Aqua

Pros: Amazing seafood concoctions
Cons: A little loud.

If it’s possible to make a meal better than the one Aqua served me tonight, I’d be hard pressed to believe there are words to describe how exquisite that meal would be. As it is, I was so overwhelmed with pleasure following my meal, it seemed pointless...

Pros: Some great dishes, gracious service
Cons: Extraordinarily noisy, a few culinary misses

Ever since my Beau was wowed by the meal we had at Aqua in Las Vegas, I knew I had to take him to the original Aqua in San Francisco for his birthday. A brilliant idea, if I do say so myself….

The quick story

• Small...

Pros: Appetizers, desserts, friendly waiters and great bar.
Cons: Rude sommelier, long wait for a table, expensive, main dishes weren't worth the price

First off, I’d like to say this is my second review on epinions and I think I missed my calling as a ...

Pros: Comfortable, willing if not really accomplished waiters, fresh raw materials.
Cons: Not an intimate room, small portions at very expensive prices, confused and confusing service.

AQUA is one of the premiere seafood venues of San Francisco. Perched near a corner at 252 California Street, between Front and Battery Streets, it is within that golden wedge known as The Financial District. Here, from modest beginnings 150 years ago,...

Pros: creative and delicious seafood.
Cons: very expensive.

Aqua is about the food, in particular, the seafood. I've
always heard a lot of hype about the setting with the $150,000 annual flower budget, etc. and that's impressive. But the food is fancy and simple and delicious. We had the 5-course tasting...

Pros: Amazing seafood, great winelist, classy decor and ambience
Cons: Expensive, hard to get a reservation

Aqua simply is the best seafood restaurant in San Francisco, a city known for its seafood. Aqua deserves this honor because every aspect of the restaurant, from cuisine, service, decor, ambience and wine selection are top notch.

To experience...

Pros: Expertly seasoned food, with dishes that complement one another
Cons: Expensive enough that I cannot go there that often

I rarely ever finish my entire lunch - at the middle of the day, I'm just not hungry enough, usually. When I've been at Aqua, though, no matter how much I think "I'll just get a salad or something small" as I walk over for lunch, as soon as I...

Pros: Excellent seafood, inventive dishes, extensive wine list, comfortable & stylish setting
Cons: Rigid atmosphere, limited availability of special dishes

The bottom line is Aqua serves excellent food. The staff is zealously attentive. The wine list is superb, and the sommelier very knowledgeable.
However, the atmosphere is very rigid. Not the actual setting, which is lovely as well as comfortable,...

Pros: Tuna Tartare!!, Wine list
Cons: Can be crowded and very noisy

I have been to Aqua a number of times and have always had great service and great food, although the atmosphere can be crowded and noisy. I would recommend making reservations, since they can be quite crowded during both lunch and dinner. Expect at...

Pros: Great food, knowledgeable staff.
Cons: Trendy.

I've only been to this restaurant twice so I'm probably not an expert on it, but let my low visit count speak for itself.

Atmosphere:
I have never been to a more pretentious restaurant in my life. The decor is contemporary with a dash of...

Pros: Food is good. Elegant restaurant.
Cons: Small portions; inconsiderate staff; long wait.

We showed up on time for our 8:15 reservation and were told they were "running late" and that we could wait at the bar (party of two, a Tuesday night). ONE HOUR later we were finally seated, with no apology for the extreme wait.

Food was...

Pros: Nice coat-check person
Cons: Too many egos spoil the broth

Finally a restaurant for the post-90's flagellation crowd... want an insult with that over-priced fare? I've got just the place for you... Before you dine with your party, be sure you, as the host, have a plan for how you want everything to be done -...

Pros: Great Seafood and Stellar Service
Cons: NONE!

I loooooove Aqua. For a business or a romantic occasion, Aqua is the sure place to be. It is THE best place in the Bay Area for seafood without any doubt. Aqua is known as a somewhat formal restaurant for its ambiance, but the service is superb with a...

Pros: In a city lacking any sense of real service. This has it.
Cons: A meal for three cost $500.

It was my best friends, birthday. He's such a pup, learning the ways of life, so we felt that we should take him to a great restaurant where they would wait on him. This was his night to be empowered, we weren't going to help him pick out the wine, a...

Pros: Food to write home about
Cons: A staff that's decidedly not having fun.

Aqua was a combined experience for me and my party. On the plus side, the food was just out of this world. The Tuna Tar Tar and the Lobster Pot Pie were just fantastic. On the minus side was the generally uptite staff that just seemed to be bothered by...