We’ve walked past La Viña in Tsukishima many times and finally decided to give it a try. We arrived around 5:00 PM and ordered the shishito tempura, a selection of three Spanish cheeses, Jamón Ibérico, assorted bread with different toppings, and the house wine. There were definitely some highlights. The Jamón Ibérico and cheese were very good, and we also enjoyed the bread with the different toppings. Unfortunately, the shishito tempura was a big disappointment. As you can see from the photo, it looked nothing like what we expected and was extremely oily. It tasted as though it had absorbed far too much oil. The bigger issue for us, however, was the service. At one point I was clearly trying to get the waiter’s attention. The bartender/manager appeared to notice but continued talking with the customers at the bar without acknowledging us. Eventually we were able to get the waiter and ordered a 2004 Gran Reserva 904 Rioja. It was a wonderful bottle of wine, but watching it being opened was painful. The cork on an older wine like this needs some care, and unfortunately the cork was badly damaged during opening. I even asked whether they could use an appropriate opener for an older cork, but that didn’t happen. We enjoyed the wine so much that afterward we asked if we could purchase another bottle to take home, which they allowed us to do. What bothered us most was that the attitude toward us seemed to become noticeably warmer only after we had ordered the expensive bottle and purchased another one to take home. Whether that was intentional or not, that was the impression it left with us. There is food here that I genuinely enjoyed, especially the Jamón Ibérico, cheese, and some of the pintxos, and they have some very nice wines. But hospitality matters just as much as the food, particularly at a restaurant serving wines of this caliber. I’m torn about returning. I’d like to give the food another try, but based on this experience, the service would make me hesitate.

We ordered one red and one white, and both were so full bodied yet smooth to drink. Their selection of tapas were also so yummy! The Basque cheesecake is to die for as it was just the right sweetness with a hint of citrus. Such a cute find while my colleagues and I were taking a walk.

+2

Very tasty food and polite staff. I am a vegetarian so they customized some dishes to fit my situation and still food was very tasty.

Best sweets is Spanish traditional cake in LAVIÑA.Taste similar to pudding.

A fantastic find in Tsukishima! Do consider giving this place a chance, before you go to Monja Street! Recommendation: Get a Spanish red, the seafood paella and a cheesecake. For a small dish, the Jamón and cheese platter does really well, especially with red wine!