ACQUA - White Bear Lakebirthday clubOur group of 5 enjoyed a fantastic dinner with a great view outside on the deck. Our food, service, recommendations from our server and the evening were perfect. The food was hot and beautifully presented. Portions sizes were very substantial and the meal was picture perfect. We will be back.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMJust RightPerfect combination of great food, great service, and atmosphere at a great price!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstandingAcqua has become one of the top restaurants in the Twin Cities. Great food and service! We have introduced many friends and out of town visitors to the restaurants, with many raves!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMA True Gem in White Bear LakeAbsolutely loved this place. The food was so subtly flavored and everything that I had melted in my mouth. I love wine from the Marlborough region of New Zealand and the one that they had was out of this world. We also tried desert and it too was to die for.
I specially liked the fact that they didn't overdo anything and my few leftovers weren't soaking in any fat the next day. I can't wait to bring friends and go back.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were there celebratingWe were there celebrating a special occasion and it turned out to be the perfect place to make the guest of honor feel special. She enjoyed a special cocktail, we shared wine (1/2 price bottles that night), and had delicious entrees. I believe 3 of us had the swordfish special but the other menu choices looked better and were raved about more than our special. We had time to savor and linger and didn't feel rushed. They also placed us in a quiet corner which I had requested. Overall - a great experience!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMLake Front DiningI was concerned when the management opened a new branch, but the te that is operating the restaurant seems to know how to take care of the regular customers and be gracious towards the new ones. Well managed restaurant.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply DeliciousFive of us had a truly memorable dinner at Acqua on Wednesday evening. The Copper River salmon with artichokes and an amazing very light sauce was among the best things I ever ate. We each sampled fur desserts and swooned over each of them. Plenty of space between tables and excellent service. We lingered over coffee for quite a while, but felt no one rushing us. Just a great experience.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWelcome New MenuWe have introduced several foodie couples to Acqua, always to great enthusiasm, so we were even happier this week to discover the new menu for summer! Wonderful cheese plate, nicely done fish and a good wine list, by the glass and bottle.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food and ServiceWe have dined at this place many times as we live close by. Yes, there is truly great food in the northeast metro. But there is a price to pay. It's expensive compared to many restaurants of this same quality in the Metro. The wine list is small but serviceable. Even if you're into European wines you'll find something drinkable here. However, the wine pricing is over the top! But it's close and convenient to those of us that live up here.
Again, the food and service are great. But at these prices I would not make a long drive to up come to White Bear Lake to dine here. There are many great restaurants in the Metro of this quality that are less expensive and several restaurants in this same price range that are better.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth a drive to the north sideOn a whim, we made reservations as we have always wanted to try this place due to its great reviews. We were not disappointed, we had the Scallop & Foie Gras appetizer which was delicious. Then I had the beet and fried goat cheese salad and needless to say I would go back just for this salad. My wife had the King Crab and loved that it was all cut in half so no fighting to get the meat out. I had the Walleye and loved every morsel of it. To finish of the Butterscotch Pudding is amazing. Melanie, along with the rest of the staff, were excellent in making our night even better. All in all a great night...6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceAcqua has become our go-to place when we want an excellent meal, good bottle of wine, and quiet conversation. We love it! And the service is always efficient and friendly. Our older children and their spouses have added Acqua to their list of favorite foodie gems too!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat spot!Had a fantastic dinner there with my Mom. The service was great and the atmosphere was perfect. With all the restaurants around I feel we made a great choice! Keep up the good work Aqua!5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMLooking forward to our next visitThe food and service (thank you, Jonas) were fantastic. We had a gift certificate for the 3 course tasting menu option, which are full size portions. If you try that option, ask if there are any substitution options from the regular menu as there was the night we went for a $2 upcharge which was well worth it as they had crab ravioli as a daily special and it was incredible. The budino for dessert is a must. The only suggestion I have for the restaurant is to increase the amount of basil in the caprese as there were only a small amount of shredded basil (I raided the basil mojito cocktail which was very tasty and loaded with full leaf basil).5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is always good and theFood is always good and the service is too. A very busy restaurant!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMLast minute reservationsI suspect we got lucky when we made last minute reservations via OpenTable. Fortunately, we thought to make them half an hour out because you simply can't get there from here due to road construction (if you're coming from the west, forget that hwys 96 and 10 exist).
Location and building: What an odd place. It's next to White Bear Lake, but also back behind a Taco John's and some other chain type stuff. And the inside feels like it might have been a boarding house or hotel. But it is charming. We ended up in a small room on the second floor (bedroom?) with a view to the lake.
Food: Excellent. Price-wise, it's worth it, but don't expect a cheap date. Oh, and get the truffle risotto. Do it.
Service: Absolutely fantastic. Top notch!5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGood, but not as great has priorThis is our favorite restaurant in WBL and we come from Eden Prairie. Usually knocks our socks off, but this time fell a little short. The app was average, too much balsamic on the Caprese salad. Fish was cooked perfect, but the potatos were dry and tastless. Dessert was fantastic though!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMSweet placeVery nice location and the food was awesome!!!!! We will go back5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodI have never been disappointed with the food or service at Acqua's it is a very nice place for dinner.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMOur table on the porch wasOur table on the porch was delightful and our server helpful and attentive. I was disappointed they were out of walleye by 6:30. The food was delicious but smaller portions would look nicer and be plenty. Wine list and ambience make this one of our favorites.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMIt is not much to look atIt is not much to look at from the outside, however, the inside is very quaint. We were seated in the upper most room (reservations were made a month before) with high vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, beautiful wood floors and antique sideboard service stations. The food was excellent and the service was superb, They easily accommodated our special requests because of food allergies. It is a 45 minute commute from where we live and well worth the drive. We will be back as we are looking forward to the outdoor dining overlooking White Bear Lake.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy seasonings and best scallopsFood was outstanding. I had both specials: Caprese Salad, which I always enjoy, and Gnochi with bacon and sausage. The smoked paprika made the dish. My husband said his were the best scallops he had ever eaten (they were part of a seafood dish).5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved the view of the lakeLoved the view of the lake and the food was exceptional! Ryan and staff was fun and friendly and were great about accommodating the floral arrangement on the table. Wanted to go back the next day!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways fabulous...We celebrated my husbands birthday and all was spectacular. We've literally NEVER had a bad experience and will keep coming back.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfecto!Acqua never fails us --- another fabulous meal, service and great sunset over the lake! The butterscotch budino is to die for!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were there to support theWe were there to support the Aliveness Project, which was made simple for us.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food with a beautifulGreat food with a beautiful location on White Bear Lake - especially if the weather's nice and you can sit outside by the lake. Very friendly, helpful staff.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is good, althoughThe food is good, although quite rich overall. The prices have gone up to the point where we will only go there once in awhile.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service!Great food, great service! Scallops and shrimp were amazing. Calamari also fabulous.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe have dined at Acqua WBL,We have dined at Acqua WBL, on numerous occasions and the food and service are easily Top 5, in the TC Metro.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWent for our anniversary andWent for our anniversary and were happy to find that the food was great and the service was impeccable. Great for special occasions or just a nice romantic dinner.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous food, excellent wineFabulous food, excellent wine and cocktails, impeccable service and overall good vibe. Highly recommend!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experience.I had an excellent overall experience. The food was great and the service was top notch.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMI have enjoyed a number ofI have enjoyed a number of dinners at Acqua and have never been disappointed. Flavor, flair, fun. It's all there. I would recommend this to all folks. However, bring your check card. Can be a bit expensive, but worth it!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe experience at Acqua isThe experience at Acqua is always excellent and consistent. The food is delicious and creatively prepared. It is always the first place we think of when celebrating a special occasion, and it's nice to have a restaurant of this caliber in our neighborhood.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I had a greatMy wife and I had a great time. The food and drinks were excellent. The only negative was that it was lound. Patrons at two other tables were talking loudly and it was difficult for us to talk and hear each other.Otherwise the food was great, the service was good and we are looking forward to the next time.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother great evening withAnother great evening with interesting and delicious food, well prepared. Service is attentive and friendly but unobtrusive and professional. They accommodate food allergies and special requests without fanfare or grumbling but in a kind and helpful manner.
This is a great place to enjoy an evening with friends!4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWe enjoyed our meal, the foodWe enjoyed our meal, the food & service were great. My only complaint is that i specified on our reservation that we were celebrating my husbands birthday, i also mentioned it to the waitress. We were'nt offered desert which we both found odd, and maybe insincere on Aqua's part. It would be a nice & appropriate gesture for them to offer a bday desert.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMI've been to Acqua severalI've been to Acqua several times on business and this was my wife's first visit. We were there with some friends from WBL who say Acqua is their favorite restaurant. Did not disappoint, everything was wonderful, I hope you always keep the butternut squash ravioli on the menu!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFelt a bit rushed throughFelt a bit rushed through dinner, as waiter mentioned it was a busy night.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, the food was outstandingAs always, the food was outstanding. My husbands fav is the Osso Bucco. It did not disappoint. Tender,melt-in-your-mouth goodness The pork piccata special with house-made Parmesan ravioli was delicious. Also, the calamari appetizer was tender, perfectly seasoned and disappeared4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMI would have to say this isI would have to say this is the best food I have eaten in a restaurant in many, many years!! Simply outstanding in every way. Mouth-watering food, excellent service, beautiful view of the lake and an all-around great experience. I have already recommended to MANY people. Word of mouth is the best advertising!!4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAquaHad the Halibut special with mashed potatoes. The potatoes and halibut were really dry and didn't have much flavor at all. Waiter was awesome!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMA great meal by any measure.We went on a busy Saturday night and were surprised that the usual management team was missing. No worries. The service was great, the mussels were particularly good, the wine fairly priced, the eggplant parm way above what you think eggplant parm is. Acqua bounces between very good and great and this night it was great!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Pork Shank was amazing!The Pork Shank was amazing! And the sea-salt caramel desert was delicious! Service was top-notch.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMI had heard a lot of greatI had heard a lot of great things about Acqua so I was prepared for disappointment. However, Acqua exceeded my expectations at all levels. Although a little crowded in the waiting area, the hostess made sure we were comfortable and took our drink orders while our table was readied. The bar and bartenders are top-notch. Our waitress was knowledgeable and very helpful, which was much appreciated given the menu. Oh, what a menu! Though not expansive, it was extremely difficult to choose from what was available. The beef carpaccio, lobster bisque and caesar salad were all excellent. The ossabucco, beef long rib and the Pesci freschi were all can't miss selections. The portions are generous, but we did try the butterscotch budino. Wow!!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAfter the Soccer GameAsked for a late night dining time, 9:30 PM for 6 persons. We were welcomed and accomodated perfectly. The service and the appetizers and of course the entrees were very very good.
Thanks to Darron and his staff for taking such good care of us, again!4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, we were amazedAs always, we were amazed with the food and service. Too bad that something can't be done with noisy children, parents letting them sit at the bar, and, generally making it somewhat difficult to have a conversation with our guests.
Thank you Daron and all involved with Acqua for great food and great service. Hope the Forest Lake restaurant is going well. We're planning on visiting it when it opens.
Betty Gruenewald3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was the most wonderfulThis was the most wonderful preparation of rack of lamb we have EVER had! The combination of flavors was absolutely amazing and perfect. The minted sauce was not overstated. The couscous/ risotto/quinoa and cranberry accompaniement was superbly flavored. This was possibly the best combination of flavors we have ever had. The tiramisou for dessert was also wonderful. Too bad both were specials and not available regularly.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMOur visit was fantastic, fromOur visit was fantastic, from beginning to end. While eating dessert, we were deciding when we would be back. The menu had nice variety, not just 3 entrees to pick from. The portions were perfectly sized. We have spent most of our special nights out in Stillwater, but this is one of the best experiences we have ever had.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMI recently requested the veryI recently requested the very best table for a very special occation, my wifes birthday. They seated us on the top floor with a beautiful view of White Bear lake. Absolutly the best table in the house with top notch food and service.
Roger Bogotty, North Oaks.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AM