| ADDRESS: |
252 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(downtown San Francisco,
in the heart of the Financial District) |
| TELEPHONE:TELEPHONE: |
415-956-9662 |
| FAX: |
415-956-5229 |
| WEBSITE: |
|
| PROPRIETOR: |
The Condy Family |
| EXECUTIVE CHEF: |
Laurent Manrique |
| CHEF DE CUISINE: |
Ron Boyd |
| PASTRY CHEF: |
Lionel Walter |
WINE DIRECTOR/ SOMMELIER:
|
TBA |
| VP, OPERATIONS: |
Jean-Claude Persais |
| GENERAL MANAGER: |
Karim Guedouar |
| OPENING DATE: |
September 17, 1991 |
OWNERSHIP:
|
Aqua Development Corp.
244 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel. 415-781-2001
Fax. 415-781-0552 |
| CONCEPT: |
A sophisticated
fine-dining experience blending the creativity of innovative,
world-class seafood cuisine and the excellence of four-star
cooking talent with the highest standards in quality
and service, food presentation and interior décor
in an upscale environment. |
| CUISINE: |
The
world-class contemporary seafood menu features the exquisite
French cuisine of Executive Chef Laurent Manrique. Aqua
features the freshest local and imported seafood selections,
as well as delicious shellfish, tender scallops, selected
meat and poultry dishes, and delicacies such as fresh
oysters, caviar and foie gras. |
COOKING PHILOSOPHY:
|
Combining
the influence of his childhood in Gascony and traditional
French techniques with inspiration from the rich bounty
of fresh, local products and seafood found in the Bay
Area, Chef Laurent Manrique creates dishes combining
the best of both old and new world cuisine. His light,
minimalistic approach to cooking emphasizes an overall
balance flavors, allowing Manrique to compose deceptively
simple yet complex dishes where each ingredient blends
harmoniously into the next. |
| TASTING MENUS: |
Aqua’s
most popular and requested menu items are the tasting
selections. The six-course tasting menu ($60 for lunch)
features a sampling of signature Aqua dishes, while
the seven-course chef’s tasting menu ($105, dinner
only) highlights special seasonal dishes. A five-course
vegetarian tasting menu ($35.00 for Lunch), and a seven-course
vegetarian tasting menu ($65 for dinner) are also offered.
A professional wine pairing is also available with each
tasting menu. |
PRICE RANGE:
|
Lunch
– starting at $16 for an appetizer, $23 for an
entrée, $45 for the three course "Business Lunch
and $63 for the six course tasting menu.
A five-course vegetarian tasting menu is also available
for $35.00. A sommelier-selected wine pairing with each
course of the tasting menu is offered at an additional
cost.
Dinner – $75 for a three-course menu, $88 for a
four course menu, $105 for a seven course tasting menu.
A seven course vegetarian tasting menu is also available
for $65.00. A sommelier –selected wine pairings
are offered for each tasting menus at an additional
cost. |
ACCOLADES:
|
Michelin Guide – Two Stars, 2008
Michelin Guide – Two Stars, 2007
Wine Spectator - San Francisco’s Best Restaurants 2006
7 x 7 Magazine – Best Business Lunch 2007
San Francisco Magazine – Best in Chow 2004
Robb Report –
Best of the Best 2004
Zagat Survey – N°5 Most Popular Bay Area’s Restaurants
Wine Spectator – Award of Excellence
Nation’s Restaurant News – Fine Dining Hall
of Fame 1999
Distinguished Restaurants – DiRoNa Award of Excellence
1998
Restaurants and Institutions – Ivy Award 1998
|
| WINE LIST: |
Aqua
offers a selection of approximately 310 different and
unique wines to complement the restaurant’s distinctive
cuisine. The selection includes remarkable finds from
California, Oregon, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and
New Zealand is enhanced bi-weekly to include new discoveries
in terms of outstanding quality, value or the best representation
of a winemaker’s style. |
| LOCATION: |
Located
in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial
District, Aqua occupies the ground floor of a restored,
post-1906 earthquake structure on California Street
between Battery and Front. Subtly marked only by an
engraved bronze name plaque attached to the granite
façade of the building, guests enter the restaurant
through double-glass doors with a telltale bronze fishtail
handle. |
| AMBIANCE: |
Upscale
and elegant, unpretentious and animated. |
| INTERIOR DÉCOR: |
A role-model
for accomplished contemporary American restaurant design,
Aqua easily qualifies as one of the most beautiful restaurants
in the Bay Area. The timeless, classic application of
muted crème colors on plaster walls, the use
of exquisite woods, onyx and marble in the different
furnishings and the intricate, theatre-style lighting
underline the elegant atmosphere and ageless beauty.
Meanwhile high ceilings, two soaring windows and five
huge, oversized mirrors add modern, larger-than-life
components and a stylish touch. The spacious dining
room, visually separated from the bar by three square
columns and marble-topped tables adorned with elaborate
floral arrangements, invites 120 diners at a time to
slip onto the clip-covered high-back chairs and relax.
Before and after dinner, the expansive, slightly curved
20-foot long maple-top bar invites guests to linger
on linen-covered barstools and enjoy a drink. |
FLORAL DÉCOR:
|
Eight
elaborate floral arrangements create exciting visual
focal points within the restaurant. Every week, floral
designers bring a fresh harvest of seasonal flora to
Aqua. Preparing the up to 12-foot high bouquets that
display a strong visual but only emit a minimal scent
takes a crew of five workers up to six hours.
(Florist: Franck Lo) |
| OCCUPANCY: |
The
dining room seats 120 guests. |
HOURS:
|
Lunch
-- Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Dinner - Monday through
Saturday 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.
Sunday 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. |
| PARKING: |
Valet
parking is available after 5:30 p.m. and costs $10. Other
parking options include the Embarcadero Center and street
parking after 6:00 p.m. |
| WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: |
Yes |
| RESERVATIONS: |
Reservations
are recommended. Please call 415-956-9662. |
| CREDIT CARDS: |
Visa,
Master Card, Diners Club, Discover, American Express. |
| SISTER PROPERTIES: |
Aqua’s
affiliated restaurants include
Café de la Presse and Rouge et Blanc inSan Francisco. |
| GROUP SALES: |
Please call 415-772-8555
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MEDIA CONTACT:
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