Enantioselective reductions of a variety of aromatic ketones catalyzed by [RuCl2(p-cymene)](2) coordinated by N-phenyl-(L)-proline amide in water have been performed with high asymmetric inductions in several cases. The reusability of catalyst has been studied. A multi-substrate recycling of the catalyst afforded successively seven alcohols each with similar enantiomeric excess than the one recorded in a single run. (c) 2006 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.