Tora Restaurant: A Review of One of Cancun's Best Japanese Restaurants
Updated: Mar 31
This unique restaurant was the winner of the 2020 Diner's Choice award granted by Open Table and we can totally see why! An absolutely epic night out on the water with magnificent food, first class service, brilliant entertainment and an amazing vibe.
During our time in Cancun Jenn was looking for a nice place to eat on the water with a sunset view... this is how she happened upon Tora, a Japanese Restaurant (one of her favorites). However, we found it a little challenging to find the details we were looking for, so we hope that we can touch on some of the questions you may have when considering a visit.
Read on for the incredible food we tried, the superb entertainment, how to find Tora Cancun, our YouTube video highlights and our restaurant rating!
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Our Tora Restaurant highlights
We took an Uber from central Cancun to get to Tora which cost a very reasonable 400 pesos. Tora is situated in the hotel zone and is on the water of the Nichupté Lagoon with absolutely breathtaking views! It was super appealing from the outside and we knew from the moment we stepped out of the cab that we were in for a real treat.
We were greeted at the entrance and taken towards the reception desk where there are mandatory temperature checks; this was fine although for the first and only time since the pandemic it was conducted with a full facial scanner! We found this technology interesting as we had never seen anything like this before. We were then escorted to our sunset view table which could not have been more perfect!
We each started with a signature Tora Infusion Ball (640 pesos for two) and my oh my it was good! There are 3 flavors to choose from and we highly recommend them. We spent the next 20 minutes or so soaking up the magnificent sunset, water and Tora dock, with uninterrupted views accompanying the warm breeze and soothing background music in the restaurant. It literally could not have been more serene.
For our starter we went for the Sashimi Platter which included Bluefin tuna, Ora King salmon Hamachi and Alaskan King crab. Little did we know that the presentation of this would be so impressive! It was absolutely delicious although it was so hard to take the first bite... we could have stared at it all night!
The staff were highly attentive from the off and were on hand at any moment to tend to our needs or questions. The shift manager even came over to say hello and take a few photos!!
For our main we ordered the grilled seabass ( 750 pesos) and tiger shrimp (800 pesos) accompanied with brandy (410 pesos each) and wine (1 bottle 820 pesos). We also had one of Tora's famous hot rice pots (500 pesos) which are a traditional Japanese rice casserole. This was magnificent and was served directly by the chef right at our table!
Come and have dinner with us as we take a trip fine dining in Alux Restaurant in Playa del Carmen & discover the marvels of Mexican cenotes!
The food was absolutely scrumptious in keeping with the first class treatment we received throughout this memorable night. Keep in mind we wanted to try and sample some of the pricier options but the menu is expansive and can accommodate a variety of price points.
The entertainment started with a fantastic drum bongo and dancing show on the dock against the backdrop of the night sky. It was super fun and was accompanied by the staff handing out fountain sparklers to all of the diners! Who doesn't love a good sparkler! It certainly set the mood and continued right until closing time, along with the staff encouraging table and chair dancing and joining in with the fun.
We also had an excellent hookah with a delightful blueberry shisha (1300 pesos), alongside some fiery tequila (250 pesos each). The singing and dancing continued in the build up to the grand crescendo... fireworks on the water! It could not have been more spectacular and is truly an unforgettable restaurant. Not to mention the bathroom facilities were excellent too with waited service / champagne, towels, face cloths, perfume and a beautiful setting. We honestly cannot praise Tora highly enough!
Tora Restaurant on YouTube
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How to get to Tora Japanese Restaurant Cancun
Tora is located at km 15 of the Hotel Zone, very close to the best hotels in Cancun, such as Paradisus Cancun, JW Marriott Cancun, The Ritz Carlton Cancun, Fiesta Americana Condesa, Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, The Royal Caribbean, The Royal Islander, Secrets The Vine, The Westin Lagunamar among others.
There is plenty of parking available and you can also take a taxi here. There is an exclusive dock too, just in case you wanted to come by boat!
Address: Blvd. Kukulcan km 15, Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico
Contact: +52 998 313 4128
Website: torarestaurant.com.mx
Our Tora Restaurant Cancun experience rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
If you are celebrating anything special, or even just looking for an amazing date night out, then this is the place to do it in Cancun Mexico. But please don't forget to make a reservation however you can take the chance of just walking in. Also keep in mind it is much quieter the earlier you go and you will get to see the amazing sunset view! We noticed most people came later in the evening for dinner and the entertainment. We arrived at 4pm and left at 1am, we would advise allowing yourself time to embrace the full experience.
✓ Atmosphere: 5/5
The ambience and vibe was fantastic, right up there as the best restaurant experience we have ever had. The entertainment was excellent and there was some extra nice touches throughout the night that added even more to what was already a great time!
✓ Cost: 5/5
✓ Food: 5/5
✓ Service: 5/5
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