Protection of vanillin (I) as the benzyl ether (II), followed by reaction with benzylmagnesium bromide, furnished alcohol (III). Oxidation of alcohol (III) to the corresponding ketone (IV) was achieved by means of chromium trioxide or, in an improved procedure, by Oppenauer oxidation with cyclohexanone and sodium tert-butoxide. Benzyl group cleavage in (IV) either with HBr, or by transfer hydrogenolysis, yielded phenol (V). Regioselective nitration of (V) gave the ortho-nitrophenol (VI). The title compound was finally obtained by methyl ether cleavage in (VI) with boiling HBr or with AlCl3 in pyridine.