There’s only one reason why 90 percent of those who visit Restaurant Casa Toni in Moraira, Spain always come back and that’s because they feel at home and they are treated as family which creates a bond of trust by which customers have no doubt they’re getting the best ingredients with a five-star service.
Toni and Paulina along with their daughter Karis and son Cassian ensure just that: that everyone who walks into their Casa enjoys a home cooked meal prepared and served by family.
The locals have known Toni for over 40 years and they continue to visit his Toni’s house once and once again. Foreigners too have also come to love the succulent main plates, the hand-crafted entrees, and wonderfully prepared appetisers while sipping wines and enjoying a freshly made dessert prepared by the family from scratch.
“The only thing we buy that is already made is ice cream, everything else is freshly prepared and cooked daily with all our love because we feel blessed to have this wonderful opportunity to receive those who we whenever they come we treat as relatives as they enjoy a delicious breakfast, a hearty lunch or a plentiful dinner”, explains Cassian.
The thing too is that Toni has been in the restaurant business for over 50 years and today he’s a popular restaurant owner. He started at 16 and today, he’s 66 and enjoys each day as it were the first day he fell in love with the business of food and beverage and the way it’s served.
But like he himself says, “Most of the people come here because of the unique way I treat them. But no matter how much they like me, they wouldn’t come back if the food was not equally extraordinary.”
Toni began working in restaurants when he was 16 and as he explains it was a love at first sight that would forever define who he is, which is a top-of-the-line food and service provider.
“I’ve dedicated just over 50 years of my life to my passion that is the restaurant business.
After all these years, I continue to give service to families that have become our families as well. They come to the house and we chat and when one of those rare moments I have a chance, I sit with my ‘relatives’ and enjoy a glass of one of our finest wines”.
Casa Toni has a very extensive cellar with some of the finest and widest variety of wines.
Toni and Cassian agree that 30 percent of the people who come to their Casa also do it because of the extremely juicy and tender shoulder of lamb, which is patiently slow-cooked for up to five hours. It is constantly looked after to ensure the process is impeccable and like no other place in the region, this meat simply melts in your mouth leaving you desiring the next bite.
They also have homemade ravioli stuffed with savoury cheese and perfectly cooked carrots smothered with spinach sauce and topped with scallops that melt in your mouth and fill your stomach with joy.
Don’t forget the “saquitos de queso” or sacks of goat cheese with fig preserves and a glass of white Verdejo to sparkle your taste buds.
How about a dish of shrimp with melted cheese and a special secret spinach topping or roasted whole pig so tender you’ll want more, no doubt.
“We all love what we do here, we literally live here because we open at seven in the morning and close our doors at 11 at night, and how about all the activities after closing and before opening hours? We love it, this is what we do and who we are”, says Cassian without a ray of doubt.
It’s awesome that Toni feels proud of what he does and remembers all those he has served. He has shared his passion for food and service with many generations, beginning with the grandparents and then their daughters and sons, nephews and nieces, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Casa Toni has become a tradition for many families who have the owner for decades and because of his dedication and discipline, but more so for his passion for good food and excellent service.
But also many foreign tourists speak well of Casa Toni. From the United Kingdom, for example, many have posted reviews on the restaurant’s Facebook page Casa Toni Moraira (https://www.facebook.com/Casatonimoraira2/) and have mentioned their extraordinary experience at the house of Toni.
Phil Stokes of Manchester, England said he, “Dropped on this little gem last night, brilliant place, brill food, great staff. Food was the best we had all week & we tried somewhere every night in the week we were there, loved it will go back”.
Casa Toni is a few blocks from a beautiful beach in Moraira about halfway between Murcia and Alicante in the Costa Blanca region. On the map, it seems to be right in the middle of the Balearic and the Alboran Sea. It’s a wonderful, magical old town visited by many tourists who come back because of the beauty, the climate. They are charmed and enchanted. This place is addictive and those who visit Casa Toni have placed the restaurants as the best in Moraira and perhaps the Costa Blanca.
The house of Toni and his family is a beautiful colonial place with a waterfall and an incredible patio and terrace where you can enjoy both the tranquillity of the magnificent outside as well as the elegant cosiness of the interior.
Toni explains that another element that makes his Casa different from any other is that they serve Mediterranean dishes prepared by expert chefs who worry more about the flavours and the textures than the fancy decorations, which they create uniquely for their specific patrons.
“For example, we make sure we satisfy every particular taste, we have a three-course meal specially prepared for local residents served with half of bottle of our best Rioja or Verdejo for only 20 euros. You have various options to choose from and they’re all exquisitely prepared with the highest standards.”
So if you are a resident and have not yet been to Casa Toni now is when you should visit to see what you’ve been missing, and if you plan on travelling to this region don’t forget that if you want to live an unforgettable eating experience that will compel you to return no matter where you’re from, Toni, Paulina, Karis and Cassian are waiting for you to make your wishes come through.
Casa Toni
Zumacarregui, 27
26338 San Vicente de la Sonsierra – La Rioja
941 334 001 – reservas@casatoni.es