Aqua Nueva

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… More

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.

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.

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… More

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.