MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

No detail goes unnoticed at this sleek beauty, where black-suited servers line the dining room. The overall design of Aquavit is clean and contemporary—with dark floors, wood tabletops and high-backed leather chairs. Courses are plated on beautiful dishware; expect wood boxes, slate platters and glazed earthenware. The kitchen does many things well, but what makes it one of the more unique in the city is Chef Emma Bengtsson's ability to take bold Scandinavian flavors like dill, lingonberry, smoke or brine and soften them into balanced, whimsical and elegant dishes. Take for example, a sheet of raw Colorado Wagyu draped over pickled leeks and carefully strewn with pumpernickel croutons. Then delicately cooked Dover sole is plated with crisp apple, parsnip, and excellently seasoned pork cheek ragù for a veritable study in harmonious flavors. Finally, opt for the namesake aquavit, offered in house-made flavors like anise-caraway-fennel or fig-cardamom, to team with such treats as a “nest” of honey tuile threads cradling three small “eggs” composed of white chocolate and frozen goat cheese. Pure bliss, indeed. If you find yourself across the pond, visit the one-starred sister in London.