Aqua Review – Whiteladies Road

Posted on: 2016-08-03

Our rating:

Calamari, Olives, Pizza and Vino just the way Mamma used to a-make it!


Are your Saturday nights in Bristol created for sophisticated get togethers? Do you hear the 7pm calling of a sweet glass of white zinfandel alongside great company and even better food, all for a good price with a high standard? If this sounds like you, look no further than the top of Whiteladies Road at Aqua Italia.

Aqua Review – Whiteladies Road

While the restaurant may be a little cosy it isn’t cramped, it’s inviting and homely and you can relax. On arrival the drinks flow nicely, at only £4.50 a glass of their fruity and crisp Spanish white and £2.50 for a rather generous portion of plump and delicious olives, you can sink even further into relaxation knowing that you won’t have to re-mortgage your house for a good Italian meal.

 

There is a wide range of choice on the menu, from appetisers to starters through to numerous mains and a lot of desserts catering for all dietary needs including gluten free; I promise you won’t go hungry. Their specials menu however, is a little lack lustre nevertheless; minimalism comes at a good price of only £12.95 for three courses before 7pm, with prices rising a little after that.  

 

I thought I’d be good on my visit to Aqua and stick with a ‘lighter main’ of seared tuna, a dish hard to get right especially for someone as picky as I am about the colour of my meat (medium-rare but more on the rare side). Giving them the chance to show to me what they were able to do, I went ahead with my oh-so-tricky choice.  

Aqua Review – Whiteladies Road

Swiftly after ordering, a mere fifteen minutes after, the food arrived and looked, smelt and tasted incredible. The fish was impeccable; it was so fresh I was pretty convinced it hadn't long been out of the sea. Breaking into the tuna I held my breath, dreading that it was going to be grey and chewy but to my delight, it was perfectly cooked; pink ran all the way through and most importantly, the fish was tender. It flaked perfectly onto the fork and with a squeeze of lemon the whole dish came to life. The saltiness from the tuna was balanced well by the earthiness from the bed of warm salad which included peppery rocket, lettuce leaves, green beans and black olives. Those salty, earthy tones were then perfectly complimented by the sharp undertones of the olives, finished off with the sweet, silky and beautifully runny boiled egg. Perfecto.

 

What I failed to mention in the above paragraph was that due to the wide variety of choice and temptations on the menu, I’m afraid I could not stick to having just a ‘lighter main’. I also delved into the courgette fritti. Perfectly battered, crispy doorstop wedges of courgette lightly peppered for a slight kick and much to my delight, despite being fried, there wasn’t a drip of grease in sight. I can almost kid myself that they were a healthy option too.

 

The staff continued to be attentive throughout the meal filling up glasses and making sure everything was just fine; it was a truly lovely atmosphere. The only disappointing aspect of the restaurant was the lack of theatre I was expecting from the kitchen. On the website, their main feature at Aqua is their resounding pride of the theatre of the open kitchen but sadly, from where I was sat, I couldn’t see much theatre, only a big white pillar and some stairs. Nevertheless, what was lacking in visuals was made up in ambience.

 

My evening was pleasant, the food was wonderful, the staff fantastic and what made it even better was that I drank fine wine and devoured authentic Italian cuisine for only £18.90, a price to which I would happily pay over and over again for such good quality catering.

Aqua Review – Whiteladies Road

For more informtion on Aqua you can visit their webpage here - aqua-restaurant.com. Alternativley you can check out any events or deals they have going on through Facebook. 



Article by:

Steph Baines


Steph, an English and Journalism student at UWE has always had a great passion for creative writing. Being in Bristol for 14 years, Steph loves the culture and quirkiness of the city including the diverse range of restaurants, music scenes, independent shops and cafes, museums and gigs. She wants to use her love of writing to explore and review the culture of Bristol, from it's free days out to its most expensive restaurants and everything in between. Not only does Steph love to check out the entertainment in Bristol but also likes to report on the communal aspects of Bristol life too. Check out all of Steph's opinions on her blog - The Theory Of Happiness.