Aqua is an elegant waterfront steakhouse where high-end seafood meets stylish décor, complete with live piano music and stunning views of Puget Sound.
"Ah, Aqua. A classy Frasier-ish venue with patterned carpeting, wedding cocktail hour-style poke (prepared tableside!), and an in-house pianist. It’s a fine choice, though nothing will blow you out of your seat—and we’re not just saying that because they use constricting dining room chairs. Keep it in mind if you’re getting comped “a nice seafood meal” by a coworker who has a "C" as the first letter of their title and your eyeballs become flashing cartoon dollar signs. For that—or for some waterside drinks outside—Aqua is a decent power play." - aimee rizzo, gabe guarente, kayla sager riley
"When you’re asked to choose “a nice seafood place” by someone at the office (with a "C" as the first letter of their title) who will be paying for your meal, and you get those flashing cartoon dollar signs in your eyeballs, Aqua is a decent power play. All of the dishes, from medium rare grilled salmon to seared scallops, taste like if wedding catering was actually good, and the restaurant is on the waterfront, which means great bay views. Eating indoors isn’t bad either—the vibe is sophisticated albeit a little stuffy, and there’s a pianist in-house. If you’re trying to win over some potential clients or introduce your parents to the person you will probably end up marrying, and you need the venue to do most of the impressing, Aqua is a good choice. Especially if the crab mac and cheese is involved." - Aimee Rizzo
"Capacity: South Bay Room: 25; North Bay Room: 75 Seated, 100 Standing; Bar: 60 Seated, 125 Standing; Entire Restaurant: 375 Seated, 500 Standing; Patio: 250 Seated, 300 Standing Aqua is the place for excellent seafood and an ambience that’s perfect for those dress slacks you own that are dry-clean only. Both private options have access to the waterfront patio, and if you really want to, you can reserve the entire restaurant for 500 of your closest friends." - Aimee Rizzo
"There are places you take your dad when you want to impress him, and places you take your grandpa. This Belltown waterfront surf-and-turf restaurant is more in the latter category: There’s a piano player in the dining room, tableside Caesar salad and poke, flashy cocktails, even primo cigars on the menu (you probably, probably won’t be able to smoke them outside on the pier). The real star, though, is the wraparound view of Puget Sound — the restaurant is literally on the edge of Pier 70, so you can’t really do better view-wise. And with Aqua’s happy hour menu, you could actually have a burger and cocktail here for under $30." - Gabe Guarente, Eater Staff, Harry Cheadle
"Something about an afternoon gazing at sculptures makes us hungry for something upscale and ritzy, like Aqua. This spot is on the water and has a ton of options, from crab croquettes to seared scallops, so it’s especially perfect if you’re entertaining out-of-town guests who are in the mood for seafood. While the inside is a little stuffy (it comes naturally with having a grand piano for decoration), the balcony patio is a very chill contrast from the people inside wearing suits." - aimee rizzo
