RAYA

RAYA

Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
+27 74 111 8033+ Add website
Hours
Sun
11:30 - 17:00
Mon
11:30 - 21:00
Tue
11:30 - 21:00
Wed
11:30 - 21:00
Thu
11:30 - 21:00
Fri
11:30 - 21:00
Sat
11:30 - 21:00
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
3.8 of 5 bubbles
Service
3.6 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.5 of 5 bubbles
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, Sushi, Asian, Korean
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Table Service
Is this a sushi restaurant?
About
RAYA is a trending upmarket designer food bar offering the greatest in Sushi, Grills, Dim Sum, Seafood & Cocktails.
CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, Sushi, Asian, Korean
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Table Service
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles11 reviews
Excellent
5
Very good
3
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1

Rudi J
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • family
Raya turned out to be a finalist in some best food/restaurant award. My food was not bad, but ridiculously little as a main meal! On top of that, the food & drink is really way over-priced!!. Starters were dumplings apparently “ for 3 or mòre”, but it was hardly enough for two! My wife ordered crispy chicken , but got totally the wrong food. She chose to leave it as delivered…so thats on us, but something with mayonnaise in wiggles all over, and extremely salty! I will definitely not be going back as this was definitely not value for money!
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ockert M
Pretoria948 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • none
This hip and trendy restaurant is one of many venues situated in Hazelwood and offers a visitor a wide selection of dishes (from grills to sushi). For our lunch we settled on 2 of their more popular dishes – a Thai Salmon and Tempura Calamari Salad and Pad Thai. The Pad Thai, which consisted of Thai rice noodles fried in their home-made Pad Thai sauce (Pad Thai Sauce is usually made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind), with chicken and prawns and topped with chives, coriander and crushed macadamia. This was a very well put together meal packed with flavour, with beautifully prepared chicken slices and prawns. The salad was divine – combining bite sized grilled salmon and crispy fried calamari with brilliantly fragrant coriander, mint and watercress with julienne veg and cabbage – an elegant combination of flavours, beautifully presented. This was served with a lovely Thai chilli, honey and lime dressing. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive during our visit.
Written 5 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andre C
Pretoria18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • family
Why didn't I visit this restaurant sooner! The service was excellent. The food was amazing. I had the Vietnam Crystal rill with shrimp. It was fresh, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The Tai green curry sauce amazing!. For mains we had the Dim Sum (6 different kinds to share). The best Dim Sum I've ever had. Freshly prepared. And the sauce that came with it was delicisious. I can highly recommend this restaurant. If you are tired of the typical pizza, burger, pasta, steak restaurant you have to go to Raya. I will definitely come again and bring friends along.
Written 5 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trudi
Centurion492 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • none
I have lost count now on how many times we have frequented Raya. We have not yet been disappointed once. Every time we go we try a new dish on the menu. The Sushi is out of this world!!! Tantalising your Taste buds over and over again. Raya is a place of good food, in a relaxed atmosphere. So do not be in a hurry for your food, enjoy a cocktail or two and be prepared to savour the Asian flavours.
Written 20 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PRandSocialMedia
What a stunning review, we are so grateful for the amazing feedback and your ongoing support!
Written 23 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Annie65SA
Pretoria93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • couples
Exceptional service and quality. Generous portions. The restaurant has an extensive menu with both Asian and non -Asian options. We tried the spring rolls as well as the crystal rolls and both were very fresh and tasty.
Written 12 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Inspire34594144301
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Serious safety incident
Dec 2023 • solo
Copy pasted email to restaurant management: I am writing to you today because I believe that my drink was spiked when I visited your establishment on the 24 December 2023, otherwise known as Christmas Eve. I preface this email by saying that I do not have any physical evidence. My focus was not to go get blood tests or go to the police, but rather to get home to safety. This is a narration of my experience, exactly as I remember it. On the morning of 24 December 2023, I decided that I would take myself out on a solo lunch date. I had visited your restaurant twice before - once on my own and, the second time, with a friend. Both occasions were enjoyable experiences. On that day, I would have preferred to try a new restaurant but, being that it was Christmas Eve, most establishments were either closed or closing soon so I settled and made my way to Hazelwood. I arrived to your restaurant at 13:50 (Uber receipt with timestamp attached). I asked the waiter who greeted me for a table for one and chose one of the high tables outside, to the right of the entrance. The waiter's name escapes me now but I would recognise him if I saw him again. I ordered a Gin & Tonic (picture attached) and made myself comfortable - unpacking my laptop so I could do some work. My drink arrived and I ordered some sushi to go along with it. I took a sip or two of the drink and noted that it was quite tart and sweet. I stirred it up with a straw, as one would, and decided to let it sit until my food arrived so I could take another picture or two. When the food arrived, I promptly forgot about the picture and dug into the sushi. Between eating and typing away at my laptop, I took a couple more sips of the drink. I remember starting to feel full after only two or three pieces of sushi which I thought was strange. What was even more strange, however, was feeling suddenly intoxicated - more so than I should have after only a few sips of a ****tail. I eyed the drink wondering what was wrong and took no further sips. The sudden feeling of intoxication was shortly followed by an equally sudden feeling of immense tiredness. Attached is a screenshot of a message to my partner, with a date and time stamp, noting the tiredness. Not only was I tired, I was drowsy and this was to the extent of desperately wanting to lie down. I remember thinking to myself that I should not feel so tired because I had had a good night's rest and had not exerted myself at all that day. I would have let all these weird and sudden feelings go had it not been that they were followed by a hot flash and the beginnings of a black out. My eyesight started to blur and a ringing in my ears ****led out the music playing over the speakers in the restaurant. These feelings were reminiscent of blacking out. At this point, I was confused, paranoid, and flustered. I decided to pack up my handbag and sling it over my shoulder so that, should I pass out, at least I would have my phone and ID on my person. I wondered if I should go to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. When I stood up from my seat, I felt dizzy so leaned myself against the wall. I decided that I could not leave the table. I neither had the capacity to keep myself standing long enough to pack up my belongings and cross the restaurant nor did I want to risk leaving my laptop at the table unattended. "It will pass. It will pass," I repeated in my head. I sat back down. My vision and hearing started to return but it was still blurred and ****led and the drowsiness persisted. Absentmindedly, I ordered a glass of water and took a drink of that, thinking it would make me feel better. I stopped drinking that, too. I reached for my phone so that I could call my partner. He did not answer but not a minute passed before he called me back. I explained to him what was happening to me and he confirmed my fears - my drink was most probably spiked. He reminded me that he had also been spiked once before and what I was describing was what he, too, had experienced. On his advice, I asked for the bill and ordered myself an Uber. I was still tired, drowsy, paranoid, confused, and my senses were questionable, at best. I packed up my belongings as quickly as I possibly could while I stayed on the phone with my partner and watched my Uber's ETA like a hawk. My fear was that I would start to black out again before it arrived. I saw my same waiter conversing with whom I assumed to be the woman manager on duty and they glanced at me a couple of times over the course of the conversation. My partner urged me to ask someone for help but my paranoia and fear would not allow. The woman manager brought me my bill and my Uber arrived (receipt with timestamp again herewith attached) just as I paid. I half ran and half hobbled out of the restaurant. My vision was going again and the silver car momentarily disappeared in a flash of white. I realised my mouth was dry and asked myself why I drank that water.I contemplated asking a group of girls walking past to help me to the car but I was adamant that I would make it on my own (which I did). Still on the phone with my partner, both of our focus was my getting to safety. I arrived to my mother's house, drank water, and took a nap. When I woke up from the nap, I had a headache as though I was hungover. The headache was the size of an entire bar of bottom shelf liquor. My focus now was recovery. I was in bed, feeling tired and in pain, for the two days following. By the time I was feeling almost back to myself and realised that I should have gone for blood tests and/or the police station, it was too late. In vain, I visited the doctor who advised that blood tests would not render anything given that I spent the previous two days hydrating in an effort to recover. My last and only hope would be to revisit the establishment, speak to the manager, and ask for their help in trying to find out exactly what happened to me. I returned with my dad. We walked into the restaurant and I noted how the waiter who served me on Christmas Eve did not make any eye contact with me. My dad could see that I was visibly shaken so we ordered glasses of water before asking for the manager. I noted how this glass of water did not make my mouth dry like the one I had two days ago. I further noted how the bartender stared at me intermittently and would promptly look away whenever I looked at him. The manager approached our table and introduced himself as George. I would later learn that George was not just a manager, but also the owner of the restaurant, as he so mentioned. My father introduced the both of us and, strangely, quite rudely in my opinion, George stayed standing instead of taking a seat. My dad gave me the platform to speak and I told my story. I thought that, as I continued to speak, George would gauge the seriousness of the conversation and take a seat so as to facilitate proper engagement. George remained standing. I glanced around the restaurant as I spoke and noted that the bartender's shifty behaviour continued. At the end of my story, my expectation of George was compassion and empathy. I was very sorely and deeply disappointed. George retorted with something along the lines of "What exactly are you saying?" I proceeded to tell him outright that I believed my drink was spiked. He was incredulous; springing to the immediate defence of his establishment and employees. Again, no compassion or empathy from George. He explained that he has owned the restaurant for seven years and that he has never heard of anything of the sort happening. He went on to explain that he did not believe that any of his staff could have done such a thing. Mind you, I did not accuse anyone of anything; I simply narrated an experience that took place in his establishment. George then asked if I did not perhaps come from somewhere else where this could have taken place before visiting his restaurant. For the record, I did not. He then asked if I had any evidence such as blood tests. We bluffed that we did, in the added hopes that he would soften and offer to help us. Instead, George said that we can share the results once received so that he can conduct an investigation of his own. To this, my dad asked what his own investigation would look like. George had no memorable response of substance. My dad and I asked if we could possibly have a look at the CCTV footage. George's response was that he has had trouble with the CCTV cameras in his restaurant before. Exactly what that meant and how he could possibly conduct an investigation of his own without CCTV footage, we do not know. Still standing, George offered us a meal on the house. My dad declined and George bid us farewell. We remained seated and discussed this man's brash response in hushed tones. The bartender disappeared into the back of the restaurant after a brief aside with George. George returned to offer us a free meal again, saying that it was the least that he could do. In my view, the least that he could have done was apply basic customer service etiquette - take a seat, listen intently, apologise for my experience, commit to a substantive way forward. Again, my dad declined his offer and asked instead for his contact details. He obliged and we took our leave. This is my story of my experience visiting RAYA in Hazelwood on 24 December 2023. I believe my drink was spiked but have no concrete evidence that would allow me to open a case against the restaurant. I have no way of knowing how, when, who, or why. All I know is what I went through upon visiting this restaurant for the third and, unfortunately, unlucky time. I am sharing this narrative in email with you so that you might maybe understand how upsetting an incident this was. Even if the restaurant has a clean record and even if the staff were not involved, it happened there. Some assistance on the day we returned to speak to the manager would have been appreciated, but we were met with none. I do not know who will get a hold of this email but I will wait a full day for a response. If none is received, thereafter, my intention is to share this story as widely as possible so as to perhaps prevent this from happening to someone else on your premises.
Written 19 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

P G
Johannesburg20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • couples
Food and service were impeccable. Presentation is pleasing and the food was greasy and appealing. Highly recommend and a new favourite in the Hazelwood area.
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul Clark
Paulo what a fantastic review, thank you very very much!
Written 20 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Megan P
Pretoria2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • friends
The atmosphere and gin cocktails were amazing, I was just super sad when I saw the portions of the meals when comparing it to the price, you really get small portions or sizes of whatever you order. The food wasn't bad, but not really mind blowing, would recommend if you'd like to try something new with friends or your partner.
Written 12 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

oransome
Zurich1078 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • business
Lovely spot, reminiscent of cool NY places in a side street. Great food and service. Outdoor seating. Wonderful on a sunny afternoon. Pretty good prices. 3 bottles of wine, 3 courses of really good food were about 45 USD per head.
Written 20 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

srs
Pretoria2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • none
Lovely restaurant, we usually go on a Sunday and it never disappoints. Asian themed menu with very good sushi.
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PRandSocialMedia
Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback and your continued support!
Written 5 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

T.T Pretoria
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • family
Absolutely fantastic place! Lovely ambiance, great food, and amazing staff. Thank you for hosting my daughter’s 16th!
Written 15 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PRandSocialMedia
Thank you for the awesome review, we are most grateful for the excellent feedback!
Written 20 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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RAYA, Pretoria - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

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