Arctic Char & Rhubarb: A real mishit. The char was cooked nicely, but that was the only positive thing I could say about this dish. The thick rhubarb sauce was nice, except for the fact that it was served with fish and not ice cream. The collection of leaves/vegetables on top were very astringent. 13/20
Scallop & White Asparagus: Not a huge fan of the plating, but the flavors were absolutely there! The scallop was perfectly seared and the stock-white wine sauce was lovely, though they should have given way more. The white asparagus was a tad overcooked, but had a crunchy, sweet, and slightly spicy topping. I do expect better though from a 2* restaurant. 16/20
Langoustine & Meyer Lemon: Finally, a pretty good dish. This dish was a nice combination of textures with a great, rich sauce, with a nice touch of acidity rounding everything out. 17/20
Lamb & Morel: The lamb was cooked perfectly and properly seasoned too. The morels were great and complemented the lamb very well, but this dish really did need a sauce. 17/20
Arctic Bird’s Nest: The one signature dish of Aquavit, and I feel it’s pretty polarizing dessert, with a lot of people either loving or hating it. Personally, I’ve always liked it quite a lot. It’s a masterful combination of different flavors, textures, and temperatures, while being light and very refreshing. I also personally really like the presentation and the story behind it. Overall a great dessert, though I think it could be a bit sweeter and the flower petals were unnecessary. I’d have chosen a different fruit than blueberries to serve fresh. 18/20
The service was above average, and Chef Emma Bengtsson is an amazing person, but the wine team and pairing/list were only average, I’d say. Overall, I just can’t say I’ve ever gotten a 2* experience at Aquavit. I asked my parents about the one time they went when Marcus Samuelsson was still there, and they only remember it as being okay. With that being said, I just can’t really recommend coming here, especially since I have heard of people getting the bird’s nest in the bar room. For me, Aquavit is in the lower half of 1* places in NYC, and I probably will not be coming back on my own unless there’s a new head chef.
by Bonzo1640
1 Comment
It’s a bummer that this experience was lackluster. The plating and dishes here definitely don’t look incredibly appealing.
About 3 years ago I did the full chef’s tasting menu at Aquavit and it has remained one of the strongest meals top to bottom I’ve ever had. I think I caught them on a night where the kitchen was really firing, but the menu that night was also really exciting, which makes a huge difference.