ACQUA - White Bear Lake

My family and I had an amazing dinner at ACQUA in White Bear Lake. We got to enjoy a beautiful view of the lake while we ate. The food was seriously so good—everything tasted awesome and looked great too. I had a perfectly cooked salmon with veggies and a creamy sauce that was full of flavor. We also got some amazing seafood with crab legs, shrimp, and lobster, which were super fresh and came with a buttery dipping sauce. Another dish we tried was a delicious fish with crispy broccolini and roasted potatoes, all topped with a tasty lemony sauce. It was such a nice night out, and I’d definitely recommend this place for a special dinner!

The food and service were amazing. Every course was delicious and the presentation was intentional and gorgeous. 😍 3 patios to choose from all with lake views, and the inside is upscale yet warm. Can’t wait to go back! We sat on the second story balcony and ordered the scallops, white tail, sea bass, and Elk. The scallops were the best I’ve ever had in the Midwest.

We had an AMAZING dinner here tonight. Wish I remembered our waitress name!!! Great apps, drinks and entrees were OUTSTANDING. Love the vibe 💯🙌

This is a small restaurant big on flavor. Plenty of options for Celiac's or those avoiding gluten. Make reservations if you are wanting the patio seating as it fills up fast. Not a place to fo if you are in a hurry.

Simply the best. A true fine dining experience. Everything was perfect. Top notch customer service from everyone, especially Rachel, the waitress we had. She provided us with helpful suggestions every step of the way, let us sample wine so we could find what we truly enjoyed, and always checked in on us. Our drink glasses were never empty the entire time we were there. The food was magnificent, a step above all the rest and each bite was delicious from first to last. This place is worth every dollar you spend here. Highly recommended!

Food and service were fantastic. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary here and it was the perfect spot.

Amazing food, fantastic views of the lake from the upper balcony, courteous staff that was attentive but not burdensome, delicious cocktails. Putting it on the list to go back. Worth every penny. Do the wine flight with the three course menu and let the bar do the pairings. You won't be disappointed.

Absolutely amazing! Honestly the best meal I have had. Ambiance was excellent. Servers prompt and kind. I will definitely be back.

Acqua is fantastic! First time we have been there and everything was amazing. The host showed us around so we could pick the best table and we chose outside by the lake. They have the best service. Everyone was so friendly, polite and informative. The food and wine was excellent. Evan our waiter was courteous and spot on. We never had to wait for anything. We definitely will be back!!!

We just had the most casual yet special, luxurious yet comfortable anniversary dinner. First time at Acqua. Lovely views of the water on floor 2, front. We will come back again and again. Bar tender/host who was welcoming and a wonderful mixologist. Tommy our server recommended the best: mussels, elk and scallops with shrimp. Mmmwwwhhhaaw! We also had the Spanish Mugo Reserva. Perfect compliment. $300 experience. Worth every penny. Oh… and Go Twins!

Food was fantastic! Came all the way from NJ and everything was fresh and delicious from the appetizers (crab cakes, caprese salad, shrimp, fresh corn, and apple salad) to the entrees (seared scallops and shrimp scampi) to the desserts ( chocolate souffle cake and NY cheesecake). Daron the owner was especially friendly and attentive give to every detail as was the whole staff. We will definitely be back before our trip home for another meal. Gonna try the Pork Shank then! This was one of the best dinners I have had. If you are in the Minneapolis/St Paul area recommend it as a must stop for dinner. You cant go wrong!

A nice small eatery with a pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. Dinner for 2 runs between $80 & $100. My wife and I tried the 3 course tasting meal. We were offered several terrific choices that we both enjoyed. The shrimp were plump and cooked right. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The mushroom soup pictured below was absolutely delicious.

Went out with my wife for a nice dinner date and enjoyed the 3 course menu. Personally thought the sauce on the pork shank was a bit sweet, but it was quite good. I like the pre-Covid menu, but I understand times change and this was a nice way to have a nice dinner.

Update 5/19/25: Acqua continues to put out some of the highest quality food at reasonable prices. We recently did their Sunday date night $80 for two and the food was immaculate and the service top notch. We had a special request that they were happy to work with us (with proper early warning of course) to accomplish and it made our dinner perfect. Still one of my top destinations for fine dining in/near the twin cities. The Short of it: Cost: $55 / person for 3 course meal Fine dining with large portions. No tiny plates here, I walked away with leftovers and being stuffed. Quality did not take a back seat to portion size though, everything was amazing! The Long of it: The food -------------------- One of, if not the best fine dining experience we've had in the twin cities area. Our food consisted of: Black Cherry tom Collins and St. Germain cocktail, Scallops with blue crab, blue crab cake, roasted beat salad, lobster bisque, glazed pork shank, new york strip, butterscotch budding. Everything was amazing, cooked to perfection. The scallops were the best I've ever had with a beautiful sear and an abundant amount of blue crab on top. If i could have just gotten this for all 3 coursees, I would have. Hands down the winner of the night. I've had lobster bisque in Main and in San Francisco and this had both beat. Amazingly bursting with umami and multiple large chunks of lobster. The main courses were giant, the pork shank was the size of my fist (I have a large fist) and there were healthy portions of all sides. You will not walk away hungry, and will likely have leftovers. The staff - ---------------- The wait staff were all wonderful and worked as a unit. Our waters were neve empty, and we never had a need go unanswered for more than a minute. That being said we also didn't feel rushed or annoyed at any point. They perfectly balanced being helpful without feeling in your face. The setting --------------- This is a unique dining location and looks almost like a converted house. It may not be as fancy as some, but they do not overcrowd the space with tables and it was the perfect, calm, low light date night that I had hoped for. Everything was immaculately clean and even the bathrooms felt top notch. Kudos all around, we will be back several times a year, and bring family moving forward.

Fantastic food and service. The pork chop melted in my mouth. It was a good date spot. May not be the best for kids. Drinks were also top notch.

I highly recommend this restaurant! I was so impressed with the portion sizes and the range of menu items. This restaurant is definitely worth the price you pay. After seeing the portion size and the deliciousness of all the meals, it is definitely worth the price you pay. For appetizer I had the crab cake, which was delicious! Moist and very tasty and a generous portion. The ceasar salad was your typical salad with an elevated crouton and shrimp and lastly the Ragu bolognese was very good. The sauce was meaty and hearty.

If you Yelp this place you'll see the same review I'm posting here. And fyi "we" (my wife and I) loved this place. It's not a place to bring kids. It's more a nice quiet date night place. My wife and I had the pleasure of dining here this evening. Service was outstanding, our server was patient and took the time answering our questions regarding the menu. And she was on the ball throughout our dining experience. The atmosphere was quiet and we enjoyed it very much. Food.. I went with the 3 item tasting menu. Soup of the day Chicken wild rice soup, Chicken Marsala and Butterscotch Budino with Caramel and my wife ordered the Crab Crusted Fresh Alaskan Halibut. The soup was different for me because I'd always order a salad but it was good. It has been a few years since I've had a good Chicken Marsala and I was very pleased with my choice tonight. My wife loved her Halibut, the crust was just perfect, and it wasn't "too fishy" lol. The dessert was delicious! We would both recommend ordering a cup of coffee to go with the Butterscotch Budino with Caramel. It was a very good combination. Overall our date night was a great success. Good conversation and a great dining experience. We will be back again soon.

Amazing service, informative wait staff, and an incredibly intimate environment! Their 3 course menu is put together beautifully. They have very delicious soups we tried the duck soup and the mushroom soup, both were delightfully tasty. They have the most divine lamb chops! All the food we had was flavorful and cooked to perfection. They make an amazing homemade ginger ale that has that perfect bite of ginger to it. The restaurant is small but cozy and there are wonderful views from the windows. Our waiter Bryant did an amazing job explaining the menu options and telling us about the off menu specials. They have a Sunday Date Night menu as well and I assure you that you won't be disappointed by anything you order. Highly recommend this hidden gem to anyone looking for a place to have a romantic dinner!

We had a fantastic time at Acqua! This was our first visit and everything was wonderful. The service (Katie) was impeccable and the food was divine. I love that virtually everything on the menu either is or can be made gluten free. Daron, one of the owners, spent time talking to us and made us feel so welcome. Acqua will become a regular date night spot for us!

In the area for a work trip and we liked it so much the first time we went back twice. There wasn’t anything we didn’t like. Stellar dining room service the first night and sat at the bar the next 2 visit’s and the service there was impeccable as well. If you haven’t been and your reading this review. Here’s your sign!!

Update: After giving Acqua another chance, I am updating a prior review. We decided to try Acqua a second time, and this time it did not disappoint! Our second visit was outstanding all the way around. We once again had a beautiful night on the marina, and our service was again excellent. Waiters and waitresses checked on us frequently and consistently refilled water when needed. Our food this time was just incredible, one of the best meals we’ve had in quite some time. My steak was grilled just to my liking, the seafood was perfection, and the sides and dessert were all quite tasty as well. The scallops really stole the show. We ate every last bit of our food. We’re not sure what happened during our first visit, may have just been an off night, but we now see why people speak so highly of Acqua and why it’s rated as one of the best restaurants in the area. Great place for a special occasion, especially during summer along the marina! Original: We had heard nothing but good things about Acqua and were very excited going here. We had a reservation, were seated out across the road by the marina. Beautiful setting in summer! Our service was excellent all night, frequent water refills, etc. To our surprise, though, the food was terrible. We ordered the walleye and the elk chops. Plating was very nice, but both plates were not good. The taste of the walleye was disgusting, not sure if it was old fish or rotten or what. I usually love fish and am not a picky eater, but this was awful. And the elk, which I ordered medium rare, was mostly well-done throughout most of the meat except one side that was rare. The meat didn’t have much flavor. Potatoes also were just ok. My wife ate about two bites of her entree. Ultimately pretty disappointed. Not sure if it was an off night for the kitchen or what, everyone else seemed to love the food when they went.

Acqua is truly an amazing restaurant. From the food, service and ambiance you can’t get any better. We LOVED the crab fritters, muscles, Italian rigatore pasta, ny strip, lemon cheesecake, and butterscotch budino. Staff was so friendly. Will definitely be back!!

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Acqua this past Friday night. We were delighted to secure a table on your patio, which we appreciated was easily accessible with my power wheelchair and listen to the nearby live music. Our evening began wonderfully with martinis and the New Zealand lamb chops, which were cooked perfectly and served promptly. We especially want to commend our server, Alexa, for her exceptional service. She was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and made our dining experience even better. For the entrée we split the Seafood Feast which was very delicious. Thank you again for a great date night.

Acqua continues to be our favorite location for date night. The food is always phenominal, service always wonderful, and the ambiance is one of a kind. You know a restaurant is well run when the staff stays consistent, and it shows here.

This place had easily become a favorite dinner spot of my husband and I. He enjoys the meats, seafoods, fancy special of the day meals, etc, while I have fallen in LOVE with a few of their appetizers that I end up eating as my main meal- pretty much every visit! The bruchetta and the apple salad are seriously amazing and bursting w/yummy flavors. And those, along with my favorite thing at their restaurant: their creme brulee!! We each eat our own; it's honestly the best custard/caramelized hardened top I have ever had! I'm drooling now just thinking of it 😆😂 great service as well, especially from the owner greeting us, to the attentive servers. All around great dinner stop in beautiful WBL.

I could not possibly give a more positive review. Daron takes great care of Acqua and was coaching up his servers before our event. The food and the service were impeccable. They made our rehearsal dinner a night to remember! Thanks to acqua and the staff you were awesome!

Acqua has a private dining opportunity, which seems unique for the Twin Cities area - and I highly recommend. The restaurant is in a remodeled house on the lake. The dining area in the front room of the house can become a private dining room. We hosted a family celebration for ten people there in January it worked out great. The ambience was cozy and celebratory with the fireplace going. The owner worked with us on the menu and had wine and appetizers in place as we arrived. The service was perfect - attentive and friendly, but not overbearing. The wine list has great options, the food was delicious, and the menu has something for everyone. While the minimum spend for having the whole room is not inexpensive, it is reasonable for the quality of the overall experience.

Visited this place on a work trip as this was our first time here. Lexi was our waitress. I had a couple of my coworkers with me. She took care of us! The food was immaculate! I had the bread with the pesto and honey butter. The ragu bolognaise and to end the night a vanilla bean creme brulee! Highly recommend for great tasting food and top notch service! Thank you Lexi for a wonderful night! It made my night! The other staff members were also friendly and happy to help us as well!

Excellent experience across the board! Our server knew all the details about the food, she was able to give us great recommendations for our first time there. We will definitely be back! We made reservations online (very easy) for the dining area. Beautiful, quite atmosphere with pleasant music playing in the background.

All around a very nice experience. Started with the spicy calamari, which we enjoyed very much. For the main course,We had to Ragu Bolognese and the wild mushroom pasta special. Both were very well prepared and very tasty, but the former was absolutely fantastic. We had a couple of cocktails and glasses of wine which were also very tasty. We really appreciate the waiters who were very well coming and helpful. I really appreciate having such a nice restaurant in the neighborhood. Will be back for sure.

We hosted our grooms dinner at Acqua and it was the most perfect night in every way. Leading up to the event, Daron, the owner, was a fantastic communicator and helped organize a timeline, room layout, menu, and event printable items. On the day, Daron, Patricia, and staff were incredible and food was amazing! All of our guests commented on the impeccable staff and outstanding food and desserts. They were friendly, quick to serve, accommodating in choices, and even gave some great drink pairings with the food. Their service and food are not just for events either. We had come for our first time a few months before to try the food and didn’t mention to anyone that we were doing our groom’s dinner there and had such great entrees and 5 star service that we came back again a couple weeks later to try more. Thank you to the team for such a great night and many more! We cannot we to celebrate all our anniversaries to come at Acqua!

Small restaurant with great ambiance and service. Got to be seated on the deck. Love that they have waterside seating. Appetizers were packed with flavor and delicious. Cocktails were made fresh with no artificial syrups. Mains were so-so. My risotto was a touch under, but proteins were perfect. Scampi was a bit dry, but again, proteins were cooked well. Staff were so wonderful from front end to behind the bar. They truly make sure you’re enjoying the restaurant. I’d definitely go back and try it again.

Mother’s Day Brunch - elevated quality, food, and service. It was a great day and my mother in law, now almost 90, and who thinks Perkins is a good breakfast was blown away.

If a 4.5 rating was an option, I would choose that. Food portions for entrees were larger than expected. Prices were in line with what you'd expect for a nicer restaurant. Food was tasty, but slightly on the rich side. Salmon and risotto was fantastic. Salad was fresh with very light and balanced dressing. Dessert was also good. The highlight of the meal was the cocktails. Very very good. Some of the best we've had at any restaurant. Service was relatively attentive, but not overbearing.

We were there with a big team as a business dinner. Everything was fantastic. I wish they had more vegetarian and vegan options.

I came across this hidden gem while searching for a nice place to take my wife, and I’m glad we decided to give it a try. The location is close to the lake, which makes the area feel peaceful, and parking has never been an issue, which is always a plus. We parked right next to the restaurant in the free lot. Once we were inside we were greeted by the staff. They gave us the option to sit inside, outside on the patio, or even by the water across the street where they have a nice space kind of like a patio as well but with a better view of the lake. We went with the patio, and it was a great choice. For starters, the crab cakes and spicy calamari were both excellent. My wife went with the NY strip, while I tried the special which consisted of crab legs, mashed potatoes, and three shrimp. Everything was cooked perfectly and full of flavor; honestly, it felt like a party in my mouth with each bite. The only minor hiccup was waiting a bit too long for a refill on my wife’s Diet Coke, but aside from that, our server Dave was attentive and made sure we were taken care of. The atmosphere is another highlight. The place is nicely decorated, has a comfortable vibe, and even the bathrooms were well-kept. Overall, the food, service, and setting all came together to make it a wonderful evening. My wife and I will definitely be back.

Came here with high expectations. 4.7 stars is a really nice rating. We had - lamb chops, mussels, some salad, mushroom soup, sea bass and 16 oz I believe a rib eye. The food was extremely disappointing. Chops were over cooked, mussels were undercooked. Steak was tough and it came in as medium well/well done when I asked for medium (no pink in the middle) It has nice views of the late, that's about it.

I made reservations here to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. That said, everything is way, way, way overpriced for what it is. The passion fruit and peach lemonades were $8 each and did not come with free refills. The cheesecake dessert was tasty, but it was literally a 5x5x5 cube—and at $14, the portion size just doesn’t justify the price. The crab cakes ($19) came with only two small cakes. They were delicious, but again, the portion was disappointing. Our total bill was $186.32 after leaving a $20 tip. On top of that, the restaurant charges a 3% fee to offset credit card transactions unless you pay with cash or debit. Tax was nearly $13, and the credit card fee was another $5. Just our entrées (Scallops & Tiger Shrimp Parmesan Risotto with Pancetta and Sicilian Beurre Blanc) were $92—$46 per meal. We also ordered the baguette bread, which most restaurants provide complimentary, but here it cost $8. We were seated upstairs. The first table for two had a nice view, but it was directly over a vent blowing cold air on our legs. The staff tried to cover the vent and steady the wobbly table, but we eventually asked to switch to another spot. The room itself was very cramped, making it hard to have an intimate conversation since we could hear everyone else around us. They really should install proper vent covers rather than trying to block airflow with receipt holders. In short: The 3% surcharge should be eliminated—you’re making plenty from the food prices. $8 for lemonade without free refills is unreasonable. $8 for bread that most places include for free is excessive. The cheesecake portion is far too small for $14. For comparison, Oceanaire in downtown Minneapolis (a true fine dining restaurant marked with $$$$) was actually cheaper for me and my wife. At Oceanaire, we received complimentary fruit, vegetables, bread, and free refills on lemonade. Their cheesecake was five to six times larger for the same price—and actually shareable. We really wanted to love this place, but for what it is, it’s just not worth it. Based on prices alone, it should really be listed with an extra $ symbol.

We ate here last evening. I agree with the review below that for the $65/per person fixed price(++) and the automatic 20% service fee, the food is mediocre at best. Both halibut dishes were overdone, the walleye was bland, the brussel sprouts were average and the portion sizes were too big for a "prix fixe" meal. The butterscotch budino was gritty. All of the desserts as I recall are dairy-based, so no dessert for you if you can't process dairy. The beet salad with a small block of fried goat cheese was the best thing I had. The service was attentive (a tad overconfident) and yes, it's a quaint place. I liked the old menu format better (pre-2020). And a little chocolate on the dessert tray would be great.

Mother’s Day brunch here and by far the worst experience. Food was terrible in my opinion…had high expectations but the Bellini was the only good thing abt my brunch . Highly disappointed and left with a stomachache. Will not recommend!