Arzak
Good for: Foodies, basque, inventive
Not good for: big family outings
- Address
- Avenida Alcalde Jose Elosegui 273
- Website
- Phone
- 943 27 84 65
- Price
- meals €150
- Hours
- closed Nov & late Jun
Lonely Planet review for Arzak
With three shining Michelin stars, acclaimed chef Juan Mari Arzak takes some beating when it comes to nueva cocina vasca and his restaurant is, not surprisingly, considered one of the best places to eat in Spain. Arzak is now assisted by his daughter Elena and they never cease to innovate. Reservations, well in advance, are obligatory. The restaurant is about 1.5km east of San Sebastián.
Traveller reviews for Arzak (1)
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The business end of the top 50
thefakefoodie recommends this,
full review and pics at: http://wp.me/p1Ilcf-4A
How can we judge a restaurant ranked in the top 10 in the world? A restaurant with one of the most well-known and lauded culinary families not only in Spain but internationally? A restaurant with the “best chef in Spain” for 2010, 3 Michelin stars, and with a list of personal and group awards that goes on for days?
The restaurant is in a residential part of San Sebastian, and was originally the home of Arzak’s grandparents before he turned it into a restaurant, many years ago now. It is unassuming and as I walk in I feel as though I am in someone’s home. The receptionist, waiter, concierge, who-knows-what all greet me with a smile and I notice that this restaurant lacks the pretention of less lauded locations, such as Hibiscus…
The food: the degustation menu comes in 9 courses, though each course has multiple elements. In a nutshell, the food is Basque-inspired, combined with avant-garde techniques (vegetables served as gelatin chips) and cooked and presented with exceptional skill. After today I understand just why Juan-Mari and Elena Arzak are known as such a powerhouse culinary team.
The best: as a course, the standout for me was a toss-up between the lobster and the beef; but for sheer taste, as well as a flash of inventiveness (the aforementioned vegetable gelatin chips); the beef takes the cake – as it were.
The verdict: I felt as though I had been invited into a private home, to sample the history and heritage of the family Arzak and I was privileged and delighted to have had the experience.
Good for: Foodies, basque, inventive
Not good for: big family outings
