La Vieja Bodega — Restaurant in Casalarreina

La Rioja is fortunate to have this place; just a few minutes drive away from Logroño in the heart of historic Casalarreina.

Food is stunning and well known for its great wine selection… But how did I get here? The first time was covering a wedding in La Rioja, the event celebration was hosted at La Vieja Bodega and the magic of the place took over the whole atmosphere of the event. We were breathing Rioja, wine, history, flavours, traditions, and the new cuisine of this fabulous team at Casalareina.

Their welcome “como en casa, siéntete como en casa” (at home, feel yourself at home) becomes immediately into a reality, their dedication to making you feel at home is diligent, friendly and with the utmost respect for your satisfaction.

The second time at this place was along an incredible journey because of their owners’ heart welcoming of my work-related interest in La Rioja. The experience was unforgettable, the connection whit their passion for food, wines and history became the driver of this fabulous culinary experience. My tasting menu was a discovery experience. The flavours, sequence, presentation and matching with the wine had a very big impact on me.

Please, don’t miss, when in La Rioja, getting to this place. Ask for Angel and listen to his guidance on wine, culinary selection… he will be the angel of your experience.

I just love this place and will continue to visit.

My menu

Ensalada de atún y piquillos.

Tataki de vacuno mayor.

Raviolis de molleja de cordero y hongos.

Rabo de toro desmigado y crema de foie

infusión de...

Extremely pretty and pleasurable eating experience in the buzzy little village of Casellareina, about 5 minutes west of Haro. The food is not haute cuisine as such, but it is utterly delicious and beautifully presented. Just great traditional cooking with more than lip service paid to how good it looks on the plate. My wife had the Caprichos del Toloño (a warm langoustine salad) and the veal cheeks in a rich reduction, and I ordered the spider crab terrine salad to start and the pulled pork with a delicious, sharp homemade apple sauce. All were absolutely wonderful and surprisingly light. The tremendous wine list is not in anyway overly priced, we had a perfect 2018 Vina Arberdi at €24.00 (about an €8.00 mark up on it's retail price) that matched our food choices splendidly. As the food was so well portioned, I had room for the house cheesecake which was fantastically rich and served with a sharp and sweet coulis. Service was impeccable and just the right side of friendly without being obsequious. I look forward to returning when the terrace is open to the lovely gardens. Note: If you ask nicely you can toddle off downstairs to the abundantly stocked old cellars (hence the name) and buy wines and tasty morsels on your way out at the little shop by the welcome desk. Total came to €106.00 before tax and tip for two with drinks, water and coffee. Dinner, Friday...

Big expectations, big disappointment. The staff were not very attentive. We had to call them several times in various instances during the night, for simple things like salt or the bill. They also got our order wrong, and we told them when it was served. They did not seem to pay much attention to this, and instead left it there. We told them again when we asked for the bill, but again we were ignored. We ended up paying €50 for the wrong dish instead of €20. Even though it was obvious this was the wrong one as it was more than twice the size, more than a single person could eat. I would have hopped the restaurant assumed their mistake. I was wrong. In terms of flavour the egg and truffle soup was dull. It was heavily lacking in salt, and the truffle had no flavour at all. It was a glorified potato soup. The massive pig (incorrect dish) was very fatty and watery. We’ve had cochinillo in Segovia and it was quite different. To put a positive note, the place is beautiful, they have a wide selection of wines, and they served us oil with wine salt and a small fried mollejas dish...