Donostia Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[Gerry Dawes]

On a Monday night I would either go to Restaurante Matteo en Errenteria which is near Mugaritz or I think Fagollega or Zuberoa are open on Monday nights, have to check.

All three are listed as closed on Monday nights. I would also go to Getaria to Kaia for some of the best turbot on the planet and a wonderful wine list with old wines that are perfectly stored.

[Bux]

What's the scoop on the Grupo Berasategui restaurants in Donostia? Are they pale imitations of Martin in Lasarte or do they hold their own in some special way? If the latter, do they rate high enough on any scale to merit inclusion in a gastronomic tour of Guipúzcoa? How much time would one have to spend in Donostia before Kukuarri or Kursaal got place your dance card? If one stayed at the NH Aránzazu, would it be crazy not to eat at least one meal at Kursaal?

Having had just one meal each at Arzak (before Juan Maria semi-retired) and Martin on one night stands in the area we'd like to come back and explore Donostia in depth, but there is a surfeit of choices that is maddening. Picking just one restaurant was a chore, but picking just a few to skip is proving to be even worse, and I find myself feeling as if I miss a place if I only eat in the first rank of starred restaurants. It's like rereading a glossy food magazine or seeing a travelog.

[pedro]

What's the scoop on the Grupo Berasategui restaurants in Donostia? Are they pale imitations of Martin in Lasarte or do they hold their own in some special way? If the latter, do they rate high enough on any scale to merit inclusion in a gastronomic tour of Guipúzcoa? How much time would one have to spend in Donostia before Kukuarri or Kursaal got place your dance card? If one stayed at the NH Aránzazu, would it be crazy not to eat at least one meal at Kursaal?

Having had just one meal each at Arzak (before Juan Maria semi-retired) and Martin on one night stands in the area we'd like to come back and explore Donostia in depth, but there is a surfeit of choices that is maddening. Picking just one restaurant was a chore, but picking just a few to skip is proving to be even worse, and I find myself feeling as if I miss a place if I only eat in the first rank of starred restaurants. It's like rereading a glossy food magazine or seeing a travelog.

Bux, in my case, I never have found an appropiate time to accommodate other Group Berasategui restaurants besides Martin. As I said in other thread regarding second chances, the scene there is so dynamic with lots of consolidated options where I haven't been yet, that is difficult to leave aside let's say Fagollaga or Mugaritz to go to Kursaal.

And take it easy. A depth exploration of the area can take a whole life.

[Bux]

A depth exploration of the area can take a whole life.

I was thinking I could do a pretty good surface level survey in a month or less. I expect to be there for maybe five days. No matter what, we will devote at least as much time to Donostia as we will to Paris.

[estufarian]

On the other hand, I felt Akelaré was absolutely the best, and indeed does deserve three stars. And yes, it's much better for lunch because of the view (ask for tables at the end of the room). Service there was professional, attentive, kind and multilingual (what is not that common as one could expect, around there, see Arzak). The ideas in the tasting menu were breathtaking, a perfect match of delicacy, taste and inventiveness, with a profound knowledge not only of technical, but also of chemical effects.

Thank you Nickolaus. Based on your review I reserved at Akelare for lunch and was ASTOUNDED. The best meal of my life (so far). Some of my dishes were different, but the overall impression was similar. And the wine list was unbelievable (if you're a Spanish wine lover). Selections from all decades back to the 20's (we had the 25 Marques de Riscal) at very fair prices.

If there's anything better in the area I'm going back sooner (rather than later). But I'll be back!

Definitely preferred it to Berasategui.

[ginger chef]

so far i have eaten at zuberoa, mugaritz, kursaal, akelare, and arzak . so if you want my point of view kursaal had nothing to prove and apart from an excellent meal at mugaritz all the others are lucky to have michelin stars. kursaal was 48 euros for a 7 course tasting menu where arzak was 110 and kursaal was by far more interesting, tasty and presented with a passion that the chef wants to achieve something not that he is sitting back and just letting people come i n due to his reputation. definetly do the grupo martin. i go to guggenheim next week which is rated higher in the spanish guides than some two stars. incidentally mugaritz is rated the same as martin berasategui in spains major guide and the two are only beaten by bulli. i can give a full menu breakdown of all places if needed.

[Gerry Dawes]

so far i have eaten at zuberoa, mugaritz, kursaal, akelare, and arzak . so if you want my point of view kursaal had nothing to prove and apart from an excellent meal at mugaritz all the others are lucky to have michelin stars.

Zuberoa, Akelarre and Arzak are all "lucky" to have Michelin stars? That will come as a big surprise to almost anyone who has eaten in those three places. I had better get back to San Sebastian quick and find out how all three of these guys have fallen from grace.

[pedro]

so far i have eaten at zuberoa, mugaritz, kursaal, akelare, and arzak . so if you want my point of view kursaal had nothing to prove and apart from an excellent meal at mugaritz all the others are lucky to have michelin stars.

Ginger_chef, could you please give some more details about your meals at Zuberoa, Arzak and Akelare?. I'm quite surprised (should I say shocked? ) by your statement about the Michelin stars they have. The only place where my experience has been less complete in terms of satisfaction is Akelare, but I wouldn't say they should be demoted.

i go to guggenheim next week which is rated higher in the spanish guides than some two stars. incidentally mugaritz is rated the same as martin berasategui in spains major guide and the two are only beaten by bulli. i can give a full menu breakdown of all places if needed.

If the guide you're referring to is Garcia Santo's "Lo mejor de la gastronomía", I would say that:

a) I believe is not the major guide in Spain, at least in terms of books sold. IMHO, I'd say that "Guía Campsa" is the more widespread guide in the country. We also have to consider that there's a "Guía Campsa" web site, which I presume gets a significant traffic.

b) Rafael García Santos is the "evangelist" of the Adrià way of cooking, so the closer you follow the canon, the higher rating you get. This leads to some underratings, as Santamaria's Can Fabes, weird missings, as Viridiana, and more questionable, compromises.

[ginger chef]

i will start with akelare. akelare has two stars which in terms of great britain ranks alongside le manoir, gavroche ,champignon sauvage. but i had been told that this place was on the brink of three so i was quite excited about eating there. i ate with a felow chef from a famous restaurant in chicago and we both had alternative tasting menus my meal and his started with a trio of amuses , being a pea soup, a jelly of ham with capsicum crisps and a piece of hake with breadcrumbs. these all were ok but the ham mousse was basically just whipped cream with diced iberico through it . first course for me was foie gras sandwich which came out as a triangle piece of terrine sandwhiched between two pieces of meringue which had been set with gelatine and accompanied by a foie gras soup. the sandwich was good but the meringue got very sickly after a while and the soup for me was not needed and just seemed to be an after thought it was basically chicken stock with blended foie gras . very greasy and very salty. my friend had a shellfish soup which came to the table and the witer poured something on it and some sort of chemical reaction went off and it fizzed up which was quite impressive but it immediately disappered and left a salty clear fish stock with clams, mussels, percebes and razor clams in it. my next course was tempura of lettuce and tiger prawns and my friend had the same as his dish was one he could not eat due to an allergy. this dish came out in a bowl and was basically what it said lettuce deep fried with two tiger prawns and some vinaigrette which had turned 50 percent of the salad soggy. the prawn also had its dirt track still in and this i believe is one thing that top end restaurants should take care of. next course was a veal terrine for me and red mullet for him. my terrine was pressed tongue with a piece of crackling and stock which unfortunately was totally undercooked the terrine was impossible to cut and the tongue was un peeled and still hairy in places i left this dish. the red mullet was a fillet of mullet on a bed of tomatoe sauce and that was it. the mullet was badly prepared and not trimmed before cooking and he removed three bones and quite a few scales from his fish. next we both ahd a sorbet course which was a basil , rosemary and tarragon sorbets all served as granites or scoops and one on a stick. these were acceptable but i found as a refresher these flavours were all to strong and the granite had partly melted before getting to the table and as it was tarragon it had tainted the flavours of all the others. main course for me was pigeon with germinated beans. nothing to saty really its exactly what it was. my friend had veal with a chicken stock and fruits. this was disgusting the veal had been rolled in what i can only think was charcoal or maybe cooked in a dirty pan but it was really bad and the fruits were dried fruit and soaked in the stock. very very bad. dessert next and i had pineapple and coconut parcels which were nice and refreshing but again the coconut ice cream was almost a suce before it had reached the table. my friend had rhubarb soup with chocolate. this came to the table in a square bowl and was covered with a crunchy topping like a brulee and then the soup was underneath. there was a little ravioli on top of this crunch. this beat the veal in flavour as it really was bad and the chocolate and rhubarb were totally working against each other. our final dessert was a citrus box with strawberry sorbet. this was presented nicely and was a box made of the same nougatine as the rhubarb topping .this was built around a soft lemon sponge and the sorbet was next to it. ok but not mind blowing. so that was the food. the service was pleasant and good apart from asking the sommelier to choose a wine for us to match the dishes and he chose one he recommended for all of the dishes and then half way through the bottle he came over and apologised that he had given us the table next to us their wine which was 40 euros more. overall i personally feel that he was trying to hard with his dishes and forgetting people have to eat them. the flavours should really be looked at and two stars is very very generous . or maybe spain is getting to much hype . the setting of akelare was beautiful and this is a location that says threee stars all over it but not on the day i ate. i have photos of all the dishes on disc if someone can tell me how to post them i will put them on. and you can make your own decision. i also have photos of mugaritz,zuberoa and arzak.

[ginger chef]

the guide is the one you mention and from the chefs i work with this is the one they follow.but i will look at the other one also. i dont believe the restaurants should be demoted of their stars i was just expecting alot more consistency through the meals.

[Bux]

That's generally depressing news as we're on our way over there next month. I'll post my itinerary later, but Akelarre has had so much good press, that I don't think I can afford to miss it. On the other hand, it may well be that he's entered a desperate phase of trying cook food that is not what knows and does best. We can't eat multistarred meals day after day and we want to return to both of the two restaurants that have served us well in the past--Arzak and Martin. It's possible we'll have a disappointing trip if we share your reactions. I have high hopes for Mugaritz at least.

I suppose it's to be expected that cuisiniers at one of the leading innovators in the region would lean towards the guide published by an evangelist of creativity. Those young cooks who favor traditional cooking are not going to be drawn to Martin's kitchen. Right now we, as diners, are drawn to where the excitement is, but we're hoping to get some good regional cooking in between the avant garde meals. I'm well aware of the dichotomy in my interests. When I read about restaurants the creative chefs come to the fore in my interest, but more and more, I find myself talking about the more rustic foods after I've returned from a trip. This is not to say however, that I talk about a high percentage of the non destination restaurants.

I think all food guides show certain peculiarities if you're familiar with the area and especially if you have your own sense of what's interesting and good to eat. You have to pick the right guide, and then make allowances anyway.

In San Sebastian, Campsa lists 19 restaurants for 2003.

The top rating is 3 sols (suns).

Akelarre

Arzak

Martin Berasategui.

No one gets 2 sols.

1 sol

Casa Nicolasa

Kursaal-Martin Berasategui

La Muralla

Miramón Arbelaitz

Rekondo

Urepel

There's also a "recommended" but no sol category

Agorregi

Astelena

Kukuarri

It's interesting that Martin is listed as being in San Sebastian, while other restaurants are not. Mugaritz (2 sols) and Zuberoa (3 sols) are listed under Oiartzun. Are they not as close to San Sebastian as Martin?

Edit: add Fagollaga (1 sol) in Hernani

Edited September 5, 2003 by Bux (log)

[pedro]

Ginger_chef, thanks for your extensive report on Akelare. My general impression after my one and only visit on summer 2002 to Akelare was that there was some lack of flavor and taste, almost every dish I remember presented a quite flat and low profile. And yes, I agree with you, that some dishes captured some initial interest, with tricks like the sparkling shellfish soup, but when you grade the final result there's nothing much to account for.

I look forward to read the rest of your chronicles (BTW, did you finally go to El Bulli?)

Bux, I went to Akelare exactly for the same reason you'll go. In previous visits to Donostia either it was closed or we never find the right time to accommodate a visit. Since it was getting so much attention, with very good reports saying that it was going through one of the best moments ever, we finally made up our minds and paid them a visit. As an afterthought, I regret I didn't go to Mugaritz instead.

Certainly I wouldn't qualify Martin as a traditional cooker, but IMHO he's leading what we could name a third way which takes the best of Santamaria and Adrià's approaches. Deep roots in regional cuisine with creative and cutting edge techniques, but never giving to the technique the highest priority.

I'll be going on a short trip to Donostia beginning on Friday, and I plan to visit Arzak that night and to lunch at Martin on Sunday (so I'll experience some girl_cook and ginger_chef cooking ). I also plan to visit some more traditional restaurants, perhaps having a good "chuletón" (porterhouse) in Tolosa, but I haven't planned those yet. As soon as I get back, I'll post the results (positive, I hope).

Regarding to the distance to Mugaritz and Zuberoa, yes, I would say that they're a little farther than Martin from Donostia.

[estufarian]

i will start with akelare.....we both had alternative tasting menus .... ok but not mind blowing.

I thought it my 'best meal ever'. Ginger chef was relatively unimpressed. And we had almost the same menu (I was there in August). So herewith a more detailed 'second opinion'.

Our reservation was at 1:00, and we were the first to arrive (only 1 other table was seated before 2:00) – these people eat late. So we had plenty of time to peruse the menu and wine list.

Things started well. The staff spoke good English and gave us an English menu (not that common, even in 3* restaurants in Spain). And they had two different tasting menus, each at 88€ so we ordered one of each. The wine list was a pleasant surprise. Predominantly Spanish, it featured both current ‘cult’ wines and a selection of more traditional Spanish wines going back to the 20’s (and covering every decade). 1925 was a possibility, as I’ve had the 25 Marques de Murrieta twice (both times superb), as was 1964 – probably the greatest year for Rioja in the century. And they had wine from my spouse’s birth year too (edited to ensure marital accord). After discussions with the Sommelier (incidentally the best and most knowledgeable we encountered in Spain) we settled on the 1925 Marques de Riscal (he advised skipping this as it was too risky). This would take a little time to retrieve and open, so we had a couple of glasses of Cava while we waited (and anticipated).

First came the ‘Amuses’. Iberica ham and sea asparagus with a thick cream accompanying sauce – or was it? The cream contained tiny ‘seeds’ of a lemon ‘pop rock’ – as you ate, it literally exploded in the mouth (you could hear it too). Spectacular flavours and an extra dimension – causing us to smile at each ‘pop’. These little surprises became a feature of the meal. Nothing on the menu hinted at the various twists that were to come.

First courses were

Cold Sandwich of Foie Gras and its hot cup with “Sopako”

Mollusc in Bubbles with Salicorne

What we got were 1) a dish that looked like a diagonal ‘white bread’ sandwich – except the ‘bread’ was a dense apple foam (strong enough to support the foie, but too soft to pick up and eat), and 2) oyster, clam, barnacle and mussel which literally bubbled up like a foaming volcano when the broth was poured over. I know it sounds gimmicky for both, but the flavours were not compromised by any of the trickery.

Next courses

Egg Yolk, Fish Eggs and Broth of “Piquillos”

King Prawns in Perfumed Infusion, Salads Tempura

The fish eggs were puzzling – looking similar to salmon eggs, they were much spicier, but had the right texture – squirting out their juice under slight pressure. We couldn’t figure out what they could be at all (later we deduced that they were the ‘fake caviar’ as developed by Ferran Adria). The egg yolk was quail. And the tempura salad was a great texture contrast – and exactly what it says.

By this point in the meal we were already thinking that this could be the ‘meal of the year’. Every dish had superb flavour and an extra entertaining dimension.

Now the bottle of wine arrived. The level was excellent (high shoulder), and the label very faded although the year was still visible. The Sommelier attempted to open it at the table, but the cork broke (fairly cleanly) so I gave him permission to take the bottle away to complete the operation. However, (as the staff all gathered round to watch), he persisted and retrieved the remainder, with only two small cork pieces falling into the wine. The first pour contained both of these and that glass was removed. The second was offered for approval (or not) and was superb. All flowers and fragrance, roses and fruit blossoms. The taste was similar – a little fragile but the delicacy was on a foundation of soft red fruit. The only detraction was a slight pruniness in the finish. But a real treat nevertheless.

On with the meal:

Risotto “Venere” and Scampi Tails with Saffron

Warm Veal Terrine with Preserve flavoured with Wine

The risotto was served two ways. One was conventional and the other was a roasted black rice (giving it the texture of rice krispies). The terrine had been salamandered and was covered with a veal ‘ham’.

Red Mullet with little Green Peppers Vinaigrette

Red Tuna Chop with Tomato juice and tender Onion

By this time we were just enjoying (not taking notes) –I recall the tomato juice was really tomato syrup.

Young Veal temperated in Olive Oil with its own Juice and “Tender Fruits”

Breast of Pigeon with Melon Seeds

The melon seeds were roasted, with intense flavour, giving a crunch to the dish. The veal was Blackened.

Little Citrus Box

Frozen Herbs Snow

The citrus was lemon, grapefruit and orange. The frozen herbs came in four textures; an ice cream, a sorbet, a granité and a Popsicle. The flavours were cranberry, beet & redcurrant, tarragon, and mint.

Covered Rhubarb Soup and Chocolates

Pineapple, Ginger and Coconut Ice-Cream

The cover of the soup was a sweet corn crisp. The chocolate was white and dark chocolate nuggets. The ice cream was wrapped in a pineapple roll-up.

As the meal progressed, the note taking diminished. We just sat back and enjoyed each dish – taking notes was a distraction. The overall impression was undoubtedly “flavour”. All of the gimmicks were secondary to the freshness and purity of the ingredients. Essentially they were the icing on the cake.

And finally the coffee/tea. What a selection of teas, herbal teas, infusions etc! The coffee selection included over a dozen different types. We chose a Blue Mountain (spouse’s favourite) and a Papua for me (I love acidity). Served (of course) with an array of mignardises. And a visit from Pedro Subijana himself proved that the chef was in the kitchen – even for lunch. As if there was any doubt!

The a la carte menu dishes were mostly 20-35€ (lobster at 50), and predominantly seafood.

This was the greatest meal of our lives (so far, overtaking my #1, Michel Guerard at Eugenie-les-Bains in the early 80's and my spouses #1 (my #2) Masa in San Francisco in early 90's). Every dish wowed. The wine was amazing. The service was exceptional. So why isn’t this a 3* (we went to 3 of these on the trip)? Possibly because the wine list is so Spanish, rather than International. And certainly the atmosphere is less formal (many guests were dressed very informally and several parties had children with them). But if he gets his third *, then he’ll be on the ‘Grand Tour’ and that wine list will soon be picked clean. And reservations will be much more difficult. So take my advice and go soon. It’s amazing value.

[robert brown]

I just staggered in in the wee small hours from Paris (to Nice) and from five days in San Sebastian. We hit all five places. I have four menus and lots of notes. I hope I can add something in the next few days. Between the weather, guests and traveling, my eGullet work has suffered.

[Bux]

I've always enjoyed being able to tell a waiter I have no food alergies and no intense dislikes, but if this keeps up, I may have to mention pop rocks. Sorry, the first time they appeared unheralded, I felt as if someone was poking me in the eyes, ears and nose--but from inside. The second time, they seemed to be more delicately used, but still unappreciated.

[vserna]

so far i have eaten at zuberoa, mugaritz, kursaal, akelare, and arzak . so if you want my point of view kursaal had nothing to prove and apart from an excellent meal at mugaritz all the others are lucky to have michelin stars.

Mmmmm... To what do you attribute this sudden burst of generous incompetence on the part of Michelin's inspectors? Perhaps to the fact that this is the Spanish guide? Have you been to the starred restaurants on the other side of the French border, which is just a stone's throw away? I'd really be interested in your opinions about, for instance, l'Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Bayonne, Ithurria in Ainhoa and Bakéa at Biriatou (that's exactly on the French-Spanish border). Do you think they are superior to similarly starred restaurants on the Spanish side? Or have they also profited from a burst of generous incompetence?

[Gareth]

I'm just back from Spain as well and hope to post about San Sebastian shortly (pressure of work at the moment etc...). But in short we really enjoyed Akelare (we were there at lunch on 19th August - did I see another e-gulleter busy taking notes at one of the corner tables by the window...?). Find it difficult to understand how Ginger-Chef - who seemed a thoroughly sensible, if increasingly pissed, chap when I met him at St John's in London a couple of months ago - and I could come to such different conclusions !

That said, for all Akelare's invention the most pleasingly inventive dish I had all holiday was at the Hauts de La Loire (** in Onzain, France) when we went after Spain. Oysters with leeks on shortbread with candied lime. Spectacular and fresh, whilst sitting quite comfortably within a traditionally structured French menu.

[Bux]

Let's not bury France just yet, Hauts de La Loire and the near by Lion d'Or were the site of two of our best meals last year, right up with two star restaurants in Spain.

[ginger chef]

sorry guys just what i thought of the meal. it was the same as the persons before i just didnt have my menu in the internet cafe with me. but i am afraid to say i will stick with my views and say it was bad. i have been across the border but that should be on the french pages but i can say i had one of the most perfectly cooked and tastiest meals in my life at michel guerard. all though classical the roots the dishes tasted of what the ingredients were.

i dont under estimate michelin at all and if they are looking at new style and they are now moving into ethnic restaurants more i would say it was different maybe i was just not eating with an open mind and eating as a chef.

i have done bulli. i can report this but i will need my menu. i also have photos again of every dish.

as to say martins kitchens are traditional are in some ways true. his food reflects his basque heritage and something he is very proud of. but in other ways it is a bit on the edge. but more than not he is safe with his cooking and what he understands and is comfortable with. i do find his food a little short of skill and i havent seen alot that has blown me away. but his ideas are good and i am learning alot all the time. apart from not speaking a word of spanish apart from the bad ones which only chefs seem to pick up first.

once again sorry for the negative report but its just my view and shouldnt be taken to heart in the end of the day hes the one with two stars not me. maybe i am jealous. no i'm not it was bad

[ginger chef]

robert sorry we didnt meet up, waiting staff wouldnt pass a message on to you to visit the kitchen. i would be very intersted to know what you thought of martins from a customer view.

[robert brown]

Ginger Chef, I am sorry and disappointed I missed you. Where do you go next? I am in the midst of writing about my trip. For now, what did the waiters and waitresses think of us?

[ginger chef]

unfortunately i have had not one conversation with a member of the front of house as they are not approachable and look down on all the stages. there is an air of snobbery from the waiters and the chefs have to carry the trays to the restaurant door and wait for a waiter to come through. why did you have a problem. i dont know what goes on out front but i would be very interested to know. this place is definetly different to what i expected but thats another story.

[vserna]

this place is definetly different to what i expected but thats another story.

A young chef I know very well (he's my nephew) has had training stints in several of the top restaurants in Spain, including seven months at Martín Berasategui, and he had his roughest time there. "Harsh" is how he described it.

[ginger chef]

harsh would be the politically correct way of saying it. as i am not a politician i would say it is an eye opener and i feel for anyone who enters these kitchens for a long period. it is very much a kitchen on false pretenses.and whoever goes to stage ensure you have your own accomadation in and around lasarte do not stay in the restaurant. the kitchen brigade has dropped by 45 percent in the last four weeks we now have only 24 chefs. for 40 covers !!!! oh and the 800 people banquets we do on saturdays when we are supposedly fully booked.

[Bux]

... oh and the 800 people banquets we do on saturdays when we are supposedly fully booked.

Thank you for that. We've just been told they can't accomodate us for Lunch on Saturday and I was wondering if we should try to pull some strings, try to change another reservation, attempt two grand meals in rapid succession or choose an less well known up and coming restaurant. Unfortunately, our schedule is pretty tight and while Berasategui is very high on our list of places to go, it's also the last restaurant in the area in which we've dined and in that way, expendable in spite of being one I would have on my "don't miss" list when advising others from my experience.