Basque Spain
Mugaritz, Gipuzkoa, 8/9/13
We were there on a lovely day and could enjoy the beautiful grounds. It is a tasting menu and we started with a kitchen tour to see some of the action. The savory courses were served in the dining room and then we moved to a lovely spot on the patio to enjoy the endless supply of desserts.
Martin Berasategui, Gipuzkoa, 8/9/13
Another gorgeous setting just outside of San Sebastian. The inside dining room is lovely, but the patio offers beautiful vistas of the surrounding green covered hills. Dates after the food description reference the date the dish was introduced to the menu.
Akelarre, Gipuzkoa, 8/10/13
Azurmendi, Bizkaia, Spain, 8/7/15
This place is about a 25 minute drive from Bilbao, Spain. A large place with gardens, huge reception area and massive kitchen, the tables are well spaced and service is typical Michelin. The main dining room is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows that offer a gorgeous view of the surrounding countryside. The food is beautifully presented and it’s easy to see why they have such a huge kitchen and staff however, as a whole the food was very mildly flavored. The service was attentive but not personal and thus overall I would not be inclined to ever visit them again. Continue reading
Zuberoa, Oiartzun, Spain, 8/6/15
Zuberoa, San Sebastián, Spain 8/6/15
An absolutely charming and lovely spot for dinner with excellent food! A short ride from the main part of San Sebastian, it is a fairly casual room of about 10 tables with additional tables on a patio. They offer a tasting menu as well as a la carte selections and the waitstaff were quite agreeable to substituting a few items on the tasting menu. In fact the entire staff couldn’t have been nicer and more welcoming without being invasive. Overall the food has lots of wonderfully intense tastes and fine gelatinous sauces. A total winner!
Elkano, Getaria, Spain, 8/8/15
About a 30 minute drive from San Sebastian is this wonderful place that specializes in fresh fish. The trick is to ask the owner, who takes your order, what is fresh today and he will direct you on what to order from the relatively small menu. His dad started the place many years ago with the cooking technique used on boats to cook the fish. Cooked over a wood fire it was novel at the time but it stands the test of time. There are a few tables on the outdoor patio for those without reservations and a nicely priced wine list. Everything was outstanding and incredibly fresh. Tastes were mild but exquisite in that way. Everyone started with the day’s amuse of white tuna tartar. The Hake cheeks were a rare find and I think my favorite was the green sauced ones. The turbot was so moist and wonderful that it was a must to hunt through the bones for any remaining tidbits. The drippings also made a good use for the bread. Both desserts were quite tasty, the hazelnut biscuit being a special that day, but I loved the caramelized French toast. The chocolates and Madeleines were a lovely way for all to finish their meal.