A Review of Finca Narbona Winery, a Must See Travel Experience in Uruguay

During my stay at the Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, I made reservations at Finca Narbona, a charming restaurant, vineyard, farmhouse and lodge about ten minutes from the resort. It’s rather removed from, well, everything and that’s what makes it so enchanting. The property, which includes a restaurant, chapel, picture-perfect winery and restaurant are actually all part of a National Monument. In fact, the buildings on the property are the oldest buildings in Uruguay, dating back to the 19^th century.

The property is so picturesque, I fear that my simple words cannot do it justice. I’m not even sure that photos can properly convey the magical experience that is, Finca Narbona. I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this one!

The property is simply captivating and embodies a rustic charm that most can only attempt to imitate. The moment you step onto the grounds, it’s as though you’ve stepped back in time to last century and left all of your cares behind. Narbona is part wine sanctuary and part foodie-heaven combined. Not to mention a feast for the eyes as well. If you come for dinner you must be sure to take a walk around the grounds, which feature not only a gorgeous wine vineyard but antique cars, benches, wine cellars and more.

Finca Narbona’s restaurant is housed in one of the property’s original buildings, though the inside has been touched up with checkerboard floors and hand-crafted woodwork. There is also an adjacent wine bar that houses the occasional local art gallery. The quaint country kitchen serves up homemade, organic and locally grown foods, cheese and wines. Its  wine deserves the first mention, we found it to be really fantastic…and I think I tried them all. The cuisine was absolutely delicious, I’m not sure where to start. First, we shared a cheese plate, all of which is homemade. For entrees we had a pizza and split the ravioli, both were incredible. To top off a perfect meal,  we had the Dulce de Leche flan and I swear its mention just brought a tear to my eye—I simply will have to return if for no other reason than to gorge myself on this fantastic dessert. I venture to say this was my favorite dessert I’ve ever had.

The entire experience here is unforgettable—the food, the atmosphere, the superb staff. We loved it so much that the next evening we canceled our dinner reservation that we had made elsewhere and returned to Finca Narbona. I even learned how to say “We loved it so much, we are back!” in Spanish, which I think they appreciated.

The second evening turned out to be just as memorable as the night before. It even thunder-stormed at the end of the evening when we were safely ensconced in this charming old-world restaurant, savoring over delicious cuisine and wine. I would visit Carmelo just to experience Finca Narbona.

For more information about visiting Finca Narbona visit their website or send them an email to [email protected] .

Also don’t forget to check out our review about The Four Seasons Resort Carmelo.