Food Capital of Spain

By Bob & Sue

In addition to the greatest tapas bars in the world (Gambara and Zeruko rock!) featuring the Spanish Iberico ham, stuffed piquillo peppers and small bites of local seafood, we ate at four great restaurants in the area.

Arzak

Marrying traditional Spanish cuisine with creative ingredients from all over the world. The egg course is always a highlight, with an unusual sacha nut oil, brown cheese and mushrooms accompaniment this visit. We also had a perfectly cooked pigeon on a dried pumpkin paste with a sunflower tower. Elena Arzak prides herself on choosing interesting side flavors to complement the featured food in a course.

Contact
Avenida del Alcalde José Elosegi, 273
20015 Donostia/ San Sebastián
+34 943.278.465
arzak.info

Mugaritz

Always pushing the envelope for taste, texture and presentation. Our 23-course tasting menu included a lacquered duck neck roll, a mousse of eel with baby flowers eaten with an edible sugar fork, cod tongues with a bone marrow emulsion, a chicken-skin disc covering lobster in lobster cream, and lemon ice cream in an edible lemon skin.

Contact
Aldura Aldea, 20
20100 Errenteria/ Gipuzkoa
+34 943.522.455
mugaritz.com

Azurmendi

A brilliant young chef is raising the bar for Spanish cooking outside Bilboa with courses such as a truffled egg cooked from the inside out, a lobster tail with olive oil and green herb emulsion, sautéed pork trotter stew with iberico ham, green asparagus bits, anchovies and cheese bon bons, and suckling pig with a fried pig ear ball accompanied by pumpkin in its own cream.

Contact
Txorierri corridor, exit 25
Larrabetzu (Larrabetzu/Lezama highway exit) Bizkaia
+34 944.558.866
azurmendi.biz

Akelarre

Always a gourmet feast with its two tasting menus along with a special view of the Atlantic Ocean. Highlights included prawns cooked over hot rocks at table side, a cuttlefish roll with mustard herb and crispy rice, a red pepper carpacchio in Ibereico ham broth with black truffles, grouper with couscous in an egg and seaweed sauce, and pigeon with a Mexican mole paste.

Contact
Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56
20008 San Sebastian
+34 943.311.209
akelarre.net

Andrew Zimmern

Eating in San Sebastián