Casa Ora — Restaurant in New York

As a frequent patron of Casa Ora, nestled in the vibrant heart of Brooklyn, I'm compelled to share our experiences at this Venezuelan culinary haven. My wife, hailing from Venezuela, considers Casa Ora a slice of home in NYC, praising its authenticity and heartwarming dishes. She’s notoriously difficult to please when it comes to restaurants.

As an American, I too have grown to love this place, finding it a refreshing departure from the ubiquitous guacamole and tacos in the city.

Casa Ora stands out with its inventive cocktails, which are not only delicious but also deeply rooted in Venezuelan culture. They offer a fascinating array of seasonal cocktails, including the festive ponche crème, a Venezuelan take on the American egg nog, perfect for the holidays.

The food here is a testament to Venezuelan flavors. The ceviche, a staple at our table, is always fresh and bursting with zest. A must-try for appetizers are the arepitas, empanadas, hallacas,cachapas, and tequeños, served with an assortment of delightful sauces that leave us craving for more.

Our all-time favorite dessert is the quatro leche accompanied by a unique, crispy rum-soaked salted caramel brittle. It's a dessert that transcends the ordinary, offering a symphony of flavors and textures.

The service at Casa Ora is commendable. Attentive and prompt, the staff ensures a seamless dining experience, leaving no room for the usual annoyance of long waits.

However, there's one aspect that, if improved, could significantly enhance the overall experience. The restaurant's popularity often leads to a noisy environment, making it challenging to converse. An investment in sound-dampening solutions, like installing foam under tables or on the ceiling, could mitigate this issue and elevate the ambience, allowing guests to enjoy both the food and their company in a more serene setting.

In conclusion, Casa Ora is a jewel in Brooklyn's culinary crown, a place where the essence of Venezuela is served with every dish, in a setting that's just waiting for that final touch to perfection. Highly recommended for those seeking to explore authentic Venezuelan cuisine in a warm and...

Wouldn’t have left this review if there wasn’t a 20% auto gratuity on our table of 3, which I actually am not against I’ve been in the industry for 15 years as a bartender and server and I love that the owners do their best to take care of their people. The food and atmosphere was wonderful. My friends and I went years ago for my birthday before the renovation and our server was so sweet, so helpful and lovely. Unfortunately, this time around was so so so awful and it was robbery that he received a 20% tip.

The service from start to finish was the worst I’ve ever had in Brooklyn. For starters, the waiter, Fernando, came over to the table more than 10 minutes after we sat and was rushing if we were ready to order drinks and all our food. We maybe saw him for a total of 3 minutes the 2.5 hours we were there. We asked for a shared plate from the food runner (so sweet) and the waiter brought us over 2 to go boxes … right after we got our dinner. He said he misheard the food runner but if he had visited our table at all he would know we just got our dinner. When we ordered dessert he asked my friend to repeat herself because he didn’t hear her so she told her order twice. I mention this because he forgot her dessert and after 15 minutes of him not checking on us (and me watching him in a near empty restaurant talk to the hostess) I waved him down when he was in the dining room and he told my friend he didn’t know she ordered a dessert … he asked her twice. He brought the dessert and charged us for it. You at least comp the dessert you pretended she didn’t order. When we noticed it was auto gratuity it made sense. It was clear he didn’t give a shit since he was getting his money anyways. After we paid the bill we asked for a to go bag to put our boxes in… he forgot that too. We had to walk up to him while he was sitting at the bar to ask for it again.

This place is a gem but this service would make people never want...

TLDR: food is super mid (6.5/10). Service is slow(5/10). Indoor vibes are lit (8.5/10).

Only go here for vibes IMO. Not recommended for foodies. Friends who are not avid cooks and foodies like me were decently impressed though. Spent ~$100/person before tip.

Appetizer portion sizes, especially the ceviche are an absolute joke. Appetizer taste ranges from poor to excellent nevertheless. Tequenos were my favorite. I ordered every appetizer. They looked fancy though.

Taste of the mains—short ribs, scallops, octopus/mussels, monkfish, chicken, beef dishes were super mid (6.5/10) if you even had home cooked or authentic Latin American/Venezuelan food. Extremely salty—you will notice extreme thirst an hour or two after eating. The plating and micro greens they put on top of everything is what tricks everyone thinking this food is anything but mid. Take away the nice cookware, micro greens and the indoor vibes, I think most people would come out wanting more. Portion sizes for chicken and beef dishes were extremely large in comparison to most restaurants. Fried eggs that came with the beef dish had hard egg yolks lol. Plantain chips were so stale it seemed like a joke for an $8 side with barely any sauce—every roadside or hawker stall in Latin America and even SE asia will serve better for $1. I enjoyed the beet salad side though!

Drinks were good.

Service for food is very slow, took 1.5+hrs to get our mains for a party of 7. Drink orders and water refil service was excellent. Min default tip is 20% for 5/10 service. Had to ask for the check three times over the course of fifteen minutes, even though it wasn’t extremely busy. Might do better with more waitstaff/efficient kitchen. Most tables sat and waited just as long as us,...