A new luxury dining destination has risen above the shoreline in Lee County, pairing high-end Italian cuisine with sweeping views of Estero Bay.
Acqua Bistecca opened to the public Jan. 21 at 5500 Coconut Road at Saltleaf at Estero Bay. Located just west of Estero, the restaurant carries a Bonita Springs address. By day, it sits in the shadow of the $600 million Ritz-Carlton Residences Estero Bay development; by evening, it offers sunset views across the bay.
The restaurant was built about 17.5 feet above ground level with hurricane resiliency in mind.
“We wanted to make sure we had something spectacular for food and beverages — on the water,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of London Bay Homes, which developed the residences. The first tower comprises 22 stories and 112 units, ranging in price from $3.8 million to $17 million for a penthouse suite. The first residents are expected to move in during the spring. A second tower of the same size is under construction and should be finished by fall 2027.
The exterior entrance to Acqua Bistecca is illuminated at night at Saltleaf at Estero Bay in Lee County.
Tim Aten
This marks Wilson’s first restaurant. To develop the concept and menu for Acqua Bistecca, he enlisted Michael Mina, chef and owner of The Mina Group.
Mina has opened 73 restaurants since 1991 and currently lists 16 on his company’s website, including a second Acqua Bistecca in Washington, D.C.
Chef Michael Mina
David Dorsey
Born in Egypt, raised in Washington and educated at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, Mina founded The Mina Group with retired professional tennis players — and husband and wife — Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in 2003. These days, Golden State Warriors all-star Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha, also are business partners.
Although Mina now lives in Las Vegas, he’s a frequent traveler to his company’s restaurants in Oahu, Hawaii; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Dubai, plus about a dozen others spread across the continental U.S. He launches each location by spending the first two weeks right where he wants: in the kitchen.
“I’ll be here about 15 days,” Mina said. “I open it just like I’m going to be the chef. We work through everything.”
Mina wanted the menu to be accessible for both the wealthy patrons who will live adjacent to the restaurant and middle-class diners looking for elevated meals.
A branded backdrop displays the Acqua Bistecca name at the new Italian steakhouse developed by London Bay Homes at Saltleaf at Estero Bay in Lee County.
David Dorsey
The price range reflects that. Pasta dishes start at $23 for the Campanelle Verdi (arugula-pistachio pesto, crispy garlic pecorino di fossa) and Spaghetti (‘all’ AB’ pomodoro, basil puree burrata espuma).
Salads are in the $20 to $23 range.
Seafood starts at $37 for the Arctic Char and runs up to $91 for a two-pound, Maine lobster.
Mina recommends the Lasagna alla Piastra (spicy sausage ragu, swiss chard roasted pepper marinara), which costs $31.
Michael Mina speaks during a preview event at Acqua Bistecca as Mark Wilson, president and CEO of London Bay Homes, and members of the development team look on at the Estero Bay waterfront restaurant.
David Dorsey
The beef is where the prices escalate: $63 for a 14-ounce Wagyu Picanha, $78 for an 8-ounce Angus filet, $92 for a 16-ounce Prime Delmonico and $185 for a 40-ounce, Fiorentina Porterhouse.
Side items are ordered a la carte and are in the $14 to $16 range. Those include olive oil fried potatoes, grilled broccolini with preserved lemon and polenta and meatballs.
“The restaurant will be featuring everything from local seafood to Mediterranean seafood, steaks from all over the world,” Mina said. “Great pastas. It’s really the type of restaurant you can eat in every day.
The interior entryway of Acqua Bistecca is shown during evening hours at the waterfront Italian restaurant.
Tim Aten
“It’s high-end, but it’s comfort. Hospitality is all about having a restaurant and having a celebration every night. That’s why I love this concept. The core of the concept is that Italian hospitality. It’s high quality. But the menu has a lot of different dishes.”
Wilson said he was thrilled with opening the restaurant just as the heart of tourist season begins. The concept, he said, fits right in with the Ritz-Carlton branding.
“If we’re going to attract the clientele that we have, which is the incredibly successful, it was so important for us to have a fabulous place for us to come and eat and drink and be with friends,” Wilson said. “Having it right on the water and the marina, it’s just a killer spot.”
Dining and Cooking