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Aura
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 11 am
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
6 reviews for Aura
6 reviews in English
-
Review from Jamie S.
12/28/2011
Wit the mixed reviews here, I wasn't sure what we were getting into. Having visited Whistler annually for going on 20 years now, we were interested in trying something new and different. And my latest kick is the whole sustainable/seasonal food movement.
Our party of 5 had Christmas Eve reservations. My parents are "traditional" eaters, so I was a little worried when we had the very limited 4 or 6 course menu. The kid's menu was extensive compared to our selection of 2.
However, every course we had was sublime and well portioned. I don't mean filling, but enough to allow for a very satisfying meal. Unexpectedly sublime as the menu descriptions didn't exactly make my mouth water.
The shrimp cevice with frisee green and beets were a combination I would never pick off a menu myself, but I practically licked the plate. The oyster soup (it had a fancy name) was light. not creamy, and the oysters almost served as a garnish as they were not overcooked. The salmon was the highlight to the most of us. Don't know how it was cooked, but almost like a soft-smoked/lox texture, brightened with a lemon flavor and served with brussel sprouts and bacon. There might have been a puree somewhere there too, but that salmon was beyond divine. The main entree was turkey, which was fine. I guess I just find turkey difficult to do particularly well or poorly, and it followed the salmon. And the last course was ham, which did not resemble the honey roasted/processed ham I expected. It was more of a braised pork. The weakest course would likely be the dessert. I don't know if it was because we were full or if it just wasn't as spectacular as everything that came before it. It was the one course that was largely left unfinished.
We'll be back to Aura. The service was attentive if not a bit over the top (no serving trays, a parade of waiters bringing out each course). We couldn't see any views, but the lights across the lake hinted at being able to see something during the day.
All in all, it was a very pleasant experience, one we'd like to repeat in the future. -
Review from NOrthshoreMama M.
North Vancouver, BC
11/27/2011
Went to Aura for a business dinner, a client from out of town. Was a bit odd to be asked about any food allergies at the hostess desk but hey, whatever floats your boat.
Sat down, waitress was very attentive, almost too much so. We ordered wine, which was very good, and from the 3 course meal which was $39/person, this included an appy, dinner and dessert. I thought this was very good. The menu was somewhat unconventional, but when we ordered and received our first dish which was a soup... it was fantastic. I found it a little annoying how over-attentive the waiters were, explaining each thing they brought to the table. Often interrupting conversation to present the food. Took forever to get the bill as well.
However apart from that, I thought the food was excellent, original, unique, and interesting. Portions were perfect.
My client ordered Scotch and they didn't have the one he ordered so gave him a double shot of a high end Scotch instead.
I would recommend this restaurant to others looking for a fine dining experience and something original -
Review from Fidela C.
1/17/2011 11 photos
Delicieux!
Organic, sustainable restaurants are the new craze these days, but some places do it better than others. Aura is one of them. The menu's chock full of fresh, unique combinations of locally grown and raised food - better yet, it's all affordably priced for this level of quality food in already-pricey Whistler.
$65 for a prix fixe 3-course meal, or $45 for a 2-course. (Note: A few of the items require supplemental pricing due to some gourmet ingredients.)
Our waitress was amazingly knowledgeable about every ingredient, dish, cooking process, and wine - almost as if we were chatting with a live food connoisseur or even the chef himself. You know they love their job and are very good at it.
Favorites:
1) Beef bresaola with organic beets, savory oats and chives, and honeycomb - a magical combination you wouldn't think of putting in your mouth; you just have to try it!
2) Scallop, prawn and cuttlefish served with apples and lime-injected melon
3) Dungeness crab gazpacho - fresh soup poured over generous pieces of crab
4) Venison with onion and pomme de terre - again, generous slices!
5) Duck breast - crunchy skin with tender meat
6) Golden seared seabass with chimichurri couscous
7) Creme brulee - can't go wrong
8) Chocolate ganache
Presentation is stellar, flavors are bursting, service is flawless. A well-deserved 5 stars for this new restaurant that rivals other great competitors in Whistler. -
Review from The G.
8/17/2011
This restaurant ruined our anniversary celebration!
We traveled from Oregon to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary and our waiter did not even have the decency to wish us a happy anniversary, even though afterwards he admitted he knew it was our anniversary from our reservation notes. Both of our children, 10 and 11, wondered why this waiter was not acknowledging our celebration as they are used to us celebrating family milestones at places that do acknowledge us.
Okay, so that is why not to go. Don't waste your money here if you are celebrating something, or at least not if you are a same-sex couple.
The basics:
The food is okay. I had the partridge and it was dry. By then I was so upset at the waiter I just wanted out of there. The scallops were good.
The view is great. Very relaxed.
Bottom line: Hey you are in Whistler. There are a hundred fine dining restaurants that I would recommend spending your money in. Avoid Aura -
Review from Jon L.
1/13/2012
We tried Aura for the first time tonight and found it to be a delightful experience, certainly a peer to the numerous excellent restaurants here in Whistler. I'm not usually a cocktail guy, but I just had to try and enjoy one of the mixologist's unique creations - don't remember the name but it contained juniper flavored gin, cucumber, watercress and manzana verde. First course, we had oysters and the Meyer lemon octopus, which was like a salad with fennel, octopus, fresh anchovies, sourdough croutons, etc. Second course, we had the amazing smoked black cod with a dill infused red cabbage, and the fried cuttlefish (calamari) with a wonderful garlic sauce. Third course, we had a beautifully poached wild salmon from Lois Lake, and Alberta elk tenderloin accented with a unique cedar jelly. Service was very friendly and knowledgeable, and overall it was an awesome experience to top off a week of great skiing.
-
Review from Janice M.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2011
What a trainwreck!
Once we were seated, we had to wait almost 20 minutes before our waitress came for drink orders. By that time, we were ready to order food, and when we told her so, she said just a sec, and left, and didn't come back for another 10 minutes. No explanation given. She didn't know anything about the dishes, nor where the ingredients came from. We were curious about why a restaurant that seems to be pushing sustainability served foie gras, as it's so contentious and certainly not sustainable. She didn't even know how it was made! Anyways, we started with carrot ginger soup, which was served to us at a kind of lukewarm temp. Decent taste, but would have been so much better hot! Arctic char was rather bland, with very little in the way of additional flavours. My husband's striploin was also not served at the appropriate temp, and was rather tough. We didn't bother with dessert, as we were so disappointed in our mains. Our waitress also manages to add an extra drink to our bill, and didn't seem to know how to fix it when we pointed it out. She just stared at the bill for a while before leaving without a word. We won't be going back; poor service and mediocre food at inflated prices.
