![5]( "Recensione")
About halfway down the expressway between Bilbao an San Sebastián, you exit south through a tunnel near Durango: what were previously rolling green foothills turn into Rocky Mountains. You a circle a roundabout at every intersection (apparently left turns are not an option... is this New Jersey?). This is the only way to Axtondo, where there is no nearby lodging; to a restaurant serving only lunch on most days (Only dinner service is on Saturdays).
Expect this meal to be a long one: You committed to the Tasting Menu when you made your online reservation deposit, so really lean into it and order some Extras, if not all the Extras. This lunch is why dinners in Spain are eaten late.
if you haven't heard, the specialty of the house is cooking over wood fire embers, often with special contraptions invented and/or customized for this kitchen. One would expect most things to be grilled or roasted, in fact the greatest surprise is that only the final two savory courses would fit that classification. Many dishes are barely cooked, and often the smoke finds its way to you only as flavoring: The Fresh Buffalo Cheese is sauced with a smoked/burnt milk. The fresh peas (from a Snap/Snow pea) sit in a smoke tinged sauce of themselves. Beads of Caviar are barely heated over smoke to preserve their spherical integrity. Baby eels sauteed over a perforated pan resembling a colander to let the smoke through.
By the time you get to the Beef Chop, you're likely to have been full for some time. And it's probably almost 5pm.....
![5]( "Recensione")
One of the best meals outside of San Sebastian, which is saying a lot when you consider that San Sebastian is a Foodie Mecca.
We came here for lunch the evening after our disappointing evening at Mugaritz, and what a refreshing change.
The service was relaxed yet efficient. The food and the chef's skill with the grill are what shines here. The food was cooked to perfection and the grill was used for every course, from Amuse Bouche to Dessert.
The chef's skill was evident in the broad spectrum of flavors he was able to extract from the grill. From the bold char, one would expect on a massive Tomahawk steak to a gentle smoky kiss to the smoked gelato and beet juice.
There were several highlights to this meal - starting with the housemade chorizo sandwiches they bring as an appetizer on the terrace, to the giant red prawns (Carabinero de Palamos) which were just cooked while still having a little sea water in the head which provided extra salinity when you sucked the head. The pièce de résistance was a massive maybe 64oz Tomahawk steak with a thick char on the outside while cool red on the inside. Our group of 6 enjoyed it but were soo full that I took the remaining steak back and ate it on the long flight back home.
After our long lunch we met the chef in the kitchen downtairs. He could not be a more gracious and humble man. He gladly posed for pictures, signed our menus and welcomed us back next year - to which I replied - "how about tomorrow?"
The restaurant is located in a small picturesque town from the 1690s and looks better than a staged set, while being surrounded by mountains on one side. Walk around the courtyard outside and dont miss the little temple from 1600s.
Bourdain featured this as one of the best restaurants in the world according to chefs
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes