Aquavit

Location: NYC, NY Midtown east

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Website: https://www.aquavit.org/

While looking for places to eat while I was in NYC for a long weekend trip, this place caught my eye, being both a Scandinavian restaurant, which are not very common, as well as holding 2 Michelin stars, also very rare. It also was located close to my hotel, the Park Hyatt (which by the way is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in, more on that elsewhere) so it was conveniently located for me as well.

Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambiance 10/10
Value: 9/10

Food

We ordered their lunch 2 course ($75 pp) option, forgoing their 3 course ($85 pp) option, which includes a dessert.
-Shrimp Toast Skagen ($5 additional pp), Arctic Char

-Herring Sampler, Cod

The Shrimp Toast Skagen was very nicely presented and the portion size was also very generous. The shrimp and dill mix was very well balanced and went amazing wit the perfectly toasted bread underneath. There was an option for löjrom (Swedish salmon caviar) to be added for an additional $25 but I opted to skip it, but i’m sure it would have just made the dish even better.

A Scandinavian classic, the herring sampler was also very generously portioned and all three herring samples that was given all were perfectly prepared. The herring was very fresh, and the sauces and marination of the herring helped balance the natural fishiness of herring but did not overpower it at the same time. Would highly recommend for seafood lovers who don’t mind heavier tasting fish. The paring of cheeses and potatoes was also a nice addition to the dish.

The Arctic Char. Where do I begin? I’ve had my fair share of various fish dishes in restaurants of all styles and qualities, this was by far the best fish I have ever had. The skin was crisped to perfection while the meat of the fish was still very tender and moist. The pairing of sunchokes, trout roe, and the sandefjord sauce simply elevated the dish to another level. If you love fish, especially salmon or related fish, this is a must have.

The cod, while admittedly i’m biased towards the Char, was still excellently prepared. The fish was tender and well seasoned, while even having a slight charred surface to give it a slight crunch. The caper brown butter was an excellent pairing to the fish and the dish was well rounded and like the char, also one of the best fish dishes I have ever had.

Overall:

Being a 2 Michelin star rated establishment, the level of service and attention to detail was flawless, and the ambiance was very nice; the tables were very spacious and spaced out very well to give everyone their privacy while dining. The price was steep, even for lunch, but it definitely is a case of you pay for the experience/ambiance. I would definitely highly recommend this place for any seafood lovers, I personally love Scandinavian/nordic cuisine, having visited Iceland previously so I thoroughly enjoyed the food and experience at Aquavit.

Cost: $200 for 2 after tax and tip