Most people approach restaurant week nyc with a short list, a flexible schedule, and a healthy amount of optimism. The city opens up. Reservation windows that usually take weeks to crack become accessible. And the question shifts from “where can I get in?” to “where is it actually worth going?”
That’s a better question. And for anyone who hasn’t already been to Aquarelle NYC, the Mediterranean seafood restaurant and cocktail lounge on Avenue B in the East Village, the answer is worth knowing before the season fills up.
What Makes a Restaurant Week Reservation Worth It
Not every restaurant that participates in NYC restaurant week approaches it the same way. Some offer a stripped-down menu that bears little resemblance to what regular diners actually order. Others use the promotion as a genuine introduction to the kitchen, a structured way to experience what the restaurant does well, at a price point that makes the decision easy.
Aquarelle falls into that second category. The four-course prix fixe is priced at $60 and built around the same seafood-forward Mediterranean cooking that defines the dinner menu year-round.
That distinction matters. When you sit down at Aquarelle during Manhattan restaurant week, you’re not eating a separate, budget-adjusted version of the food. You’re working through a selection of dishes that represent the restaurant at its most straightforward and confident.
Breaking Down the Four-Course Menu
The structure of Aquarelle’s restaurant week menu is well-considered. It moves logically from lighter fare into the kitchen’s signature territory, giving first-time visitors a clear path through what the restaurant does best.
First Course Salads
The menu opens with a choice between the Aquarelle Caesar and the Aquamelon Salad. Neither is an afterthought. The Caesar is the restaurant’s own interpretation; the Aquamelon Salad reflects the kind of seasonal, bright-flavored approach that runs through Aquarelle’s broader menu.
Second Course Small Plates
This is where the kitchen shows range. The second course options include:
- Calamari (grilled or fried)
- Shrimp Kataify
- Shrimp Kofta
- Crab Cakes
- Grilled Octopus (available with a $5 supplement)
The grilled octopus and crab cakes tend to be the most-ordered options among regulars, and both hold up as representative samples of what the kitchen does with mid-menu seafood.
Third Course The Main Event
The third course is where the restaurant week menu earns its price point. The options here include:
- Whole grilled Branzino
- Whole grilled Dorade
- Faroe Island Wild Salmon
- Seafood Risotto
- Zucchini Spaghetti with Truffle Mushroom
- Wood Fired Roasted Chicken
The whole fish options Branzino and Dorade are a particular draw. Both are sourced with the same frequency and care as the rest of Aquarelle’s seafood, which is flown in multiple times a week from Maine and Montauk. Ordering whole fish at a restaurant that actually specializes in whole fish is a different experience than ordering it as a peripheral menu item somewhere else.
Fourth Course Dessert
The meal closes with Chef’s Choice Desserts, keeping the finish clean and leaving the kitchen some flexibility to work with what’s seasonal.
The Setting Doesn’t Take a Restaurant Week Off
One thing worth saying plainly: the Aquarelle experience isn’t just the food. The space at 47 Avenue B is designed with marine textures, candlelight, distinct dining rooms that each carry a different mood.
During the summer, when nyc restaurant week typically runs (July through August), the restaurant’s atmosphere is at its most alive. The Deck works well for early evening reservations. The Grotto, a candlelit, mural-lined space toward the back — is better suited for nights when dinner is the plan rather than a quick early stop.
The cocktail program stays fully active throughout. The botanical-forward drinks menu, including the yuzu-thyme gin spritz, elderflower negroni, and lavender sea salt martini, pairs naturally with the seafood-heavy prix fixe and adds something to the experience that a prix fixe menu alone can’t replicate.
The Broader Menu Is There If You Want It
Restaurant week brings people in. But the full Aquarelle NYC menu available Monday through Sunday for dinner from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. extends considerably beyond what the prix fixe covers.
The raw bar, which includes Chef’s Selection oysters, a Deluxe Tower, and the Royal Tower (twelve oysters, whole lobster, ceviche trio, mussels escabeche, and scallops), is available to order alongside the set menu or on its own entirely. The Meredith Marks Caviar service Tsar Imperial Ossetra with champagne and blinis is similarly available for tables that want to extend the evening.
For groups coming in through the restaurant week promotion, it’s worth knowing these options exist. The prix fixe is the anchor, but the surrounding menu gives the table room to build around it.
Planning Around Brunch and Private Events
Weekend brunch at Aquarelle runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The brunch menu is distinct from the dinner offering bottomless options starting at $49, a full selection of egg dishes, seafood-forward plates like the Lobster Roll and Seafood Omelet, and a Turkish Breakfast spread available for groups of four or more. Brunch is not part of the restaurant week format, but for visitors who want a second visit or a different context for the experience, it’s worth keeping in mind.
For larger groups using restaurant week as an entry point into planning a private event, a birthday, corporate dinner, or milestone occasion Aquarelle offers several distinct private spaces and a dedicated events team. The restaurant handles cocktail receptions, seated dinners, holiday parties, and B’Mitzvah events, with the same kitchen and service team behind the regular dining operation.
FAQ
When does NYC Restaurant Week take place at Aquarelle? Aquarelle’s restaurant week menu has previously run from late July through August 31. Check the restaurant’s website or contact the team directly to confirm current dates.
How much is the restaurant week menu at Aquarelle NYC? The four-course prix fixe is priced at $60 per person, with a $5 supplement available for the Grilled Octopus second course option.
What courses are included in the Aquarelle restaurant week menu? The menu includes four courses: a salad starter, a seafood small plate, a main course (with whole fish, salmon, risotto, and pasta options), and a chef’s choice dessert.
Do I need a reservation for restaurant week at Aquarelle? Yes. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekends. Book through OpenTable at aquarellenyc.com or call (212) 777-4547.
Can I order from the regular menu alongside the restaurant week prix fixe? Yes. The full bar, raw bar, and à la carte menu options are available alongside the prix fixe for guests who want to supplement the set menu.
Is Aquarelle open for brunch during restaurant week? Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round with its own separate menu, independent from the restaurant week prix fixe.
The Bottom Line
Restaurant week nyc works best when the restaurant you’re visiting treats it as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Aquarelle’s four-course $60 menu is built around the kitchen’s actual strengths whole fish, coastal Mediterranean seafood, and the kind of atmosphere that makes a meal feel like more than just dinner.
If you’ve been considering Aquarelle, the summer prix fixe is a well-structured reason to finally make the reservation.
Book your table at aquarellenyc.com or call (212) 777-4547.
