Restaurateurs know how difficult it is to open one restaurant concept with one menu. But Aqua New York has doubled down, operating two distinct kitchens serving two distinct cuisines, all under one roof.
The restaurant opened November 11 in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. It inhabits a two-story, 24,000-square-foot space, with design motifs pulled from Japan and Italy, and accommodates 432 guests across the dining rooms and bar. There are also three 10-person private dining rooms and a private lounge space with a DJ station.
The restaurant is the latest project by Aqua Restaurant Group, which has a deep stable of international restaurants, including Aquas in London and Hong Kong. This is their third restaurant in the U.S. after the high-end Chinese spot Hutong in New York and Miami.
The Aqua Spirit bar seats 44 and serves cocktails, sakes and wines. Photo credit: Aqua New York
Aqua New York is internally broken down into Aqua Roma, which serves Italian food, and Aqua Kyoto, which serves Japanese food. Behind the scenes, each has its own kitchen and its own dedicated team of chefs.
Guests are presented with one à la carte menu — Aqua Roma reads front to back; Aqua Kyoto reads back to front — and can order dishes from one or both.
David Yeo, founder and CEO of Aqua Restaurant Group, describes the concept “not as fusion, but as two distinct cuisines that pair together perfectly.”
The two cuisines were chosen intentionally, with the belief that Italian and Japanese food share the same culinary philosophy. Both focus on sourcing the best, freshest produce and preparing it simply, so the natural flavors shine through.
The especially long sushi bar has 22 seats. Photo credit: Aqua New York
Italian dishes include red prawn carpaccio with basil oil and caviar, linguine alle vongole, and a lobster pizzetta topped with fresh lobster medallions, Sardinian mullet bottarga and lemon zest.
Japanese dishes include an extensive nigiri and maki selection served at a 22-seat sushi bar, which Aqua said is the longest sushi bar in the city. Entrees include A5 Miyazaki beef with egg tofu and pickled shimeji mushrooms, and a miso black cod that’s marinated for seven days in miso and sake, and then skewered and char-grilled.
It’s entirely reasonable — and encouraged — for diners to order sushi and also pizza or pasta. Those who want to share can fill their tables with dishes from both Aqua Roma and Aqua Kyoto to sample both menus.
The pervasive two-in-one theme naturally extends to the bar. The 44-seat oval bar is dubbed Aqua Spirit and provides a dramatic anchor point to the restaurant, with an art installation of ropes reaching up to the 25-foot-high ceilings. It serves Japanese sakes, Italian wines, and cocktails inspired by both countries, like a Negroni riff made with fat-washed vermouth and a raspberry sour made with Japanese vodka.
