Bar Orai — Restaurant in New York

Japanese whisky, vinyl, and streetwear culture with a dash of speakeasy. Trust the Google Maps locator, and follow the (diminutive) signs to reach Bar Orai. Reservations recommended, but don't show up too early since your table might not be ready yet. There are three dining sections comprised of two main sitting areas separated by the bar. The larger seating area evokes a cozy retro living room, and where vibes are best, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised that my chair didn't just look luxurious, but was actually comfy to sit in.

There's an air of quiet luxury in Orai, toeing the line between casual and sophisticated. Think tiny beanies and tucked T-shirts with the vintage J's. Supreme merch and Bearbricks line the walls dutifully amid carefully arranged bottles of whisky and hundreds of records. Music, obviously, is tasteful and the perfect volume to get lost in but also to have a conversation.

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of whisky, so my selections were limited to the Highball and wine section. And also the single beer - who else knew that Suntory makes a beer? For people with real taste, there's a very nicely curated selection of whisky, whiskeys, and bourbon, and cocktails involving the aforementioned. Let's not forget the kitchen either, which shells out some delicious Japanese and Korean tapas to pair with your drink. Portion sizes for the food are pretty small, but think of it as a vibe surcharge.

Part of the lovely time we had was attributed to the great service - all the house staff were super polite and thoughtful, keeping our waters topped off and moving things around for our small table to accommodate the drinks and food. Several hours goes by in a flash, and if not for them closing for the evening (and reservation time limits), we probably could have stayed...

An excellent, hidden gem of a place that is classy cool without being sceney.

Went here recently for a date night, not knowing much about Bar Orai other than it was a Japanese-style listening bar. Surprisingly, they've been open for more than 2 years, and while we had no issues making a reservation for a Saturday night, they nevertheless had customers coming through all night long. The drinks and whisky were top notch, at expected prices (warning: Japanese whisky is wildly expensive these days) and the food items we got were all excellent, with the unassuming yuzu tomatoes being a surprise standout.

As expected for a listening bar, they had vinyl going on all night and a quality sound system that never made it feel like we were competing with the music, though I had thought the space would've had a bit more of an insulated feel, to be honest (we sat at the bar though, so that could be part of it). Regardless, we didn't regret the bar seating, which had a sleek, coastal 80s feel to it that actually made me miss the rattan back chairs I had growing up.

People with dietary restrictions should check the menu ahead of time, as many of the dishes are pork or fish heavy. Not surprising at a Japanese place, but still. You may also want to budget ahead of time if you're going to be whisky tasting, since pours run from $19 to $150+ for 1.5oz (I do wish it was 2oz for the prices, but so it goes).

Still, all of these issues are merely nitpicks on what was a fantastic, fun experience. Will definitely...

I’m a whiskey guy and so naturally, I loved Bar Orai. No rotovap, fat washing or milk clarification here, just quality, classic drinks made well with superb ingredients.

Old Fashioneds are my favorite drink and I’d say the one I had at Bar Orai was one of the best I’ve had lately. I’d also recommend their highballs. The yuzu one was refreshing and easy to drink. The whiskey sour and the penicillin were good as well. I’m not the biggest fan of Laphroaig because to me it tastes very smoky, and that was included in the penicillin. If that’s your thing you’ll love the penicillin!

I was pretty famished when I got to the bar so I ordered just about everything on the menu. My favorites were the Mentaiko Mac n Cheese and the Katsu Sando but every bite was a hit. Still thinking about the Mentaiko Mac. It was creamy and a little spicy, I could’ve eaten the whole thing myself. I would go back for just that dish.

Loved the music playing and the ambiance in general. Service was super friendly.

I also had a couple small critiques. We went without water for a while and everyone was so busy we felt bad asking for some. They were super friendly about it though. Also our castella dessert tasted like garlic LOL I think they used a chopping board or knife that was previously used for garlic and the flavor transferred, unless they left an ingredient off. Still ate it though haha

Overall, drinks are solid, food is great and I’m pretty sure I found one of my new favorite bars in NYC. Just please, no more...