Taste, sip and smell your way through the best-rated Michelin star restaurants in the Basque country when on vacation in Biarritz.
The Basque Country is a culinary hub with a higher amount of Michelin restaurants per capita than Paris. Therefore, it is only natural that you head out and explore some world-class tastes when staying in Biarritz. There are many excellent restaurants clustered in San Sebastián, an hour’s drive away, and you can find some stars scattered in the nearby Spanish and French countryside. Here are some of the top rated tables you absolutely must try while on your Basque break.
*** Azurmendi Gourmet
3 Stars: Bilbao / Spain
Eneko Atxa, a chef who has been showered in awards throughout his career, invites you to dine at what was voted the third best restaurant in the world, Azurmendi Gourmet. His thirst for perfection has created a dining experience more like an artistic journey, which will have you ‘wowing’ from the moment you see the building till the time you drive away. The architecturally stunning restaurant is found at Larrabetzu, planted on the hillside among native vineyards. The food will decorate your table in a way you have never seen before, grown in their atrium and from the Biscayan area. Outside of the town Bilbao, this culinary experience is a little while away from Biarritz, but certainly worth the trip.
*** Restaurante Akelaré
3 Stars: San Sebastián / Spain
Moments away from the wonderful city of San Sebastián, is a menu you can’t miss at Akelaré. Find intricately balanced flavors and textures like a 3D painting on your plate and let each of your senses be wrapped up in the experience. Fresh, seasonal and innovative are words that come to mind when dining at Akelaré. The food is praised for being perfectly clever without being too adventurous, meaning that even picky eaters will get to experience a memorable outing. Choose a menu and let the chefs and wait staff create an unforgettable meal.
*** Martin Berasategui
3 Stars: Lasarte-Oria / Spain
With their ears pressed to nature, the chefs at Martin Berasategui want to bring your taste buds back to earth with food out of this world. The dishes here are said to seduce in small mouthfuls and with 14 courses on their tasting menu, each taste builds up to the next, engaging every bud. With complex flavors and unimaginable combinations, each new plate is designed to entice and challenge your ideas of food. This is a place for those wanting to be surprised, enlightened and gastronomically pampered.
* Kokotxa Restaurante
1 Star: San Sebastián / Spain
Kokotxa Restaurante is going to blow your socks off. Although it only has one star so far, this restaurant is a wonderfully unique establishment that offers you Michelin quality food, royal service and an 18 page wine list that will have you tipsy just reading it. With designer pieces on every plate and smiles on every face, you will be surprised to see a not-so-Michelin-starred bill when you bring yourself to leave. The reasonable prices are that perfect last touch to the evening and will have you driving back to experience more.
* L’Atelier Restaurant
1 Star: Biarritz / France
One of the best things about the Basque country is that you are always within a reasonable distance to a Michelin Starred or recommended restaurant and Biarritz is no exception. L’Atelier Restaurant puts perfected Basque cuisine on your doorstep. A dinner or lunch here will have colors and mouthwatering smells jumping from the china into your memory forever.
Be sure to add a Michelin starred experience to your vacation in Biarritz and check out one of these restaurants. Looking for even more choices? See a list of all the Michelin restaurants in the Basque Country. If you want more ideas or recommendations ask the friendly staff at Radisson Blu Hotel, Biarritz to give you a hand.