Recommends

bentinder80

Joined 4 years ago

Charming place with Good Food!. I took my girlfriend here for our anniversary, and it was really romantic and the perfect place for it. I made the reservation a few weeks in advance and mentioned it was for an anniversary. As soon as we walked in, the hostess took us to a really nice table in a room with a lot of wines on the wall. It was very cozy. Our waiter stopped by and told us about some of the specials and then got us some drinks. We both had a wine by the glass since I like red and my girlfriend likes white. Both were very good and matched up with our food well. I had the NY steak which had a really nice wine sauce that was perfect for my red wine. My girlfriend had the halibut, which she said was light and went with her wine, too. The server brought out a special dessert for us with a candle to celebrate our anniversary, which I thought was a nice touch. A lot of places don't seem to go that extra mile to make you feel special, but they did. Even though the restaurant was really busy, our waiter and bus person did a great job on checking on us and making sure we were taken care of. I really couldn't think of any cons to our great night here!

Recommends

RachelEPC

Joined 5 years ago

Yummay!. I love this place... in fact I can't get enough! Perhaps I am biased as I have a personal relationship with one of the managers however I don't get why and how this place has received poor reviews. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no food pro or restaurant connoisseur. I am a simple diner, the kind easily contented by the bread alone? None the less, my taste buds are in excellent working condition, my palate is keen to flavor and my judgment- critical yet very honest. The food, although pricey is superb, they have the most amazing salads with tantalizing fresh flavor, my favorite, the Insalata Mandarino. Avocado and citrus flavor complimented by candied almonds and feta cheese soused with a tarragon vinaigrette? a meal in itself! The dinner menu is quite extensive and has some very fancy entrees however if you are like me, you will be happily satisfied with the less pretentious Mac and Cheese. However, if you prefer the more ?classy? menu, bring your reading glasses and perhaps a good source of light and prepare to be impressed.

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lexmonster

Joined 5 years ago

the best chef and a lovely place!. When i first stepped foot into the place I was blown away by how cute it was. This place is the best for adventurous eaters and picky ones. Chef Demaso Lee is the BEST chef, he accomidates to the best of his abilities. Alot of high end chefs are rude and its "my way or the high way" Not this chef he is truely in it for the love of the food and making customers happy.

I HIGHLY suggest making a reservation and being on time! There are only 10 tables TOPS that have views but i assure you that the rest of the place is beautiful to sit in too. You can request a view table but there are NO promises.

The wine list is extensive and waiters are well knowledged in them. This is a great place to dine with great selections! I know from lots of experience since i have worked there. If you are going to dine in La Jolla this is the place to be!

Doesn't Recommend

azngurlfoodie

Joined 5 years ago

What happened to this place? It used to be good.. My husband and I have dined here multiple times and the first several visits were very good. Our last two dining experiencing however, was terrible! Last night we arrived and were seated promptly which we thought was a good sign that things are better again, however, it took them 50 minutes to give us our bread (good thing we had each other and conversation to pass time) but as time went on, and as I got hungrier, we realized that 1 hour and 15 minutes had elasped and we still did not receive our appetizer and other diners around us was already contemplating dessert. The waiter apologized for the delay, letting us know that the kitchen had burned our lobster bisque and was making a new one for us. Since we had both also ordered salads, I dont know why they didnt give that to us first during our wait or offered to serve us our salad or replenish our bread (by 9pm we were famished!). What was upsetting to us, is that people who dined around us arrived after us, but aso left before we received our main entree. While they enjoyed some semblance of service, we felt we were totally forgotten. By the time we received our check, we were the last patrons at the restaurant. They had forgotten about us again because the waiter did not come by to pick up the check and since we had been there for 2.5 hours, we decided enough was enough and brought the check to them. Its a shame because this used to be one of my favorite places, but it seems the food and the service has took a turn for the worse. Since this is my second bad dining experience at Aqua in a row, I plan not to return to this restaurant and I urge you to try neighingboring restaurants that have much better food and service.

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elvis66x

Joined 5 years ago

AMAZING in all regards. I am dumbfounded by the poor reviews. I would rate this one of the top restaurants I have ever been to. My wife and I travel all over the world and eat out regularly in the country's finest restaurants and few can even approach comparison to this one. The food is the best! The lobster potpie is worth every penny - it should be shared for sure as it is huge. The crab salad is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten and not to be missed. The views are incredible. The service always top notch. For those who left bad reviews, you must be used to eating at Chili's or Friday's where the idea is to turn the table as quickly as possible. This is more like a great European restaurant where you are given time to enjoy your food and wine and not be hurried. Service is there when you need it, but no one hovers over you pushing you along. Don't believe the poor ratings, this place is the best!

Recommends

dazie11

Joined 5 years ago

Okay. I think this place may be a little over-rated. We had a reservation on valentines day which was freezing for those who recall. Anyway when we got there they sat us outside because they said there was no other seating available. So then they sat some other people outside with us (we were the only ones out there) and said it was all that was available unless you had a reservation... WAIT A MINUTE?! Well we made a stink and were moved inside. The Baked Brie was fabulous but their famous $50 Lobster Pot-pie tasted like Marie Calenders. Everything came really fast too like it just came out of the microwave. The only reason I sat without complaints other than the seating was because I didn't want to hurt my hubby's feelings. I won't be going there again unless someone else is buying. The waiter was really nice though.

Doesn't Recommend

marcelopadovani

Joined 5 years ago

Terrible Customer Experience (02/15/08). 02/15/08 Friday 7pm

The food was good but the service is not worth.

The waitress was slow and he had a terrible attitude when he started laughing because we have decided to share a salad before the pasta. This is because the salad was very small but he did not tell us about it.

We were ignored for many times because we didn't order a bottle of wine and he was wasting his time with us.

t took fifteen minutes before our water appeared and the espresso coffee was horrible.

Recommends

Erin Chambers

Joined 7 years ago

Hilltop restaurant with cove and ocean views boasts one of La Jolla's finest Italian menus.. The Scene
Reminiscent of a hillside in Portofino, Italy, this fine Mediterranean destination's perch above La Jolla Cove is among the most prime real estate in the city. Enter through the covered patio and you'll see multilevel terraces connected by trumpet vines, ceramic tile walkways and strung lights. Tables are quiet, well-separated and often occupied by couples or groups celebrating special occassions. From starters to entrees, the flavors here are rich and Mediterranean. Baked greenlip mussels with bread crumbs, garlic and fresh herbs have been a signature dish for 11 years for good reason. Both steak preparations--filet and New York strip--are divine entrees as well, but it's the seafood dishes like baked jumbo shrip with Parmesan bread crumbs and pastas like wild mushroom and black truffle-filled ravioli that shine.

Recommends

jo_se

Joined 6 years ago

Very nice place. Had dinner there with an old friend. Mussels were yummy for my tummy and the wine we had was an excellent pairing for our meal.....go check it out...

Recommends

cpkeebs

Joined 6 years ago

Great for any occasion!. My husband took me here and it was the best restaurant I've been to in a very long time. The food is amazing, especially the mussels. The wine selection was great and the ambience was perfect. It is high-class, without being pretentious or stuffy. I'll definitely go back when I'm in the La Jolla area.