter we shared a flatbread pizza. It was ok. Nothing to write home about, but tasty.
I ordered a salmon roulade with orzo pasta for my entree. Perfectly baked and the orzo was perfectly cooked as well. It could have used a wee more spice, but I like more spice/heat than the average Minnesotan.
My step-dad had the veal ragu pasta dish. That hearty red sauce was divine.
Small, classic, clean space (accessible entrance in back). Service was a bit slow, but it was really good at the same time.
Looking forward to going back this summer to sit on the patio with the view of the lake! -
Review from Jacque U.
5 Stars, 10 Stars if I could! We had the most amazing time Saturday night.
We arrived early for our reservation and had to wait, but we had at least 2 people (neither of whom ended up being our server) offer to get us drinks and look at the menu. We were seated and our server brought us each a glass of champagne when she found out were were celebrating.
We both ordered from the tasting menu (what an amazing deal, the quality far exceeds the price) but we split the duck confit pizza as our starter instead of individual starters.
Pizza was SO good. The combination of flavors with the pear, Gorgonzola, champagne grapes, and the duck blew me away. The duck was slightly crispy and the crust of the pizza was just about perfect. Thin but still doughy,
Mains were the ossobucco di porcco (I think I spelled that right - pork shank) with sweet potato mash for him and the handmade spinach ravioli for me. He was sold on the osso as soon as it was described as braised for 2+ hours with a 2 days sauce. And it was extremely flavorful and delicious. His only complaint was that he wanted more sauce.
I was sure that my ravioli wouldn't hold up to the osso but they definitely held their own. The artichoke hearts with tomatoes and garlic and the lemon sauce was so bright and the flavors exploded in my mouth. Delicious.
Dessert. OMG, dessert. I know I've been raving about the food but dessert was amazing. We had the chocolate souffle cake with graham cracker ice cream which was a 7/10 but the budino... sweet heaven the budino. The salted caramel topping was amazing. It was salted just right to complement the sweetness and the creamy pudding (is it pudding? custard?) underneath, bliss.
I had the accompanying wines with mine and all were good. The riesling at the end wasn't as good as I hoped but both reds were excellent. I should have written down the names, I would absolutely buy them for home.
Amazing food, definitely worth the money, great service, GO NOW. What are you waiting for?Listed in: Saint Paul Side
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Review from Kevin P.
St Paul, MN
3/10/2010
Made it to Acqua tonight, good food and a nice experience.
I chose from the 3-course tasting menu, for the starter they allowed me to substitute a very nice hen-of-the-woods mushroom soup that was a special. The soup was nicely balanced, creamy and tasty.
Then came the Braised Pork Shank with Golden Sweet Potato Puree. The pork was cooked perfectly, tender enough that I was able to pull it apart with my fork. Very good, and a good sized portion.
To finish I had the Peach Cobbler with ice cream and a cup of coffee. A perfect end to my meal.
The waiter was attentive but not obtrusive the service was excellent.
Worth the trip, I'll be going back. -
Review from Davin D.
Woodbury, MN
We've been wanting to go to Acqua since reading about it in January. Definitely wanted to sit dockside, so definitely had to wait until the snow melted. A big birthday came along, so off to Acqua we go.
When you wait so long to go somewhere, you almost kind of set the restaurant up for failure because your expectations are so high. Well, I'm glad to say, Acqua did not disappoint!
We had the three course tasting menu, which was not a tasting menu at all, but rather consisted of full sized portions, and then some. Here's what we had:
Caprese salad - beautifully presented...offset layers of yellow heirlooms and mozzarella on a bed of arugula and basil, drizzled with some balsamic reduction. Flavors were well balanced. My only complaint is that the mozzarella didn't have much flavor...then again, I have never had good mozzarella in the US.
Roasted Beet Salad - another yum salad. Fried goat cheese was tasty and the roasted beets were excellent.
Ossobuco - I moved the bone and the meat fell off. The cut was actually twice as big as I was expecting. Sweet potato puree was intensely flavored. It could have used a touch more sauce.
Roasted Chicken Salmoriglio - perfectly cooked...right at that point where the meat turns from pink to white.
Peach crisp - Very nice peach flavor...Sysco peaches have never tasted so pure. The Izzy's cinnamon ice cream was insanely good, but could have been more frozen.
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake - nicely prepared, perfectly runny in the middle. Again, the ice cream could've been more frozen.
All in all, the food flavors and preparation was spot on. Hats off to the kitchen.
The service was also top-notch. JJ knew his stuff and was attentive without being intrusive.
We brought our own wine and I was pleased to see that they provided the proper Riedel glasses for the varietal.
All in all, probably the best food and dining experience in the Twin Cities. Comparing to all restaurants I ever been to in any city, it would still get 4 stars. -
Review from Jeremy C.
9/7/2010
My wife and I went here for our anniversary. Had been meaning to go for some time and now wish we would have gone sooner. I had a steak that was one of the best I've ever had. Service was great. Love the outdoor patio. Wine selection and drinks were good. Expensive evening meal but very worth it for a special occasion.
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Review from Jennell E.
White Bear Lake, MN
8/11/2010
I thought everything was very good - but none of them were spectacular to me. I would certainly go back though to try other things off the menu as I could have just ordered the wrong things.
Caprese Salad - Best dish of the night - so fresh and yummy!
Calamari - heavily seasoned and had some chewy pieces
Ragu - loved the fresh noodles, sauce was "eh" for me
Peach cobbler - This is strange but did anyone else taste candle wax? You know when you were a kid and you had a ton of candles and some dripped on to the cake? I swear that is how it tasted to me but there were no candles in sight!
Server was EXCELLENT - I was surprised because the staff is very young but super attentive and knowlegeable. -
Review from Dan P.
St Paul, MN
5/12/2011
Outstanding food and service. Their walleye is the best.
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Review from Dedra F.
Saint Paul, MN
8/3/2010
Our first time at Acqua and we will definitely go back! My husband and I both ordered off the tasting menu. I thoroughly enjoyed the roasted beet salad for my starter. For entrees, my hubby had the Roasted Chicken Salmoriglio, which he raved about and it was very aesthetically presented. I enjoyed the hearty portion of Braised Pork Shank with the best sweet potato puree I had ever tasted. Our dessert choices were the Butterscotch Budino and the Pistachio Semifreddo. Butterscotch pudding was a great combination of sweet and salty tastes. Semifreddo with dark chocolate ganache was also great! All of this was enjoyed with a great bottle of Chianti. The service was excellent, very attentive. Waiter knew the menu well, and gave great recommendations. Overall a very pleasant dining experience. Would recommend this little gem with nice views of the marina very highly.
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Review from Martin L.
Wooster, OH
6/21/2010
Such good food, and a great Elderflower Martini.
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Review from Corie B.
St Paul, MN
3/24/2010
Great food, quiet atmos & service! During the summer enjoy outdoors on their patio viewing White Bear Lake. I have been there 3x always very good
