Raw Aura

This restaurant is unreal. Gorgeous space and by far the best vegan restaurant in Toronto and the GTA. The customer service is phenomenal. The staff is extremely friendly, accommodating and wonderful at creating a welcoming atmosphere for their clientele. I have tried almost everything on the menu and I have always been floored by the intricacies and flavor pairings thoughtfully incorporated into each meal. I can honestly say I’m impressed every time I visit (which is often). Thank you and keep up the great work, guys! You’re killin’ it!

I thought for certain I had written a review about this place previously but I see that I did not! I feel bad as I do not think I can list everything we had off the menu the first time now, but I am going to try!
First impression walking in is that this place is small with a hipster vibe, pretty fitting for the type of food. It gets quite warm inside so layer clothes to ensure you stay comfortable. They fill up to capacity on typical busy nights so be aware of that and it is best for people in pairs to maybe a group of four. The space is a bit too ‘intimate’ aka tight for me to consider having a large group come for dinner. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.
I remember our first visit we got the Nachos, and they are not as you would expect them to be and that is not to say bad. The chips them are not the typical nacho chip because, duh, the raw ingredients! They were very tasty and we were happy that we got them. For the main we got the pizza, at this point I cannot for the life of me remember the toppings but they do daily market toppings any ways so you may not have the same option we did any ways.
The thing I really recall about the first visit is that when we left we both had this weird body buzz. I have no clue what caused it but there is not other way to describe it; you felt like your body was buzzing and light.
I have recently taken the plunge from Vegetarian to cutting out dairy as well. So feeling slightly dessert deprived we came here for cake! I had heard great things about their dessert so I was excited to see how many options there were! The staff member recommended the chocolate banana cake and the almond ball. The cake was really nice, it was light almost like a mousse the banana really stood out. The almond ball was good as well but over priced. The cake was 8.00 (totally reasonable) the ball was 3.00. When you compare what you are getting size wise for the two items the ball should really be 2.00.
I need to come back to try some more items off the menu, they are way better than Rawlicious for which you can find my review on here.
I recommend for all Vegetarians and Vegans, and anyone willing to give whole food, and clean eating a try.

The food was alright. Went back a second time but only for the banana chocolate cake (might be cheesecake). The service first time was great, second time not so much. I found myself being more friendly to the waitress than the waitress was to customers. Either way, glad to have a juice bar in the area although I would not eat a meal there again.

I had the wonderful opportunity to be dragged into this restaurant. Such cuisine is definitely not up my alley and i had little hope of liking this place but i am officially blown away. The restaurant had a very laid back organic feel and lovely calm setting. Great place for a late brunch with girlfriend to catch up. We ordered 4 dishes and shared amongst 3 people, we were decently satisfied leaving. The pad thai was a group fav… it had a wonderful fresh delightful taste. The kelp noodle lends a uniquely surprising crunch while the light dressing uses kelp seaweed to simulate the taste of fish sauce. The taste was well balanced between sweet, tartness, and salt, the texture was crisp and refreshing with a fresh mouth feel. Next we tried the avo tartare which was also very pleasing. Tasting almost like a light version of chunky guacamole, it was well paired with the bread sticks. The beet ravioli was very beautiful. It had a surprising tart kick to it and but not overwhelming. We also tried the yellow coconut curry noodle. My least favorite of the meal, albeit a personal preference thing. It was refreshing with surprises of pineapple pcs to lend its sweetness. The zucchini noodles were refreshing and with the addition of the coconut milk gave the yellow curry its light creamy taste. I particularly enjoyed [of all 4 dishes] the gorgeous colours that made these dishes so much more aesthetically pleasing-​the vibrance can be tasted, smelt and seen. The meal was a bit on the pricier side but i loved the experience. I left feeling full but not bloated. This experience should be on a bucket list for anyone that loves food or any self proclaimed foodie. As a person that’s definitely identified as predominately carnivore, I am glad to have this experience and will definitely be back. It’s just one of those examples of good food done right — regardless.

The highest quality food that tastes amazing with awesome service as well!
It really is the best RAW food restaurant in the GTA, hands down.
They aren’t just chefs, they are artists who create masterpieces!
The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful, I love the whole vibe that is felt there.
Please remember people that it’s always better to support our local business owners/​communities versus funding franchises/​corporations that TRY to imitate them yet they’ll never truly succeed. In my opinion, they under charge for all that they offer to us as customers. Overall it’s a real fair price.
*FYI*
Rawlicious menu is nothing compared to the Raw Aura menu, yet the prices are about the same.

Food here is fesh, beautifully presented, and flavourful. The décor is really nice too — the table was a section of tree trunk! Had the kale chips, burstin burrito, and yellow curry zucchini noodles. Service was efficient and food came out quickly. Price point is a bit on the higher end for lunch.
The bowl of kale chips were quite sizeable, and super tasty (cheesy flavour). They had just the right amount of crisp. Considering the price of a bag of kale chips in supermarkets/​health food stores, I thought the kale chips at raw aura were reasonably priced for the quantity and quality ($ 8). The burrito was delicious — fresh and balanced. As for the zucchini noodles, I actually wasn’t a big fan of the yellow curry sauce, but otherwise found the noodles and other ingredients to be good. Next time I’d want to try the bolognese or pad thai.

~4/​5 on the food
~2/​5 for service
My two friends and I all ordered noodle dishes (coconut curry noodles, pad thai, bolognese) and all three were soooo fantastic and a serene eye opening experience to the delicious world of raw vegan foods. We chowed down on our entrees like we haven’t eaten in days, but when we got to the dessert it was o-kay…The blueberry cheesecake (made from ground almond or cashew?) was extremely bland and kind of just fell apart, and the apple crumble tasted like VERY old browning apples (I guess this is something that should be baked). Aside from the dessert, the entrees are the bee’s knees even for a staunch meatlover like myself.
The prices are not that bad, considering most restaurants (Jack Astors, Milestones, etc.) all range from $ 12 — $ 20 per entrée.
The awful part was the service… this was the first time my friends and I went there and didn’t really know what to expect. When we went in, we stood by the doorway kind of confused because a waitress didn’t come and greet us until a few minutes later and then told us to seat ourselves. After that it was another 5 minute wait for the menu (at this point we started to think we have to order at the counter). When we refused to order a smoothie the waitress rolled her eyes and was very displeased. After that my friend began to ask her questions about the food and recommendations (because we don’t know how you can possibly make such intricate dishes out of just veggies), but the waitress took on this attitude that made us felt so little, and told my friend that it’s her choice and she can’t disclose any ingredients or process used on the food –which I understand the need to keep recipes secret, but her attitude was extremely condescending. Afterwards she didn’t give us any recommendations and just rushed us to order our food. After we ate, we went to the counter to pay our bills and my god… the counter was SOOOO sticky even hand sanitizer couldn’t get it off (minor issue but still contributed to the negative experience).
TL;DR Amazing food, lousy service.

I have dined here a couple times, and every time it was delightful! I’ve basically sampled every mains on their menu, so if you want to go towards the «safer route», I would suggest either the Bursting Burrito or Yellow coconut curry noodles.
oh yes — Try the kale chips, it will change your life! :)

I’ve been here a couple times.
First time I tried the curry pasta and the bolognese pasta. Very good. However they taste very similar other than the sauce.
The second time I tried the big salad with the sesame lemon dressing. Amazing! Honestly one of the best salads I’ve had. Very filling. Recommend this highly.
Overall the place was great. Good vibe and good food.

Best Vegan food ever! I’m not Vegan by any means, I’ve dabbled in vegetarianism & never thought I’d go as far as eating an all vegan meal.
We had their Pasta Bolognese & the Nachos & the Chocolate Banana cake. A-​MA-​ZING! I went vegan for a month after that lol. But honestly, hands down I enjoyed every bite.
It’s just so refreshing to see a restaurant take ingredients and make them fresher than they actually are. Every bite has flavour.
Have to mention the staff — very warm & friendly people.
Can’t wait to come here again!

My first Raw Food Outing with my friend Paulette Lewis.
The Green Juice was excellent. Very earthy, not sweet. There’s an Apple version which adds sweetness.
The Taco Salad was hearty and delicious.
Paulette had the Nachos, she made me one, yummy!
Definitely a destination dining experience. I look forward to returning and returning until I’ve tried it all. Beyond yummy!

Get me back to Mississauga as soon as possible for more of this mind-​blowing raw vegan food, please! I cannot get it outta my mind.
Walking into a restaurant 15 minutes before closing is something I typically avoid (as does anyone who has worked years in the service industry). Doing so in a restaurant where food prep is evermore labor-​intensive had me expecting some reluctance on the staff’s part. Thankfully, it wasn’t so and the food angels at Raw Aura kindly seated us and patiently answered questions and took our (enormous… we were hungry) order.
I’m going to tell you from the get-​go that this is one of the top 5 raw vegan meals I have ever had. And to make things even sweeter? Prices are reasonable. Know that raw vegan food that’s barely mediocre will always be expensive because of the nature of ingredients used (top notch, nutrient-​rich). When you’re used to eating at such places in New York (think: Pure Food & Wine), you know and accept you’re going to walk out healthier, glowing… yet at least $ 100 dollars poorer (but hey, that glow!) I didn’t believe the 2 $ signs Unilocal promised, but was so happy I was wrong.
The food is heavenly. We started with kale chips (they have flavors of the day and on this day it was sour cream & onion) and if you’ve had the super market variety, get ready for those pricey things to be but a distant memory (sorry, Brad’s, you’re too crumbly and overdone with red pepper flavoring for me to spend 7 bucks on you).
And if those were superb, I’m not sure there’s a superlative for what came next: nachos. I’ll put it to you this way, though, one of my dining companions swore she was a meat & potatoes girl (who had only just tried watermelon recently) and she absolutely adored ‘em. My love for these delights might not be adequately contained here. A giant tome might not even be able to contain all the accolades. Chewy, flavorful, abundant and so so good for you. All these things. Ditto the pizza I ordered for my main course (and could barely finish half).
It’s really incredible to think about the fact that all of this delicious food isn’t sinful, but incredibly good for you. As my friend noted, «you feel satisfied, but not weighed down.» It’s the best that food can be.
If only I had room for dessert.

Finally. Finally. Finally. I had the pleasure of visiting this highly touted, hidden Raw Vegan spot in the bustling ‘burb of Port Credit. That is a sentence I never thought I would speak or write in my life, seriously.
Admittedly, I’m about as vegan as a 40oz Porterhouse topped with lamb chops and wrapped in bacon. But I stand by my motto of always being willing to give everything a try once (it’s almost never steered me wrong). While this wasn’t my first raw vegan experience, it was my first in the 905. After reading some of the tantalizing reviews written by several elite pals, Raw Aura has been on my bookmark list for almost 2 years! The issue that kept me from visiting is I was a little gun shy to visit on my own and anytime I recommended it to friends, the response was… «well I’d rather have meat».
Last night all the green stars aligned and I not only managed to visit but managed to bring an actual vegan friend along for the ride — I knew this experience would be best by bringing someone who would appreciate it and I was right. We ordered all the food things!
To start we had the Kale Chips, which were puffy, crispy, salty and somehow a little bit cheesy (picture white cheddar flavour), AND an order of vegan nachos! The kale chips were great but the vegan nachos were what really impressed me. Picture deconstructed nachos with a row of guacamole, cashew sour cream (no different in taste from the real sour cream), walnut taco meat and a fresh tomato salsa. Save for the lack of cheese, this was as good as some of the best non-​vegan nachos I’ve ever had.
My dining companions had the Pizza (Sprouted buckwheat and sunflower seed flax crust topped with the chef’s daily market toppings) and Ravioli (Red beet ravioli are stuffed with a creamy cashew ricotta cheese, red pepper marinara sauce and crisp dehydrated kale chips) respectively, while I went back to my Italian roots and had the Pasta Bolognese.
If you’re a pasta snob like me, then you’re very specific about your pasta, but knowing that this was made with Zucchini noodles tossed in a rich house-​made tomato red pepper basil marinara sauce, sunflower seed and sun dried tomato sausage, topped with almond parmesan, I was prepared for it to be a little different then my usual carb and meat fiesta. Different was definitely awesome, the freshness and flavours of this dish were unmatched, truly a culinary delight!
The food alone wins them 4 stars but they earn the extra 5^th star for price and staff. Where can you realistically get a gourmet dinner main for under $ 15? I’m not sure which server others are having issues with but our server was super accommodating and friendly. Despite showing up 15 minutes before closing, they were welcoming and did not rush our meal at all. Very appreciative of their hospitality
While I’m not going to be giving up my omnivore ways anytime soon, Raw Aura definitely makes an extremely strong case for including a few extra delicious vegan meals to my rotation as they can be as good (if not better) than some of the meals they model themselves after.
VEGANCREST Out! ;)
PS — next time, the cheese cake is going down. Apparently it’s a must

I was craving Falafel today and couldn’t find a place in PC… Then I remembered these guys do a great falafel wrap. Mmmm. So good. And I grabbed some sour cream kale chips for a snack later. (The only way I’ll eat kale is from Raw Aura)
I’ll have to agree with other reviewers… Other times I have visited I have had the same experience with the server… She’s not quite rude but definitely not friendly.
Other than that, I love this place and recommend it to everyone, omnivores or otherwise :)

Just an update, not on the food because the food/​drinks are great! A bit on the pricy side, as per other reviewers, but I *believe* prices are on the website, so it shouldn’t really be a surprise or anything.
I’m updating because the server, the blond waitress, can be nicer. I’ve been in a handful of times and each and every time, she is in a crabby mood. I think I’ve seen 1 crack of a smile, but otherwise, her attitude is not good. I’m not sure if she’s aware or not, but she acts as though patrons are in her way and she’s doing them a favour. Very unpleasant and honestly, this is what deters me from dining here more often.
Came in wanting to sit down, but was told, «Kitchen closes in 5 minutes» which is fine. Just slightly abrupt. So I ordered a slice of cake and a juice to go. Cake, as per photo, was very small… and $ 9! Dunno how they portion things out, but it felt as though it was purposely cut smaller. Who knows. Not the best treatment, so thank God, we didn’t dine in!
Again, nothing to do with the food, could’ve cut a bigger slice for that price, but I’m not going to pay to dine out and be treated badly.

So this place was OUT OF THIS WORLD! First, I went to the Greek restaurant across the street and was mortified by the fact that only meat options were available. So, what is a sad vegan to do? Well, I continued on my travels down the block to look for nourishment.
Not 30 yards away is this gem Raw Aura. The restaurant is a quaint, busy little hole-​in-​the-​wall café. I went right at lunch hour (12pm). The chef looked like an artist creating a masterpiece. He was not rushed, or bothered by the noise/​business. If you are reading this Mr Chef, you are fantastic and I will dream about your delicious art tonight.
I ordered the Mediterranean Platter and the Nachos. Heavenly. I never had a chance to try the smoothies or desserts, though I plan on it ASAP. The service was good — not outstanding but considering the heavy traffic, I’ll let it slide. The server was very friendly but definitely was moving quickly to be able to serve everyone in a timely manner. Highly recommended and a must-​try when in the area.
PS: do not let the seemingly small portions fool you — the food is extremely filling and nutrient dense. You will be lucky if you have room for dessert.

I heard so much about Raw Aura from friends that I finally had to go check it out myself. The restaurant is pretty small and the options on their menu is pretty limited. However the food was very scrumptious. The food was very flavourful. I loved my cashew and beet ravioli. I would have it again. My only complaint was that it was on the pricey side and I was still hungry after my meal. The portions weren’t terribly small but not very filling. Which I kind of expected. Overall, my experience was good and customer service was great. I would come again and perhaps try some of their desserts.

I cannot put into words what an absolute pleasure it was to dine here, but I will certainly try!
I fell in love the moment I sat down; the restaurant is open & inviting — which is no surprise, as the staff mirrors those attributes themselves.
Everything about my experience brought a smile to my face — the food was fresh, creative (the staff is constantly collaborating to come up with new ideas), and unbelievably delicious (so much so that I came back the next day to be able to try more while in town). During my first visit I tried the «Drink Your Greens» fresh juice, had the Coconut Curry Noodles for my entrée & finished up with the Almond Bar. I essentially had the staff order for me — I mean, the owner is hands on in every way, so I figured why not? She led me in the right direction — and I couldn’t stop raving about everything to my fiancé. The Coconut Curry was made with zucchini noodles they made to order, and the pineapple cut through the spice perfectly. I was in love with the Almond Bar from first bite; one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. And, guess what?! I had all this and left FEELING GOOD! Too awesome!
My lunch today somehow topped yesterday. I had the Cinnamon Toast Crunch smoothie and was at a loss for words on how delicious it was. Better than any smoothie I’ve ever had (honestly, I could have one every day — and the head chef shared with me that he actually does! haha). The Falafel Sandwich was… Well, you’re going to think I’m gushing about this place too much, but just trust me… That Falafel Sandwich is unreal. You can tell they use fresh, organic spices (cumin is one of my favorite spices and this completely blew my mind with how good this cumin was). I spent time talking to the friendly team (did I mention how great these people are?) and found out they grow their chickpeas in house! Yeah, each Falafel Sandwich takes three days to make! Talk about a labor of love!
I could (and will) talk about my time here for a long, long time. It isn’t just a «hidden gem» in terms of restaurants are concerned — the food didn’t just taste good; I didn’t just admire the dedication they have; the service wasn’t just prompt, friendly and considerate; this place was more than «just» a great restaurant… It was an experience that I am genuinely thankful for.

I have always wanted to try this place and now can finally say that I have. I had the falafel wrap and almond bar to follow. The wrap was amazing. Everything was extremely fresh and VERY tasty and had a little zing to it. The almond bar was better than any almond anything I’ve ever had! They should re-​name this to something more just. The staff was extremely friendly and helped me pick what to eat based on my hunger level. A lot of people think that without meat and wheat there is no flavour — I dare them to try this place!

I’ve been eyeing this place for a while but I don’t have too many friends in the raw/​vegan scene so haven’t heard much about it. I finally decided to end my curiosity and came here for dinner on new year’s. As we pulled up to the restaurant my boyfriend asked «where are we?,» I replied «Raw aura! A vegan and wheat, dairy and meat free restaurant,» excitedly. Trying to hold back a frown he pleaded «Britany, I’m really hungry!» I couldn’t help but laugh– but he was a good sport and entertained my request to try something new.
For starters we ordered the nachos, Caesar salad and Thank you Berry Much smoothie. The Caesar tasted like a traditional Caesar salad even though it was vegan. The Berry smoothie was impressive! All smoothies are made with hemp milk and sweetened with dates. They are thick, sweet and delicious! Definitely dropping by on those hot summer days for one of these bad boys. The nachos are honestly what blew me away. Described on the menu as: Crispy corn chips served with guacamole, cashew sour cream, fresh tomato salsa and walnut taco meat. I could not believe they could bang out so much flavor from fruits, veggies and nuts. These were so delicious I would choose them over regular beef nachos any day. The only this is the crispy corn chips really get stuck in your teeth, it’s a texture if never had before but good nonetheless.
For our main entrée I ordered the sweet and sour noodles and my boyfriend ordered the pasta Bolognese. I did not like the sweet and sour noodles. The flavor combination just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t disgusting or anything like that. Just very bland and not memorable. I kept eating off my boyfriend’s plate and I could tell he was getting annoyed because he really enjoyed the pasta Bolognese so I decided to order another one and pack up the sweet and sour noodles to go. The pasta Bolognese is described on the menu as: Zucchini noodles tossed in a rich house made tomato red pepper basil marinara sauce, sunflower seed and sun dried tomato sausage, topped with almond parmesan. I loved tasting the layers of different flavours and the different textures. Keep in mind everything is served at room temperature because it is RAW hence the name raw aura.
Overall I was just so impressed that I couldn’t leave without ordering dessert even though I had nowhere to put it. If you are a chocolate lover I would recommend trying one of their chocolate desserts because they looked so rich and creamy. I don’t like chocolate so I went for the berry cheesecake. I don’t want to use the word amazing but it was AMAZING. Being lactose intolerant it felt like Christmas devouring this cake know that there will be no repercussions at the end of the night. I will definitely be coming to raw aura in the near future!