Where the Locals Eat Rating
Best Scandinavian
Top 100 Restaurant, New York City
"Aquavit combines the age-old culinary tradition of Sweden with the ambitious creation of a young chef in America. ... Entrees boast a dazzling display of ingredients and influences. [Chef Marcus] Samuelsson demonstrates his fondness for marrying flavors in unexpected ways. ... Vibrant colors, bold shapes and visible textures all work together to create food so vibrant and beautiful that it needs no garnish."
– Aquavit website
"High-minded interpretations of Scandinavian cuisine that issue from his kitchen-order the duck breast, which is cured in lemons, or the salmon, sealed in a light brioche crust-are as excellent as ever."
—New York magazine
"[Chef Samuelsson) is a fully mature artist with a distinctive style. .. . He keeps your palate on edge."
—The New York Times
"In the casual café, the Stockholm-bred chef turns out pitch-perfect Nordic home cooking, featuring classic dishes like gravlax and herring. In the main restaurant, past the long sultry bar, lurks some of the city's most innovative seafood."
—Time Out New York
"This isn't nouveau Viking fare. It is, as always, a tantalizing experience."
—Newsday
How Others Rate Aquavit
James Beard Foundation
Marcus Samuelsson, Best Chef in NYC, 2003
The New York Times
*** (Excellent)
Top Pick
New York magazine
**** (Exceptional; Consistently Elite)
Zagat 2008
25 Food Rating (Very Good to Excellent)