Stephanie T.
Yelp
Are you looking for a dining experience that has excellent food and a great atmosphere? Don't look any further! Aguardente is a GREAT place for date night or groups to get together.
I would recommend to always make a reservation ahead of time! I've been here twice and thankfully always had a reservation. I've seen groups of people get turned away because the restaurant was fully booked. It is very easy to use Resy for reservations. There are different tables you can choose and they are explained on Resy - the bar, indoor table, indoor nook, loft, patio nook, or patio table. Bar has tall seats at an oversized bar; Indoor Table has traditional dining table with one bench seat and one chair seat; Indoor Nook has comfy lounge chairs with side tables and a small coffee table; Loft has cozy lounge chairs and couch with side and coffee tables; Patio Nook has large outdoor seats and side tables surrounded by foliage; and Patio Table has traditional dining table and chairs under glowing pergola. Both times I've reserved the indoor table.
For drinks, I have tried the Hibisco-rita-Hibiscus tea margarita with Aguardente and a sugared rim and the Sintra Sangria Summer White which has Aguardente, Ginja, muddled pineapple, orange and lime. Both were very good.
For tapas, I've ordered a couple of different items and everything is delicious. The tapas that make me wanting more is the Aguacate Relleno, the Pasteis de Bacalhau, and the Plato de Huitlacoche. You must get the Aguacate Relleno which is Avocado with pan fried chorizo and melted Oaxaca cheese topped with arugula and cilantro crema. Everything about this dish is delicious and AMAZING! The avocado is fresh and holds all the other components. The Pasteis de Bacalhau is Codfish Fritter served with creamy cilantro. Every bite of the fritter and the cilantro sauce is flavorsome. The Plato de Huitlacoche is a mix of different mushrooms. This dish is really good and a nice green to balance the other flavors.
Other dishes I've had is the Seafood Paella - A Portuguese take on paella with little necks, shrimp, mussels, squid, and paprika; Almondegas - Traditional Spanish Meatballs with chouriço, sautéed in garlic and onions; Prosciutto - Served with crostini, roasted red peppers marinated in smoked paprika, garlic and olive oil & a taste of Quesijaria De S. Romao Seia cheese; Grilled Chouriço, Alheira & Morcela - Three different traditional Portuguese grilled sausages: meat sausage, bread sausage, and blood sausage. This is a great dish to try the different types of grilled sausages if you have never tried it before. It is not dry and flavored really well.
For desserts, I've had their Tres Leches Cake and Pastel de Nata. The Tres Leches Cake is authentically prepared, moist cake with hints of vanilla, topped with a hibiscus drizzle. The Pastel de Nata is a traditional crispy pastry filled with custard, served warm. Both of these were very good.
Aguardente opened its doors near the end of 2021 and I hope it'll be here for a long time. Service is always wonderful. You will not be hungry after. I am looking forward to the next time I can come visit.