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aqua nueva

3.4 (102 reviews)
Open • 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

aqua nueva Photos

AQUA NUEVA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Upscale
Classy
Moderate noise
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - aqua nueva

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assorted warm bread rolls
MyGirl L.

It's unfortunate that there are such poor reviews of this place. The atmosphere is trendy and dark with sophisticated decor. The service is not poor as described by other reviewers. Good for nice corporate dinners. It's definitely pricey for the average Joe so if you have a corporate expense account, you may want to pay a visit to this place. Aqua Nueva has a nice selection of Spanish tapas. Check out the photos for a feel of what the portions/dishes look like. The 2006 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva wine is very nice. Cocktails are just OK (nothing too memorable and some are a little watered down for the price you pay). The bread is served warm, which is a pleasant surprise. :) Some tasty dishes include: seared foie gras, hand carved Iberian ham, Spanish salt cod with pig's trotter, and Iberian pork "Secreto" If you like raw oysters and want to eat them with a twist, order the freshly shucked rock oysters on ice with seawater jelly and salmon roe. The cheesecake is nicely presented and tastes very cheesy. So if you like cheesecake with an intense cheese flavor, you should order this dessert. Ladies, put on those nice heels of yours and gentlemen, don't be afraid to wear that fashionable dress shirt with the cool trendy prints and nice jeans. Lastly, don't get lost finding the place. The entrance is like an entrance of a nightclub. After you walk in, take the elevators to the 5th floor. It shares the same entrance as Aqua Kyoto. Upon arriving on the 5th floor, you will walk into the central bar of Aqua Kyoto so you'll need to turn left and walk down the dark corridor towards the bullhead to get to Aqua Nuevo.

View of Oxford Circus
Travis L.

The high-end Japanese lounge look is so overdone (red! black! low-lit! mirrors! Thievery Corporation tracks!) and Aqua Kyoto is no exception. No matter- I came for the rooftop views (and drinks). My experience is a bit one-sided as the west wing of the 5th floor patio, which I heard promises better views, was closed off for a private party. I was then left with vistas of flat Mayfair and beyond, with the only point of interest being a gorgeous dome directly across the street. This is definitely for the sleek and posh, but in no way felt- how do I say it- "douchey". Drinks are pricey as expected. I ordered the Mai Tai Don "Beach Comber", and it nearly knocked me off my feet. Mai Tai's are usually sweet and lightweight...but not this one. It was the most "manly" Mai Tai I've had, so the value was (surprisingly) spot on. Service? Bleh. I just don't understand why people would take a job they're not happy with. They're plenty of people in London who would take bartending jobs and do it with a smile. Unlike the cocktail, it was the service that left me with a sour taste. Would I go back? If friends invite me (and the views I didn't get to see are available). I'm more than happy at The Boundary Rooftop in Shoreditch. Tip: try to beat the after-5 crowd as quickly as you can...the queue to enter the patio during busy times is nerve-wracking.

Felicity L.

The place reminds me of where i used to dine ( when I had money) ! Soho in Hong Kong! dayummmm! anyways all good atmosphere and super nice decor, just romantic. Thumbs up to the date who pick that place. wink wink* or if i misinterpreted , blush blush* anyways, very nice tapas, and nicely craved , instant mouth watering and ready to loose my belt, and prepare to put on weight, food is just nice and they come one after the next, and jesus wine at 3 is just "heaven, i am in heaven" , anyways, good to pick one tapas from each category, so you have a nice range of choices. and best of all, pick a good date, i mean when it is not raining, it is better. but dont worry, there is cloakroom upstairs. so still cozy and romantic, btw , when i say good date, puns intended. LOL

Da Chocolate Mousse !!!
Stefano P.

Aqua Kyoto is one of those places which offer an experience, more than a simple dinner. The main entrance is a hall, and you have to pass by a first "boucers", who checks out your group. If yor go past that screening, then it's fancy fancy ! Great welcome by the receptionists, who help you undress (as in take off your coat), and then take you to a superbly set table. A fter ordering cocktails (a great selection of them !), you can go on the terrace, and take a bling picture of you with London in the background. When it comes to food, oh mama... The sushi are exquisite, tempura are tastylicious (and not greasy at all !), the Udon noodles are crazy, etc. Amazing stuff (though a bit pricey, I admit). For desserts, you'll be spoiled with choice, but the panna cotta crumble is very unique, as is the combination of chocolate mousse and wasabi ice cream ! On the down side, the service is nice, though I've known better... But hey, you'll want to stay there all night !

Chrissy H.

Nice spacious venue with a nice rooftop area. There was a list of cocktails on the menu covering two pages. I requested a pornstar martini which was not on the menu and it tasted how it should. however the prosecco that came on the side was not nice at all, so i left that untouched. The venue is fairly brightly lit up until around 10pm, so it would've been nicer if the lights were dimmed whilst having drinks with friends or with a date.

Dobin-mushi
Herry L.

I was hesitant about booking Aqua Kyoto for a family party having had mediocre reports of its soft opening from a knowledgeable friend, but I should not have worried. You enter through a dark cavern of an entrance opposite the Palladium and take a lift to the top of the old Dickins & Jones building where you are greeted by name - as the result of giving it to the doorman at the entrance - setting the scene for a seriously impressive experience. True, the decor is more Hong Kong nightclub than Japanese, but we were immediately taken with the space and lack of crowding - though the room was full. We sat at a comfortable banquette table where talk was eminently possible and were served by a Japanese waitress who explained the dishes to us carefully, Zuma-style, but also managed to impress my wife, who is herself Japanese, with her knowledge. We had a dazzling array of dishes; so many that I can't recall exactly which they were, though the dobin-mushi (fish soup in a kettle) stood out as entirely authentic and delicious and the crab and other sushi dishes were uniformly excellent. The black cod was every bit as good as Nobu and twice the size and the beef was succulent melting perfection. The most important ingredient - the rice and tofu (about which we agree with sherlocksteel) were impeccable, causing us to recall similar great meals taken in Kyoto and Hong Kong. Importantly too, we were able to chose a good dry sake from the short list that was exactly what we wanted and wasn't impossibly priced. An unexpectedly fine experience; and not at all expensive for this quality at £280 for five.

Infinity Sunday buffet
Susy C.

This place is one of a Hong Kong based chain that has some international outlets. It is part bar, part Japanese restaurant, part Spanish restaurant and part lovely roof terrace overlooking Regent Street. The place was very empty on a Sunday afternoon, so great for outside drinks on a sunny day. As previous reviewers have commented, it is all dark wood and chic low lighting. The decor is probably more suited to night time, and the loos were particularly badly lit (but chic-ly so). In the daytime, the dark entrance means that you could miss the greeter downstairs, who checks that you have a reservation before you ride the lift up to the 5th floor. We went for the infinity Sunday brunch at the Japanese restaurant. Basically £35 for a 3 hour all you can eat starter buffet (sushi, some robata grill items, some fried items and udon noodles with mushrooms), followed by mains (a choice of chicken teriyaki, pork, squid tempura or a vegetarian dish) and dessert (ice creams, a selection of mochi ice creams or a chocolate pudding). Add £20 and you have unlimited Veuve Clicquot champagne for 2 hours. The staff were efficient at topping up the champagne, so no complaints there, and the manager took pains to make good a mistake made by the reservation staff. The food, sadly, was just average. The sushi not particularly fresh, the pork main really quite forgettable, the chicken main passable and the squid tempura nice, not greasy, but bland. Desserts were the highlight food wise, although after a few glasses of champagne, a good afternoon was had by all.

Leza S.

Team GB for Olympics 2016 were kind enough to invite me down to their clubhouse at Aqua Nueva to watch Team GB compete that night. The event included free food and drinks all night aswell as big screens to watch the action, and live Brazilian entertainment including Capoeira and samba women. The clubehouse was cordoned off so I only really experienced part of the venue, which was very spacious with little seating but had a large bar. The place was packed, noisy and too bustling to actually watch the Olympics on the big screens however. Not a bad place to hold the event.

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Review Highlights - aqua nueva

“Aqua Kyoto is one of those places which offer an experience, something more than just a Japanese dinner.”

Mentioned in 18 reviews

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El Parador - Interior

El Parador

4.3(42 reviews)
1.3 mi•Euston, Camden Town
•££

Thank you, Yelp app and fellow Yelpers for directing me to this little tapas restaurant on…read moreEversholt Street. It's a little unassuming family run restaurant but with serious intent from the kitchen. I was offered a table in the main dining room or the garden when I walked in - as we are in the middle of 'Wimbledon week showers', I chose to dine indoors. The menu was written in impressively authentic sounding terms but closer inspection revealed some fusion going on - lemongrass, tumeric and enoki mushrooms being amongst the ingredients on show. I'm up for a bit of fusion as long as it doesn't end in con-fusion! Having confirmed that I was hungry, the helpful waiter suggested getting 3 dishes. I couldn't help myself and went for the fusion sounding dishes. Panceta con cidra was pork belly, rolled and marinated with garlic, black pepper and dill, braised in Asturian cider. I zoom in pork belly whenever I see it and this version has been slowly cooked to melting tenderness with the dill coming through strongly - it didn't need the wedge of lemon which came with it and I enjoyed it as it arrived. Pollo a la plancha del Parador were a pair of chicken thighs marinated in lemon grass, turmeric, garlic & coriander and cooked on the plancha (grill). I prefer dark meat as it remains moist and the oriental kick wasn't too overwhelming. When the waiter said the Higadillos Salteados (chicken livers with Iberico Jamon, enoki mushrooms, shallots, black pepper and butter) would be served pink inside, I smiled - nice to see a restaurant willing to serve food as it should be cooked and not pander to squeamish guests. These were a delight and to get some Iberico ham from acorn-fed pigs was a bonus. This is tapas of the highest order, given a little twist. A little Yelp gem which deserves its high star rating.

This is a really pretty and quaint, family run Spanish Restaurant... I grant this place 5 stars due…read moreto its divine food and admorible hospitality. Situated on quite a quiet street, it is well worth taking a visit. With a choice of over 40 tapas, all very well priced and utterly delicious. Your choice of dish will flirt wildly with all senses and deliver all promises. I am always very happy to find a restaurant which has a diverse yet experienced selection of fish. El Parador specialises in scallops, Halibut, and crab... although they were many others still left to be tried. The interior Decor, to me seemed rather french with little white table clothes and a smart yet gentle ambience. The wine list was impressive to say the least, with over 30 bottles of wine, in the price range of £13-30, with over 15 available by glass. The lunchtime menu has a special offer of 3 tapas for the price of two.

Photos
El Parador - Downstairs

Downstairs

El Parador
El Parador

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Camino

Camino

3.6(112 reviews)
1.4 mi•King's Cross
•££

Such a hidden gem! Visited here with a friend during our latest trip to London and was pleasantly…read moresurprised I do suggest making a reservation ahead of time because it can get pretty packed and rightfully so! The food was so good, great ambience was great with good music and the service was very good as well. We ordered a combination of tapas and main dishes and loved everything except for the tortilla de patata which was unfortunately very very runny and just not to our liking at all. Parking was unfortunately quite difficult as it usually is with most things in London. Everything else was fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves

This restaurant was recommended by a few friends so we were so excited to try. And boy they were so…read moreright. The food is delicious. Simply delicious. Literally is the sort of Spanish flavor that you can hardly find in London. Highly recommend their suckling pig and the squid ink rice. My god that was so good I wanted to encore. Anchovies on crisps is very interesting but others dishes are not as amazing as what I have mentioned. But don't get me wrong! Everything was so good. Just these things that's so outstanding I had to highlight it. The wait staff was so nice too. We didn't know how much to order so we just keep on ordering but she actually tell us when to stop and turns out the portion was perfect for the two of us. Also we love a good jug of sangria. We made a mistake and didn't tell them to go easy on ice but you make sure to do that so you don't have to pay for half a jug of ice! Only thing I have to moan is the ambiance because it wasn't anything extraordinary. Very commercial very ordinary. Anyway, give it a go and I think you'll enjoy it!

Photos
Camino - Reception area

Reception area

Camino
Camino

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aqua nueva - tapas - Updated October 2026

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