ALORA Ottawa & ALORA Rooftop — Restaurant in Ottawa

Unique in Ottawa. Rooftop terrasse, live DJ, beautiful people, well decorated, customer oriented staff, tasty high-end food, wife loves the drinks, great ambiance similar to what you’d find in Montreal’s supper clubs. We’ve been trying different spots over the past 2 years and since we found this place in June, we came back 4 other Saturday nights.

So the place is great, no doubt. There also remains great upward potential revenue wise for owners and experience for customers. For example, by having more staff (easier said than done) and allowing food order on the terrace later. The seating setting on the terrace could be modified to 1) fit more people, 2) a place for people to go when no seating is available and already order a drink (I’ve seen many people leave the first 2 times we went because there was no seating or lines of people waiting, do you want people waiting or people spending money?) 3) people to commingle more as I see a lot of groups of either men or women who go out there and I’m sure would love to get an opportunity to mix more instead of remaining seated together 4) increase revenue. An idea would be to remove the sit down square tables by the bar under the roof. Add a few high round tables without chairs. Add cushions to the wood bench. People go there when they arrive when there is no seating or if they wish to commingle more and order at the bar directly when they arrive. Seating could be modified as needed only for example when DJ is there. Music may be able to be louder there as well after 11pm as the area is more contained. Some supper clubs in Montreal even remove chairs at 10:30pm on some days to go from a more restaurant mood to a more bar / nightclub mood as these establishments are on the line between both or alternate depending on time. Timing is coordinated with kitchen time service so people have finished their plate.

Some say it’s expensive which is true and you can review the menu in advance. Some complained about the supper club ambiance, well yea… that’s why many enjoy it too. Some say service is slow which can be true some nights from my experience.

Night2 had made a reservation inside. Selected the bar seating with hostess. First spot was under AC, too cold for wifey. One of the twin staffs, the bartender, was pretty friendly and suggested to move us at another spot at the bar which we did and it was fine. Its pretty cold inside when dressed lightly because it’s 30 outside but still manageable, overall a subjective matter. Ordered tuna taco and crème brûlée. Very well prepared plates, tasty food. Service was swift.

Night4 was the first time we went while a DJ was there. That made for an even better ambiance, a few people were dancing. More people were standing up than usual when everyone is sitting. There was a lot of pressure on the bartenders to meet the demand as they were understaffed, but never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes to order at the bar. DJ had to significantly decrease volume at 11pm due to city bylaws and we then left.

Night 5 was yesterday on the terrace, DJ was there. The 2 bartenders were delivering, 2 machines! There were also 2 servers. So it was appropriately staffed that night. There weren’t any seatings when we arrived but we went standing at the high table bar surrounding the outdoor area and other clients didn’t mind. We wanted to order food but it was 8:45 and they stop that for the terrace at 8:30. We watched the fireworks. A few people also came standing around. At 10:15pm we went inside downstairs where there was a table available. We had to leave by 11 and our server Jackson told us there was a long wait time for food but as we were interested by appetizers and deserts only, he checked with the kitchen and we were able to get served and eat before. He even got us the bill right on time without having to ask. An hostess seeing us take a selfie suggested to take a picture. So I mean overall the staff is really customer oriented. As there was long wait time at that time for a full meal, the couple seated beside us...

I wanted to love this place, as the interior is stunning and the appetizers we ordered were decent (crab crispy rice and burrata). However, there were several issues that should be addressed to make this restaurant experience stronger. Our reservation was for 8:30, and our appetizers came out quickly. However, we ordered the 10 oz NY striploin for a main and it took an hour to come out. The steak was truly one of the worst steaks I have ever had, it genuinely did not have 1 granule of salt or any form of seasoning. We tried dipping it into the sauce to help, but unfortunately the sauce had a very odd flavour. We asked our server if the steak could be remade as it was flavourless and dry (due to having no salt to lock in moisture). She ensured that it would take exactly 7 mins for our new steak, but that 7 mins turned into 45 minutes and we now received our second steak at almost 11pm. The side of potatoes was pipping hot, but the entire piece of meat was yet again flavourless, but with a new twist, hard cold unrendered fat making up 75% of the steak. It was so cold that the rose shaped butter placed on top was rock solid and we didnt even know it was butter. Not sure why we compromised the steak on the second try just for the potatoes to be hot? Why are we cooking out of order? Texturally the steak was in shambles, resembled rubber, and was incredibly tough to cut and chew. Our server told us she would take it away as we did not eat more than one bite, but not without informing us that the steak fiasco was likely due to the fact they had a couple big parties who were all ordering steak, leading to the smaller tables being neglected. What was even more odd is that two steaks were sent back and barely touched because they were both increasingly inedible, and the steak still ended up on our bill, with a generous 10% off for our troubles? We should have argued this further but we had been sitting there for over 3 hours and just wanted to leave as it was so loud you had to scream to hear the person across from you. Save your money and dine elsewhere.

Update: It has been over a month since the manager told me he would call me to make things right, and I have still gotten nothing. Safe to say all of the apologies and promises of making things right were useless and a further waste of my time. Probably best to just ignore a bad review if you are incapable of rectifying...

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Alora in ByWard Market, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer! Finally, we have a quality restaurant that offers not just exceptional cuisine but also a nice interior design with high ceilings that set the perfect ambiance.

The attention to detail here is impeccable, and it's evident right from the moment you step in. The professional service is top-notch, and every guest is made to feel special. I was particularly impressed by the owner, Arash, who I saw constantly ensuring both guests and staff are well-supported and taken care of.

Now, let's talk about the culinary experience - it's nothing short of fantastic! Alora boasts a diverse array of offerings that cater to every palate

As a food lover, I couldn't get enough of their Land and Sea Board, which perfectly combines a delightful assortment of meats, vegetables and sauces. You also have to try the Crab Cakes and whipped Feta - cant miss these!

But it's not just about the food; Alora's cocktail experience is equally outstanding. Their mixologists craft both classic and custom cocktails.

All in all, my visit to Alora was an unforgettable experience. From the chic ambiance to the warm service and the mouthwatering dishes, this restaurant has firmly established itself as one of my favorite spots in the ByWard Market. If you're looking for great dining experience, Alora should be your go-to choice.

I highly recommend visiting Alora and indulging in their delightful offerings. You won't be disappointed!

👌 Bravo, Alora! You've won...