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Category: Scandinavian [Edit]
Neighborhood: Midtown East5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
59th St-Lexington Ave (4, 5, 6, N, R, W)
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Ahh, the food of my people! Yes, not the most sophisticated of palates, but a pleasure nonetheless.
The NFT guidebook I had was a little out of date because I discovered, to my dismay, that when I got to the address in the book, there was no restaurant to be had! But, I called up and, even though it was creeping up on 9:30, I could be seated in the bar and order from the full menu!
Luckily, they hadn't moved that far, and Keir was MOST helpful on the phone, and when I got to the new location, he greeted me by name. I thought that was a stellar touch.
So, I was seated in the bar, near a big table of "Madmen" types (minus the suits and cigarettes) and ordered the prix fixe menu for an exceedingly reasonable price. The herring, normally reserved for Christmas Eve dinner with the in-laws, was delicious! Could have gobbled twice as much as the sampler platter offers. But the Swedish Meatballs were fantastic and not better or worse than what Mom used to make. Just, as good as. Which is fine by me. Also offered were the thinly sliced pickled cucumbers. Was I dreaming that I was 12 years old again, and nothing bad was ever going to happen to me?
The dessert-Arctic Circle. Goat cheese parfait??? What on earth--I LOVED IT. Just the right amount of food. The Swedes are ever so sensible.
All in all, a wonderful evening-the aquapolitan was also delightful! Service was present yet not intrusive. After making my homage to the Paris Theatre, this was a wonderful cap to a great evening. I even got a little tipsy on one cocktail.
Hej hej.
Came here for lunch a couple weeks, and I was a little disappointed. Perhaps it's because I don't like dill or because I have no palette for Scandinavian food. Either way, I was unimpressed.
Atmosphere - the aquavit restaurant was holding a private event, so we went to aquavit cafe. I felt like I was in an ikea store!
Starters :
-Our table shared the smoked salmon. Really good and probably the best thing I had here
-I had the cauliflower soup. There's a reason why most places don't serve this soup. It was so heavy and bland at the same time. The high fat from this dish threw me off for the rest of the meal
Entree:
-I completely regret not going with my initial instinct to get the swedish meatballs. Instead, I got the smorgasbord. If you don't like dill like myself, this is a nightmare. Half of the things on the plate had that stuff on it! I was able to remove some of it, but some dishes had the stuff mixed in too deeply. The dish included a lot of variations on trout, salmon, potato and dill. Of the whole selection, nothing really stood out as good.
The place is great food. The decor is a bit plain Scandinavian starkness. Watch out for the wine list. There are only a few bottles under $100. I'd stick with the aquavit and beer.
My food suggestion:
At the Bar: Caraway aquavit, herring sampler, gravlax and beer.
Aquavit is a classic example of the sadly enduring off-themed vegetarian option; the conspicuous zucchini ravioli slides in at the bottom of the menu, you know, for "those people." But while so often the vegetarian option is merely an acceptable entree for "us" while our "normal" friends enjoy the cognitive arts of chefs, this ravioli dish is remarkably ballsy. The sweetness of the zucchini is fostered and explored in two forms - the delicate buttery stuffed pasta and the ribbons of flesh mingled with coconut and pine nuts with the aromatic dill pesto permeating all but not overwhelming the pallet http://www.yelp.com/bi... Unfortunately the fragile poise of this dish is not met every night; on my last visit the dish fell heavy before me, the zucchini excessively sauteed and the pasta overly salted http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The first course menu offers me next to nothing; my meager salad http://www.yelp.com/us... paled in comparison to the bountiful Herring Sampler http://www.yelp.com/us...
Dessert is a laudable course at Aquavit, the star of which is the highly regarded Arctic Circle, a tubular goat cheese parfait filled with passion fruit curd and topped with a thin crisp cradling the velvety blueberry sorbet http://www.yelp.com/us... But personally I dig the Chocolate Mousse, the light gianduja mousse sits proudly on a delicate wafer with an island of peanut powder and grape sorbet http://www.yelp.com/us...
The bright semi-causal cafe offers a slightly lower priced menu and matched service http://www.yelp.com/bi... while the Dining Room's formal setting and ample attendants ensure an exceptional experience http://www.yelp.com/bi... For example, in the cafe you are given bread with chilled dilled butter, but in the dining room you choose your bread http://www.yelp.com/us... The dining room also offered us an amuse-bouche between each course - the first of which was a petite spoon of tuna which I did not eat. So when the second one came out, without request, the waiter convivially offered me an alternative small dish of ambrosial tomato salad. I am smitten!
I just had the Restaurant week dinner here last night.
Read some reviews from other websites before i came here and it was pretty dead on.
First time hving swedish food...besides ikea..that doesnt count haha..did it tickle my tastebuds? the appetizer and dessert did. the entree however.. was very disappointing .
for appetizers,i listened to yelpers advice and went for the herring plate. i LOVED IT ..highly recommended ! Friend got the chilled corn soup..she thought it was so-so.
the entrees were so anticlimatic ! my friend went for the salmon which was promising but my swedish meatalls. not so cool..in fact...so sad but i have to say i've sometimes had better swedish meatballs at ikea.
Our dinner was around 9pm but the meatballs were dry and tasted like it has been sitting in the kitchen for the whole night...
Dessert was amazing though....for RW... u get to choose between Arctic circle and the chocolate mousse... i vote for the arctic circle..the goat cheest parfait tasted like nothing i've ever had and the passionfuirt filling in the center wil surprise you. Chocolate mousse was above standard.
Verdict? I loved the decor, atmosphere and service here. kind of like gotham bar and grill but with less people. Good experience for RW but probably won't come back regularly for dinner. The bar/lounge area however, is very nice....a drink wouldn't hurt :D
I ate in the Cafe last night - which had a nice atmosphere - our waitress was very nice throughout the night ..
I had the watermelon margarita - which is made with house-infused tequila and well of course watermelons - it was DELICIOUS!!! by far one of the best drinks i have had in new york - perhaps ever.. it tasted better than biting down into a juicy fresh watermelon.
We also had the Herring sampler appetizer - AMAZING! i was very pleased that my fellow yelpers steered me in the right direction..
with our entrees, we had the Swedish Meatballs and the Beef Reyding.. it was .. alright at best.. the food was good - but definitely not as great as expected.
I think the next time I come - I will head straight for the bar for a drink and the herring.. and then move on to another location for entrees.
Restaurant Week(s) Summer 2009
The herring starter was delicious, full-flavored with a lasting impression on the palate. The cheese and potatoes in the center of the plate did not add, but thankfully, nor did it detract from the rest of the dish.
The salmon was perfectly cooked and coaxed into such a state that it would melt tenderly as it hit your tongue. Having said that, it was not an exceptional piece of salmon that stood head and shoulders above every other piece of salmon I've ever had, nor was it an exceptionally composed dish that demonstrated any revolutionary feats of cookery. But it was certainly delicious, paid due service to the product at hand, and I enjoyed it.
I read one previous review describing how horrible the Swedish meatballs were. One of my friends ordered the meatball entree, and I have to say that she probably got lucky (or the other reviewer was very unlucky). The meatballs I tried were savory, juicy, and absolutely fulsome in flavor. They were certainly better than the ones you get at IKEA. But given other negative reviews about the meatballs, then perhaps overall consistency in execution is a problem. In contrast, everyone at our table who ordered the salmon received a dish of the same, superb quality, and other reviewers seem to be consistently happy with the salmon as well.
The arctic circle dessert was the real highlight of the meal for me. The blueberry sorbet was marvelously intense in flavor and served as a perfect counterpoint to the rich creaminess of the goat cheese parfait and passionfruit curd. No one even thought twice about whether or not they were missing out by not ordering the... ummm... you know... what was that other dessert again?
I've read a few posts about concerns regarding "worse service" for customers during Restaurant Week, so I was a bit guarded when I arrived. But needless to say, our waiter was attentive and polite, and without any air of haughtiness.
PS - we each received a coupon for $24.07 off our next meal at Aquavit (to be redeemed before October 1st). Considering that the summer tasting menu is $55, this would mean that a repeat visit could garner more dishes for less than the $35 we paid for our 3 course Restaurant Week meal!
Aquavit literally means "water of life", so you can understand when I say their cocktails and "aquavit" is good, although pricey for a small pony glass. It's not meant to be done as a shot, but sipped slow and enjoyed, however people have been known to chug.
Anyway, I went there during the crayfish event, which happens every Tuesday in August and lovingly gorged on their crayfish buffet which, of course, included herring (done very well, might I add), cured salmon, and crayfish sides. It was a wonderful assortment.
But all non-crayfish aside, Aquavit's offerings are wonderful and their service is on the money. By the way, they do have a dress code, and reservations and strongly suggested.
They do offer a special pre fixed menu available during restaurant week, which is a great time to stop by. This place does look like something out of a high end IKEA commercial, but then again it's Scandinavian cuisine, so it kind of comes with the territory.
Let me preface by disclaiming that I'm a huge seafood fan, and have had some of the best in the world from CA to Tokyo.... and I've had a hard time finding great (not just good) seafood in NYC.
So, came here for Restaurant Wk..
The Herring sampler appetizer was awesome; some of the best tasting fish I've had in NYC; though I think the cheese/potatoes are better had separately from the fish.
For my entree, I had the seared salmon... again one of the best fish dishes I've had in a long time.
The Scandinavian touch was a good change in the style of seafood that I've never had before, and the popcorn appetizer (though awkward to have in such a classy setting) was a pleasant surprise too.
Also had the Coconut Espresso aquavit; nothing really special here, just an overpriced, shot-sized martini.
The -1 star is for the fact that it can feel a bit stuffy, and our waiter (and hostesses) were a bit haughty.. so definitely not a regular place, but all in all, a great restaurant and would definitely come back again. And keep in mind, it can be pricey, but again, great place for those once-in-a-while occasions.
I am another Restaurant Week customer for Aquavit. Like the last reviewer, I also went for the Herring Plate (absolutely fantastic unless you count a few distinctly "herringish" burps later on in the evening, sorry for the gross-out) and then for the Meatball entree, which unlike others I will have to say was pretty fantastic. I come from a family of swedish heritage and these meatballs were the closest any of us present had tasted to our traditional family recipe, which we enjoy every christmas. Also, their Arctic Circle dessert was rich and delicious.
More pluses I will add that I haven't seen here:
Portions for all the dishes were satisfying without being overpoweringly large. We also had the salmon dish and the chicken from the RW menu at our table and all were sumptuously sized but not supersized. Quite a bit of bang for the buck, if you're counting (which I am).
Also, complimentary appetizers of a selection of breads and a dish of surprisingly savory seasoned popcorn were quite delicious.
Cocktails before the meal were outrageous. I had just my standard Blue Point beer (pretty reasonably priced at $6 for a restaurant in this price range) but others had an Aquavit salted greyhound which was divine, and another option from the champagne cocktails which was quite sweet and fruity, if that's your trip. I should also mention the mini RW wine list (two whites and two reds) is extremely reasonable at $35 a bottle -- that was an unexpected delight. We got a cote-du-rhone varietal which was new to all of us, but which went incredibly well with my choices of herring and meatballs.
Decor and ambience at this place is unique and very pleasing on the eye -- nice low lighting in the dining room, wonderful choices in everything from cutlery to furniture.
Lastly, the SERVICE at Aquavit is, in my limited experience, outstanding. There wasn't a moment in the entire evening we didn't feel attended to. I felt we were extremely well taken care of, but at the same time I don't think it was special treatment -- I think that is simply the standard here, even though restaurant week is doubtless one of the busiest times of the year.
All in all, I feel like I made a great choice for restaurant week! And now I have a place in my little mental list of places to revisit, time and money allowing, which is pretty near the top.
Its super dark in here. With that said, blinding people by taking pictures is not a good idea. I came here for restaurant week, and damn it was dark in there!
The chilled beet soup, is just that, cold, from the fridge, the smoked salmon was ok. the soup overall was ok. The herring plate is pretty good considering you enjoy herring and cheese.
Main dish time! My god, their swedish meatballs were horrid! they were dry and the ones at ikea were better! I have no idea what was going on there! But the salmon, my god the salmon was amazing! Cooked to perfection, tender, flavorful, god they know their fish. And if you like fish, definitely order this!
Dessert was pretty amazing, who thought goat cheese parfait would be so tasty? Called Arctic Circle its so damn good! Aside from the fact that you're gonna bang on your plate when you try to take some off your spoon from the top of the dessert. Just try to be discreet, knock that sucker over and devour it! The chocolate mousse was too sweet for me, but the sorbet was refreshing.
I like how they only gave you one piece of bread instead of a basket. And the popcorn they gave you was kinda cute. Its still popcorn afterall, they try to class it up by saying they put some dill or cheese on it, but its still popcorn!
Went here on a business lunch and had a great time. The service was really great. Our waiter was super friendly and answered all of our questions (and we had a lot--there were 8 of us at the table) amiably and in detail.
The design of the restaurant is very impressive. You enter into a long hallway (great-room, rather) that has the bar and a sitting area (where, I also noticed, you can have lunch) and the dining rooms branch off from the hall. It feels very Scandinavian--all neutral tones and clean design lines.
The food was really good. Scandinavian isn't my favorite cuisine but I had an excellent meal. I ordered the Smörgsbord, which is a sampler of 10 different bites. Herring, salmon, meat, and an oyster were all part of the plate. It was good and I am glad I got to try so many things. However, what was really excellent was the Lobster Roll appetizer. It's not a traditional "roll" as you'd expect. Rather, the lobster is wrapped to look like an thin egg-roll--i think they use some variation of crepe for the roll(?). It is topped with Roe and is also served with shrimp to the side. And, it came with ginger aquavit, which was a big plus!
Also, the lemonade was pretty good. I don't like it too sweet, and this lemonade was just the right amount of tartness.
For desert I had a scoop of salted carmel ice-cream (it was good, but nothing to rave about) and an excellent double espresso. They know their coffee.
I'm glad I went here; it's a great alternative to the gazillion Italian and steak restaurants in midtown.
Pros:
Design, ambiance
Good lemonade and coffee
Excellently prepared food
Cons (and this is really nitpicky):
It's Scandinavian food, so you better like your salmon and herring and Swedish meatballs
Came here for a business lunch. That had extended their restaurant week menu so we all ordered apps, main, and dessert without breaking the bank. Food and service were both excellent. Fish was cooked to perfection and their chocolate dessert was not too sweet just perfect! The atmosphere is great too if you wanted to take out of town guests here also.
Fantastic. The service was amazing, the food delicious.
Ate in the Dining Room for Restaurant Week.
Had three of the Aquavits( which are housemade flavored vodkas) to start ($17). Lingonberry, Lychee, and Orange blossom.
All were good, the Lingonberry was my favorite.
Did the restaurant week menu ($35).
Started with the Herring Plate which was delicious. The cheese and potatoes to go with it really complemented the fish well. Yummy.
Complimentary Popcorn was a nice touch. A good way to cleanse the palate in between courses. Bread was yummy too.
Main Course was the Swedish Meatballs. I had to do it. I went to sweden in the fall and had them their as well and these were just as good. The mash potatoes were amazing.
Desert was the Arctic Circle which is one of the strangest if not amazing desert ever. I don't really know what was in it, except that involved, goat cheese, raspberry, and had a cheesecake like consistency. Really yummy though.
My bf had the Salmon which the piece I tried melted in my mouth. Really cooked to perfection. For appetizer and dessert he had the same thing I had.
The last thing to note here is the service which is outstanding. My boyfriend ordered a beer, and after he poured half of it in his glass, the waiter offered to keep the remainder of it cold while he drank the first half! Really beautiful restaurant and a place I would go back to in a heartbeat.
Very good restaurant, and being a Scandinavian-American, I have to say I feel that it manages to stay very authentic as well. The wine menu is great, but if you want to keep it authentic, go with the beer and aquavit, it's how we like it up north.
Other reviews have called it plain, as I can tell, well there is truth to that, but again this is really just what you'd get in Scandinavia, so all true to form. I doubt anyone would leave this place complaining about the food, but you really need to end the night with an Arctic Circle. Absolutely amazing.
I had dinner here, and it was a very beautiful restaurant with candles everywhere. The staff was super friendly and helpful. I had a watermelon margarita that tastes just like a real watermelon (it's probably because there wasn't a lot of alcohol in their cocktails).
The important part:
The food however deserves 2-2.5 stars. I tried the Swedish Meatballs and Beef Rydberg. The meatballs were very plain and the beef consisted of flavorless cubes of meat. The herring sampler appetizer (I chose curry, vodka lime, and pickled) was good, but not much better than what you would find at a Jewish deli. My rating is this low because what I ordered were hearty dishes that belong in a hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop joint or grandma's kitchen. For such an elegant restaurant as Aquavit, I expected some creativity in their dishes.
I ordered from the restaurant week menu. I was very disappointed with the entree and dessert. I got the Swedish meatballs and I must say the ones I order from ikea are much better. The other choices were the salmon and chicken. Not exciting at all. I understand prices are lower for prefixed menus during restaurant week, but I would not recommend the food here. Atleast differentiate from the IKEA meatballs. The only difference was that Aquavit gave me less sauce and the meat was very dry.
Aside from the bad meatball dish review, I would recommend this restaurant for a date or business dinner as the atmosphere is great. The seating allows privacy and it is not noisy.
Two words: ARCTIC CIRCLE.
Best dessert I've ever had.
LINGONBERRY LOVIN'
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Aquavit.
DECOR:
The design is very Scandinavian and is stylish, modern, accessible, and efficient. It's like a more refined Ikea sans the stressed-out couples ready to kill each other over a disagreement on what color their Poang or Klippan should be.
SERVICE:
Excellent. My server made great recommendations and refilled my drink without having to ask me what I was having. She simply asked if I wanted another and then checked to see what I ordered on my bar tab. A little touch that would go unnoticed by many, but I appreciated the level of thoughtfulness.
FOOD:
Wonderful. Right of the bat, I loved that the crusty crouton came with a light, airy salmon mousse instead of butter. I could eat a tub of the stuff if left to my own devices. I then moved on to the herring sampler and selected the pickled, curry, and matjes varieties based on my server's recommendations. It was my first experience with herring and I found it absolutely delicious; not fishy at all.
There were about 10 entrees that I wanted to try, but I opted for the classic Swedish meatballs for a very reasonable $19. Wow. This dish was fantastic. Imagine perfectly cooked meatballs in a light cream sauce resting on a bed of buttery mashed potatoes, accompanied by thinly-sliced pickled cucumbers, and plump lingonberries for tartness and acidity. Those lingonberries really made the dish pop and I left wondering if I could ever go back to the lowly cranberry.
All in all, it was a fantastic meal and I can't wait to go back.
Came here for Summer Restaurant Week 2009:
Appetizer -- Herring plate: really an acquired taste. Even the waitress agreed that it's one of those dishes that you either love it or you don't. The different flavors were really amazing, but herring is just too fishy for me.
Entree -- Swedish meatballs: tasty, although a bit dry. Not what I expected however...totally didn't amaze me. I tried a piece of the salmon and that was very tender.
Dessert -- Chocolate mousse: very creamy, with a hint of hazelnut. Got a little too sweet after a couple of bites, but very yummy.
Really clean, simple decor. The high ceilings and dim lighting really make the place feel very modern and chic.
YUM!
I had the restaurant week menu here....it was sooooo good!
loved the meat balls, tasty and great mash!
loved the arctic circle dessert, a goat cheese cheese cake/ ice cream consistency dessert with passion fruit in the center....loved it !
The waitress was super nice and the service superb.
worth the trip!
Tried the 3course RW menu. Party of 4 on a rainy Thursday night. We had reservations.
The Herring sampler was fine. Easily the best thing of the night, but not worth a trip back.
The salmon was the same as any other salmon. I suppose that by choosing RW to visit Aquavit Cafe, i became a beggar and not a chooser.
The meatballs were plain, as though a fifth-grader had pounded some meat together and forgotten seasonings. To be fair, they WERE balls - not squares or anything.
The arctic circle was quite good, but again, it was just goat cheese made into cheesecake with a touch of sweet.
The worst and most disappointing piece of the affair was that the staff let down the magic curtain, the 4th wall - I was not dining in a place that tried to welcome me, I was sitting in a diner with a waitress who was happy to bring me any of the dishes she didn't understand either.
We were surrounded by people in jeans.
We were the last to leave. We received coupons for $24 off our next visit, if it should fall within August. We left them on the table.
So I came here with a group of good friends for restaurant week. Someone threw out Scandinavian and this was one out of 2 choices under that type of food. LOVED it.
It's kindof humble lookin on the outside (I freakin missed the place by a block). We sat down and stuck to the restaurant week menu! For my app, I got a chilled corn soup. I was...confused when I tasted it (so was my other corn soup companion). It wasn't corny. I was so confused because I could not point out what flavor it was. There was also some smoked salmon in the middle of the bowl of soup. I still don't know if I liked it or not but I finished it. Others got the herring sampler and it seemed like the best deal for your tastebuds. Everyone loved it.
For the entree I got the salmon. It just melts in your mouth!! Whee! And the skin was fried/crunchy, I cleaned that plate off, too. Some of my other friends got the Swedish meatballs and chicken. Meatball friend basically said Ikea can do better. The meatballs were too hard. And the chicken was just chicken, lol. I'm glad I picked my fish.
Most of us chose the Artic circle for dessert! It was goat cheese with curd filling, and a passionfruit football looking thingy on the top. With a small triangular wafer. I gotta say the "passionfruit" tastes exactly like "san ja", for those of you who speak Cantonese. The English name is haw. Don't ask me, I didn't name it.
This was a very filling meal. And let's not forget the popcorn they brought out before the apps, too! I love restaurant week.
I went here for dinner in the Dining room during winter restaurant week, but ended up ordering the Full tasting menu. Overall the food was pretty good, but lacked that "wow" factor I was hoping for. The decor is clean and the wait staff was attentive.
Perhaps the most memorable part of the experience was watching a young Asian couple that sat a few tables away take several flash-photos of each plate that was served on their tasting menu. It was pretty hard not to laugh at the guy who was sitting closest to them as he was visibly annoyed while trying to carry on a smooth conversation with his date. The couple taking pictures were acting as if each dish was a little puppy. I'm surprised there's not more photos on Aquavit's Yelp profile!
Marcus works his magic (though nowadays he's not in the kitchen personally all that much - but when I went here in 2001 & 2002 he WAS! You can have a light (read: less pricey) meal in the cafe section or go whole-gravlax in the main airy, beautiful dining room.
Be sure to try the namesake Aquavit - Scandanavian jet-fuel.
Remember in Scooby Doo, there was always Red Herring, who they blamed every crime on? Well... Herring definitely doesn't do justice here.
Only being in New York for one Sunday, I decided that Aquavit would be the brunch buffet I dive into as it's not one of the more casual ones, but it's not as pricey as some high end hotel ones. $48 still wasn't a very good price... at least for what they offered. Decor is very clean cut and modern. Good. Sunday brunch buffet? Meh. I've experienced better.
To start off, the complimentary bloody mary was overly heavy on the horseradish, and this made it practically undrinkable. Other people ordering it requested more tomato juice after taking their initial sip...
After taking a few sips of the unbearably spicy beverage, we were onto the buffet.
Obviously they place their famous herrings on the front end. Mediocre they looked, and mediocre they were... With many variations they all tasted pretty much the same. Curry herring, herb herring, tomato herring... all very herring-like... with some extra flavors. Sweeter herring preparations were better here.
Cold cut meats were as ordinary as could be, with roast beef and ham all tasting like they came straight out of the grocery store. They didn't even offer some nice cured meats. The one cheese they had was not bad, though. In redemption, both hot and cold smoked salmons were mighty delicious. With creme fraiche and a sweet brown mustard, the salmons were awesome. Tomato, mushroom, and beet salads were all extremely boring, without any twist.
Hot foods: Brisket, Swedish meatballs, and this cream potato casserole thing. All were ok at best. Meatballs were tasty, but dry. Brisket the same. My favorite thing here was definitely the potato strips.
Desserts: Pretty run-of-the-mill. A fly was in the rice pudding though. One redeeming aspect was the extremely fresh raspberries. I ate about an entire plate of just their raspberries.
So in short, good service, good sampling, good atmosphere, not so good brunch. Overpriced and bland.
Oh my...that was...superb. (Be warned that I am prepared to gush throughout this review)
The general ambience was clean, fresh and simple. I much preferred the light and airy Cafe to the darker but more elegant Dining Room. Service was prompt and polite. Our waitress was especially nice.
Aquavit was my first foray into Swedish cuisine (Swedish meatballs out of the Betty Crocker cook book do not count) and quite frankly I was overwhelmed with delight. I generally complain about fish that tastes too "fishy," but in this case I would say that the herring plate was in fact "fabulously fishy." The plate consisted of several "bites" of fish. Each was prepared in a slightly different way and I enjoyed every one of them. The Swedish meatballs were moist and succulent and the lingonberries and mashed potatoes made you feel as if you were eating a 5-star version of your favorite home cooked meal. The dessert was tantalizingly good. Goat cheese parfait with blueberry sorbet, "Wonderful!" But when my fork discovered the passion fruit curd in the center my happiness was beyond belief! I walked back to the subway with little sighs of satisfaction after each block and every few minutes I would say to my friend, "Wow that was really good."
My salad was fine and my dessert (the Arctic Circle) was excellent, but my entree really didn't live up to expectations. I ordered the only vegetarian entree: the zucchini ravioli. The flavors and textures were muddled; the zucchini was nothing special; and the portion was way too small. I ended up feeling jealous of my friend's big dish of Swedish meatballs!
Aquavit was the perfect restaurant for dinner on that idyllic spring evening two years ago after I'd spent the day wandering along the avenues of Manhattan enjoying the unexpected beauty of nature in the city. As my Norwegian then-boyfriend, K., and I walked through the stylish bar and lounge on the way to the dining room, he said with approval, "This is very Scandinavian," noting Danish designer Arne Jacobsen's egg chairs and swan sofas. But even to my American eye, Aquavit had clearly been planned to exemplify the sexy, spare, nature-inspired aesthetic that is the hallmark of contemporary Scandinavian design. Inside the dining room an earth-toned palette and pale woods were complemented by black leather chairs and elegantly simple flowering branches in lieu of more formal, fussy floral arrangements.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who has distinguished himself by creating a new Scandinavian cuisine, offers the best traditions of Swedish food with modern seasonal preparations in his tasting menus at Aquavit, which ranks among the elite restaurants in New York. K., a fan of herring, chose the sampler appetizer. Not wanting to miss out on the full Scandinavian experience, I tried some of his pickled herring, which was served with a glass of Carslberg beer and the requisite shot of the restaurant's own aquavit. The eponymous spirit, classically emboldened by juniper berries and herbs, was a bit medicinal for my taste, but as it warmed my body it was easy for me to imagine how those long, dark, Nordic winter nights could be passed quite pleasantly with a bottle of aquavit and the company of a handsome Viking.
While my mind was still occupied with that fantasy, I continued my day's ode to spring by tasting the nettle soup, which was the very embodiment of the season with its beautifully vibrant green color bathing a perfectly poached egg. The soup's fresh and delicately earthy flavors coaxed me back from my fantasy and prepared my palate for my brioche-encrusted salmon entree with port wine sauce. The fish, moist under the delicate crust, was accompanied by a mosaic of spring vegetables and small cubes of beef cheeks that had been dried and then rehydrated, as a nod to an old Scandinavian method of preserving meat. The beef was amazingly tender to the bite, but even more surprising was the richly intense flavor concentrated in the tiny cubes.
As I was savoring my salmon and K. his seared tuna and scallop entree, I noticed the group at the table next to us had ordered a variety of desserts, but one was presented with particular flourish and announced as the "Arctic Circle." The state of the world being what it is these days, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy the Arctic Circle before it disappears and so ordered our very own. The goat-cheese parfait iceberg, served in a sea of refreshing sorbet and passionfruit sauce, didn't have a chance to melt away since we found it the perfect end to our meal.
Yet, courtesy of the chef, there was more to come--in the form of a small cardboard box that the waiter placed on our table. When I lifted the lid the scent of ginger rose from an assortment of mini cookies. I have never been fond of ginger cookies, but since these were Aquavit gingersnaps and a traditional Scandinavian favorite, I tried one. The bite-sized cookie, crisp on the outside yet tender inside, was delicious and sang with notes of fresh ginger, and I was converted on the spot. K. graciously allowed me to have all of the gingersnaps and I savored every one, grateful to him and to Marcus Samuelsson for my chic introduction to a sophisticated new Scandinavian cuisine
This is for the main dining room dinner setting.
I went to Aquavit twice. Both times ordered Chef tasting menus including a special valentine menu for the second time I ate there.
I love the long hall way with a contemporary wood/loft feeling. There is a rest/waiting area and and the end of the hall is a long sleek bar. It's not a busy bar but I enjoyed it while I waited for my friend. The drinks are decent, you will need to try Aquavit (obviously haha)
The main dinning room's decor resembles a relaxed hotel/cafe setting. There is a great group/long table in the entrance followed by a main dining area and some booths along the wall. Colors are simple and nothing too busy.
Crowd is usually pretty typical midtown (business men and some young professionals) It's def. not a place you go to see the crowd.
The food was fantastic. I loved the fact that when I ordered a tasting with my friend each course for us was different, so it was essentially tasting 18 different dishes between the two of us. There were about 9 courses. The first couple ones are small portions, nicely presented with the right amount of sauce for every bite. I loved their herring and lobster roll. The arctic char was great as well. Dessert was very nice with multiple flavors of sorbet etc.
I had a great time there and I think the food is not the typical American, Asian Fusion, Italian or French. It's a special restaurant and a great option for people who want something different.
I came here for someone's birthday party, and the birthday girl paid for everyone, so I can't complain about the steep prices. What I can complain about is the food. Want a dime-size squirt of herring foam in the center of a giant plate? Then, this is the place for you.
I have been meaning to get onto Yelp and write a review on Aquavit for a long time now. I've been to the Scandinavian/Swedish restaurant four times now and heading there again very soon. Every time I go there I am excited to order the potato leek soup. I can never get enough. It is amazing! A must have. I am a Swedish traditionalist - I love Swedish meatballs. The sauce is perfect for my tastes and the texture of the meatballs are the kind that melt in your mouth! The meatball plate comes with lingonberries and mashed potatoes, and they make the dish even more fantastic. The pickled cucumber salad is delicious and I always ask for more. Once I asked to have some of the dill butter to take home. Dessert was yummy as well. The "pick three" sorbet's were a perfect way to end the dinner.
Oh, and this is where I fell in love with Danish designer Erik Bagger. The silverware is called "harmony" if anyone is wondering. =)
My dining group ventured to the celebrated Scandinavian culinary tradition in NYC for their Restaurant Week menu. Absolutely delightful was the Herring Sampler with Västerbotten cheese and potatoes, essentially exquisite Scandinavian sushi. The generous-sized Braised Beef Cheeks with mashed potato, watercress, and peppercorn sauce brought smiles all around, but was not the meal's star. Most memorable was the Artic Circle of goat cheese parfait, blueberry sorbet, and passionfruit curd. This is absolutely the best dessert I've had in NYC! On a disappointing note, Chef Marcus Samuelsson did not make an appearance at my table despite my polite requests to the reservationist, hostess, and server much to the chagrin of my Swedish-speaking colleague. Still we left with a smile on our face and a spring in our step from the fabulous meal by the Aquavit crew.
$$$$
I got reservations for here because it was doing Restaurant Week and why not choose the best.
For dress code, they don't allow sneakers and I think slacks are suggested.
The service is impeccable and it's the best I've experienced. You get a choice of bread with dill butter. The Scandinavian crunchy one is worth a try.
Before appetizers, we were offerred two amuse-bouches. One was a small piece of tuna with a fruit salad. The fish just melts in your mouth. The other was a salmon tartar with caviar.
For appetizers, I ordered the herring plate. It comes with a fantastic cheese that I'm still dying to find out the name of. The herring is prepared in four different ways. I love variety. Don't get turned off because it's herring. It's worth the try, be adventurous.
For the main course, I ordered the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam and potato mash. I've only had Swedish meatballs out of a microwable Smart Ones, so this was a great change. Dare I say better than Italian meatballs and the jam complemented the heavy saltiness very well. The mash was smooth and perfect.
I also got the try the seared salmon and it was unbelievable.
For dessert, the Arctic Circle is extravagant and the sorbet with it is the best I've ever had. I'm not a huge sweets person, but my girlfriend loved the mousse.
Such an fantastic deal for Restaurant Week. Definitely somewhere worth to go even without that. The best restaurant I've been to yet.
This review is for the lunch set.
Absolutely underwhelmed.
Herring sampler was overly salty. I couldn't even finish eating it.
Pork loin entree was dry. Enough said.
Princess cake dessert was...well, pretty mediocre.
Service was also amiss. I was promised more water "shortly" and it only came 10 mins later when I waved someone down.
Sigh.
Marcus Samuelsson joint. We came for Restaurant Week and were fascinated by the idea of an upcale, swedish restaurant. I have never had that cuisine.
You have to gauge your expectations for most RW menus. This is in particular evidence at the more trendy/popular restaurants. The portions are usually small and the offerings not overly imaginative. For the most part, Aquavit follows this trend but manages to be a little more. For starters I made the mistake of getting the salad- don't do that. My gf and brother got the herring plate. You have to like the taste of herring if you get this dish. The fish was top quality but herring just tastes too fishy for me. For the second course, we each had one of the mains on offer. Salmon is very good- well cooked and I would like to have had more....Swedish meatballs also were very tasty. My gf liked the combination of potatoes and lingonberry (sp?) in the sauce. Don't get the chicken- too boring.
Desert was chocolate mousse. Not many chefs will screw this up but few make it interesting. Marcus makes a nice mousse on a thin, waferlike material. Gf reports that the arctic circle was fantastic- very refreshing. A papaya geletin/custard center is surrounded by some thick sorbet-like material. Either one will do for desert.
From the flavors I got in this little sampling- I'm not sure food of the Swedish persuasion is for me. Everything was good but....somethings missing.
Wandered in for lunch one day while touring the city. The main dining room was full so we ate in the cafe. The space looked a bit worn. There were stains on the carpet and the upholstery but to make up for it, it was the herring festival. They had the smorgasbord set up in the cafe and it was herring 50 different ways (or so it seemed).
My son, not being a fan of herring, went with the steak frites. My wife and I tried to sample every variety and iteration of herring they were serving. I think we succeeded, twice. The herring was great the Carlsbergs were cold and our son thought the steak was one of the best that he has had. Our meal was a success.
The herring is where it's at, certainly on par with what I've tasted in Holland and Iceland. We had one server who was a little impatient and overeager to get our orders but other than that service was fine. One looked like he had stepped right off the Mad Men set so that certainly improved my dining experience, as did the raspberry aquavit cocktail I had to sip on. The salmon was a nice cut, rather large actually, but the roasted fennel and tomatoes were tastier to me. As a pescetarian I can't attest to the quality of the famous meatballs. The arctic circle dessert was too much, but in a good way. I only wish there had been less goat cheese, more passionfruit curd. YUM. I plan on returning to the cafe for herring and aquavit when I can.
I ate here a few weeks ago. The food was great! It was avant-garde yet delicious and beautifully presented. The portions were a little small, but the combinations of flavors were so unusual (in a good way) and complex, I was sort of glad, as I ate my dishes rather slowly to savor as many facets of them as possible. I can't remember what my appetizer was, but my main course was a wild mushroom salad atop a bed of goat chees. Yummy!
The service was pretty great too. I'm vegetarian, and I felt like the waiter was really cool about recommending the best veg dishes and just generally making me feel like I wasn't burdening anyone by having some dishes cooked without meat, etc.
Highly recommend this place.
The food here is delightful.
I was blown away by my Foie Gras Ganache (kumquat and asian pear chutney, pastrami-spiced duck) appetizer - highly recommended. For my Rare Tuna and Scallops (mushrooms, mustard sauce) entree, the tuna seemed out of place with everything else on the plate. Cranberry walnut bread was a pleasure.
The desserts were delicious. In order of preference, I rank the Arctic Circle (goat cheese parfait, passionfruit curd, blueberry sorbet) first, Cranberry Bread Pudding second, then the Chocolate Custard Cake (caramelized banana, cashew ice cream) last.
The service was nice and friendly without being overbearing.
The dining room decor is modern, clean, nicely lit, and quiet. High ceilings and fresh plants around.
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: French
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Category: Asian Fusion
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Neighborhood: Upper East Side
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