Casa Lola

The food was really good. We had a caprese salad, asparagus with Roquefort cheese, and a vegetable stir-fry, all delicious. Service was quick, the menu had plenty of variety, and the place itself is charming and unusual. 100% recommended.

The setting was the one bright spot: it’s different and has a welcoming atmosphere. But neither I nor the eight people with me will be back. From the comments I’ve read here, maybe we caught them on an off day, but it was a complete disaster. You can check my other reviews. I’ve never left a negative one before. We sat down around 10 PM and left at about 1 AM. We didn’t dare order dessert or coffee after all that. The prices aren’t exactly affordable either, and for the same money or less, you can eat better and get better service at several places in Ponteareas. Even the starters took more than half an hour, though they were simple things like scrambled eggs with spinach, sautéed mushrooms, cheese raclette, and brie toast. The mushrooms came first and were cold. Some of us had finished our first course while others still hadn’t received theirs. For the main course we all wanted picanha, but the waiter suggested a mixed grill with mostly picanha. It took a good hour, and only two of the four platters we’d ordered arrived. There was so little picanha that we didn’t even get a tiny steak each, it was practically shoe soles, so we had to make do with the grilled meat. They brought out platters, but no plates. When we asked, the waiter looked at us doubtfully.

Everything we tried was superb: duck à l'orange, vegetable toasts, tartar sauce toasts, tempura vegetables, cheeses, wines, and more. A 10 out of 10. The place was wonderful too, with a lovely family atmosphere that transforms at night.

The concert was the only good part. I’d booked a table and mentioned my voucher, and at first there was no problem. We arrived 15 minutes late, then waited at the bar for half an hour before they seated us. The menu shown on my voucher wasn’t available. After that, the food took forever, portions were tiny, and the gaps between courses felt endless. I’ve been hungry at my cousin’s wedding, but at Casa Lola we spent four hours waiting and still left hungry. The dessert was another story. It was melon, one thin slice, ice cream, and rice pudding that looked like it had been rescued from other diners’ leftovers. Not recommended at all. I won’t be coming back.