Casa Toni

The story

Casa Toni in Haro: Bib Gourmand Contemporary Riojan Cuisine in San Vicente de la Sonsierra

A restaurant with history

In the early 1960s, the couple Remedios Monge and Antonio Saez bought a stately home on the winding Calle Zumalacárregui in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. That building, in the heart of La Rioja, is still the home of Casa Toni. The restaurant describes itself as a blend of tradition and modernity, a mix of styles that plays out in both the atmosphere – rooms with charm and personalised service – and the cooking.

The guiding philosophy is simple: "You should never forget the roots and the base of Riojan gastronomy." That principle earned Casa Toni a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an award that recognises good quality, good value cooking. The restaurant was listed among the new Bib Gourmand entries for 2022, placing it in good company across Spain and Portugal.

What’s on the plate

The set menu (€35, served to the whole table) begins with starters that draw on the region’s pantry. You might find an escabeche quail salad, croquetas de la Casa, Patatas a la Riojana, red beans from Anguiano, or a creamy potato soup finished with piquillo pepper foam, crispy chorizo slivers and caramelised pepper. Second courses stay close to home: bacalao a la riojana, deboned pork trotter with port sauce, rabbit stewed "the local way", or lamb offal with a low-temperature egg. Desserts include a caramelised torrija with meringue milk ice cream, goat’s cheesecake with strawberry ice cream, and a warm chocolate cake.

Many dishes are marked gluten-free. The kitchen also offers a "pincho of the week" – a bar snack paired with a featured wine from the restaurant’s own vinoteca, announced on social media.

Casa Toni describes its food as a fusion of flavours, and the contemporary tag fits: the cooking respects Rioja’s larder but doesn’t mind adjusting the technique. The result is a restaurant that feels both of its place and of its moment.