loti eats: aquavit

Aquavit is the new London outpost of the two Michelin-starred Aquavit New York and is located in the new St James’ Market development close to Anzu and Veneta. The first thing you think when you walk through the door of Aquavit is, “wow this must have cost a LOT of money”, and the next is (if you are interested in these kind of things) that the interiors were surely designed by Martin Brudnizki. The celebrated designer’s trademark style, seen in places such as Soho House, Sexy Fish, and The Ivy, is present and correct here, with lashings of marble, humongous light fixtures, wood-panelled walls, and comfy red leather seats.

On the menu is a selection of modern Nordic dishes that range from smorgasbord snack-size through to your usual starters and mains. The highlights for us were actually the smorgasbord and starters and we could easily imagine going back and making a meal just out of these. Check out the mackerel tartare, which you mix with sorrel and lumpfish roe; the crab with toasted rye brioche; and the thinly sliced raw scallops with lovage and you’ll be off to a winning start.

[URIS id=82043]

For mains we had a very good lamb dish served with charred cabbage and lingonberries, and turbot with horseradish and a brown butter sauce. For dessert, we had to have Aquavit’s signature dish, the arctic bird’s nest, which is made up of goat cheese ice cream, white chocolate, berries, and a sugar nest.

With slick, friendly service added to the mix, Aquavit is certainly making all the right impressions in London.

St James’s Market, 1 Carlton Street, London, SW1Y 4QQ
www.aquavitrestaurants.com

Loading...