Aqua

Great food, great service, perfect ambiance. Just what I needed

+2

I enjoyed the Crabcake dinner and lemon drop martinis amongst friends 💕 The patio area is the perfect backdrop especially during sunset #sexy

We had a delightful evening at Aqua! The service was great, everyone enjoyed their meals, the tables & chairs were comfortable, and everything is well laid out in the restaurant: you don't feel squished in like some places. And I did love the look/feel of the decor. Truly, we will go back again for the sushi (and I loved the mushroom ravioli). My only advice to management (should they read this): fix the blue recessed accent lighting in the ceiling. It is pretty, but by our table one section was out and another section would flash *brightly* occasionally prompting someone to ask if they were hallucinating or did we all see that weird flash of color. That aside, the food is excellent and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Great place for food in a hotel. Had breakfast here every morning while staying and had lunch twice. The drinks were amazing and the food was amazing. Our waitress was very friendly and remembered small things that made the difference. Shocked this place is not busier.

Nice place inside the Hilton that we thought was a buffet because it looks like that from the windows.... But we sat out on the patio under the lights and it was beautiful. The food was delicious and the appetizer portions are enormous so you definitely can share them. Our server was beyond friendly and took care of us very well.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is as quiet and low key. It was just what I was looking for after work. The fish tacos were delightful. The potato soup was hearty and filling. The bartender, Jimmy, was attentive. He gave exceptional customer service.

Had reservations for a graduation dinner at Aqua. Food was fantastic! The chef made the graduate a beautiful dessert platter. Chris our waiter was awesome. Great place for special events.

Food was delicious. The drinks were pricey but good. Service was great. The view is beautiful.

To Joe, Chris, and all other management and staff of AQUA: you gave us 5 star service! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 We held a 60th Birthday Celebration for my mother and this crew just were so accommodating from beginning to end! Setup was timely, actually very early. We had everything we needed. We were checked on often. If we needed scissors they got it. We needed tablecloth they got it. They stored the cake in the fridge until the time. Alyssa our server was on it! There was another server assisting as well. But, we had a big party and it didn't seem to fluster her or anyone! Just sooooo accommodating! Made my mother feel so special and all of our friends as well! The food was good, but the service is what puts you over the top for this review! Kudos to all! ❤️

Tampa’s best kept secret!! We wanted an option for outdoor seating that offered fresh menu options. Our lunch was exceptional, service was fantastic and we will return. So many healthy options to choose from as well. It’s OK to cheat with a dessert!

Great food! Had the Aqua burger and Tuscan flatbread. Even though the scenery includes the highway, it's not tremendously distracting. Keith, our server, was great, personable, amicable! If there's any issue with service, ask for Keith.

The best black bean burger and sweet potato fries I’ve ever had! Great service and view! Pleasantly surprised after reading the mixed reviews. Note for management: I suggest designating a smoking area away from the outdoor dining. (Several people came out while I was eating and filled the dining area with smoke.)

I ended up eating breakfast here on a business trip because it was included with my room. I very much enjoyed the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich and the Starbucks coffee. The service was excellent.

This was my first visit to Aqua and it was wonderful! I went here for a lunch meeting for work and was pleasantly surprised. View/Decor - It has a nice waterfront view from most of the seats in the restaurant. Patio seating is also available. During the colder "Winter" months the patio has the heater towers. The entrance door has a neat metalworks fish adorning the top. There is also a peaceful waterfall upon the entrance. Since this restaurant is at the base of the Westin Hotel, there is random artwork throughout the waiting area and bathroom foyer. Waitstaff was pleasant and professional. Food - I ordered the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich. This sandwich has a thick juicy chicken breast topped with roasted tomato, and sauteed spinach covered with fresh buffalo mozzarella(way better than regular cow's milk mozz), all between two chiabota rolls coated with basil pesto. The fries were good. I asked for double fried and they delivered extra crispy fries! Bonus points! Adult Beverages - I ordered the Very Berry Mojito. The drink was fantastic! It definitely needed to be strained a bit as the fresh organic blackberries contain a lot of seeds. The mint was fresh, in beautiful shape, had a nice color and is also organic! Great choice in drinks.

I had the sirloin steak and it was delicious! 😋 not a fan of this cut steak...I'm a filet mignon type of gal...buy this was yummy! They will be expanding their menu soon! ...came here a couple of years back and was surprised to see their menu so scaled back bit it was awesone!

Jeepjkgrrl Jshore

Great place for food in a hotel. Had breakfast here every morning while staying and had lunch twice. The drinks were amazing and the food was amazing. Our waitress was very friendly and remembered small things that made the difference. Shocked this place is not busier.

Kim Seese

Nice place inside the Hilton that we thought was a buffet because it looks like that from the windows.... But we sat out on the patio under the lights and it was beautiful. The food was delicious and the appetizer portions are enormous so you definitely can share them. Our server was beyond friendly and took care of us very well.

Katrena Hardy

The atmosphere of the restaurant is as quiet and low key. It was just what I was looking for after work. The fish tacos were delightful. The potato soup was hearty and filling. The bartender, Jimmy, was attentive. He gave exceptional customer service.

Helena Riihiaho

Had reservations for a graduation dinner at Aqua. Food was fantastic! The chef made the graduate a beautiful dessert platter. Chris our waiter was awesome. Great place for special events.

Michele A

Food was delicious. The drinks were pricey but good. Service was great. The view is beautiful.

Jennifer Selver

To Joe, Chris, and all other management and staff of AQUA: you gave us 5 star service! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 We held a 60th Birthday Celebration for my mother and this crew just were so accommodating from beginning to end! Setup was timely, actually very early. We had everything we needed. We were checked on often. If we needed scissors they got it. We needed tablecloth they got it. They stored the cake in the fridge until the time. Alyssa our server was on it! There was another server assisting as well. But, we had a big party and it didn't seem to fluster her or anyone! Just sooooo accommodating! Made my mother feel so special and all of our friends as well! The food was good, but the service is what puts you over the top for this review! Kudos to all! ❤️

Brigitte Ferdinandsen

Tampa’s best kept secret!! We wanted an option for outdoor seating that offered fresh menu options. Our lunch was exceptional, service was fantastic and we will return. So many healthy options to choose from as well. It’s OK to cheat with a dessert!

Mari

Great food! Had the Aqua burger and Tuscan flatbread. Even though the scenery includes the highway, it's not tremendously distracting. Keith, our server, was great, personable, amicable! If there's any issue with service, ask for Keith.

Victoria Petersen

The best black bean burger and sweet potato fries I’ve ever had! Great service and view! Pleasantly surprised after reading the mixed reviews. Note for management: I suggest designating a smoking area away from the outdoor dining. (Several people came out while I was eating and filled the dining area with smoke.)

Josh

I ended up eating breakfast here on a business trip because it was included with my room. I very much enjoyed the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich and the Starbucks coffee. The service was excellent.

Sarah M.

This was my first visit to Aqua and it was wonderful! I went here for a lunch meeting for work and was pleasantly surprised. View/Decor - It has a nice waterfront view from most of the seats in the restaurant. Patio seating is also available. During the colder "Winter" months the patio has the heater towers. The entrance door has a neat metalworks fish adorning the top. There is also a peaceful waterfall upon the entrance. Since this restaurant is at the base of the Westin Hotel, there is random artwork throughout the waiting area and bathroom foyer. Waitstaff was pleasant and professional. Food - I ordered the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich. This sandwich has a thick juicy chicken breast topped with roasted tomato, and sauteed spinach covered with fresh buffalo mozzarella(way better than regular cow's milk mozz), all between two chiabota rolls coated with basil pesto. The fries were good. I asked for double fried and they delivered extra crispy fries! Bonus points! Adult Beverages - I ordered the Very Berry Mojito. The drink was fantastic! It definitely needed to be strained a bit as the fresh organic blackberries contain a lot of seeds. The mint was fresh, in beautiful shape, had a nice color and is also organic! Great choice in drinks.

Migz Maya

I had the sirloin steak and it was delicious! 😋 not a fan of this cut steak...I'm a filet mignon type of gal...buy this was yummy! They will be expanding their menu soon! ...came here a couple of years back and was surprised to see their menu so scaled back bit it was awesone!

This review is for brunch and breakfast only. The brunch was excellent. We had Avocado Toast and Turkey Eggs Benedict. The Avocado Toast was on a nice size piece of bread perfectly toasted with loads of avocado, sun dried tomatoes, translucent onions and reduced balsamic vinegar. The Turkey Eggs Benedict was also perfect. The eggs were not over cooked so the yolk was runny. Each one of the 2 pieces was on an oversized toasted English muffin style bread with a sizable slice of deli smoked turkey and tomato. I asked for the spinach on the side. The stomach was fresh and lightly cooked. For these 2 dishes, they deserve a 5 rating. The weakness is the coffee and orange juice. The coffee tasted watery and the orange juice was not fresh. When I go to local bakeries near my home in the Northeast, they serve fresh squeezed orange juice. Being in Florida, I can't understand why they don't serve it here.

The location is good if you’re staying in the Westin Hotel. Service and food are ok

A piano bar, a wine room with a private table and a terrace overlooking Tampa Bay, with seafood, sushi and a well stocked bar.

+6

I went here for my birthday. The views were nice, but it was raining when I went. I think our waiter must have been new, he was nice but seemed confused sometimes. The I had oysters and sushi roll. It was good and my friends also liked their food. Overall a pleasant experience.

Good restaurant, pet friendly hotel so pet friendly restaurant thank you 🙏 ❤️. You can have your furry friend inside with you if they are leashed and behaved. I always enjoy eating here it’s a nice walk from the apartment complexes. Very nice staff, they give you extra sauces no problem Sushi is no longer here !!

Chicken wings were good, the side veggies were not fresh. The flat bread pizza is a good option from their menu. Location close to highway so you hear vehicles driving be prepared for the noise. Servers were very polite and welcoming.

A quick spot if you are staying on the Westin. The turkey club was absolutely delicious as well as the fries. I would eat both again at any time but bring your appetite since they load you up. The negative was the wait time but the staff were overwhelmed so not blaming them.

Want to start by saying the breakfast staff was GREAT!! The ban bang shrimp cocktail was delicious and is not really shrimp cocktail. It’s bang bang shrimp served in a cocktail glass. The Paloma and Blueberry margarita’s were good as well. I had to take off the one star because the bartender dropped the jigger on the floor and picked it back up and continued to use it 😒

Wm Mak

Good restaurant, pet friendly hotel so pet friendly restaurant thank you 🙏 ❤️. You can have your furry friend inside with you if they are leashed and behaved. I always enjoy eating here it’s a nice walk from the apartment complexes. Very nice staff, they give you extra sauces no problem Sushi is no longer here !!

Shanice M

Chicken wings were good, the side veggies were not fresh. The flat bread pizza is a good option from their menu. Location close to highway so you hear vehicles driving be prepared for the noise. Servers were very polite and welcoming.

Matt Davis

A quick spot if you are staying on the Westin. The turkey club was absolutely delicious as well as the fries. I would eat both again at any time but bring your appetite since they load you up. The negative was the wait time but the staff were overwhelmed so not blaming them.

Dane Ly

Want to start by saying the breakfast staff was GREAT!! The ban bang shrimp cocktail was delicious and is not really shrimp cocktail. It’s bang bang shrimp served in a cocktail glass. The Paloma and Blueberry margarita’s were good as well. I had to take off the one star because the bartender dropped the jigger on the floor and picked it back up and continued to use it 😒

I love fish tacos- unfortunately these fell short. Soft corn tortillas either were stale or massively overheated- they were dry and pasty, and disintegrated as soon as I picked them up so I had to eat my tacos with a fork. Ordered seltzer water- expecting it from the bar but got a $7 bottled one instead. It was open so I couldn’t send it back. Summary: expensive, underwhelming.

Had Aqua burger, and it wasn’t that good. I expected better burger if it has restaurnt’s name in front. Also, the service is very slow.

The customer service and views were very nice. The food was mediocre and over priced for the taste.

I haven’t been here in years but the menu has changed a lot. The menu is really small and not as extensive as it used to be. I’m assuming it’s a new chef. The drinks were okay. I asked for an industry standard espresso martini since theirs is made with Hennessy. And I had ice chunks in my martini. They have high class prices with mediocre quality. But the service is good. The quality needs to match prices. But in a hotel this is expected.

The garlic fries are AMAZING! The steak was meh. I requested medium-rare and what I received was pretty close to well done. I didn't send it back, I was starving, and out of the seven guests, my order was the last to arrive, almost 10 minutes after the initial plates arrived. The server didn't return after we were all finally served to check and see if we needed anything. I had to get up and to get her... It's not a terrible restaurant; no one else had any complaints about their food. I personally feel the quality does not match the cost. Our final bill was about $350 and it was definitely not worth it as far as service and taste. Lastly, the Old Fashioned was pretty decent.

The food is good but should be great for the price. My bartender was Jimmy, and he was so very helpful with suggestions, and 8 scallops risotto is too heavy in oil. Glazed salmon was flavorless. The shrimp cocktail was good. Second trip I loved the service and the fantastic view the food was ok..I had to try a few things. I would love more flavor and spices in the dishes that are prepared.

It’s inside Westin Tampa Bay & no breakfast buffet and have to buy the breakfast separate if you are not added part of your westin stay. If you are adding extra items you end up paying almost $19 for breakfast😩 Dinner and lunch items are high priced so it’s recommended only if you have no option to drive around and get food. In our airway Costa Mesa most of the time not much paper are dining in. customer service was OK but not great. The management has to really look options for getting customer inside restaurant👍👍👍👎🏿👎🏿

Raj Ven

It’s inside Westin Tampa Bay & no breakfast buffet and have to buy the breakfast separate if you are not added part of your westin stay. If you are adding extra items you end up paying almost $19 for breakfast😩 Dinner and lunch items are high priced so it’s recommended only if you have no option to drive around and get food. In our airway Costa Mesa most of the time not much paper are dining in. customer service was OK but not great. The management has to really look options for getting customer inside restaurant👍👍👍👎🏿👎🏿

I ate here when they opened years ago. Came back 5/2022 restaurant manager should really taste the food coming out of the kitchen. Cilantro rice taste like boiled rice no flavor what so ever. Asked for extra cilantro and the manager bought it in a cup bunched not chopped. New York strip even over cooked tasted like nothing. I have allergies so I had the caramelized onions and the Veal Demi deleted. But a quality New York Strip Rare or otherwise should taste like something. It literally had no flavor. I gave it 2 stars because our server was really good he gets 5 stars food get 2 or less. Really sad this hotel should have a full restaurant. It’s in a great location and I’m local so I would check me back. I hate to see any restaurant especially in a good hotel be this empty. Need to make changes so business can prosper.

Although the greeting was pleasant the food needs more care. Many of the dishes were salty but pretty to look at! Overpriced and just “ok” to the taste.

I had the breakfast burrito and it was one of the worst I have had. They used the aioli to try to cover up the bland and textureless fake eggs they used. The whole wheat tortilla was also flavorless. At this price point I don’t expect fake eggs and the general low quality of the food. Very disappointed.

The Chef needs to go bye bye 👋 I ordered the heirloom scalloped salad and Brussel sprouts. 3 sad scallops arrived over seasoned and on a bed of not heirlooms tomatoes. The scallops smelled fishy and were over cooked. The Brussels were cooked well, but were missing a sweet component. The "chef" can be heard cursing about customers special orders from my table. Super unprofessional. If the food was good he could complain all he wanted to. ✌️

Brooke Buffington

The Chef needs to go bye bye 👋 I ordered the heirloom scalloped salad and Brussel sprouts. 3 sad scallops arrived over seasoned and on a bed of not heirlooms tomatoes. The scallops smelled fishy and were over cooked. The Brussels were cooked well, but were missing a sweet component. The "chef" can be heard cursing about customers special orders from my table. Super unprofessional. If the food was good he could complain all he wanted to. ✌️

By Far one of the poorest $21.00 breakfast buffets ever. Scrambled eggs were good. Sausage was cold. Bacon was cooked well done and a day ahead, like the Sausage. No toast or bagles. Obviously the dining room manager was absent and the chef has no clue what the hell he's doing. The "cold" plates for breakfast were stacked on the other side of the dining room when they should have had a stack by the chafing dishes. they waited until after the food was out in the chafing dishes to light the chafing dishes. ( I watched this) Not 1 wait staff checked on my table during my 45 minute stay. I did leave Jeffrey a .48 cent tip. I Probably over tiped. And I usually Tip at least 25% I understand the industry. I spent 22 years in it with 2 culinary & restaurant Mgt. degrees. All Elementary and rookie mistakes. This is in the Westin with less than Waffle house standards. So so sad.

If I could give it 0 stars, I would. Unfortunately for me, I decided to have my birthday dinner at Aqua this evening. We started off with 2 drinks from the bar, lobster bisque and 6 oysters from the raw bar. The drinks tasted funky, like the water was bad. The lobster bisque was extremely bland and the lobster chunks tasted like actual dirt. Then we receive the oysters and we can immediately smell that they weren't any good. They were black and spoiled. We didnt even stay for the main course we were so disgusted. Moral of this story... stay away from Aqua if you want a decent meal.

Took our guests as I’d seen their on-line site and it looked great… what a mistake!! We were the only people in the entire dining area! Food was lousy and the entire place smelled musty and old. The chair seats were so bad we sank in. The drinks!!! Talk about high charge! Almost $20 for a small glass of Prosecco. Guess they’re trying to supplement their income from no dining by charging exorbitant prices on drinks. We were so embarrassed for our northern guests, all we could do was apologize profusely. A few words…don’t throw your money away!

We had never visited this hotel or restaurant before. Since it was by the water, my friend and decided to try it.. Boy, were we disappointed…. The food was good but the service simply deplorable. I understand that after COVID we have to, somehow, lower our expectations. However, this place is simply ridiculous: We asked for the check three times; to our server, and to two others. Our server never came back. The others passed over to serve their tables and the check never arrived. After we finished our meals, no one came to get the empty dishes or offer dessert or coffee or water or anything. We asked for the check again and the manager, he came over with only “ I apologize, folks….” We payed cash, since we didn’t want to risk waiting 1/2 hour for the credit card to come back. The server didn’t even offer to bring the change back…. Last but not least, this was a farewell dinner for a friend that is moving back home after 9 years living in Florida. What a disappointing experiencing right before living. He is leaving, I am staying and for sure never will I patronize this place again much less recommend….😕😕😕

Waited almost an hour after ordering for food, restaurant was empty waitress supper nice apologized. Manager comped a drink. Was not very pleased messed up dinner for one person at table so their food came out after everyone was about done eating. This restaurant has so much potential an we were excited to eat here but as a local I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Meal was over $200.

I am never one to leave a bad review but with everything that happened tonight it was inevitable. My family is down visiting for the holidays and we made a reservation for Christmas dinner well over a week in advance. We were notified multiple times to confirm our reservation (which we did) and figured they just wanted to get on the ball and make sure everything was set. We got there only to be told that there were no tables available at that moment by the hostess with unprofessional attire, unwelcoming and a dry personality. After a 45 minute wait and no one exiting the restaurant, we finally walked back to our table to notice that the restaurant was practically empty. The layout of the restaurant looks like the set of Hell’s kitchen. The kitchen is visible to the public and everyone is scrambling around not knowing what was going on. Our server Keith (bless his heart) was awesome and this review does not pertain to him at all. We put our orders in and those took forever to come out (food was delicious). As we dine, the servers are unprofessionally hanging out at the kitchen talking and running to tables. One server was halfway to her table with an appetizer and turned around to come back and talk to a coworker for another couple minutes and that is only one example. We ordered dessert which took almost half hour to come out (3 banana cheesecakes and a creme brûlée). By time they arrived we were told that they had to “scrape” the rest of the cheesecake and only had enough for two..HALF HOUR LATER we are finding this out but the kitchen plates it as shown in the pictures, I don’t know about anyone else but that is not cheesecake, it is cheesecake slop with some caramel design on top. We decided to send it back and take the check. At this point we had had enough and just wanted to leave. For as FANCY as this restaurant is with PRICES to match that, you would think that everyone would be on their A game and make sure everything lives up to the standard of the prices they charge. The experience was a complete DISAPPOINTED considering we went out to have a nice family Christmas dinner. Take my advice and go to Del Frisco’s instead. They were outstanding in every aspect and well worth every penny.

Martha s

Waited almost an hour after ordering for food, restaurant was empty waitress supper nice apologized. Manager comped a drink. Was not very pleased messed up dinner for one person at table so their food came out after everyone was about done eating. This restaurant has so much potential an we were excited to eat here but as a local I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Meal was over $200.

zaina hammoud

I am never one to leave a bad review but with everything that happened tonight it was inevitable. My family is down visiting for the holidays and we made a reservation for Christmas dinner well over a week in advance. We were notified multiple times to confirm our reservation (which we did) and figured they just wanted to get on the ball and make sure everything was set. We got there only to be told that there were no tables available at that moment by the hostess with unprofessional attire, unwelcoming and a dry personality. After a 45 minute wait and no one exiting the restaurant, we finally walked back to our table to notice that the restaurant was practically empty. The layout of the restaurant looks like the set of Hell’s kitchen. The kitchen is visible to the public and everyone is scrambling around not knowing what was going on. Our server Keith (bless his heart) was awesome and this review does not pertain to him at all. We put our orders in and those took forever to come out (food was delicious). As we dine, the servers are unprofessionally hanging out at the kitchen talking and running to tables. One server was halfway to her table with an appetizer and turned around to come back and talk to a coworker for another couple minutes and that is only one example. We ordered dessert which took almost half hour to come out (3 banana cheesecakes and a creme brûlée). By time they arrived we were told that they had to “scrape” the rest of the cheesecake and only had enough for two..HALF HOUR LATER we are finding this out but the kitchen plates it as shown in the pictures, I don’t know about anyone else but that is not cheesecake, it is cheesecake slop with some caramel design on top. We decided to send it back and take the check. At this point we had had enough and just wanted to leave. For as FANCY as this restaurant is with PRICES to match that, you would think that everyone would be on their A game and make sure everything lives up to the standard of the prices they charge. The experience was a complete DISAPPOINTED considering we went out to have a nice family Christmas dinner. Take my advice and go to Del Frisco’s instead. They were outstanding in every aspect and well worth every penny.