We had a wonderful experience dining at Ora for our annual Christmas lunch. The food, atmosphere, and service were all exceptional. As an interior design studio, we naturally found ourselves admiring the thoughtfully curated interior details throughout the space. It was a truly enjoyable experience and one we would happily return to.

We arrived early but they refused to seat us at the bar for a drink first even though there were plenty of seats. The salmon tartare, toothfish, wagyu beef sirloin, beef tongue and eggplant were all very delicious. Sushi was done well. Balmain bug san choi bao was okay, oysters were too cold to enjoy the flavour. It was often a little hard to get attention from waitstaff and there were some pest control issues but management assured us they were taking action. Food was a bit pricey, the dessert (chocolate matcha fondant) was really underwhelming and dry, no strong flavours. Some cocktails were a bit miss, but the ume negroni was a hit. Spacious and you can hear each other talk, but you do feel like you’re paying top end prices to eat in a massive shed/ warehouse that’s been painted.

Ora is a lovely, ambient Japanese restaurant situated in Waterloo, with a reasonably wide and open seating plan. Starters - Balmain bug tempura san choi bao (cucumber, avocado, sweet soy, spicy mayo) $18 ea ✨ - Wagyu beef tataki (seared wagyu sirloin with ponzu dressing, fried, leek, chive, shiso) $34 ✨ Sushi & raw bar - Kingfish sashimi (hot garlic oil, ponzu, ginger, chives, toasted sesame & crispy potato) $35 ✨ Rolls - Spicy tuna roll (tuna, cucumber, tobiko, shichimi, jalapeño mayo) $27 ✨ Nigiri - A5 kagoshima wagyu $19 ea ✨ Tempura - Prawn & vegetable tempura $34 Sides - Cucumber & cabbage salad $16 ✨= Would recommend The food was delicious, and most dishes I would love to order again. The Balmain bug was super crispy and mixed with the spicy mayo it was great. The wagyu beef tataki was soft and tender - only thing regarding service is it came out near the end despite being a starter. Nevertheless we didn’t mind! We also loved the A5 kagoshima wagyu nigiri. Unfortunately, their blue fin tuna otoro was not in season. Can’t go wrong with their kingfish sashimi - it was given with a bottom coat of soy sauce on the plate so it was on the saltier end, but still enjoyed it. The tuna in the roll was fresh and soft, and the roll itself had crispy bits on the outside which elevated the texture. If we were to go back we probably wouldn’t order the tempura. It was a lot (we chose the large size) and didn’t taste special compared to other tempura we’ve had. The cucumber and cabbage salad was refreshing, but again nothing special. We loved our meal, it was very fulfilling and I would definitely return (for a third time!).

On the list for us to try for quite some time, finally made it there on a weeknight back in August. Easier to get reservation as well. Beautiful decor and love the high ceiling warehouse ambience. Food was absolutely delicious. Fresh and flavourful... paired beautifully. Excellent service which always makes the dining experience more enjoyable. Looking forward to head back and try the next seasonal menu. Is always fun to see what the chef explore with seasonal ingredients.

Had a pleasant experience here 🥰 All the staff greet you nicely and makes you feel welcomed. The pacific oysters were quite big and fresh (half ponzu and half shiso). I usually like sweet drinks so the ly-chee-me cocktail suited my tastebuds. There’s a drink called bar-makase where they make you a random drink which I thought was interesting! We also tried the scampi nigiri and sea urchin nigiri - both were fresh and creamy but I liked the scampi more. Only downside is that street parking is limited and lamb cutlets took quite long (around 30-40 mins). Would go again though!