First item were crisp and light breadsticks with a mustard emulsion to dip them in.
The appetizers were presented as these 4 little cubes of colorful and texturally complex bites. Each gave a surprising pop of unique flavor profile ranging from smokey, sweet, savory, and umami.
This dish is followed by fresh sea urchin with fennel broth and tangerine mousse speckled with caviar. The dish embodies both the richness of the urchins with a light, subtle broth, and a refreshing element of the tangerine.
Next up was a dish of oyster with pureed cashew and pickled artichokes. The oyster was tender and packed with flavor. This dish was followed by a venison tartare with frozen mustard. I am generally not a fan of raw red meat due to them being oftentimes texturally unpleasant but this venison tartare tasted fresh, not gamey at all, and has a smooth, yet supple consistency which I gladly devoured.
There were more dishes to follow and they were all prepared in a surprisingly delightful manner. The stingray was cut into strips resembling noodles, the hake was super moist, the autumn rice, like its name, celebrated the season with exquisite wild mushrooms and shaved winter truffles. It was absolutely delicious!
We were given 3 desserts and they were texturally diverse and equally delightful. Even the the bed of cocoa nibs underneath the petite fours were yummy, and I don't think I was supposed to eat them :)
First class service and food! I've been to San Sebastian's old town many times but never enjoyed this lovely spot. If you're going to eat here definitely make reservations ahead of time! Food is a little different with a twist, we loved everything except the fish intestines. We chose the market menu which with €85 per person. Definitely a fun experience!
If you've never been to a Michelin star restaurant, Kokotxa is an amazing place to start.
We went for lunch in November '18 - since autumn was just starting, we had the opportunity to try their updated degustation menu. The service was impeccable from the moment we walked in until we left. The staff was friendly and the sommelier was very knowledgeable. The prices were slightly lower than other similar 'stared' restaurants.
The best part was the food... it showcased the northern Spain ingredients, taking the traditional dishes (mostly based upon seafood) and elevating them to a completely different level of well balanced flavors and textures. It's hard to point our favorites: maybe the ray, or the oysters with artichokes, or the deer carpaccio, or the lamb, or... you get the point.
Kokotxa has become one of our favorite restaurants in Spain, and we can't wait going back to it again.
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