Aquavit Restaurant New York | The History of Restaurant Aquavit

Aquavit Restaurant New York

Håkan Swahn never imagined the journey on which he was embarking when he opened Restaurant Aquavit in 1987 at its former location of 13 West 54th Street. His self-assigned mission was as simple as it was ambitious- to serve the finest Scandinavian cuisine available. The restaurant became a midtown favorite the minute it opened its doors. And the success received two three-star reviews in The New York Times (1995 and 2001), and Marcus Samuelsson won the 1999 James Beard Foundation award for “Rising Star Chef” as well as its 2003 award for “Best Chef in New York City.” In 2004, Restaurant Aquavit took a bold step into the future, relocating its acclaimed restaurant to the chic dining neighborhood off Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, with a new modern look and feel.

Named from a popular icy spirit (which the restaurant serves in a variety of flavored incarnations), Restaurant Aquavit today showcases modern Scandinavian cuisine by combining age-old culinary traditions of Sweden with the ambitious creations of our chefs. The combination will take you on a journey you’ll want to experience again and again.

What is Aquavit?

It all started unpretentiously enough. About a couple of hundred years ago, some people were searching for eternal life. An age-old dream led them on: the search for an elixir that could give immortality – AQUA VITAE - the water of life.

They reasoned that somewhere in wine there was a magical spirit that could be unlocked through distillation. The result was a distant ancestor of today’s Aquavit. The art of distillation spread through Europe in the Middle Ages and when cereals could replace wine in distillation, Aquavit eventually made its way north to the grain belt of Sweden.

Early distilled spirits were so crude-tasting, that spices were added to make it more drinkable. In the middle ages, Aquavit was used to cure everything from warts to plague, depending on the various herbs and spices chosen. While there is no Appellation Aquavit Controlle, a glass of Aquavit contains centuries of sensory experience if you know what to look for.

For body and character, all Aquavit is spiced and most is aged. Tasting starts with the bouquet, a great Aquavit will retain the character of the grain form which it is made. Every spice, berry and fruit should stand on its own.

We take great pride in each of the Aquavit we have to offer and hope you will enjoy this unique offering. Make sure to try some of our house-made infusions, smooth and delicious in its character, either neat or as a cocktail, best enjoyed in our bar and lounge.

Skål!