Casa Vicente — Restaurant in Castropol

Title: Overconfidence Breeds Neglect at Casa Vicente en Castropol

Having visited Casa Vicente in Castropol, Spain, a year ago, I was eager to return, owing to the premium quality of their offerings. However, my recent attempt to relive the previous experience revealed a shocking degradation in customer service that led me to exit the premises before even being seated.

We arrived for our reservation five minutes early, at 15:40 for a 15:45 slot, only to be met with a prolonged, unexplained waiting period. This, in itself, could have been an acceptable inconvenience, but the lack of concern and urgency shown by the staff was the first glaring sign of the impending disappointment.

While awaiting our seating, I requested if we could have their star dish, the "caldereta de Mariscos." althpugh I had read in the menu minites before that such requests needed to be made a day in advance. However, it was the staff's unsure response about having the necessary seafood for this signature dish that truly perturbed us.

To further sour our experience, the ambience was far from peaceful. The distressing cries of a small child reverberated around the restaurant, effectively decimating any hopes of a serene meal. This was exacerbated by the family's ineffective attempts at soothing the child, making it a nerve-wracking ordeal for the other patrons.

Having tolerated enough, I decided it was time to depart. To my astonishment, upon expressing our decision to leave, we received a nonchalant "bye" from the staff. This apathetic dismissal underlined a shocking indifference towards losing customers, painting a stark picture of their skewed perception of customer service.

From my experience, it seems Casa Vicente's popularity has bred a dangerous complacency. There's an apparent disregard for maintaining high service standards, especially towards American clientele, perhaps with the misguided belief that there will always be more customers. The true failure of a restaurant isn't just in the quality of food or service; it also lies in failing to value and respect its patrons.

To spare yourself the regret and frustration, I strongly recommend giving Casa Vicente a wide berth. A restaurant that has lost its appreciation for its customers isn't worth the time, money, or effort. Or perhaps this may change, in the meantime my recommendation is...

Probably amongst my top 3 lunches ever. This restaurant deserves 6 stars, not five. They received us out of time and with no reservation. The 3rd Generation himself was welcoming us on the door and prepared a couple of vermouths. Then we had one table with splendid views to the ria. It's incredible to eat and feel that every dish is successfully accomplished, with proficient execution of flavors: Salad with goat cheese Almejas al ajillo Croquettes (with prawn & spinach) Virrey (best fish in the world arguably) Arroz con leche (Asturias style)

Amazing experience, we will repeat whenever we step again in...

Fuimos a Casa Vicente por los buenos comentarios. Buena atención por parte de la mayoría de camareros, aunque hubo uno que no ponía buenas caras a la hora de pedirle algo, así que decidí pedírselo al resto, más simpáticos y agradables. Con respecto a la comida; pedimos sopa de marisco, muy buena, y al niño le encantó. También pedimos unas croquetas de marisco, muy ricas. Y unas croquetas de Cabrales y manzana que nos sorprendieron bastante pq pensamos que iban a estar fuertes de sabor, pero estaba muy bien equilibrado, espectaculares. Aquí viene mi decepción; También pedimos una ensalada de gambas y vieiras, estaba muy buena, pero muy escasa. Se debería llamar ensalada de lechuga con 3 gambas. Por último, Trufas de chipirón, las pedimos pq nos llamó la atención y no nos gustaron pq el rebozado estaba demasiado tostado y empañaba el sabor interior, sabían a quemado. El postre pedimos tarta de manzana, la cual estaba la masa un poco cruda.

De vino pedimos un ribeiro normalito, aquí como en el resto de restaurantes, una pasada el precio del vino.

Quizás no fue su mejor día en la cocina. A si que pagamos, nos fuimos y sintiéndolo mucho, no volveremos. Hemos comido en mejores restaurantes...