Casa Lavanda Boutique Hotel & Restaurant

I am very surprised that this place has such good reviews and maybe that's why we were so disappointed in the place. Some of the food was good and some of it was awful. The rooms were not very nice. They were clean, but ours had paint chipping off the walls and was just a normal room. Nothing special. The pool is tiny and the gardens were also not very nice. It's really just a big lawn with a tiny (really gross) pond at the bottom of the property with a view of a construction site. Since the rooms and the grounds are mediocre and you pay even more money for the not great food, what you're paying for here is to feel rich which was not what we were looking for. The only redeeming element was that their spa was great.

Our first stay in Casa Lavanda at the end of April 2022 will certainly not be our last - the location, ambience and excellent service, all contributed to us feeling sad that we had to leave! From the moment we arrived, the staff, and even the owners, were incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Truly a beautiful location and one where we were able to relax and recharge our batteries. Highly recommended!

TL;dr - fine dining restaurant worth its hefty price. I recommend for special occasions where you aren’t worried about the price tag but come for excellent quality food. Excellent attention to detail; meticulously superb. We didn’t stay in the hotel - only drove in for dinner. Beautiful, cozy restaurant. Kind of a chalet type atmosphere, beautifully and meticulously decorated. The waiters who served us were knowledgeable and detailed the restaurants focus on obtaining food from the nearby villages. They seemed to focus on the mushrooms, which we did order as an appetizer. In terms of the food, everything was beautifully presented and the taste matched its presentation. The dip (I think it was labne and olive oil) served in the beginning was light and flavorful. The bread alongside was fresh and had a good crust to it. 8.5/10 They served us this warm onion roll which was also very tasty. 8.8/10 Home grown beetroot & goat cheese tart: beautifully presented, fresh flavours. The combination of the ingredients made for a flavour experience that evolved as I chewed. With that said, this dish isn’t my personal favourite. 8/10 Wild Porcini Mushroom in a Copper Pan - this dish was bursting with earthy flavour and aromas. Very much an acquired taste though - one that I have not yet acquired. Would obviously recommend if you’re a fan of wild mushrooms. I won’t score this one as I don’t think it would be fair. I was super excited to try Chef Emre’s hand made pasta, especially after learning he had spent time in Italy. I ordered the Agnolotti. The pasta had a slight Al dente texture to it. The filling was creamy and light. That sauce was also light. Sometimes tomato sauces are acidic, yet this one was not at all. The cherry tomatoes added a sweet fresh flavour explosion every few bites. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the pasta. 9.6/10 Small criticism - the place itself was out of the way and slightly hard to find. The road leading up to it was muddy and unfinished. I think you could really make the most out of this place if you stayed the night, seeing as it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. The silver lining here of course is that you have a secluded area with access to fresh village produce. Also close to the Black Sea for fish, which is what I’ll be trying when I visit again.