The ingredients at Aska are undeniably fresh and of very high quality, and you can tell that a lot of care goes into sourcing and preparation. However, the overall experience wasn’t quite for me.
The environment is extremely serious and almost austere, which sets the tone for a very focused dining experience. The flavors throughout the tasting menu were very subtle — almost too subtle for my personal taste. The cuisine leans heavily into natural, earthy elements, and at times it felt like there was a bit too much nature on the plate.
While it wasn’t my personal favorite, I can absolutely appreciate the craft and precision behind it. If you’re curious about experiencing Nordic cuisine at a very high level, Aska is definitely worth trying.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Tripp Roberts
High high praise on all accounts from food to service to ambiance
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Катерина Мирон
The staff is amazing! Everyone is so friendly that it feels like being at home. So if you are worried about your first fine dining experience- be assured this is a perfect restaurant to go to. The drinks for non drinking offers are amazing, the food becomes better the more you eat. Presentation of the food is something else. No spoilers you have to see for yourself. I was delighted to celebrate my birthday at Aska. If you are asking yourself is it worth it? Yes. It is. And they will give you a printed menu so you will know what you had and can clearly describe to your friends and family what food is in the picture.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Weilin Fu
The atmosphere is absolutely the best fine dinning restaurant we have been to. You can see from all the photos in other reviews.
The food includes much surprise. They cook with meat you could not often get access to in other places like quail and deer hunted from Hudson valley. The flavor and the usage of mixed spices make the flavor of normal ingredients also interesting. However, there is a dish of fried flower on top of a napkin, making it pretty confusing whether to eat the flower or to use the napkin.
I'm very concerned about the service. When I wanted to take a picture of my wife and moved my chair to the opposite of my wife, the waiter ordered me to move back with the reason of limited space and saying I'm blocking the path. I'm not saying this is a big issue. This is acceptable in a restaurant with $100+ per person. But this is not so good for a $500+ per person restaurant. YOU SHOULD NEVER ORDER YOUR GUEST TO DO ANYTHING. And during the process, we feel kind of offended by starring eyesights from chefs. From my observation, chefs whisper in the kitchen while starring at guests. Maybe they are talking about something else, but this behavior could make guests uncomfortable. Waiters are not as considerable as other fine dinning restaurant we visited. I would say kind of unconcerned and routined. However, from another perspective, this restaurant is a Scandinavian style one, probably the serving style is part of the experience, showing the severe and cold weather people in northern Europe has to survive from generation to generation since Viking age.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Jesuel
I've been to the restaurant a few times. It is excellent. Will recommend it to anyone. Also, great wine selection
Marcus
Easily one of the best meals I have had in New York. The cuisine was innovative, original, and masterfully prepared. The service was exceptional. 10/10
YUAN FANG
Beautiful plating and presentation, but the food itself was fairly average. Aside from the visuals, there wasn’t much that stood out or felt memorable, which made the overall experience a bit underwhelming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ruit L
This is a very late review because I was too lazy to write reviews. But even after more than half a year, this restaurant is still easily in my top five places in NYC after a few years of living here.
The food was excellent. I had the best caviar I’ve ever had at this place. I remember the server specifically mentioned that the caviar was carefully sourced and brought in from Europe, though I’ve forgotten the exact details over time. Everything else on the menu was also very well executed. The only dish I personally couldn’t finish was the venison—not because it wasn’t good or fresh, but simply because it’s not a protein I enjoy.
What truly stood out was the service. I was unsure about which wine or cocktail to order, and the server patiently offered multiple tastings of different wines and cocktails before I made a decision. At one point, my friend and I were discussing the beautiful tableware in another language and I briefly picked up a plate to look at it. At the end of the meal, the server brought us a dedicated tableware menu without us asking, simply because she noticed my interest.
A friend who visited on another occasion mentioned feeling slightly cold, and a server immediately brought a blanket without being asked. I have never experienced this level of attentiveness at any other Michelin-starred restaurant—whether in NYC, elsewhere in the US or in Europe. Even now, the service still stands out in my memory as genuinely impressive.
Many restaurants blur together for me after the meal is over, but this one hasn’t. The presentation of the dishes was distinctive, and the overall experience left a lasting impression. It’s one of the very few places in NYC that I still remember clearly—and one of the even fewer that made me want to write a review at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan
Wonderful experience! All the food was presented in a colorful and elegant way. The food was delicious. The servers presented the food amazingly! I highly recommend!
Stephanie
Another amazing dinner with Aska. The small bites and wine choices do not disappoint. The service is excellent with staff offering descriptions on each plate. Fresh, innovative and local combinations showcase each course. The sommeliers have great recommendations and wine enjoyment is elevated in Zalto glassware. Standout dishes were langoustine, caviar and claw.
The meal at Aska felt thoughtful, intimate, and deeply artistic. Each dish was subtle yet complex, making the experience feel truly special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
AC Slater
Had what I feel to be the best Michelin experience in NYC to date. Every dish was so incredibly on point with a few that will be stored in the memory food bank forever. The majority of the ingredients are sourced within 60 miles of the restaurant with the exception of a few items (mostly Nordic) that were imported. I thought the notes of each dish were clean, delicate, and beautifully balanced. Nothing was a smack to the palette with too much intensity which I think is exactly the story that Aska is trying to tell, it's clearly hyper-focused on the seasonality and quality of the ingredients. I will say there was a Madagascar caviar used in a dish that tasted like Serrano ham- like nothing I've ever had before.
We did both the wine and non-alc pairing and both were very well suited for each course. A million extra points for continuously topping us off throughout the night.
Ambiance is dark and intimate with an open kitchen to admire throughout the evening. Service was next level, with Missy the beverage director and her team seamlessly flowing about throughout the evening. The team was so warm, kind, and genuine- absolutely nothing felt sterile or forced, which is always a breath of fresh air. Not sure what more a restaurant needs to do to merit that third star.
Also an awesome touch, my wife has a thing for beautiful dinnerware/flatware and was admiring theirs for the entirety of the meal. To our surprise, they printed out an extra menu with each dinnerware vendor they used for each dish. Pretty cool stuff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jason Xiu
If I have to pick one word to describe my overall experience, it is a SCAM! The service is OK, average among Michelin stared restaurants. The food is on the lower side tho - I love Scandinavian food, Aquavit is one of my favorite places. Aska is nowhere close to Aquavit, nothing surprising just so so. Worth to mention, 14 courses sound good but tiny portions with 6-7 desserts, really?
The scam-y part is the price. First of all, the prefixed menu is overpriced compared to other Michelin restaurants. Secondly, they charge something called admin fee. According to their website, it is for non-tipped employees and this is NOT the gratuity. I guess they may start charging ingredients separately some time in the future or you may bring your own groceries and pay hundreds of $ for them to cook. Why don't you put your rent and electricity/gas bill in the charge as well? Thirdly, once you book the place, a cancellation or reschedule will cost you full price + admin fee + tax, according to their website. I caught cold/flu yesterday, but I still made to the dinner due to this crazy policy. I am sorry that I might have passed the virus to others in the restaurant but I just had to attend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Kristy DW
Truly fantastic experience-beautifully crafted and presented food, exceptional service, conceptually perfect wine pairing. I have been to many Michelin starred restaurants, and my bar is high. This restaurant raised the bar for others.
The ingredients at Aska are undeniably fresh and of very high quality, and you can tell that a lot of care goes into sourcing and preparation. However, the overall experience wasn’t quite for me.
The environment is extremely serious and almost austere, which sets the tone for a very focused dining experience. The flavors throughout the tasting menu were very subtle — almost too subtle for my personal taste. The cuisine leans heavily into natural, earthy elements, and at times it felt like there was a bit too much nature on the plate.
While it wasn’t my personal favorite, I can absolutely appreciate the craft and precision behind it. If you’re curious about experiencing Nordic cuisine at a very high level, Aska is definitely worth trying.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
High high praise on all accounts from food to service to ambiance
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The staff is amazing! Everyone is so friendly that it feels like being at home. So if you are worried about your first fine dining experience- be assured this is a perfect restaurant to go to. The drinks for non drinking offers are amazing, the food becomes better the more you eat. Presentation of the food is something else. No spoilers you have to see for yourself. I was delighted to celebrate my birthday at Aska. If you are asking yourself is it worth it? Yes. It is. And they will give you a printed menu so you will know what you had and can clearly describe to your friends and family what food is in the picture.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere is absolutely the best fine dinning restaurant we have been to. You can see from all the photos in other reviews.
The food includes much surprise. They cook with meat you could not often get access to in other places like quail and deer hunted from Hudson valley. The flavor and the usage of mixed spices make the flavor of normal ingredients also interesting. However, there is a dish of fried flower on top of a napkin, making it pretty confusing whether to eat the flower or to use the napkin.
I'm very concerned about the service. When I wanted to take a picture of my wife and moved my chair to the opposite of my wife, the waiter ordered me to move back with the reason of limited space and saying I'm blocking the path. I'm not saying this is a big issue. This is acceptable in a restaurant with $100+ per person. But this is not so good for a $500+ per person restaurant. YOU SHOULD NEVER ORDER YOUR GUEST TO DO ANYTHING. And during the process, we feel kind of offended by starring eyesights from chefs. From my observation, chefs whisper in the kitchen while starring at guests. Maybe they are talking about something else, but this behavior could make guests uncomfortable. Waiters are not as considerable as other fine dinning restaurant we visited. I would say kind of unconcerned and routined. However, from another perspective, this restaurant is a Scandinavian style one, probably the serving style is part of the experience, showing the severe and cold weather people in northern Europe has to survive from generation to generation since Viking age.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
I've been to the restaurant a few times. It is excellent. Will recommend it to anyone. Also, great wine selection
Easily one of the best meals I have had in New York. The cuisine was innovative, original, and masterfully prepared. The service was exceptional. 10/10
Beautiful plating and presentation, but the food itself was fairly average. Aside from the visuals, there wasn’t much that stood out or felt memorable, which made the overall experience a bit underwhelming
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
This is a very late review because I was too lazy to write reviews. But even after more than half a year, this restaurant is still easily in my top five places in NYC after a few years of living here.
The food was excellent. I had the best caviar I’ve ever had at this place. I remember the server specifically mentioned that the caviar was carefully sourced and brought in from Europe, though I’ve forgotten the exact details over time. Everything else on the menu was also very well executed. The only dish I personally couldn’t finish was the venison—not because it wasn’t good or fresh, but simply because it’s not a protein I enjoy.
What truly stood out was the service. I was unsure about which wine or cocktail to order, and the server patiently offered multiple tastings of different wines and cocktails before I made a decision. At one point, my friend and I were discussing the beautiful tableware in another language and I briefly picked up a plate to look at it. At the end of the meal, the server brought us a dedicated tableware menu without us asking, simply because she noticed my interest.
A friend who visited on another occasion mentioned feeling slightly cold, and a server immediately brought a blanket without being asked. I have never experienced this level of attentiveness at any other Michelin-starred restaurant—whether in NYC, elsewhere in the US or in Europe. Even now, the service still stands out in my memory as genuinely impressive.
Many restaurants blur together for me after the meal is over, but this one hasn’t. The presentation of the dishes was distinctive, and the overall experience left a lasting impression. It’s one of the very few places in NYC that I still remember clearly—and one of the even fewer that made me want to write a review at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful experience! All the food was presented in a colorful and elegant way. The food was delicious. The servers presented the food amazingly! I highly recommend!
Another amazing dinner with Aska. The small bites and wine choices do not disappoint. The service is excellent with staff offering descriptions on each plate. Fresh, innovative and local combinations showcase each course. The sommeliers have great recommendations and wine enjoyment is elevated in Zalto glassware. Standout dishes were langoustine, caviar and claw.
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The meal at Aska felt thoughtful, intimate, and deeply artistic. Each dish was subtle yet complex, making the experience feel truly special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had what I feel to be the best Michelin experience in NYC to date. Every dish was so incredibly on point with a few that will be stored in the memory food bank forever. The majority of the ingredients are sourced within 60 miles of the restaurant with the exception of a few items (mostly Nordic) that were imported. I thought the notes of each dish were clean, delicate, and beautifully balanced. Nothing was a smack to the palette with too much intensity which I think is exactly the story that Aska is trying to tell, it's clearly hyper-focused on the seasonality and quality of the ingredients. I will say there was a Madagascar caviar used in a dish that tasted like Serrano ham- like nothing I've ever had before.
We did both the wine and non-alc pairing and both were very well suited for each course. A million extra points for continuously topping us off throughout the night.
Ambiance is dark and intimate with an open kitchen to admire throughout the evening. Service was next level, with Missy the beverage director and her team seamlessly flowing about throughout the evening. The team was so warm, kind, and genuine- absolutely nothing felt sterile or forced, which is always a breath of fresh air. Not sure what more a restaurant needs to do to merit that third star.
Also an awesome touch, my wife has a thing for beautiful dinnerware/flatware and was admiring theirs for the entirety of the meal. To our surprise, they printed out an extra menu with each dinnerware vendor they used for each dish. Pretty cool stuff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If I have to pick one word to describe my overall experience, it is a SCAM! The service is OK, average among Michelin stared restaurants. The food is on the lower side tho - I love Scandinavian food, Aquavit is one of my favorite places. Aska is nowhere close to Aquavit, nothing surprising just so so. Worth to mention, 14 courses sound good but tiny portions with 6-7 desserts, really?
The scam-y part is the price. First of all, the prefixed menu is overpriced compared to other Michelin restaurants. Secondly, they charge something called admin fee. According to their website, it is for non-tipped employees and this is NOT the gratuity. I guess they may start charging ingredients separately some time in the future or you may bring your own groceries and pay hundreds of $ for them to cook. Why don't you put your rent and electricity/gas bill in the charge as well? Thirdly, once you book the place, a cancellation or reschedule will cost you full price + admin fee + tax, according to their website. I caught cold/flu yesterday, but I still made to the dinner due to this crazy policy. I am sorry that I might have passed the virus to others in the restaurant but I just had to attend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Truly fantastic experience-beautifully crafted and presented food, exceptional service, conceptually perfect wine pairing. I have been to many Michelin starred restaurants, and my bar is high. This restaurant raised the bar for others.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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