Arzak

This is a 7 star experience not just 5 stars. Having had various experiences at Michelin star restaurants across the globe, I can say this is on my top 3 list. The dinner experience was so well thought out and executed down to every little detail. The service was impeccable; my bag was gently placed in its own chair next to me. This is what thoughtful and subtle elegant service means. Going in, we were wondering how we could possibly digest all these courses and paired amazing wines. In the first 5 minutes we forgot about everything, lost ourselves in the tastes, the stories of ingredients, the only 200 bottle produced wines, and the visual feast. The atmosphere is a little dark and lighting is to accentuate the food. Everything is orchestrated not to distract from what’s in front of you. We are and drank with gratitude; there wasn’t a single dish that seemed suspect or below par. The cherry on top of our experience was the incredible chef Elena gracing us with her presence to see how the dining experience was. What a delightful surprise from a down to earth chef. It simply made a great night even more memorable. The price tag is not for the faint hearted but worth every penny, especially for celebrating life’s big moments. It is definitely on my replay list. Go and enjoy every moment of it!

Helmed by the fourth generation of the family starting this restaurant, Arzak delivers on every promose. Atmosphere, service, plays on Basque cuisine mixed delicately with modern gastronomy, and more. Having Elana Arzak, head chef and named best female chef in the world in 2012, checking in on every table periodically was a sign of not only care and passion, but humility. An absolutely riveting experience to hear her discuss the menu with people at miscellaneous tables, even recommending against the beef as a la carte to one table because it was currently "too tough." The tasting menu was exquisite- it maintained a beautiful balance between traditional, hearty Basque-style food infused with a more thoughtful and delineated presentation. The mix of flavor on every dish was perfectly balanced, allowing acids and fats and salts and sugars to all play their role, not overtaking another, but encouraging the others to stand out when called for. Having had Alinea one month ago and this today, the contrast of experience is grave, but delightful. The former at the cusp of modern gastronomical experimentation and the latter steeped in a long and decorated history, with its feet firmly planted in maintaining a Basque identity. This was truly a treat and a place I'll definitely be back to. I hope the pictures do a bit of justice! Some cons- it was a bit stuffy inside. I tend to get a bit hot easily, to be fair, but was dabbing my forehead by the end. Also, I am not sure I'll ever understand why some Michelin star restaurants focus so heavily on every little detail but absolutely drop the ball with coffee. Nespresso? That's a crime. I offer this to every place I go, but being a coffee professional, I am always happy to help build programs at these places free of charge. Just a note ;) I would've loved a coffee to end the experience but Nespresso is just depressing, low quality, and just an after thought. That's it!

Experiencia única, muy buena selección y recomendación de vinos. Platos creativos y diferenciados. Gracias a todo el equipo (Toni fue muy amable).

Evidente puntuarlo con cinco, esto sí es un cinco en todo, lo demás amiguismo, si pones un cinco a solo aceptables ¿qué pones a Arzak, un 14? Comí el 29 de Mayo de 2024. Delicioso, sencillo y al mismo tiempo elegante. Trato exquisito, materia impecable, bodega excelente. La sencillez del mejor es lo más resaltable. Enhorabuena

Chef Elena spent time table sharing her experience. What a treat!! Fantastic service!!!

I’m used to Michelin-starred restaurants like this being a bit hit and miss, but I can’t say I disliked a single thing I had at Arzak. The food is exceptional - technical execution is perfect and each dish had at least a couple of “out there” combinations which ended up working. I can see the Asian influences across the dishes, some more subtle with a hint of tamarind, miso or furikake, and some more bold like mango and papaya chutney with the scarlet prawn, or the pani puri served next to the beef. Whatever direction it went in, all of it worked. The one dish I would call out is the scarlet prawn with mango miso and papaya chutney. I don’t think that’s one I’ll ever forget. As a fan of prawns, I genuinely do not think that it can get better than this. It’s cooked well on the outside with a nice bit of sear, but the inside is still a bit translucent, soft and sweet. The head of the prawn was ridiculous - absolutely massive and just when you think you’ve got it all, there are more juices and deep red, briney, buttery chunks in there. It just kept giving and giving and I spent minutes just squeezing every last drop out and mopping it up with bread. For those few minutes the world around me disappeared and it was just me and that prawn. Service was impeccable - the flow was steady, smooth and quick without being too hurried. Elena Arzak made her way around the tables to say hi too, which was nice! Overall just an incredible experience that we won’t soon forget.

Amazing three star Michelin restaurant in San Sebastián. Service, food and wine is always unbelievable and the flavors couldn't be better. It is definitely worth the trip alone to go there.