Zuberoa

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!
This is one of the best restaurants in the world! I have traveled around the world and have dined at Michelin star restaurants, and this is by far the best in the world. I have been here 3 times and simply love the food and experience.

Coming from New York…
It’s usually difficult to not be critical but Zuberoa has officially reached the peak of my list of favorite restaurants. The Basque country side trip was worth it. A lush, quiet backdrop for dinner and impeccable service provided a wonderful time.
Contrary to places in New York (such as Per Se), Zuberoa has a wholesome atmosphere that isn’t stuffy and charmingly old world.
I will return one day to Zuberoa with my husband. I’m very pleased.

I love this place. Great food and exceptional service.

Are there really only 7 reviews on this place? I am honored to be able to give a review on this place and feel lucky we were able to get reservations and have this experience.
As we were seated at our table I felt like a queen. Never had I experienced service like this. I took a look at the tasting menu (which I had originally planned to do) but none of the dishes caught my fancy. I hemmed and hawed at what to order and finally ended up with… the tasting menu. When in Madrid…
This is one of my favorite meals of all time and may be one of the less wordy of the bunch («maybe», I haven’t finished yet). A dish by dish review is not necessary and cannot give justice to the umami that the night unfolded.
With each tasting set before me, I kept asking myself — how can you put so much goodness in such a small little dish? For example, one of my favorites of the night was shellfish to the royal with fennel flavour. Shellfish to what? and fennel… not a fan of fennel. Have you ever had something so good that you want to close your eyes and just take it all in with only your tastebuds? This frothy little portion had layers of flavor you couldn’t imagine. A few of which I was able to guess correctly as uni and lobster (pat myself on the back).
I loved it all. Each dish in and of itself was uniquely astonishing in its own way. To hit on a couple other surprises — the mashed potatoes were the jam. They were a runny thick consistency and when I asked what made them so good, the waitress answered «lots of butter». The cheesecake was like no other cheesecake. So good that it called for an additional order to close out the night. The wines (recommended by the sommelier) were less expensive than any red wines sold in US restaurants (even the cheaper US brands).
I was wined and dined — an experience I can’t explain other than using the word amazing. Which by the way, I need to find a better word because it was actually better than amazing.

Michelin Stars do not lie. I had one of the most amazing dinner experiences at Zuberoa. It was a true culinary adventure which did not disappoint. Set in an old farm house about 15 minutes from town… This meal was everything I could of hoped for and more. The tastes and textures were on a level I have never experienced before. Absolutely phenomenal. The only thing I knew I would take was the foie-​gras and they were happy to substitute for something else on the tasting menu.

Mind. Blown.
A rainy San Sebastián afternoon, a jaunt into the countryside, and a quiet restaurant scene complemented with the pitter patter of raindrops drizzling off the rooftop.
Txakoli, local Rioja recommended by the sommelier, flavor-​bursting langosta, the most succulent young milk-​fed slide-​off-​bone lamb I’ve ever had, and finally a perfectly seared ahi tuna fresh from the market. Ended with a cheesecake that deserves another name because it cannot be associated with the rest of the cheesecakes in the world. Loyalists drive from all over for this queso creation.
Service from everyone who attended our table was friendly and top notch. Great recommendations, prompt attention, and pleasant exchanges of conversation.

Wow! Another amazing restaurant in Basque Country! We were told it would be incredibly difficult to get a reservation here but a good tip to get one is go on a weekday for lunch and you will most likely get it! There were only 4 tables with people while we were there!
The setting was a charming country side restaurant, not quite rustic though.
We started our meal with a cava which was mild, nicely balanced, dry, maybe a hint of sweetness.
Menu that four people shared:
Starters:
1. Foie gras mousse with caramel (amazing)
2. Lobster ravioli with shaved black truffles
3. Seared foie gras with chicken pea and cabbage broth
4. Black truffle risotto with seared foie gras and pigeon sauce
Main courses:
1. Tuna with orange caramel sauce
2. Young lamb with jus and potato purée
3. Whole lobster (de shelled) with a lobster infused sauce, tarragon, and olive oil
Dessert: cheesecake and house dessert! The cheese cake was really good, not typical as made with local cheese and served with vanilla ice cream and a blue berry compote!

Mind-​blown.
It was that good. I’m drooling at this moment recalling the meal. The restaurant was a lil drive from the main town, but so worth the trek. It was rustic, homey, the service was very inviting and warm and, most importantly, the food was sublime.
We ordered:
Seafood ravioli app: the broth… omg. I don’t remember what was in it was, but man… it was good.
Risotto app: with another broth made from some wine reduction and fois gras juice with chunks of fois gras. Mmmmmm
Comp app dish with another reduction of something that was so delicious.
Grilled fish entrée: this was ok, nothing special.
Fois gras entrée: ahhhhh… kill me now. Perfectly caramelized and some heavenly broth/​sauce.
Lobster: sweet, tender, juicy… it’s a simple lobster dish with the natural flavor of a lobster enhanced to blow all of my senses.
Desserts: there’s a cheesecake made with a pungent soft cheese (can’t remember which… goat?) that was surprisingly delicious. The other one was a molten cake of some sort, but I just can’t remember what exactly it was. Excellent also.
We ordered 2 apps (+1 comp), 4 entrees, 2 desserts and a bottle of wine. All came out to be just over $ 100/​pp. So worth it.
They gave us a tour of the restaurant at the end of the meal and the chef came out to greet us. Now that’s you call a Michelin star experience.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE San Sebastian!

Sin duda uno de los mejores restaurantes de España, un lugar para ir a disfrutar el arte de la cocina. El espacio es agradable y con un guiño a tiempos pasados. El maitre es de los mejores que he encontrado últimamente. Servicio esmerado, aunque comprendo que para algunas personas pueda parecer excesivo, pero creo que en Zuberoa todo está pensado para ser lo máximo.
Es difícil seleccionar algo de su carta pero recomiendo sin duda las vieiras, el foie con su berza o el caldo de garbanzos. También están riquísimos el bogavante asado y el rissoto con foie. Por los platos que comento imagino que os iréis haciendo una idea de qué tipo de cocina estamos hablando… Los precios son bastante elevados, pero guardan coherencia con los sabores y texturas de las que se disfrutan en este restaurante.

This place is incredible — my wife and I ate here a week ago and agreed it was the best meal we’d ever had (as context, other nice restaurants we’ve been to are Per Se, French Laundry, Le Bernadin, Akelarre, Gramercy Tavern. My wife’s previous favorite, though, was PopEye’s chicken!). Frankly, both of us were surprised this place hasn’t gotten more love from Michelin, Pellegrino, etc. I have no idea what those rankings use as their criteria but we only really care about taste of the food (biggest by far) and service.
Taste: There wasn’t a bad dish. At other 6+ course meal restaurants, there’s usually 1 or 2 plates that aren’t that great. We loved everything we ate and became more critical as the meal went on looking for a bad one. The food tasted great, used tons of different ingredients, and everything on each plate blended really well together. From looking at the menu beforehand, we weren’t sure how it would turn out but looking back, it was incredible. It’s also worth mentioning that we ate at Akelarre the night before and almost cancelled this reservation. Although Akelarre was great and the restaurant has a breathtaking view, Zuberoa was better.
Service: The servers were (i) attentive — stopped by to answer questions and bring refills of drinks & bread between every plate (ii) easy-​going — were very willing to substitute ingredients /​plates that we didn’t want from looking at the menu beforehand and (iii) knowledgeable — suggested things we may want to substitute and the wine was amazing (and relatively inexpensive). Also, the chef, Hilario Arbelaitz, was such a nice guy. He talked with us for 20 – 30 minutes after the meal while we waited for a cab. I thought about not writing a review because part of me selfishly doesn’t want word to get out about this place but, in the end, he was such a great guy and an amazing chef that he deserves more accolades & hype.
One thing to keep in mind is that the restaurant is about a 25 Euro cab ride (each way) away from the city. Not a huge deal, especially since Zuberoa is a bit less expensive than some of the other restaurants (125 Euro per person for dinner) but it’s worth being aware of.
Anyways, if you’re planning a trip to San Sebastian and are anything like us, your first reaction will be to down the list of rankings and try to get reservations in that order. Go here instead, you’ll be glad you did!

It is no secret that the Basque country, around Donostia/​San Sebastian boasts one of the densest areas of stellar dining. Even though there are very many well regarded, world renowned establishments such as those of Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana, Martin Berasategui, there are some semi hidden gems to be found. Among those would be the cuisine and hospitality of the Arbelaitz family. The brothers of this family are known in the area but not necessarily world wide. It maybe a shame or a great secret to have, depending on how you look at it.
Chef Hilario Arbelaitz run Zuberoa in a 600 year old farmhouse in the remote town of Oiartzun, one of the oldest buildings in the whole area. As you drive away from civilization, you feel your mind and the sights drift to the serene countryside. We realize that we are already lost and give the restaurant a call. They are more than happy to tell us that we need not stress and that we will be taken care of whenever we arrive. I could tell that this was going to be a spectacular dinner.
As we arrive we are greeted by two hosts, one female who happens to be the better English speaker and one male who is there to handle the throngs of French patrons who cross the border to dine. We’re seated and find that on a Tuesday night, we are of a handful of patrons. As most of this trip, we waste no time going straight to the tasting menu:
–Rockfish and Sea Urchin «Royal» with essence of fennel
–Roasted Norwegian Lobster, vichyssoise, mushrooms
–Grilled oyster «Gillardeau» in its own liquor/​foam, sweet onion cream
–Roasted sardine tartlet, tomatoes, basil, smoked Idiazabal cheese
–Roasted scallop, lemon, thyme tomato, coral caramel
–Poached egg, purée of foie gras, truffle, veloute of peas and asparagus
–Red Mullet, endive leaves, pumpkin, orange essence
–Roast lamb loin, mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables
–Rosemary roast squab, potatoes, truffled cabbage
–Bitter almond and yogurt ice cream
–Tomato and strawberry «Gazpacho», chocolate, basil oil
Does it get any better than this? not really. Perhaps the greatest expression of Basque/​Spanish cuisine I’ve had where the preservation of the traditional cooking/​recipes met with modern refined technique. Perhaps one of my favorite meals of all time. This wasn’t only because of the cuisine. Zuberoa also expressed the hospitality and character of the Basque people. I could not get over how well we were treated. Our server was the most ebullient and warm personality and answered all of curiosities of the restaurant and the cooking, while also showing here curiosity and interest of where we came from. After the dinner, we spoke extensively with Chef Hilario and his staff, a good hour plus, with our server being an excellent translator. They say the best gateway to a culture is to love their food and it has never been more true here. It was great to get his viewpoints of cuisine, the culture and how snooty and cold most of the French customers are :)
If you ever make your way to this area, you must make a side trip to Zuberoa. They are amongst the warmest people and excellent hosts you can find with the culinary expertise to match.