Ministry of Foodies Review
Cuisine: Contemporary/Spanish
Average price per person: 350€
Environment: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 9.5/10
Other: Vegetarian options
Website: https://www.arzak.es/
Arzak is a name that resonates with culinary excellence. This Michelin-starred restaurant in San Sebastián has long been a cornerstone of Spain’s gastronomic scene. With a legacy spanning over four decades, Arzak has been a Michelin-star restaurant since 1974 and currently holds 3 Michelin stars. At the helm is Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena. I was eager to see if Arzak’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional cuisine would live up to its legendary status.
Location/Environment
The restaurant is located in San Sebastian in a beautiful old mansion. Inside the vibe is a mix of elegance, comfort, and history as you can feel the mix between modern and traditional elements.
I personally loved the gray walls that had the name of the restaurant etched as well as forks imprinted across.
Arzak – Menu
Arzak offers three different options in terms of its menu. A tasting menu, a tasting menu with wine paring which is slightly different, or the option to order à la carte.
We opted for the tasting menu which also had different choices for certain courses so we could try a wider variety of dishes among our group.
Service
The service was excellent. The staff took the time to explain each dish from the tasting menu, describing the different options and proposing substitutions for anything that each respective person might not like. Overall the pace of the meal was very good and I only noticed a very slight delay between two dishes, but nothing that really made a difference in the experience.
The highlight of the experience was the chef Elena Arzak who was at the restaurant and came outside to meet us. During the period of our visit, there was a European football match between Real Sociedad and a football team from Greece. As such the restaurant had a lot of Greek visitors those days and that was one of the points of our discussion (since we also went to San Sebastian for the game).
We had the pleasure to interact with her again at the end of the meal since she came out again to check how we liked everything and say goodbye which I considered a really nice gesture.
Arzak – Food
The meal started with four mini appetizers, a croqueta with garlic soup (which was ok but not my favorite), a black bean taco, shrimp with a delicious broth and a mini Iberian pork sandwich interpretation. All of them had a very elaborate presentation and complex flavor and texture combinations.
Next the cured fish of the day with semi-dried tomatoes, fruit emulsion and confit lemon. The presentation, the texture, and the technique here were unparalleled. One of my favorite dishes and considering that this was not a fresh but cured fish should tell you a lot about how flavorful this was.
After that, I opted for the Hake kokotxas (the chin or cheek of the fish in Basque) with leeks kimchi, green sauce, and Ibarra chili peppers. Kokotxas is a traditional dish in Basque cuisine and this fatty part of the fish worked very well with the acidic elements of the vegetables and the sauce. Once again great presentation.
The saline fried egg was the last of what you can consider as the appetizer courses. The base was with quinoa and anchovy garum. On the side, a crispy strip topped with sardines and capers. The egg was perfectly cooked and as every chef can tell you, if someone is able to cook eggs properly should tell you a lot about their kitchen skills.
For the mains, the fish of the day, where I opted for the monkfish loin served with celeriac pillows, bulgogi sauce and furikake, a Japanese condiment. The fish was cooked well and was complimented properly by the rest of the ingredients.
The meat dish I went for was the deer loin with crispy black trumpet leaves and pickled mushrooms. The deer was cooked perfectly and also was extremely tender. The juices were served with a batch of fresh herbs that were full of aromas. Another excellent dish and one of my personal favorites.
The palette cleanser before dessert was a lemon grass sorbet. It was served with lemon whipped cream and crispy yuzu. The proper “stepping stone” dish to move from the mains to the sweet elements of the menu.
For dessert, the first dish was a crispy apple with caramelized apple pure and cider soup. The staff flambeed the dessert at the table which was a great touch presentation-wise.
The last dessert was creamed mango and Dominican chocolate with coffee and tonka bean, toffee with banana textures, chili-spiced mango and sour wafers. Again a play between contrasts from sweet, buttery and acidic flavors and different textures.
Conclusion
It’s difficult to say that you have a value-for-money experience when you pay over 300€ per person. Nevertheless, people who enjoy fine dining will feel like this is a value-for-money experience. I also consider that charging 300€ is not unreasonable for the tasting menu. That is if you consider the level of detail and technique that goes into each dish. In addition, compared with other Michelin-star restaurants, I found Arzak’s wine list reasonably priced.
While it might not be a place you would visit every week, I can definitely say it’s worth experiencing a meal there and feeling part of Arzak’s legacy.
Visit: January 2025
Address: Alcalde J. Elosegi Hiribidea, 273, 20015 Donostia, Gipuzkoa