There was a bright spot in one of my Mondayest Monday’s that EVER Mondayed! After a whirlwind weekend with a few scheduled events and article deadlines to meet I was super exhausted! I had no intention of doing ANYTHING when it came to Monday! I just wanted to curl up in the fetal position and lay in bed ALL DAY long. That wasn’t going to happen because I had a scheduled lunch with Leslie of SobeSavvy at ORO Restaurant & Lounge in Raleigh. That was all the motivation I needed to slay the day! #MondaySlay ORO is conveniently located downtown Raleigh at 18 E. Martin St.
When you walk inside of ORO the atmosphere is so chic! The white color scheme, restaurant décor and table settings look great! They are open from 11am – 2pm for lunch and then again from 5pm – 10pm for dinner. I love that they have a mezzanine area upstairs where you can dine and even host a private event for a large party. My mood immediately began to brighten once I took in the ORO atmosphere and was seated. They have a great beer, cocktail and wine menu. I ordered a Moscow Mule Cocktail with Tito’s Vodka because you know I’m “Stubborn as a Mule!†and LOVE ginger beer & fresh lime juice.
Let’s be clear I didn’t really need that Moscow Mule after attending a Vodka Launch Party on Saturday and then Celebrating Jamaican Independence Day on Sunday with Overproof Jamaican Rum. I may or may not have been still recuperating from those festivities but, you know… You only live once! So, my Moscow Mule was DELICIOUS. I took a look at the starter menu and opted to go with the Chef’s feature soup which was green curry chicken soup. The feature soup changes daily so be sure to ask you server what the current selection is. I just knew that I was in for a treat!
So, in case you didn’t know… I LOVE Curry! I’m a product of Jamaican parents and a curry or ginger recipe will trump any menu item nine times out of ten. The green curry chicken soup had the perfect blend of coconut milk and curry. It was perfection, so flavorful and my new favorite! I honestly didn’t need anything else after that. However, I ordered the Beef & Broccoli as my main dish. It’s marinated filet with Chinese broccoli and water chestnuts. I enjoyed a few bites and had to take some of it home in a to-go bag! I was stuffed ya’ll!
Even though I had no space for dessert Leslie and I split the featured dessert which was a funnel cake ice cream sandwich with birthday cake ice cream and sprinkles. Its Leslie’s Birthday week so we even had a lit Birthday candle. Thank you ORO that was a nice touch! The great thing about ORO is they serve dishes that you can share with your friends. Leslie started with the Truffle Mac & Cheese and had the Fish Tacos as her main dish with a side of Wok Fried Brussels. We both left with to-go bags. Lol!
Overall, ORO is a great place to dine in the heart of downtown Raleigh. They have an affordable menu with most items priced under $15 and they cater to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free needs which is very important to me as someone who has many food intolerance’s and allergies. You can also book your reservation online and they offer catering services for a variety of events. Head over to the ORO Restaurant & Lounge website for more information and book your reservation. I can’t wait to return!
Huge thanks to the chef for the good eats, EVERYTHING was amazing!
Disclosure: Thanks to ORO Restaurant & Lounge for being such great hosts! All opinions expressed are 100% honest and completely my own. #ORO #ORORaleigh #Hosted