Aquavit London

Very interesting restaurant. Went as part of a work party and we had a blast. The decor was minimalist but warm and comfortable. We were up stair in the private room with the round table, which worked so well. FOOD I really appreciated the Presentation of the food. It really did wet the taste buds. The Shrimp Skagen, toasted sourdough, dill mayonnaise was just average and nothing special at all. Roasted duck breast, Jerusalem artichoke, Madeira jus - I really enjoyed the duck. It could have been a little bit more crispy on the outside and there could have provided more source, I think on this point, they went more for presentation, but they could have given a little pot of source. That said, the duck was well cooked and was very delicious. As part of the set menu, we had the Warm chocolate fondant as a selection for a dessert, but I don't see it on their main menu. It was lovely, but again the there could have been more ice cream.

Honest Review; this isn’t a restaurant you should go out of your way for. Nothing you MUST try. Not sure how anyone could rate this food 4 or 5 stars. It’s simply not on par with other restaurants in this price range. If you are in the Piccadilly / Leicester Square area (which is the worst area of central London) and need to avoid the tourist traps, this is a solid place to go. Quality food, tastes like home cooked food. Small portions, and that awful 15% service charge which is totally unjustified. Stop making customers pay for your staff. The Diam bar dessert was good, too small for the price but tasty. The birds nest dessert you see pictures of is not good at all. It’s like eating pieces of chocolate. With a little sorbet. Nothing special at all. I don’t mean this in a horrible way, but I would not return. Unless they agreed to pay for my cab fare there and back.

A wonderful and nice super-scandinavian restaurant in London. The Swedish classics, with snaps and drinks that fits with the dishes. Book in advance, difficult to get a table during weekends. Strict, clean and wooden interior adds to the Scandinavian ambiance. Great food, good wine list and attentive staff.

This is our second time returning to Aquavit, one of our favourite restaurants in London. My husband is a seafood lover and loves trying every dish on the menu. For me, I was completely blown away by the Arctic’s bird nest. It was unlike any dessert I’ve ever eaten - the contrasting textures (crunchy and soft, hot and cold, sweet and bitter) makes it a dessert that is unforgettable.

Great food and dining atmosphere. Went there for brunch and we had a small plates and bigger brunch plates each. Flavours were really nice but the portions of brunch dishes varied from one to another. For example, the smoked salmon plate had 2x more food than the smoked eel, would be nice if the portions were similar. Overall, it’s a lovely restaurant and certainly living up to its name!

Aquavit is by far and away one of the best restaurants I’ve eaten in across the world. The restaurant is beautifully decked out with typically Scandinavian clean shapes and subtle class and style. We went for their lunch set menu which really didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t keep my hands off the rye bread even before the starters came out - it’s smoked and absolutely delightful. We shared everything which included an ornate herring starter, a to die for black pudding, obviously the meatballs, the mushroom dumplings, the plum compote dessert which was insanely good and washed it down with some German reisling. All round lovely place, great staff, really cool bathrooms, great setting. Hope to go again sometime but will leave it for a special occasion. Thanks guys.......

Really liked the food and decor here. I've been to the restaurant in NY and I think the one on London is better. Delicious herring and venison to start followed by lovely duck and lamb. Good value given the quality. Would happily return.

Underwhelming experience. Interesting to see how traditional Scandinavian dishes have been adapted to fine dining. I thought the risotto wasn’t so great, although I did like the beetroot starter. Hardly any vegetarian options. I did like the house cocktails. Would likely not go back again.

Fairly nice Scandi cuisine presented in a very pleasant setting, with friendly and efficient service, including the possibility of sending a mugshot with your booking so they recognise you on arrival. High points : akvavit, and shrimp skagen. Low points: no gravad lax, a distinctly lacklustre cheese board ( could be replicated from a Co-op), and if I'm honest , mash potatoes too close to baby food in consistency.

Aquavit serves up high-end Scandinavian cuisine in a classy ambiance. From the smörgåsbord (appetizers), the shrimp skagen was amazing (and large portion size), and the pickled herring selection was very good. From the mains, we quite enjoyed the houghton spring trout. The bees rydberg wasn't great, so maybe try the meatballs instead--they looked good. The charred hispy cabbage on the side was ok but unremarkable. The interior is slick with modern styling and subtle mood lighting. It's a good place for a fancy date or a nice meal out with a friend. Service was professional, ans we felt relaxed and not rushed at all. The place was also not that full when we came, though this may vary depending on the season. Prices are quite high--we spent £50 per person without alcohol. Definitely not affordable for most as a regular meal, but perhaps worth it as a special occasion if you love Scandinavian cuisine. Check it out if so!

We dined at the sister restaurant of the NY one a few months back and had a very nice meal. First off, while the cuisines are broadly similar, the atmospheres are very different. The NY location is fancy while London is much more casual so it depends upon what you like. We started with the crab brioche which was fantastic. I had the duck while my wife had the beef rydberg. Both were really nice and delicious.

Had a great lunch at Aquavit, aquavit included. Reminded me of several meals I enjoyed at aquavit in New York in the days of Marcus Samuelsson.

Not impressed. Really bad service. Went for lunch and had the 2 course lunch and two appetizers (pate and pickles) The service was really slow and unprofessional. Waited way too long for my food, the people sitting in the table next to me had to leave before desert because they took so long. They got 50% off on the bill and an apology. The reason I go to restaurants of this caliber and great reputation is for the experience which they did not provide. Bummer, because I was excited to dine there. The place is beautiful. Chic decor. The food was good. Bread was really good and their butter is delicious. The liver pate was great, very tasty. Had also an white onion soup that was delicious (my fav) and a cod with white sauce and mussels which was good. I was there on Nov 20th 2017

The food was amazing but the service was really poor. The first waitress I had was great-very attentive, and quick to offer suggestions. I started with the gravlax from the smorgasbord and the crab from the appetizers. Both were simple dishes, but perfectly executed. The texture of the salmon was wonderful and the crab was the right balance between creamy and fishy. The waitress suggested an aquavit with the salmon and it was good. The aquavit is really amplified my sense of taste and I tasted much more lemon and dill afterward. For my entree, I went with the Swedish meatballs. These aren't what you get at IKEA. They were firm but not mushy, and the mashed potatoes were so creamy and smooth that they had to be at least 50% butter. Topped with fresh lingon berries and accompanied with homemade pickles and mushrooms, it was a great journey through tastes of sweet, savory, sour and umami. And this is when things feel apart. I guess there was a shift change and my original waitress left. Except she didn't say anything to me and I sat there after completing my entree for over 30 minutes with no attention of waitstaff or management. Finally, another waitress stopped by and accommodated my request for the Arctic Bird's Nest. A carryover from the 2 Michelin star Aquavit in New York City, this dish is both very creative and tasty. It's looks like an egg in a birds nest, but the nest is chocolate, berries and herbs and the egg is a ice cream filled with lemon curd (yolk). It was amazing and nearly redeemed the poor service. Maybe this was unique to my experience, but the food was worth it. Maybe visit the NYC location to get food AND service?

I'm going to be as clear as water and say that Aquavit is nice enough to dine in, with everything from its service to its cocktails and dishes being pleasant but not that special. It offers Nordic inspired cuisine at seemingly Nordic prices since the cost felt somewhat excessive for the small portions they are attached to. The interior feels spacious and shiny yet yielding a more business meeting vibe than a relaxed dining one. Most of the starters are served cold and rather simplistic, the meatballs look a little too similar to the Ikea ones but thankfully taste significantly better, and the ice creams accompanying the desserts are delightfully smooth in texture. Overall Aquavit comes across as a bit of a mixed bag, not quite stunning, generous nor delectable enough to justify its expensive menu yet not offensive but quite satisfactory. Aquavit is more of a glass half full than a glass half empty but still empty enough to be wanting more and to be left feeling a little underwhelmed.

I would absolutely disagree with any rating under 4 stars. The food is extremely fresh and flavorful. We ordered the toast skagen and gravlax to start paired with some chilled aquavit followed by the Swedish meatballs and the duck breast. Excellent excellent excellent! My dad grew up in Sweden and he says the food is not exactly the same as you would find in Sweden but just as tasty... and perhaps even better.

What a gem of a restaurant. We were here on a Friday evening around 7pm and it was busy, but we had made a reservation. The restaurant itself is beautiful, decorated with true Scandinavian design. The menu is true Scandinavian, which also meant that I had almost no idea what anything on the menu actually was. We opted for dishes like pickled herring, some kind of crab dish, Swedish meatballs and beef Rydberg. The meat dishes were excellent, I've only had Swedish meatballs at one other place (yes, it was Ikea). The herring was unique, not a big fan of herring but I heard it was very traditional... so I thought I had to give it a shot. The Jansson's temptation was somewhat of a scalloped-potatoes (but not really) type dish, but nonetheless it was delicious. The head chef/owner also used to be a pastry chef, so we had to order at least one of the deserts - we opted for the douglass fir panna cotta and were not disappointed. The one gripe I have about this place is the service. It seemed like the waiters were very attentive to almost all the other tables, except ours. The food came out relatively fast, but the waitress never came by (after our last course) and after about 45m of sitting there waiting for someone to check on us. we had to flag someone down and ask for the bill. I'm not sure if they were understaffed or she had simply forgot about us, but I was needless to say I was astounded at the lack of attention we received.

This place supposedly have a one star Michelin star. The vibe of the place is fancy sleek Scandinavian with a touch of the retro. Came for the 24£ - 2 dishes lunch set. The food was decent +, but not at the expected level of a one star Michelin restaurant. My cod fish arrived lukewarm and the seasoning was very light. No side dish or veggies to come with. Had to order a side dish of bitter leaves. Overall the service was pretty on point, the food was forgettable and the price a little too high for the quality delivered.

Gorgeous decor. First time having actual Scandinavian food. Had some dumplings - they were amazing, but slightly oily. The bread served was interesting, and the butter that was served along with it was salmony and delicious. I also enjoyed the trio of toasts I had - they were served with three sort of fish/fish spreads on top - delicious. I also tried the black pudding here, which was my first time having black pudding, ever. It was crispy on the outside and savory and soft within. It was good! I probably spoiled myself. All in all, I loved it as my first experience with Scandinavian food. But then again I don't know any better so take my review with a grain of salt.

We came for the Fika Afternoon Tea, absolutely amazing! It's not pricy compared to others, and you definately get a lot (and their dark rhye bread certainly beats the old English cucumber toast). Really tasty with a mix of fish and meat and of course lots of sweet stuff. Best part is you get to try all the teas if you ask (try the sparkling white tea!), and everyone is super friendly!

The food was really exquisite. The ambiance was beautiful. It was clear that a lot of attention was given to detail to satisfy the palette and the eye. The service, however, was another story. When we first arrived, we were seated immediately, but it took a long time - maybe 30 minutes - for someone to come by to take our order. The food arrived promptly. Once it arrived, we felt mostly ignored, as no one ever came by to check on us or ask if we needed anything. Once we finished our last plate, the empty plates sat on the table for nearly an hour. At this point in the evening, there was only about 5 occupied tables, and at least 10 staff members on the floor, all of whom ignored us. I had to flag down a waitress to ask if she can bring the bill. She said she's come by with the credit card machine, but she never did. I had to flag down another staff member to beg for the credit card machine, which she finally did bring. Overall, I felt quite neglected by the staff, even though the restaurant was not full and there were plenty of staff on the floor. For this reason only, I would not return to Aquavit.

I wandered into Aquavit late at night, a single, hungry, weary traveler and left with spirits lifted and well-sated. For restaurant of its Michelin-star magnitude, I found the service welcoming & unpretentious. The food was well-crafted, flavorful and beautifully presented. I will definitely be back!

This place is nice but way waaaay too overpriced you feel like you dint get enough value for what u're paying both food and wine wise, its like a probably once a year kinda restaurant if you really want to impress someone with a nice atmosphere, For what its priced food is average+ Nothing too special or wow on the menu U can get a much "better" steak at hawksmoor in london for a "cheaper" price Aquavit is just a fancy flashy room. I don't recommend this place or eat here again.

Went for second time and they still don't hit the mark they could. Lacking numbers of staff mean longer waits and still the food is far too overpriced for the small portions. The G&T was very disappointing, i would have thought they would try and give a Nordic twist but no, just a slice of lemon...like an expensive pub.

Amazing as always, we stopped at the one in New York a few years ago and figured we should do this one as well. The staff were quite lovely and food and drinks were excellent. My only complaint was while making the reservation on Open Table it claimed they didn't have later times available. I asked the staff and they seemed confused because they had plenty of space. So I guess call first to make sure, but honestly it was good since we were still dealing with jet lag and an earlier dinner worked out well.

I am in London for a week and sadly, we wasted a dinner experience here. The service was weak and similar to a fast food diner. The experience itself felt like I was rushed through a cafeteria. The presentation of the food was horrible, and the wine list was below average. I was very unhappy with the meal itself. It was far below my expectation of a meal from an upscale restaurant. Overall, I was so disappointed that I wasted one of my precious evenings at this restaurant. I would never recommend this restaurant.

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful restaurants I've eaten in:simple design, high quality materials and craftsmanship, and quirky splashes of fun. The food was delicious, as were the cocktails--and considering that we were a few blocks away from Leicester Square, quite reasonably priced. Our waiter, on the other hand, was a bit off-putting. He treated my husband just fine, but when he left the table to check out the restroom, our waiter acted as if I had donned my cloak of invisibility. The interminable wait for the bill wouldn't have been a reason in and of itself to deprive Aquavit of a fifth star, but it was the culmination of a variety of slights directed at me (not filling my water glass, filling it only a quarter of the way, general lack of attention, etc.), that left me with a nasty taste in my mouth that had nothing to do with the lovely lemon posset that I wolfed down. The restaurant needs to train its staff to treat female clients with the same meticulous care that they spend on their male clients.

I had dined at Aquavit last year and the food and service was excellent. So I brought a friend along thinking it would be a treat. Sadly, we were served by the most unpleasant waiter I have encountered in a sit down restaurant, and the dinner was very much spoiled by his awful attittude and brusqueness. We complained but no one seems to be in charge that night. Too bad, I had high expectations for Aquavit but Starbucks has much better service. Thumbs down from me!