aura waterfront restaurant + patio

exquisite atmosphere and food. the restaurant features floor to ceiling windows that provide an unobstructed view of the harbour and the empress hotel. aura's decor is modern chic and provides a very cozy and relaxing atmosphere. to begin with, we received an amuse bouche - pear, ricotta, and chickpea butter on top of a biscuit surrounded by red wine demi glaze. instead of a basket of bread, we received a freshly baked warm brioche with strawberry butter - excellent and what a nice change from a bread basket. i ordered the grilled artic char with cauliflower and carrots, chanterelles in sausage casings and sourdough spaetzle - outstanding!!! my mom ordered the grilled halibut with eggplant and fava bean ragout. she said the flavours were amazing! for dessert we ordered the milk chocolate bread pudding accompanied by passionfruit creme and as side of mango and lime sorbet - beautiful flavour combination and not too sweet. excellent coffee and service!!!

the food here is exquisite. some unique options on the menu (crab fondue anyone?) and classic west coast standards such as sablefish and spot prawns. there's a good balance here of meat and seafood dishes and my experience has been that everything is cooked to perfection and perfectly flavoured . the atmosphere matches the renos of the inn (feels kind of like a japanese-first nations hybrid museum) and the water views are lovely. great spot for a business dinner. not very trendy, yet up to date in a conservatively artsy way. servers are knowledgable, genuine and attentive.

i had dinner tonight at aura with my mother. i would like to stress that the ambiance and service were impeccable. the portion sizes for the price were another matter. i ordered the seafood trio ($35) and was utterly shocked at the few, tiny bits of seafood that were expertly arranged on my plate. yes it was arranged beautifully, but to charge this much money for what didn't even amount to an appetizer should be embarrassing to a fine restaurant. very disappointed.

had their breakfast once and dinner twice... always wanted to come back and try their lunch. this time, we had the fresh oysters - very fresh and sweet, loved the ponzu soy sauce with lemon, a great combination to go with the oysters; deep fried sushi is a must-try dish; the prawn linguini sea urchin cream sauce was really yummy, the pasta was cooked just right. we brought our friends to try this restaurant and they all loved it. service was really good as well, we had a party of seven, the server had all orders right and made sure we always have plenty of drink on table. will come back again next time we visit victoria!

went to aura for the dine around victoria experience. i had the french onion soup, short rib enter and frische cheese cake for desert. also on the menu was a wine pairing for $18. the onion soup was over salted and left me thirsty for water goethe remaining meal. the short rib was absolutely delicious. chess cake was alright but not outstanding. the wine pairings was a nice touch.

presentation was lovely, taste was amazing. went for lunch yesterday (saturday). had the deep fried sushi (in which only the nori was deep fried), whose flavours melded wonderfully; the crab moco (which was like a spicy, de/re-constructed bibimbap with a very tasty crab cake), and the fresh and tasty fish and chips, with wasabi tartar sauce. great meal, friendly service, and an incomparable view.

the food dazzles your senses and tastebuds,
the setting is superb - an outside patio that overlooks the stunning inner harbour in victora.
chef ito is a master at bringing his japanese heritage to his dishes that dazzle the eye in his artistic presentation and dazzle the taste buds with their symphony of flavours and textures.
service at this beautiful restaurant is attentive and unobtrusive.
all dishes have a refined elegance about them, but not to the point where flavour and texture is lost for the sake of making them look refined and elegant. in typical japanes fashion artistic creativity both in presentation and taste rules supreme in chef's kitchen.

ok. stayed at te inn. saw the menu and was mildly intrigued. had two of their appetizers and seriously was blown away. simply complex was what my taste buds said:) i eat out ofen & can cook so i am critical. bravo!

has lots going for it but misses on a few key items. we recommended the restaurant for out of town visitors this week. great views, nice round table, enough people to create super ambience, but they sure miss on a few basic items. not to mention two guests who had undercook and tough duck - but no one seemed to take notice. creative items on menu, but they need to improve. a phone call the following day to provide feedback was less than satisfactory. sometimes you know the person you are speaking to, simply does not get it or does not care.

step it up a bit aura!

meh - had the wasabi-crusted chicken and it was nothing to write home about.. but it was enough to write on urbanspoon about! what to say? i was slightly underwhelmed, but i am willing to give this place another try someday. it wasn't terrible, but i was expecting more.

one of the loveliest dining experiences i have had in years! our meal was superb - the scallops were astounding and the duck was - well, just thinking about it has me salivating. the service was wonderful - knowledgeable, helpful but never hovering or insincere. i can hardly wait to return

great view, local beer, not great food. our party of three were disappointed with the meal. service was great and the location is stunning. the burger was not homemade, the steak sandwich was boring and the steak was overdone (i asked for rare and got med, my friend ordered med and got well-done). fries were nicely presented but flaccid. great beer list.

a romantic room with contemporary design and a killer view . seafood and locally sourced ingredients with a playful japanese twist. a great destination to bring your seafood loving friends for a special treat.

surprised and impressed. wow! we came for the dine around victoria experience and had the best time there of all the restaurants we have tried so far. suzy our waitress was impressive very friendly, welcoming and informative. our food was creative, delicious and impressive in its presentation. at first we thought we might still be hungry after eating as the portions were quite small but they were also rich and in the end we were both satisfied. i loved the chocolate desert with paired wine..so good! the view was beautiful and the chairs comfortable as well. we will be back.

we just enjoyed an amazing 3 course valentine's dinner at aura. when we booked our reservation online my husband left a note on the reservation to let the chef know that i have an allergy to gluten, dairy, and soy. my expectation was that i would be picking from their set menu but would have to leave out the ingredients i was allergic to. this was not the case. when we arrived they had prepared a 3 course menu specifically for my allergic restrictions complete with a desert i could eat! the whole meal was a wonderful experience. on top of everything the service was stellar as well! thanks aura for a very enjoyable dining experience.