Vora Restaurant European — Restaurant in Wichita

Three Runners, Zero Clean Plates, and One Deep Regret Fresh off our weekly river run—sweaty and high on endorphins—we wanted brunch that felt like a reward. The kind of food that makes you close your eyes and softly moan while chewing. Normally, we’d head to The Belmont, where we devour our plates with the enthusiasm of chocolate Labradors and occasionally discuss whether licking them in public is technically rude.

But no. We strayed. There’s a friend—a devoted dad with a permanent brunch invite—who’s never needed fancy restaurants because he insists he can recreate any dish he likes in his own kitchen. He calls places like Vora “hoity toity,” not because he doesn’t know better, but because he’d rather have a good burger than a plate that looks like a chemistry experiment. Loved by everyone, tolerated by necessity, his invite is irrevocable.

That’s his go-to term for anywhere with cloth napkins and entrées spelled in French. And while I genuinely believe he has the palate for upscale dining, he never really gives his tongue the chance. Still, we took it as a challenge. Seduced by the siren song of novelty and the restaurant’s sterile elegance—part luxury spa, part airport lounge, all echo—we sat outside on the patio, where at least the sun had some warmth… unlike the food, the room, or the mood.

We didn’t order mimosas. Not because we’re boring, but because we were brave. We wanted to taste the food unfiltered, unblended, un-orange-juiced. Water only. Clarity. Which, in hindsight, was our first mistake.

The food arrived, plated like it was headed to a magazine shoot instead of our mouths. It was all very... composed. Like a salad trying to win a Grammy. Eggs arrived wearing cherry tomatoes like a bad hat, and everything was sprinkled with the confidence of someone who just discovered flaky salt and thinks it solves everything.

But here’s the thing: you can dress an egg in heirloom tomatoes, hollandaise sauce, and emotional backstory—but it’s still just an egg. And if that egg is overcooked and underseasoned? You’ve basically got lipstick on a pig, and not even a fun pig. A disappointing, flavorless pig.

All three of us left our food unfinished, which is a statistical anomaly. At Belmont, the plates get licked. At Vora, they got left behind like a Tinder date who wouldn’t stop talking about their kombucha journey.

Would I return? Only if someone else is paying. And ordering for me. And I’m slightly tipsy. Actually, fully drunk.

We’ll be back at Belmont next Saturday, licking plates and memories, because some traumas are worth forgetting—and others are worth...

I was actually quite disappointed in this restaurant. There were many things that went wrong. First of all, I was looking for a restaurant in wichita where I could eat fairly clean and I was willing to pay in order to do that. However, if I'm paying $30/person minimum, I do, in fact, expect the food to reflect that. With this restaurant, the price per person only reflects that you're paying for the building and the person who designed it, not for quality food or service.

We were seated right next to two other tables in an otherwise empty restaurant. Yes, this helps servers provide for you better because you are now in their area. But that area does not need to be right next to each other so we can each hear each other's conversations and table manners. Furthermore, the server at first was very salacious. However, they constantly forgot to take empty plates or trash when they came by and instead left them at the table in front of us. I even had to ask for a box for an untouched plate of food - after it clearly sat for ten minutes - then had to rudely tap the table to get his attention and request the check before he ran off again. There is a fine line between allowing your guests appropriate space and catering to your table in a thoughtful manner.

Lastly, the food was average to low quality. They did not represent their menu ingredients well, and both plates as well as the calamari appetizer were more reminiscent of sub-par hole-in-the-wall diner food. If arugula is used in a salad, it needs to be cut in half so it can be eaten in a civilized manner. If I order a plate with two varieties of vegetables, then I expect both of them to be on there. If I order salmon and it comes without the skin, I expect it to have a nice seasoned sear to it to give it flavor instead of boiled in a bit of water until it evaporates off then salted and served. These are things that separate a real chef from a line cook.

Maybe I'm too stuck up to enjoy it, but I want the online presence and the actual experience to match. I had to be resigned that most of the menu items I picked from online that I COULD eat were not actually available when we got there. And I expect my service to be efficient and thoughtful, especially when the atmosphere is set up to deliver quality and the price point reflects that...

We went to Vora for a birthday dinner, it was our first time there. The surroundings are beautiful. Unfortunately, there nothing soft in the building to absorb any noise. This is the loudest restaurant I think I've ever been in. Screaming children next to us (and we were not there early) and the adults at the table thought it was "adorable"..me, not so much. When I had children that age, I never would have allowed them to disturb other diners like that. And with the tables squished SOCLOSE, there was no escaping it as the adults just encouraged the noise. I would've given a 1-star on atmosphere because of the layout and the noise, but the place was too pretty to get that rating.

The food was okay but it wasn't anything I'd rave about (unless you're talking about the French onion soup, SO GOOD). The lasagna was less than average to me, the mozzarella ended up like chewing gum in my mouth, odd. The stroganoff had potential but the onion and mushroom slices were huge, and with the smaller noodles, that threw off the balance of the dish. And what's with the meager spoon of sour cream?!

Our service was poor, the server seemed more occupied by other tables and diners. There were long gaps of time he never visited our table, not even to check on us. Then we ordered dessert and I wanted coffee with it. My coffee arrived when we were nearly finished with dessert. Inexcusable.

For two of us we were over $150 and for that, I expect much better. I can eat at other restaurants for that price and get way better food, and way better service. Sorry Vora, maybe I'll try you again for a cheap dinner. When I want something nice, I'll skip right over you and...