Aqua Nueva

I believe it is important to read a review before heading out to the actual place. Doing so, you avoid going to the wrong establishment on the wrong occasion… I mean why take your first date to a sophisticated underground gourmet, and vice versa take your best mate to a romantic Oriental club in Mayfair.

And this exactly what you should keep in mind before approaching Aqua Nueva. It is not a place to impress your gourmet friends, yet if you are trying to get some action with a lady well, this is it! So for your first date needs, this venue tick all the boxes. Probably the most stunning interior and location (especially on a sunny day) around Oxford Circus, however the glamorous bar does not actually serve food, so perhaps I should not get myself influenced by the bar in the restaurant review

Anyway the restaurant: First of all do not confuse aqua nueva with aqua kyoto, as the 2 experiences are completely different.

Let’s stick to topic, aqua nueva… it is made of the tapas bar and the more formal dining restaurant. I' d avoid the restaurant, I didnt eat there, but it feels like it could easily consume you £200 for a good but not excellent experience…So if you are looking for top class upmarket food go somewhere else…

I decided to sit at the tapas bar – here is where it gets more funny; closer to the ladies, closer to the bar, more enjoyable and less formal. And I have actually enjoyed my night at the Tapas bar. Why? Ok ignore the service, (quite sub-standard and not the sort of warm attentive service you'd expect from your local tapas bar) – yet if you have a passion for food it is interesting to observe how the chef prepares and composes the plates. Very tidy and well organized open air kitchen, that feels almot like a laboratory. Anyone with the slightest experience in a restaurant kitchen would appreciate that

And what about the actual food? The results are good (yet places like brindisa or el pirata de tapas deliver better value for money). My selection included a toast with cured meat (not the best spanish saucisson, but a very innovative flat pizza or tomato bread as bruschetta) skew of cattlefish (good to look at, slightly too hard to eat) a plate of Spanish cured meat (good selection of meats for the affordable price), pancetta wrapped scallops with saffron onion (probably the best plate) a sous vide cooked lamb with finely cut root vegetable (simple but perfectly executed) chorizo and quail egg (simple dish, yet not too convinced by the choice of sausage on the plate)

All the plates are fairly priced (remember that it s not an east London venue in a warehouse, but the most sumptuous central London location). In conclusion go on a date, sit at the bar, be prepared and finally, to thoroughly enjoy the experience, look at, and engage with the chef standing in front you methodically preparing the tapas… You will be going home feeling that “ok it was enjoyable and i have even learnt some cooking skills

“this will be classed as ‘The’ experience of 2011, I can't get over the beautiful lighting, decor, terraces, food and staff. All absolutely charming and I'm very, very impressed”

Aqua Nueva is the Quaglinos of today – a big, noisy, fashionable central london hangout with lots of sponsored tables. That is not to say it a bad place, in fact it's great fun for a crowd looking for an ‘inclusive’ experience of bar, dinner and dancing – but the food suffers. Cold Tapas was great as expected but I had to fight with the grilled Octopus for some time, this was followed by a bar of Oxtail which was also a bit of a disappointment. Fortunately the service was good, we had plenty to drink and a fun night, but not a great meal.

Went for dinner last night and the food was very poor indeed. The tapas seemed to have been sitting out plated for ages and did not look fresh at all. We had to send an octopus dish back as it was so bad.

The bar is quite nice, as is the decor in the restaurant, so if that's important to you then you might enjoy Aqua, but if you're looking for good food, based on my experience, you'll be unlikely to find it here.

I wanted to see how this restaurant fared in comparrison to the morro restaurant , which is one of my favourite spanish restaurants. I went with my best friend , as we entered the top floor we I felt like we were worlds away from central London, what stunning decor.
The restaurants are completely different in size and decor, so I cant compare them in that way.
I will say that auqua nueva is a labyrinth of a restaurant and has lots of cream colours with a distinctive Mediterranean feel that really makes you feel relaxed and comfortable, I did prefer it to the other restaurant you walk by to go to the spanish one.
I think the Tapas bar is amazing, I havent seen ice sculptures like this in a restaurant before, its a must see and the chef is quite dishy , pardon the pun! he was really helpfull and prepared everything as we sat watching him.
I went for the langoustine carpaccio which was such a visual treat, my friend had the lamb chops with tarragon sauce. these dishes really stood out but on the whole a very pleasurable menu. The waiters were attentative and really nice. I have found my new spanish rstaurant.

I really enjoyed Aqua Nueva. The food is absolutely fantastic, in fact the oxtail is possibly the nicest thing I've ever eaten!!! The atmosphere made me feel really special and the service is impeccable. We got there at 6pm and stayed till closing time and I had a really brilliant evening. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy fine cuisine in suave, relaxed surroundings.

The special offer that is posted on square meal is not being honored any longer from Monday – Saturday. It is only offerred from Monday thru Thursday. I have been there before and wanted my work colleagues to check the venue out as it is close to our new offices. It is unfortunate that they are not honoring something that is advertised to expire on 15th of August 2010. This should be amended immediately. During my prior experience there the ambience is the best quality of the place.

We started off with the “Vina El Pison”, a very good 1998 Rioja that is worth every penny, because it was an excellent Rioja year indeed (only to be outdone by a 1995, perhaps…). As amuse bouche to pair with the wine we had the lobster with chickpeas and crispy pork, the asparagus parcels with lemon butter and piquillo pepper mille feuille, as well as a selection of Spanish cheeses. We decided to order two main courses to share and went for the roast suckling pig with crispy orange zest and apple butter and the castilla style roast lamb shoulder with ratatouille. The pig was extremely crispy as was the orange zest, which added a nice “tang” to it. The apple butter was a nice condiment to bring a bit of tartness to this otherwise quite rich meat. The lamb shoulder was so tender, it melted on the tongue. And though I'm not a fan of mixed veggies in a pan, I must say that these were really flavourful and not the usual unsightly mess you get when you order a ratatouille. Unfortunately, we had no more room for dessert, but all in all, full marks for Aqua Nueva!

What a venue …Great decor , Amazing bar, Wonderful veranda …Unfortunately Food was absolutely (and i mean ABSOLUTELY…TERRIBLE!!! worse meal i think i have had in 31 years …i should give a special mention to the dessert of apple jelly and ice cream…basically someone had sneezed on a plate and garnished with spun sugar …not impressed !!!

Amazing decor. Food at the tapas bar, very good and chef was really attentive and came to chat through the specials etc. Unfortunately service lets this place down; we we taken through to Nueva which is far less buzzy than the japanese bar (without being asked our preference). We asked for menus for both restaurants so we could choose where we wanted to eat which took around 1/2 hr to come. We chose the tapas bar. Asked to taste one of the wines and were told we can't because they don;t sell it by the glass. Asked if they did the spanish tomato bread, since we saw another diner with it but couldn;t see it on the menu, and were told no we don;t do that it comes with the jamon. We asked if we could just have the bread alone and were told no, no explanation, just no. Dissapointing as the food is good, well priced and decor beautiful but won;t be returning and wouldn;t recommend it to a friend.

Not just reviewers stirred my interest, but I have a penchant for western Med style food, so Aqua Nueva was on my list of must try’s. Saturday a.m. I read the intro. on this website which got my mouth watering, so with optimism I requested a reservation for the same evening. My luck was in, so hoped it would last. I wish I could say ‘it did’, but instead we found the experience weighted towards style rather than substance. As everyone else has mentioned the extravagant setting, I need not repeat. An army of pretty females to greet and wait upon us were pleasant and efficient enough. One of the few male waiters evidently found both product knowledge and manners a challenge, but fortunately tended our table once only. I enjoyed the lobster starter, but thought it needed another taste dimension such as a squeeze of lemon, however that could be me being picky. The Iberico ham and tomato bread was as good as we’d enjoyed in Barcelona. Oxtail was very good but desperately needed a jus or more than the teaspoon of pumpkin puree that was supposed to be the main accompaniment, a decent portion of which would have emphasised great partnering.
Both being somewhat uninspired by the food, we decided to quit at this point and settled the reasonably priced bill feeling that the venue fascinates more than the food.

We had expected something a lot more, seen as the chef had worked in el bulli! We were really excited about visiting this restaurant but came away extemely disappointed by the lack of flavour of the food. The Interior is really fantastic and worth a drink in the bar.

A new must-visit venue in Central London, especially before the word spreads and it becomes impossible to book a table. The roof terraces will be a big hit next summer, but until then the star of the show is Alberto Hernández' kitchen. It's rare to get a bad meal in London these days, but its equally unusual to find somewhere with inovative cuisine. This place hits the spot and we loved it!

Chris RJ

Aqua must have one of the most dramatic entrances in London, with a real “wow” factor. A dedicated lift takes you to the top floor restaurant, where you are met by attractive friendly staff. We were shown around, and then taken to the roof terrace. It was warm enough to sit out for a drink on the stylish and comfortable outdoor sofas, feeling thousands of miles away from London. There are some interesting and unusual drinks, such as champagne with lychee juice, and non alcoholic mango cocktail.

An equally dramatic corridor leads to Aqua Nueve, where the entrance was guarded by a brooding black bull sculpture. The food is inspired by Northern Spanish cooking. The flavours are modern, delicate and sophisticated. Baby squid were tiny and very tender, served in a light squid ink broth. I then had pork neck, whose meat had been removed from the bones and formed into medallions which might have been found in a far more expensive restaurant. Dessert of apple jelly and apple ice cream was original and elegant.

The wine list is very good value. The wine waiter recommended Nora Neve at £24, an unctuous rounded white reminiscent of gascon wines. I checked it the next day, and found that it retails at £21. That must be the lowest mark up in London.

Overall, a very classy addition to the London scene.

Came across Aqua by chance following a matinee performance at the Palladium and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The stunning walkway certainly creates a lasting ‘wow’ impression; and Nueva itself is bright and airy with a real contemporary feel.

The three roof terraces are a lovely space to enjoy pre-meal drinks – highly recommend the aqua kyoto cocktail, whilst admiring some of the best views over London. Worth a visit alone!

Started off with the innovative Squid and balls of ink, something I have never seen or tried before, but nonetheless a faultless dish; followed by the braised oxtail, which was everything I had hoped for – succulent and a good portion size.

Admittedly being the opening week, it was a little quiet and lacked atmosphere but given time, this will undoubtedly become a popular central venue and big hit with young professionals. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable throughout the evening and I'm very much looking forward to the Japanese set lunch on my next visit.

I've been to Hutong, the owners' Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong, so was really interested to see their new place in London. It didn't disappoint when I went there for dinner in late September. It's a big place, with around 200 seats and a spacious terrace for drinks, but the staff made us feel really special. Standards are universally high, and everywhere you look, there are nice touches and attention to detail. My wife's a builder's daughter from Wales, so she heartily approved of the use of Welsh slate on the new section of roof on the terrace! The food is based on the cuisine of Northern Spain, and is certainly refreshingly different. I'd recommend the scallop starter and glazed oxtail, while my wife raved about the hake. All in all, it was good value for money for central London. The location opposite the Palladium and close to Oxford Circus tube, is a real plus. I do a lot of business in the area, and will be making full use of the terrace! I'll also be back to try Aqua Kyoto, the Japanese restaurant on the same site.

Aqua as a whole venue is a place I've been eagerly anticipating all summer long, having come across some PR releases the concept and the design looked awesome and very similar to the Hong Kong branch. Well the wait is finally over and I took a trip to the Spanish restaurant Aqua Nueva as soon as the doors opened. From the warm greeting on the ground floor to the dining experience I have to say I'm very impressed – a lot of thought has obviously gone into the design and form of the kitchens and the result is a spectacular looking duo of restaurants. In contrast to the dark and sexy Aqua Kyoto the Spanish side is bright and airy and has a chic Mediterranean feel to it.

The food itself from Alberto Hernández is so good – presentation is excellent and taste is divine.Partridge with classic summer salad started me off well with beautiful light tastes and Iberian Pork Neck with peppercorn for main got a huge thumbs up from me also very tender and tasty – the portions large but no so much that I had no room left for the delicious chocolate dessert – very rich and smooth. Service was very friendly and smooth – perhaps a few opening night nerves but nothing to detract from the experience. Finishing off the evening with a couple of cocktails on the rooftop terrace enjoying the views over the west end seriously adds an extra level of enjoyment.

I'm planning on revisiting very soon to try Aqua Kyoto but Nueva will also be revisited very soon. I can see the restaurant being a huge hit in the coming months and I'm sure will be one of the hottest venues in town.