Aquavit London in City of London, Westminster

Wow what service - went on a rainy afternoon and therefore received the best ever service. Sorry didn’t catch the name of the main server but his recommendations and knowledge was superb - at the end he said see you again soon to try x off the menu - what a touch. Decor is unreal as is location. This is fine dining so just bear that in mind when you get the bill. I really enjoyed the cuisine but I couldn’t say that for my partner who is new to Scandinavian food. I would recommend a visit for definite and thank you for the lovely touch for my birthday and the amuse bouche.

Both my teenage son and I had the tasting menu last night. The highlights were both the venison tartar and the amuse bouche, which was a selection of four perfectly contrasting bites. Roberto's service was excellent and we were neither rushed nor was the service slow. For fine dining the price is fair and the ambiance is pleasant. 5/5 for us.

Aquavit, located in London, offers a culinary experience that is truly fantastic. The food served is exceptional, with flavors that delight the palate and leave a lasting impression. However, it is worth noting that the pace of the dining experience is quite brisk due to the limited time allotted for each table. While this can be a bit overwhelming, the restaurant's commitment to efficiency is evident. Despite the fast tempo, Aquavit is undoubtedly a highly recommended dining destination. With its exquisite cuisine and attention to detail, it promises a memorable gastronomic journey that will captivate discerning food enthusiasts.

We had the private dining room upstairs, plus the side room for drinks. The staff were lovely; the food very flavourful. They didn't hurry us out at the end of the meal although we stayed longer than advertised (everyone was having a good time). We had carefully arranged the table plans but many of the place cards were put in the wrong places so our guests didn't get to sit where we had wanted. It's a noisy venue with 50 people in the room, so impossible to talk to anyone apart from those seated immediately on your left and right. The sides for the main course arrived on the tables 10 minutes before the plates, so they were really quite cold - as was the main course itself by the time it arrived - not really what we expected for the price being charged.

Lovely finding, good food and professional service with a relax atmosphere just few Minutes away from the busy Piccadilly area

Wij hebben een geweldige avond gehad bij Aquavit. De gastvrijheid en attentheid van de medewerkers, de heerlijke gerechten en de prettige ambiance zorgden voor een SUPER beleving. Zeker een aanrader!

I had. Very pleasant dinner in the private dining room on the first floor as part of a work event. The food was good, though I’m not sure I could have placed it as Swedish but that could simply have been the choices we/I made for our simplified menu, and the service was professional. The room itself was very nice and great for a dinner for about 16 people.

We had an early Saturday dinner at Aquavit. The offer a set menu if you arrive before 6.30pm, three courses for GBP 35. We still went for a la carte, as the menu consisted of rather simple dishes. We liked the herrings and shrimps as starter, the steak was excellent and I can only recommended the truffled mashed potatoes. A Scandinavian cheese cake was the perfect ending of a nice evening in a beautiful setting with well-spaced tables and good service. Wine by the glass was excellent, but with GBP 15-16 rather expensive.

I ordered the Swedish meatballs and herring selection, which were the only things on the menu that appeared to be Scandinavian. The meatballs were not dairy free and there was no alternative, so I ordered the venison instead, which was £15 more expensive. When the herring came, I was offered two thirds of the dish with no substitute for the cheese side, and charged full price. When the Venison came, I was once again offered two thirds of the dish with a brown substitute for potato which looked like excrement and smelled like excrement, so I didn't taste it. I was not told what the brown stuff was, but I was nevertheless charged the full price. The order was taken half an hour after we arrived at the restaurant, and the first course appeared after a further half hour. Likewise with the main course, so in all we were stuck there in a cold venue for two hours. During this time, the maitre d might have explained the substitutions and omissions to my dishes, and might have even offered an alternative, or a reduced price. Had I been lunching with one the person I would have left on the arrival of the first dish.

With hindsight we should have left after arriving and noticing it was rather chilly... But we didn't. No idea why the room was so cold, and the loos were even colder. Service was extremely slow. they put a bit of laminated paper with a QR code on for us to find the menus on phones. But then seemed to give half the diners proper menus. The online menu is very small script and you scroll up and down and left and right to find anything. Load of cocktails listed with no prices too, so we avoided. Finally the waitress came and took the order (without writing it down) and best part of an hour after we arrived the first course arrived. And surprise surprise one of the starters was shrimp not scallops as ordered. Many apologies and the shrimps were free and the scallops appeared later, but avoidable if the order is written down. Food was OK, but so it should be as the prices aren't cheap. But the choice of dishes rather focused on cold items which we didn't want in the freezing morgue of a room! So wouldn't return in the winter - maybe in the summer if they have some heating on and more staff.

We had a private room for a client dinner at this restaurant. The room was great. The service was not ideal. The food was extremely poor. Fortunately we had a good evening due to the company. This was despite the food offering which one guest described as having come from the salad selection at the local branch of M&S. Others quickly agreed. Between us we have been lucky enough to eat in some fantastic restaurants around the world. This is not one of them. That was unanimous from all 12 attendees. Having to pre order, we opted for the Christmas family style menu. Particular low points included the meat balls (“Ikea does them better” as one guest said), the tasteless beef shortrib, the desert course (which consisted of a chocolate, a soggy ginger biscuit and a high colour/low taste heavy square of cake which was similar to some Indian deserts minus the taste) and the fact that we were told they could only make filter coffee - no espresso or any other options. Vastly overpriced for what we received. A number of us have enjoyed this type of cuisine before but what we were served was really very poor.

Never visited Scandinavia but if this is indicative of the food, then I love it and will certainly include a trip to Norway and Sweden on my itinerary. The herring served 3 ways was fabulous, I ordered the cod which was perfectly cook, but a small piece. My wife thought her steak was one of the best. A beautifully light baked cheesecake finished the meal. Everything was served with care and attention. And, the staff were polite, informative and welcoming. Drinks were pricey and marked up for 37.5 ml so easily mistaken. However, for date or occasion I would come again. Just wish I had tried the meatballs they looked marasap!

I came across this restaurant as one of the best for Scandic Food. Having been recently to Scandinavia we wanted to give it a try. We had a shrimp sandwich and yellow fish tartare as a starter. To be honest the tartare was really good although I found it very expensive. Shrimp sandwich was ok. As a main we had the trout and the cod. The trout was cooked to perfection but there were a lot of herbs on it. They tasted good but there was far too much of it. The cod was Ok but not that great. Staff was friendly but missing a few minor things like asking for another drink or water. All together you expect more from a pricy restaurant like this.

The menu reads with reminders of Scandinavia and so I hoped to be transported back to my great time travelling around Scandinavia. I started with the scallops which were nice but with only two scallops on the plate I was left wanting more. On the mains, the Swedish meatballs was nice, but I was left wanting more. However, the spring trout was undercooked and finding a bone in the fish was disappointing for a restaurant of this standard. I wouldn’t recommend the trout. The dessert of Dajm bar parfait was delicious and I would recommend. The Kladdkaka dessert was extremely rich and you will need to be a chocolate lover with a real sweet tooth to like this. The service was good though starters coming from the kitchen were slow considering the restaurant was only half full.

I read the odd negative review and yes the bread basket is £7 but you get 3 different types of bread and it’s more than enough for 3 people. The food was so good. We had three courses each and each one was superb. The staff are lovely too. Great ambience. Dog friendly too. If I was to criticise one thing it would be to get some lower priced wines on the menu.

Service and food was fantastic. Venue staff were dedicated to making the event a success would highly recommend.

Dont order anything at this restaurant without being absolutely clear on its cost. 'Would you like some bread on the table?' £7. We had cocktails to start where the prices were clear from the menu and normal for london; around £9 each, so when the...

The big day always has a lot of organisation, and Aquavit was easy to organise with. The food was stunning, and all the guests enjoyed it. The service was A+, and all the people involved were amazing. Overall, an amazing experience. Constructive feedback: We noticed...

My nephew recommended this place and the restaurant is a Scandinavian restaurant in London. For starters we ordered thentuna tartare and the sea bass carpaccio. Both were beautifully presented and tasty. For mains we ordered the Houghton spring trout and the halibut with sides of...

Fantastic food and service in a lovely restaurant. Duck cooked perfectly and the Swedish meatballs were amazing. Definitely going back.

My husband and I had a lovely Saturday lunch here before our trip to the theatre. Our food was beautifully presented and really tasty. Service was brilliant- our waiter was so friendly and funny too. Our only regret was that we didn’t order a dessert...

Per the last reviewer, my wife and I thought the food was excellent (we are Brits but love travelling to Scandinavia so are very familiar with the food). Portion sizes - another gripe in some TripAdvisor reviews - were fine, not huge but certainly not...

Excellent evening, from the welcome on arrival to the attentive but unobtrusive service. It had been a few years since we’d been (Covid oblige), but we hope to return soon.

Very overpriced for very small amount of food. I mean, really small. Service was totally unprofessional, indifferent and slow. Ambience was that of an airport lounge. We had to ask for the menu, and the place was almost empty. £32 for 3 small cubes of...

Upon arrival we stood waiting at the door whilst staff walked passed us without giving us any attention. Eventually we were told our table wasn’t ready and we were asked to sit at the bar. Again the bar staff taking their lead from front of...

Upon arrival the staff were chatting and so had to wait for them to stop and notice us before then taken to table. Had to wait over 15 minutes to order food, even though restaurant was far from busy. Ordered cocktails first and then a...

We had dinner here a few years ago and found it just about passable - albeit expensive - as a top end London dining experience, but our second visit with the same group recently was very disappointing. We ended up here as this was one...

Great meal. Great service. Meat balls are the best every. Highly recommend if you are ever in this part of London.

It’s a stunning location housed in a large airy room in the St. James’s Market complex cheek by jowl with the likes of Duck ‘n’ Waffle light and a branch of Ole and Steen. I was attracted by a lunch set menu advertised in Hot...

Great food and service. Came on a Friday evening the room soon filled up and the ambience was great. My birthday surprise dinner and absolutely amazing. We had a selection from the smorgasbord section which was fantastic. Dishes and service executed flawlessly. The staff were...

Today was my second visit in a fortnight so that should be a big enough clue as to how much I like this restaurant. Located in a stylish, modern courtyard between Haymarket and Lower Regent Street, therefore away from the bustle, lies this Scandi gem....

Quality of the food was not what you would expect from a Michelin star and with the price tag. I have eaten better in my local pub. Having spent a lot of time in Sweden, I was looking forward to something really interesting, but the...

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday evening in June. On arrival, we were seated promptly and water was delivered to our table. The decor of the restaurant is in fitting with the area & the ambience was laid back & friendly. My Swedish husband...

Possibly the most disappointing restaurant I've been to in years. Nothing about this restaurant screams "Michelin star" to me, except it's location in the heart of opulent St James's. Starters were, firstly uninspiring (prawns on toast?) but also, almost completely inedible due to the amount...

Simple menu executed well. The dishes were delicious and we walked away happy and satisfied. Definitely recommend

Just been to this restaurant today. The food was amazing and the service flawless. Thank you so much for making us so welcome, especially my little dog!

We ordered the cod and halibut dishes for main, and both fish were undercooked which was such a shame as the other elements of the dishes were amazing. We also had to send back our sparkling water - it was in an unlabelled bottle and...

I've eaten in quite a few Michelin star restaurants but I can honestly say that this was the best Starter and Main course I've ever had, the desert was pretty good too. We got there early evening when it was very quiet but there's still...

Went with some friends - had selection of herring for starters and Cod for main course - enjoyed the food but as I am used to having Swedish food at home, the food we had did not seem particularly elevated in quality and presentation. The...

Sister to the two Michelin-starred Aquavit New York 🇺🇸 I find this Aquavit London’s brunch menu is full of #fresh locally sourced ingredients and Nordic-inspired dishes, for an #elegant yet casual #finedining Scandi #weekend Totally remarkable! 👍🏻🇸🇪🇬🇧 #dinewithmalachi recommend: ＣＯＣＫＴＡＩＬＳ Signature Skjoldpike ＳＭÖＲＧÅＳＢＯＲＤ Shrimp Skagen...

All of the traditional scandi options - skagen, meatballs, herring plus plenty of modern variants eg lobster hollandaise. All full of flavour and beautifully presented. Light and airy restaurant. Excellent attentive staff. First class covid measures. We will be back to sample the afternoon tea.

Aquavit, is a fantastic and lovely Scandinavian restaurant. Great flavours and combinations of food. Recommended brunch but only two courses either smorgasbord or starter dish with main to follow. Some lovely wines to go with the food. Maybe a bit pricey but won’t give you...

I was really looking forward to visiting aquavit since I heard many good things and had high expectations for this 1 star restaurant. The food was great. All the dishes were prepared with fresh, high quality ingredients, were served at the correct temperatures, and were...

it is a very tasty restaurant serving scandinavian food. Nice atmosphere and good customer service. Attended a few times, never disappointed.

One of our very favorites in London. You have to try the started with the fish cooked three ways - an amazing dish!

My friends and I went for the 4 course lunch at Aquavit recently. It’s not something I would have normally chosen as I’m not a huge Scandinavian food fan but I’m so glad one of them picked it. Fish isn’t really my thing but I...

I have been here twice for lunch and had the two course set menu. Food has been absolutely 10 out of 10 both times and reasonable value for money given the quality. Would highly recommend.

I have been here on Sunday ,and I had a set lunch menu . The service is good but I was a little bit disappointed cause didn’t explain the dishes . Food is good and very nice ambience .

I read some less flattering reviews of Aquavit so my expectation were lowered - however our experience was spot on. Service was attentive, the food was all delicious and the drinks were... well they were fine too. Great restaurant - lovely room and atmosphere and...

I had been to this centrally located restaurant before and had enjoyed a wonderful evening with a friend. This time I took my husband and was keen to share a similar experience with him. It was generally a disappointing experience. The food was okay, but...

We ate here on the weekend and went for the set lunch menu. I must say I was rather disappointed, the food was OK at best, the beetroot starter was overpowering and just a pot of shredded sour beetroot. The herring was presented beautifully but...

This was an absolute treat for the senses. An upmarket and stellar quality experience where the stand out memory is that of the fresh, delicious food. I chose many of the smaller traditional dishes including gravad lax and bloodpudding which where traditionally perfect but with...

Aquavit got 4 only because of its ambiance and excellent quality of service because food was just somewhere between average to good. Good experience to have for once but not planning to return anytime soon

Dined here pre-theatre. Like many in the area a pre-fix option was provided. The food was EXCELLENT. The service started well but soon seemed to hit a traffic jam that resulted in us being late to our show. My advice is stress the time you...

This is an amazing place! The waitress are lovely and the food.... it’s just amazing it has been the best experience in a restaurant for me so far! I would for sure recommend this place!

But honestly not at Michelin starred quality - at least for the Weekend lunch menu, which I would still recommend. But I can't forgive the inflated wine prices, and the £7 we paid for water. Last week, another excellent London restaurant, all water - still...

Very surprised to see paper table cloths. I think it’s unacceptable for a Michelin star restaurant. They used to have amazing wooden tables. Definitely a let down.

I’ve not been to a Nordic restaurant before so this was a welcome change to the usual fayre that can be found in London. Great service from beginning to end and our server was knowledgeable about the cuisine and the items on the menu. The...

We had lunch here prior to going to the Theatre Royal Haymarket. We settled for 1/2 dozen oysters to share, (very good oysters with a great light dill vinegar dressing) and the 3 course lunch menu. All of the food was extremely tasty, as you...

Food was extremely good. Some of the main dishes had a bit too much pickled veg on for my taste however that’s personal preference. The atmosphere and service here is brilliant. Would definitely recommended as it’s a change from the normal types of cuisines

Great food , tasty . amazing team , nice atmosphere Thank you Jacob for warm welcoming Great experience

Michelin One Star • High quality cooking, worth a stop. Aquavit is a brasserie with a central bar and a warm, informal atmosphere. Cooking delivers as much panache as the Scandinavian styling, with classic Nordic dishes featuring excellent ingredients, natural flavours, and a subtle modern...

Lovely venue - wish it was more busy at weekends but St James market has yet to get fully on the radar.. the Swedish meatballs are to die for but my dish is always the skagen prawn on cracker- it’s mouthwateringky delicious as are all...

This is a spin-off of the successful New York City restaurant of the same name. Located in a newly developed area of St. James Market, a stone's through from Piccadilly Circus. The restaurant interior has an authentic Scandinavian Modern feel, with one outside wall all...

We went for brunch, they have a good selection of dishes. The gravlax is excellent but tiny, only a couple of slices. The meatballs are excellent. The place is a bit pricey. The room is very nice and roomy. The service is friendly and fast....

We were searching for Scandinavian food online and Aquavit came up. We have not tasted anything like that. The taste of every dish is so unique. We love seafood and wanted to try Nordic seafood cuisine in London. Aquavit amazed us...period! The atmosphere was great...

We had a great meal at this Scandinavian restaurant. Starters of Smorgasbord...excellent. Classic meatballs! Beautifully prepared trout! Service was 1st class. All we needed was snow!

In a slightly remote and quiet court you'll find this big place, high ceilings, lots of room. cosmopolitan staff. The food is delicate and exquisite between "nouvelle cuisine" and scandinavian. And the bill is quite moderate for this kind of place.

When I am in New York City, a favorite Nordic cuisine is Aquavit on East 55 Street. Was excited to find an Aquavit on Carlton Street in London and happy we tried it. I learned not affiliated with NYC but the menu and service is...

Had an excellent dinner last night at this restaurant. The service was excellent; the ambience welcoming and decor beautiful. And the food was superb! Couldn't fault it at all, and it's given me an appetite to explore Scandinavian and especially Norwegian food more!

Absolutely amazed how delicious the food was made. Great customer service! Enjoyed every piece of each course. My first experience at Aquavit but definitely not the last. Will recommend to everyone who’s looking for some special place for a nice food! Well deserved a Michelin...

Tasty Scandinavan food. We had such a good evening thanks to our waitress, Marta. She was very helpful and answered all our questions regarding the menu. We will definitely go back with another chance.

I visited Aquavit for the first time with a few friends for dinner. From start to finish it was absolutely fantastic in all respects. Service was professional, courteous and very friendly. I am Swedish myself and I was surprised how much they knew about traditional...

Had dinner at Aquavit last night, not a pleasant experience. The food is not worthy of a Michelin star, I ordered the Gravlax to start; three mini slivers of salmon, not fresh arrived, my partners starter of scallops were hidden underneath a slimy blanket of...

We had the set lunch menu, as it's always a good test for a restaurant. It certainly did not disappoint. The herring dish was truly outstanding as was the cod main course. Both my husband and I believe it was the best cod we had...

I loved to visit Aquavit and to see that there’s a restaurant in London that serves classic Swedish/Scandinavian dishes with a modern take. All the dishes were beautiful and tasted great. I would love to be back and try more of the menu. The prices...

A beautiful Scandinavian oasis in the busy London. Classic atmosphere yet elegant, simple menu yet tasty, quite unique..

The list of their different aquavits is almost longer than their menu. Which gives you a good excuse to try a few different and they actually taste differently. The menu is slightly reminiscent of IKEA, especially their Swedish meatballs. Beside that they serve almost all...

Inspired by a penchant for Nordic Noir characters Sarah Lund, Saga Noren and Andri Olafsson, it was a surprise to discover a restaurant with cuisine originating from this area. Lovely bright restaurant, great front of house and exemplary, none overbearing table service. Absolutely delicious food,...

We came across this restaurant after our son had completed the Ride London event on Sunday and what a find. We settled into a table for four on the outside as our son had his bike with him even though they did offer us a...

We had the 2 course pre theatre dinner with 2 smorgasbord and a main course. Delicious food and good size portions. Excellent value. I had a really nice IPA from Sweden, Poppels.

Amazing swedish restaurant, with excellent and fresh food. Especially the oysters and the Homemade trout. The team will ensure you a warm welcome as well. Aneta is a really nice waitress. You'll have a really good moment there

Beautiful food with spectacular flavour. I dont eat fish but even tried the other halfs turbot. The beef dish was amazing complemented by sweet onions. Birds nest dessert is a must. The service was exceptional and we didn't want to leave

I ate a set menu supper here with my daughter before a visit to a local theatre. The food was excellent and innovative- I will be using pea sprouts in my dishes from now on...The service was friendly and efficient without being at all intrusive....

The food was amazing :-) and the staff were really friendly . We went for lunch before only fools and horses show . They knew it was my partners birthday and they made a plate with happy birthday on it

Lovely venue, Delicious food and drinks, relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff I can’t wait to visit again.

The Aquavit restaurant is a very ornate but comfortable place to go with a nice cosy feeling. All the staff is very helpful, especially if you get Angelo the comedian waiter

What a lovely place. Food is sublime anc the staff attentive but not over the top. They look after every aspect of your visit from checking for allergies to finding out if you are on a time schedule due to a theatre night. You never...

The lunch menu was tasty Nordic food The quantities were small The price was excellent I would recommend a visit Venue interesting

We have eaten here often in the past 6 months. It’s always been on the expensive side but worth it as the food and service have been great. However last night was really awful: the service was shocking and the food wasn’t great at all....

We went for a dinner date here last night and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. We had the trio of mackerel as part of our Smorgasbord and they were delicious- the little cheese pie is fantastic! This was followed by Beef Rydberg for me...

I recently visited Aquavit to with my family to celebrate my Birthday. I had been excited to visit this restaurant and it had been on my 'to try' list for a while. The restaurant's decor is sleek, minimalist and stylish. We were shown to our...

I would love to recommend this Scandinavian restaurant. Beautiful and elegant. Very close to Piccadilly Circus. Delicious food and friendly staff.

The food was really exquisite. The ambience 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...

I do like Scandi food and had spotted some reviews about this restaurant on trip advisor so decided to give the pre theatre menu a go. The menu has a quite tight window from 17.30 to 18.30 but for a restaurant of this quality is...

I went in for a late lunch on a chilly bank holiday Monday and had a positive experience with menu - everything was available- quality of dishes, and service. Always a pleasure.

Great place, excellent food, definitelly lovely staff. Thank you so much for unforgetable experience!

I’m a minimalist and really love the interior here. Had the set lunch which was good portion at a right price. You choose 2 from smörgåsbord as starter. The herring and blood pudding I had were both well presented with great tastes, but the gravlax...

The dishes were absolutely perfect. However, having chosen the set menu, I had to wait for an inordinate amount of time for the main course. Having complained twice, I was eventually told that 'duck take a 20mn to cook. If so, either it is not...

Great food and drinks, love the open space. We sat at the bar, had a couple of special cocktails. Bartender knew his drinks. The coffee in other hand was something special!