I have lived close to AQUA for close to two years and had only recently eaten here. I visited during lunchtime and had the fish tacos. They were actually much more reasonably priced than the dinner menu items and were delicious! I opted for the sweet potato fries, which was a healthy portion. Definitely recommend them as a side. I didn't have the opportunity to try anything off the drink menu this time around. The views are absolutely gorgeous. If you have the opportunity to sit outside - take advantage! Although my server was attentive, he was sort of zombie-like, less than enthusiastic/monotone. Maybe he was hungover? That's the only reason I'm taking away a star. Otherwise, I enjoyed my meal and the view at AQUA! read more

Overall the food was very good. I decided to eat here after traveling all day and checking in. I was offered what appeared to be focaccia bread that looked good but was very hard and had no flavor. My entrée made up for it. Grouper Asian style. Nice portion and the flavor was fantastic. Very healthy meal. I was not offered to sit outside on the patio and wished I had asked as it looked like a beautiful night out. read more

Aqua - Grouper with udon noodles and bock choy - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

After an afternoon of travel, I was glad to find respite and nourishment in the Westin. Though I toyed with the idea of just ordering room service, the small beach and patio of Aqua lured me outside. While the sound of cars passing on the causeway drowned out any chance of hearing the water lap on the shore, the setting was still quite nice. As a vegetarian, one wouldn't think anything on the surf and turf dominated menu would be up my alley. I gravitated to the sides, as I usually do and was pleasantly surprised by the number of choices. I opted for the creamed spinach, the root vegetable ratatouille and the quinoa tabouleh. All three are excellent, though the spinach was my favorite. The waiter failed to tell me that the sides are huge portions meant for sharing, so I ended up with a table of food. Great value for the price, but more than I could finish. I was disappointed that I didn't have room for my favorite part of every meal - dessert. Maybe on my next visit... read more

We went there for New Years Eve. We had an 8:00 reservation through OpenTable. We arrived at 7:50 and were told it would be about a 20 minute wait which is fair enough. We sat down in the bar. At 8:45 I received an email from open table stating that my reservation had been cancelled by the restaurant. I immediately went to the hostess to make sure we were still going to be seated. She said yes but it would be a bit longer and she didn't know how much longer. At this point, we could see plenty of available tables in the restaurant. At 9:30 when we still had not been seated I asked again and was told they know we are there and they'd let us know. At 9:45 we asked again and were told we would most likely not be served because the kitchen closes at 10. At that point we asked for a manager and were finally seated over 2 hours after our arrival. We were very patient in waiting and understanding of the fact that they blamed the issue on a mixup with OpenTable. They said OpenTable overbooked them however, in looking through their reviews on OpenTable, there is a lot of the same with reservations not being honored, long waits, etc. The food was hit or miss. Some very good things, some not good. The waiter was very nice and attentive and the atmosphere was nice. There are plenty of great places to try in Tampa. Skip this one. read more

Place was dead-it was maybe 6:15 on a Monday night-and they try to cram us in a two-top facing a brick (faux brick even) wall instead of the dozens of empty tables with nice water views? Don't get that?? Drinks-did someone lose the bottle opener? Asked for two of the house specialties-took forever. Maybe bartender out on smoke break--not a cigarette but a Robusto cigar break... Appetizers..... as plane-jane a California roll as you would find on any Asian buffet line-seaweed salad poor as well (no it's not just a garnish-I happen to like the stuff-not this!). Then a raviolo that was absolutely to die for! Only wish I'd had some bread to go along with it (seemed odd no bread with menu emphasizing Italian/Spanish fare but perhaps my Doctor would be grateful). It was fantastic. Chopped salad was rather insipid. Nobody seems to hold a stick to Ruth's Chris-and this one was no exception. Blah! Entrees-my girl was bold enough to have the grouper fillet that was slated to be covered in an Asian mess simply cooked and served over ratatouille and it was done perfectly. I ordered the "paella" which was made with fregula rather than rice, with linguica, clams, shrimp, chicken, mussels....I mean it was just fantastic! Creative minds at work on this dish and it worked. One more note-thought a $250 bottle of wine deserved decanting-two glasses were poured before waiter though about it-decanted rest of bottle. Sort of a boo-boo there and it is a deduction to the service. I'd give this place 5 stars for entrees-maybe 2 for most apps, just below 3 on service, bottom line I'd be at 3.25--so I have to round down to 3. Next time just order entrees and the raviolio? For a place that has a sushi bar and a name that's a nod toward seafood-the sushi was an abomination. Decent service but a glaring omission as far as serving the wine. Yes I'd go back but only because the entrees were so great. read more

Lunch date with a view...turned out not to be lunch. The restaurant was mostly empty and the server's head was even emptier. She took our order, then came back twice more kind of checking in to see if we wanted anything. We responded that you already took our order then that we we waiting for our food. Met with blank stares both times. My boyfriend finally checked and our order was never placed, and we left. read more

This is somewhat of a mixed review... The reception was great, everyone I spoke with was friendly, and the food came out of the kitchen pretty quick and looked pretty good! I was also able to get in on some happy hour pricing for the sushi I ordered, too. That, however, is the end to the good part of the review. A few hours after lunch, I started to get a little bit of an upset stomach... I don't know what part of the meal it was - the sushi, the aqua salad, or the italian-inspired panini sandwich I had - but it went really bad, really quick. I'm not sure I would say it was full-on food poisoning (probably not), but I couldn't keep anything down for the rest of the day. It totally sucked. And it was at the Westin! I was totally surprised! read more

We got there and they said there would be a wait even though the place was almost empty, so we decided to sit at the bar. We ordered two appetizers and two sushi rolls. Two glasses of wine later we still hadn't received our food. When asked we finally got one appetiser. My husband didn't want to eat without me and decided to wait for my food. My food never came so I told him to start his. My sushi finally arrived and it was awful. We decided to not eat it and and wait for our last appetizer, hoping it would be delicious and the saving grace to our subpar meal and experience. It never arrived. So we asked to cancel it and we left still hungry. All in all it took 2 hours to get one appetizer and two sushi rolls and never received our last app. We simply won't return here to dine ever again. read more

We stopped in for an evening meal Sat Jun 12. The food was fantastic especially the Salmon was awesome. The Chef even came out and ask if everything was all right. He had a great attitude and really seemed to care. Will definitely being going back read more

Stayed at Westin for the weekend and visited the Aqua one night for late dinner. Ordered the Calamari for appetizers and it was hands down the best; tender, flavorful and decent size portion. The Eber City Cuban sandwich was not as authentic as my Cuban girlfriend pointed out but I liked it and the portion/size of sandwich was generous. We had the Creme Brûlée's for desert which was complimentary from chef for slow dinner service that I felt wasn't necessarily that slow considering they were also hosting a company Christmas party. The ambiance is very unique inside and outside which enhances the experience. Special kudos to our server Jonathon who kept our drinks full and conversations enlightening. I will definitely return and recommend this restaurant. read more

Horrible restaurant Horrible manager .. made reservation and was told after we sat at the bar and waited that the kitchen was backed up and I needed to wait to eat and they didn't know HOW LONG! Asked for the manager and was told he was too busy to speak to me ... I insisted and he came out with a attitude! Just horrible . Funny thing the restaurant was empty ! read more

Great drinks @ the bar. Friendly bartender. He was honest about the drinks on the menu and what he liked better. He made some great drinks. Its a little pricy, but its a hotel bar.... nothing changing that. read more

Aqua - Iced coconut = yum. - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

So my wife made reservations for my birthday , it was for 8:30pm we got there at 8:00pm only find out that the reservations were never made. We had to wait an additional 30min to be seated. We proceeded to go to the bar to get drinks while we waited. We finally got seated on the outside part of the restaurant only to be ignored for 1 HR!!! Nobody ever came to check on us , not even to say hi...servers kept walking by our table and completely ignored us!!! This was our first time visiting this place but you can rest assured that I will never recommend or go back to this restaurant. We were really hoping to have a great time but it's a complete disappointment. I'm not one to leave reviews but I just have to share read more

We ate here on vacation. It was a late dinner reservation on a Friday night. It was really outstanding. The portions - everything from sashimi to risotto was a a very generous portion. The flavors were decedent. I would recommend the scallops, mussels, steak, and risotto. The menu was pricey but worth it. We enjoyed a long evening of delicious food and tasty drinks. If we're back in Tampa, we're back here. read more

We had a delightful dinner here tonight. Spicy tuna roll was a nice start as very fresh and great flavor. Then a wedge salad to share of high quality.. My halibut with a crab sauce was excellent, and my wife's Thai Grouper was wonderful. Even the bread was special. Shaun our waiter was very helpful and accommodating even to raise the temperature in the dining room. Great service, Shaun. New owners for hotel and restaurant working hardto improve past owners poor perforMance. Wevwere very pleaSantly surrprised at the very high quality dinner after reeding paSt reviews. Worthy of a second look and yoU will be pleasantly delighted. read more

Fast service, excellent lunch, everything was extremely fresh especially the sushi. They have outdoor seating and allow dogs. read more

Aqua - The view is beautiful - Seafood Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Outstanding food. Brilliant service. We really enjoyed our meal at Aqua. We dined al fresco because we are traveling with our amazing toy poodles. I started with a wonderful mixed green salad with Asian pear, my wife had a Bibb lettuce with asparagus. The pups loved the pear. The kitchen sent out extra for them. The entrees were a shrimp carbonara and a seared salmon. The salmon was perfectly cooked with a tri-colored cauliflower as a side. My spinach linguini was done with a thick creamy sauce and a perfect amount of shrimp. Annie (poodle #1) loved the shrimp and tried the salmon. Coco (poodle #2) nibbles at the salmon. Both slept very well afterwards. Dessert was chocolate beignets and crepe brûlée which we all enjoyed. Service was very good. We enjoyed our waitress Hilde so much that I asked to commend her to her manager, John. Thanks for a great meal. read more

The modern blue glass decor is wonderful, with a spectacular walk-in wine cellar. The seafood was excellent as well and can be enjoyed with a view of Tampa Bay. If you're staying at the Westin, it's a no-brainer. If you're in the area, definitely a place to consider. read more

Horrible horrible - called ahead spoke to Denise said wait was 15 min set a reservation arrived - 1hr later oh wait we can't even seat u - wtf is that about - horrendous I don't even know what to say - the manager threatheed to call the police on another couple with same issues read more

Impeccable service, gorgeous presentation and delicious. Private wine room dining is reminiscent of Miami or Nyc. Very excited about their new expansion & roof lounge. Perfect evening with friends! read more

My husband and I stopped in for a nice evening and was wonderfully surprised at this place. Love the atmosphere and lighting. We were seated at a table near large windows overlooking the water. My husband had salmon and I had scallops and both dishes were very good. The mushroom risotto was amazing. Service was great too. Just a pointer...we were also told that there is a private soundproof area surrounded by wine bottles which one could reserve for a special occasion. There was a couple in there at the time, very nice. read more

The food was as AMAZING! Our server Johnathan was great! He made sure our entire party was taken good care of! I will be back and want him again! read more

Been here for two weeks and the staff and food is incredible. If I could I would give this place 6 stars. Hilda and Ally were awesome and the spicy tuna was a must have Recommend this place to anyone. read more

I came here for a lunch meeting and had the fish tacos. They were very good, and the sweet potato fries were very tasty as well. The decor is very nice and the staff was very friendly. I will be back to try some of there wine next time. read more

I guess my expectations were too high. Coming out of this COVI19 nightmare I anticipated typical health preventative measures with a limited but delicious menu. Sorry to say it didn't work out that way. The frozen fried shrimp appetizer we ordered was what we can all buy at any grocery store. We waited forever to try and place our dinner order although there were very few people dining. We waited some more and paid the bill for the frozen shrimp and bottled water and left. We went to Oyster Catcher's down the block for some fresh seafood. It was great. Subpar food and very poor service. read more

Food is great. Service is terrible. Waited an hour for food, luckily drink pours are good. Now have asked for an itemized receipt twice. Been 20 minutes to no avail. Sigh read more

The weekend brunch special is nice - they offer solid selections and it's a nice water view. A little pricy for what you get but that's what you get being associated with a hotel. The service has always been prompt, efficient and friendly! read more

Had the Cesar salad. The lettuce was not fresh. The dressing tasted as if it was hidden valley from the grocery store. Then ordered the scallops because I couldn't even finish the salad. The two scallops that came were smothered in sauce and took away from the flavor of the scallops themselves. The scallops were cooked correctly but the sauce was to much. The sticky rice that came with the scallops tasted to vinegary and the "blood orange caviar" was just mango purée from a bottle. There was no coconut flavor in this dish at all. The waiters were nice but the food was horrible. Very disappointing for a $35 meal. read more

We were pleasantly surprised with this place! Great service, fantastic food, and VERY strong Aquaritas! Our server, Ashley was personable and made great recommendations. read more

I really like the hotel and the ambiance of the restaurant. I thought the customer service was wonderful. Fall backs were my friends complaining of it being so hot in the restaurant. Though I was fine, my boyfriend was sweating and my friends all made comments about it being very warm inside. The food was just okay and for the price, I would expect better. The lobster bisque was great, no complaints there. The volcano roll and mahi mahi, well, I've had better. I don't think I'd come here again by choice unless it was for friends wanting to go. read more

Awful. Kitchen was slow. Bar was slow. Managers don't care. Expect to have a 3 hour dinner experience while only getting one drink and all of your food will come out at different times. It's not the servers fault. Poorly staffed for peak hours and poorly managed. Go somewhere else for dinner. read more

I took my husband to this restaurant for his birthday in April. I really like the ambiance with the blue lights and open kitchen. I ordered the pasta and my husband had the prawns. The service was so ridiculously slow and the food took what felt like forever. Luckily we were there to enjoy each others company so we didn't want to make a big deal of it. The food was good and moderately pricy. We decided to go back a couple months ago, but this time just for sushi. The selections weren't as extensive as other places but that's expected as it's not primarily a sushi restaurant. The food came out fast and service was great. It's in a great location to be able to look out on the water. read more

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I eat at Aqua a lot, because I stay at the Westin in Tampa every other week. The food is reliably simple and the seafood is always fresh. Aqua sets itself apart with its service - the wait-staff is very attentive without being overbearing, which is anomalous in Tampa. The atmosphere is sophisticated without being cold and its altogether a friendly place to start or wind down your day. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Aqua, but its a solid choice for a hotel restaurant. read more

So, for the most part we are creatures of habit, if the food or the service is good, we go back. Tonight (because I am now Yelping) we decided to try another restaurant called Aqua. I truly love this part of Tampa crossing the bridge at RT 60, water on both sides it's just gorgeous! With its little beach out front how this place could be anything but inviting is beyond me!? Aqua is in the Westin Hotel and quite frankly, I'm a little disappointed that we have not tried it sooner. The ambiance was cool, and enticing. The subtle ocean color neon booths are a must if you're not going to sit at the bar or the wet bar. We had our two tiger cubs with us tonight and oh the sweet sound of crashing matchbox cars and fighting over who took what toy, really set the mood calm and quiet dinner. Clearly the waiter was not overly excited to be told to bring lemon aid and hot bread by my overly hungry 8 year old. Nothing was working tonight with the kids, but fortunately Aqua's was scarcely populated this evening. Still not even my lovely Angelic Children could take away from this restaurants attempt at upscale and the majestic views of the ocean! Our little melee started with the review of menu of course: -Sweet Grass Raviolo (i) Lil Moo Cheese Crimini Mushrooms and Arugula Mushrooms with shaved Asher blue cheese -Waygyu Beef capriccio Asparagus, Tomato, capers, crispy onions, arugula and white truffle oil. -Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cakes Kohlrabi and Apple Remoulade with Whole Grain Mustard Aioli For a full selection you must review the entire menu ... outstanding! With that said, they did IMHO over dress the plate with colors, oils and garnish, but that is definitely a per person taste thing and I'm not holding that against them at all; how could I give a B for an A effort that most would consider an A anyway. Bla, Bla, Bla! The kitchen's borders are nicely adorned with fresh selections of the evening, lobster and oysters nestled in beds of ice; almost a Legal Seafood feel, though they are not quite there yet. Tonight I craved the Lobster Bisque and was not disappointed in the taste, it was delicious; would have liked a little more, but its am appetizer not a meal. The CO Rack of Lamb was nicely prepared and tasted delicious really, but only half of what they promised. The reviews talk of a full rack and the waiter said a full rack, but tonight we were given a half rack. I said nothing, normally I would have, but it was plenty and I was without the extra zeal needed to send it back. The thought of 20 additional minutes of Childhood Concerto in "a minor" filling my ears was more than I could bear! Tonight for dinner, my boys had grilled chicken breast one had a side fruit, fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and they loved it. My other son had the same dish with carrots and broccoli rabe. I'm fortunate with a 5 and 8 year old that they typically eat well. My wife had the grouper and it was a little spicy for her taste. If you like plane grilled food here, make sure you emphasize NOTHING ON IT, in more than one language if possible. Other than that, she enjoyed the and again very well prepared. Nice wine selection but again, if you're not buying a bottle, the spirits are not at the proper temp-(wine snob) but overall, I would go back. Next time I would be a little clearer on the food preparation and call ahead for the wine to be chilled. I would need to come back three times before I could render an opinion fitting what the restaurant deserves. If I could I would give it 3 1/2 stars on service 3 ¾ on food simply due to preparation not taste and the fact that I only had 1/2 a meal which I will bring up next time. read more

I can't believe this restaurant has more than 1 or 2 stars. Had a few bites of the lobster bisque.... worst I've had. I ordered the chopped salad with chicken for an entree. I guess green part of the salad was ok but that's about as good as it gets . The rest of our party had the same experience. The staff was friendly but everything else including the HVAC system was just plain bad. read more

Chris was tending the bar & was helpful and pleasant. The drinks were great adding to the experience & the view was unlike any other! We had the pleasure to meet & speak with the front house manager David, who was very personable. I would highly recommend & will definitely be back! read more

Beautiful decor, wonder staff and customer service but the food was only okay. I ordered a shrimp and kale salad that wasn't all that great. I also ordered the pulled flatbread which was delicious but there was something grossely sweet in it that kept throwing me off when I took a bite. read more

I made a last minute reservation because I heard they had a nice patio on the water. When I arrived the host told me I could still sit on the patio, but they were having a funeral dinner so it was up to me. I chose to sit in the "trendy 2003 gay lounge" dining room instead. The only redeeming quality was that the lighting gave me nostalgic feelings from my days at g-lounge in philly. $166 later I regretted every dish I was served save the double jack and coke. Dry pork, "salt-cured" salmon and Brussels sprouts swimming in oil and or butter. Please save your money and try the fried seafood basket across the street at whiskey joes. At least you'll be on the water:) I'm giving it one star because for $166 they didn't even try:/ read more

I ate there with my mother. I order the bone-in New York strip and she ordered the Lamb Osso Buco. We started out with the Caprese salad and the Wagyu beef Carpaccio. The service was great; Tiffany was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. We didn't order any wine though. The decor was very upscale and metropolitan. About the dinner: The Carpaccio was very good and came the traditional accompaniments: no complaints there. The Caprese salad needed a bit more. The homemade mozzarella cheese was wonderful and so were the tomatoes. It came with a balsamic fig reduction, but it was only a smear on the plate. I would ask for some on the side next time with some olive oil as well. It would have been nice with a fine artisan salt sprinkled on top. The lamb was fall-off-the-bone tender and flavorful and the faro pilaf was a nice change of pace from your run-of-the-mill side starches. My NY strip was tender and cooked to perfection. Overall it was a great night out and I'd go back. Next time, I'll try the seafood. read more

Where do you go with 5 adults, 1 toddler and a dog when you are hungry in Tampa? Well Aqua of course. Once they said my SIL could bring her dog we were sold. We sat outside and enjoyed the gorgeous view. Most of us got sandwiches and the others got sushi. My sandwich was ok. I got the Tuscan Panini. I should have stuck with something that was seafood. It wasn't bad but nothing spectacular either. The people that ordered sushi loved it and said it was great. This place is a solid 3.5 stars. The hotel was beautiful too. read more