Acqua Ristorante

ACQUA CLOSED THIS WEEKEND. We received a gift certificate and unfortunately will need to go to a sister restaurant. Loved this place for years… Bummer!

Has been here for so many years and in 2 past visits was quite good.
Recent visit– the pizza was not good at all and it and was loaded with oil.
Tuna tartare was not as fresh and the avocado was half rotten. Very, very nice server though!

I’ve been here 3 times in the last month and every time I’ve experienced excellent food & service. I had the Branzino & the Salmon, both of which were cooked perfectly. Highly recommended & I will definitely visit again.

Lunch special with chicken Milanese and shrimp and corn bisque. Both were excellent. Nice ambience. Two levels. Both have bars. The upper level has a brick pizza oven. We preferred the lower level. Great smells. Good prices. Good lunch.

I’ve been to this restaurant several times for lunch and am never disappointed. I usually go with the Chicken Milanese and the portion is quite large, especially for lunch (which is not a bad thing). The table bread is outstanding (a mix of white and olive bread) with hummus. Service is consistently good. Also, the scent wafting from the oven (for the pizzas) is mouthwatering. It has also never been busy when I’ve gone so never a wait for a table. Overall, an excellent lunch option for the area. *note: same menu as Mediterraneano in Greenwich.

The best pizza !!! Love to visit on Tuesdays half priced wine night. I still can’t figure out how they make such wonderful souffles in such a short time.

Let me start by saying that the food was good. But the service has a lot to be desired. Our waiter had an attitude when we asked whether or not we can substitute an item in a salad and something as simple as substituting French fries that was coming with my steak with something else. He immediately barked back to us that the chef does not do substitutions. And I mean with an attitude !!! We were left speechless. He then said well like what? I then told him I would prefer this potato side that was being served with a chicken dish that was also on the menu. He then said let me see what I can do. I’m sorry but any «Good Waiter» would have said let me check that for you sir. We then wanted a bottle of wine but it took forever for him to come back to the table and then once we ordered it it took quite a while for him to return with it. Now the restaurant was quite empty so it’s not like he was running around from table to table. Now we dine out quite often and we have never had a problem asking for, and receiving a small substitution for something in our meal. Maybe this is the reason the restaurant was so empty on a Friday night !!! Your staff can make or break you no matter how good your food is !!!

Went for dinner on a Monday night. I got the capellini pasta which was pretty good. Dinner portions were just about perfect; however, the deserts were either minuscule or about the size of my head and were lackluster in taste and flavor. I also got a chocolate martini which my and my family almost spat out when we tasted my (consider this your warning). The general atmosphere was nice, not particularly memorable. The staff, nice as they were, mixed up every dish which was kind of surprising as it was pretty empty there. In general, it was a decent restaurant but there are better ones in the area and I probably won’t be going again.

I have dined at this restaurant many times. The food is always delicious. Yesterday I went there for lunch. They were wonderfully accommodating to my vegan diet and put together a beautiful salad. The only negative was that the temperature in the room was quite chilly. Before I became a vegan, I enjoyed their dessert soufflés. They are really delicious and somethings very special.

I looked forward to this restaurant from the good reviews. We were going to the playhouse at 8pm (a 1 – 2 min car ride), and went for dinner before. We arrived at 6:35pm on Saturday night. I presume the main part of the restaurant was busy. We were sitting in the outdoor seating in the back, which was serviced by the bartender. Our area was scarce with customers, and we had minimal attention. To cut to the chase, our food arrived at 7:30. We had to ask at 7:20 if it was coming out soon, as we had to get to our show. My husband ordered a Kobe burger, which was very good. I ordered paella, which was BLAND. I so rarely add salt to a dish, but had to ask the server to bring salt and pepper. It was far from the quality I’ve had at other restaurants, and very small. I wished this was a better experience, but I wasn’t inspired to go back anytime soon.

The food here is okay, I had the margarita pizza it wasn’t anything special but it wasn’t bad. Not sure if I’d return

Go for lunch! They offer a 2-​course for $ 17 deal (which includes an appetizer and entrée) or a 3-​course for $ 21 deal (a+e+dessert). They offer most of the favorite dishes in this deal so it’s great!
Loved the Chicken Milanese– so crispy and yummy!
The goat cheese appetizer was good: too many beets, but great fried goat cheese.
Also, if it’s a nice day, sit outside! Even though you’re in the parking lot of Main Street, it’s nicely shaded.

The skinny: Great food. Branzino was perfect, the calamari appetizer was better than perfect — the mollusk melted in your mouth. The peektoe crab app had little crab flavour, a bit dissapointing. The Mediterranean Sample appetiser was for the most part good. Disappointing falafel. Too much parsley (it was green inside) and the outside was a little overcooked & too crunchy. The hummus was good, but lacked character. (I can do better — seriously).
The foccacia (bread) was excellent. The pita with zatar was good (but a little crispy). Nice to see zatar in mainstream restaurants.
Good selection of wines.
Very, very good service. Very attentive.
The major problem I really had with this place was the hard tile floors and large open spaces which makes holding a conversation difficult. Can get way too noisy.
The minor nit is the main course plates — a little over the top with a big bowl like plate with a rim you can place a dozen oysters around the edge. Maybe with a dozen oysters around the edge it would work. Just sayin’.
Four stars is a ‘looking forward to coming back’.
Caveat: I’ll give a place 5 stars if it is top in class or pretty much right up there.

I usually go here with the girls for lunch. The food is generally good and the staff is friendly. If you go during the holidays, the parking is a drag. The acoustics aren’t that great if you have a hard time hearing.

Very over-​rated in my opinion, nothing special about the place other than the pizza which was very good.
Salads were tiny and over-​priced, service was average and portions were very stingy.
The atmosphere is cavernous and chilly and the over-​all experience was lack luster.

This place has quickly become one of my favorites in Westport. The Mediterranean menu always has delicious choices that vary by season, the wine list is good and the service has always been solid (pleasant servers who know the menu well, pay attention and deliver drinks and dishes promptly). Great spot to celebrate or if you just want a good bite to break up shopping in Westport. The view of the river when sitting upstairs is a bonus. All around great spot and have become a regular!

Really like this place. good vibe and all. my family and I come here once in awhile when we want some good italian food. It’s right by the river on the shopping stripe in downtown Westport so if you look out the window it has a really nice view. Quite trendy and with a nice candle light environment.
I always order their Chicken Milanese. Which is one of my fave.
They have a good selection of fresh fish as well so depends on what you are looking for, seafood is generally good.
I decided to try the pizza yesterday since I am doing this meatless monday thing. Ordered the Pizza with mushrooms, roasted garlic purée, fontina cheese, watercress, truffle oil which was super yummy! It was so good i almost finished one whole pizza on my own. I really like the italian style thin crest and this is what it’s all about. Quite authentic.

Growing up in Westport, Acqua is the place for weekend lunches and dinner with your family. But as we have gotten older, Acqua has grown as well. Express lunch downstairs is the best option for downtown lunch. Think entrée and appetizer for $ 14 dollars. For the quality food and service, this deal can not be beat.
At night, the downstairs can run as express dinner which is delicious. Try the pizzas, the curried muscles and beet and goat cheese salad. Fantastic! If you have not had the wood oven chicken, give it a try with the hummus and tabouli platter. You will never regret it.

For review with photos, click here:
I had the recent pleasure of enjoying a lunch with my mother at Acqua of Westport. We had noted how nice it looked many times in the past, but had never stopped in; after our meal there is no doubt we will return!
We had trouble deciding what to order, as there truly wasn’t a single unappealing dish on the menu. Everything had a nice balance of unique preparations and ingredients without sounding overdone. It’s an approachable menu but not at all run of the mill. In addition to the regular menu, there is an «express lunch» menu with more limited choices for $ 15.
After debating our options, we chose two appetizers and two entrees, and shared everything. First, Yellowfin tuna crudo with avocado, sliced radish, ginger-​lime juice, & micro onions. Not only was the dish beautifully presented, but the combination of flavors was spot-​on. The tuna was fresh and sweet, the avocado perfectly ripe, and the vinaigrette added a tanginess that didn’t detract from the brightness of the tuna.
For our second appetizer, we chose the Prince Edward Island mussels with red curry, cream, fava beans, & cilantro. I love mussels, and these were sweet and tender. I was particularly impressed by the broth; it was completely different from the lemony white wine broth one often encounters with a dish like this. It wasn’t heavy at all, but the splash of cream added a sweetness to the slight bite of red curry. We gobbled up all the mussels and proceeded to soak up the broth with focaccia. Yum!
We were already feeling full and happy, but there were entrees on the way, and we were more than happy to make room. I chose the pan roasted bronzini with crisp spaetzle, brussels sprouts, wild mushrooms, and tart apple mustard. I was surprised by the combination of flavors. I love bronzini because the skin is so deliciously flavorful and crispy. I’m used to it being served with savory accompaniments, and the sweet applesauce-​like dressing wasn’t to my liking. Of course, that’s just an issue of personal taste — it wasn’t bad at all. The wild mushrooms were a nice touch.
My mother definitely picked a winner: seared dry sea scallops with fennel — orange salad, pomegranate vinaigrette, & crisp prosciutto. I had to resist stealing all of her scallops, which were cooked perfectly. They were completely tender, with just the right amount of char. Absolutely excellent.
Acqua was a pleasant spot for lunch, and would be perfect for a date night. The bar area is just the right size to be intimate without seeming so small that everyone can hear your conversation, and they have a nice wine list. I look forward to my next visit!

New lunch specials being served til 4 pm are great as is the new outside seating.
These changes have made it a real winner for me!