How did Elkano’s grill become so famous? Why do we find restaurants in the middle of London offering Elkano’s turbot, or why was Mextizo opened in Barcelona eight years ago, claiming to have the grills and waters of Getaria? Where does the tradition of grilling whole fish come from? Why do all kinds of gastronomes and influencers want to eat Elkano’s turbot? What led the Arregi family to bring the grills of Getaria to the heart of Cádiz by opening Cataria or Ghetary in Mallorca? What motivated young chefs like Eduardo Pérez Pérez from TohQa to learn this method and seek training at Cataria? Why has turbot become an icon of Elkano and a reason for pilgrimage to this town on the Cantabrian coast?
Elkano’s grill has achieved worldwide fame worthy of study. This grill traces its origins back to the boats of the fishermen of Getaria, who would cook the fish they caught directly on board. In fact, it is believed that, in the 16th century, Juan Sebastián Elcano left the grills he carried on his second circumnavigation of the world as an inheritance to his descendants.
Thus, grilling is an older (in fact, ancestral) culinary technique that, in a way, came ashore and re-established itself on land in places like the original Bar Elkano (located where Txiki is now), where Aitor Arregi’s grandfather set up a grill in his bar that only served drinks. This was so the fishermen, upon returning from fishing, could grill their own catch, almost like an extra service offered by the bar. To put it in modern terms, it was similar to the service offered by cafes at highway rest stops, where customers are provided with microwaves to heat up their packed lunches.
Later on, the first tourists arrived—European royalty who began frequenting the Cantabrian coast in the summer, especially Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hondarribia, San Sebastián, Zarautz, and, of course, Getaria. These tourists were used to all kinds of luxuries but showed an interest in the local cuisine and wanted to try dishes like squid in its ink, marmitako, and hake in sauce. These were hearty dishes typically intended for workers and a more traditional, less refined audience.
However, those tourists were particularly curious about the grills used by fishermen to prepare their catch. As a result, they started looking for someone who could cook for them using that technique. This is how the first grill masters of Getaria were born.
At this point, it’s interesting to note that, alongside these grills, Elkano also offered traditional Basque cuisine. At that time, people were already familiar with the fame of Joxepa Oyarzábal (Aitor’s grandmother), who, after working in restaurants like Panier Fleury in Errenteria (I imagine with Tatus’s parents due to the timeline) and Casa Nicolasa in San Sebastián (likely during the era of Pepita Fernández de Urrestarazu and her nephew Paco, when Nicolasa Pradera had already passed on the place, but before José Juan Castillo’s time), prepared fried dishes like shrimp in batter, cod-stuffed peppers, brains, or eggs with ham, and also made kokotxas in sauce and stews.
Later, in 1964, Pedro Arregi (Aitor’s father) officially opened Elkano, and during those years, this initial pintxos bar transitioned from Joxepa’s stews and fried dishes to sea bream and traditional txuleta, while also serving innovative dishes like grilled hake or monkfish neck (a part usually discarded and used for soup) in 1967, and whole turbot with its skin in 1968.
On one hand, cooking the neck (cogote) brought about a revolution, especially for the fishermen, as a part that previously had no value became the most sought-after and highly paid. Thus, I understand it more as an economic revolution than a gastronomic one. And if I may point out, rather than a revolution, I see it as a natural evolution, circumstances that led to certain events.
On the other hand, the idea of cooking the turbot whole, with its skin and retaining its natural gelatin, instead of serving it the usual way, with only the parts considered more noble at the time—the loins served as fillets—was groundbreaking. These pieces were so large that they had to be plated in the kitchen, and it seems that one day, a team member had the idea of making a kind of vinaigrette instead of the typical refrito. That day, the famous Aguas de Lourdes or Aguas de Getaria were born, with their recipe still kept secret today.
Over the years, Pedro Arregi continued innovating within his natural environment, the grill, adding clams, kokotxas, squid, mushrooms, vegetables, and fruits to the grill, always with common sense.
However, deep down, it’s not the grill itself that stands out in this restaurant. What truly matters begins even earlier: it’s the sourcing of the product—or rather, the profound knowledge of the environment, passed down from generation to generation. This deep-rooted connection with tradition and its bond with the seafood they handle and understand as if it were like crus, premier crus, and grand crus.
It starts with knowing what to fish, when to fish it, and where to fish it. The culinary technique comes later, ensuring the product isn’t spoiled. But initially, there are dozens of factors and variables that affect the condition and quality of the product they will cook:
- Climatic phenomena like El Niño or La Niña, which affect ocean currents.
- The spawning season and the time of year when the fish is caught.
- Fishing areas: knowing that a turbot caught in cold waters will be fatty, while one caught in temperate or warm waters will be fibrous.
- The influence of the moon and tides: Easter is the best time for percebes due to the lunar flux.
- The fish’s diet: knowing what it has eaten and where. If the animal has fed in a rocky area, it will taste like shellfish; if it has fed in a sandy bottom, it will have a muddy taste.
- The salinity level of the water.
- The size, weight, and thickness of the animal.
- Etc.
This is how I would summarize how the fishermen’s knowledge transferred from the sea to the land, reaching the asadores, which became a type of restaurant in capital letters, even deserving a Michelin star in 2014.
Pedro Arregi is, for me, one of the driving forces behind the transformation of the Basque asador, and I consider him someone who has contributed greatly to Basque and global gastronomy, more so than many famous names. Moreover, he was someone who always did everything with simplicity and discretion, naturally trying, simply, to move forward.
More recently, the gastronomic, socio-economic, and cultural landscape changed; the world changed. So much so that, since 2002 and still today, the third generation runs the restaurant: Aitor Arregi (born 1971), who manages the front of house. He neither cooks his mother’s stews nor works the grill like his father. Instead, in 2006, he hired the Argentinian Pablo Vicari (trained at the Luis Irízar Cooking School in San Sebastián) for the kitchen and the grill master Luis Mari Manterola (from Pedro Arregi’s generation), and later (among others like Florentino, whom I won’t mention further to avoid going on too long), his successor Asier Ezenarro, who had previously been a fisherman for 11 years. Following the logical and traditional path in Getaria, he became a grill master in 2003. Although he still goes fishing 2 or 3 days a week because he can’t give it up, he is now in charge of the grill. Nonetheless, Aitor does not seem disconnected from the business; rather, he embodies a blend of his father’s knowledge of the sea and his mother’s knowledge of the land. Speaking with him, it is easy to see that his daily contact with the arrantzales (fishermen) and baserritarras (farmers) goes back a long way and that his knowledge is immense.
THE LOCATION
Elkano restaurant is located in Getaria, a fishing village in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country. Bathed by the Cantabrian Sea, it is situated at the southernmost point of the Bay of Biscay, at a latitude of 43º, 2’, as indicated in the name of its tasting menu. This is the same latitude as, for example, the Gulf of Lion (in southern France) or Tuscany.
Getaria is a tourist town nestled in a natural setting between the sea (the coast and the Cantabrian) and the mountains.
One of its emblematic points is the port, one of the most important in the Basque Country. It is a model port, where trawling is prohibited, bonito is fished with rods, velvet crabs and lobsters with traps, sole, red mullet, and turbot with nets and trammels, and squid fishing is reserved for retired fishermen.
In Getaria, however, there are also small hills, such as Monte Gárate, where we find Txakoli vineyards (until recently, these were grazing fields, vegetable gardens, and orchards) and the farmhouses that cultivate the famous tear peas of Getaria and the tomatoes of Askizu.
In short, an extraordinary culinary landscape.
THE CULINARY OFFERING
It is based on the product, “the best of the day.” As they say, “the secret is to buy well and not ruin it.”
It varies according to what their arrantzales (fishermen) and baserritarras (farmers) bring them, and from there, they create both the à la carte dishes and a single tasting menu priced at €195, the 43º, 2’ Menu. In recent weeks, I’ve been reviewing the menu and can confirm that it changes slightly with the seasonal products.
Personally, I would never opt for a tasting menu at a restaurant like Elkano, but as we know, there is a certain type of customer who demands it. As long as they don’t remove the à la carte menu, I don’t mind if they choose to offer it.
However, I did miss having a salad; the only vegetables they offered were “grilled mushrooms with egg yolk” and “grilled piparras.” I would have appreciated, for example, some good tomatoes and the magnificent lettuces I saw at the Zarautz market, which are so typical of the summer season we were in.
THE MEAL
We ate 8 courses: 1 appetizer, 4 main courses, 1 dessert, and 2 petits fours.
THE BREAD
They offer a piece of rustic bread from Ogi Berri, a bakery founded in 1933 by the Altuna family, which now has 7 bakeries and pastry workshops, 250 franchises, and 45 own stores across Gipuzkoa, Biscay, Navarra, Huesca, and southern France. In Getaria itself, near Elkano, there is a sales point.
According to Elkano’s waiters, Ogi Berri makes a specific recipe for them. The bakery prepares the dough, freezes it, and once at the restaurant, it is thawed and baked before serving. They couldn’t tell me what type of flour it was, but it seemed to be white wheat.
Served warm, it was an average bread, nothing more. After trying it, it didn’t entice me to take even a second bite.
1 APPETIZER
1. Marinated Bonito.
An appetizer made with a seasonal product, bonito.
A 2×2 cm cube of raw bonito loin, simply marinated with a bit of grated ginger, lime juice and zest, olive oil, apple vinegar, and Lourdes water. It was also marinated with onion, green pepper (pickled green guindillas), and tomato (peeled and seedless), which were finely diced and sprinkled on top.
Served fresh at room temperature.
We were in the middle of the season (which runs from June to September-October), and it still didn’t have much fat infiltration.
Aromatically, the bonito was not very intense, and its scent was overshadowed by the smell of the green oil (parsley?) and the pickled green pepper, onion, and tomato on top.
The seasoning that accompanied the bonito was very good: the sweetness of the tomato, the acidity of the pickled pepper, and the crunch of the spring onion. The texture was also remarkable.
However, the dish, although it was a sort of “Basque-style” ceviche with a lighter marinade (shorter marination time) than those in Latin America, left me wishing for a more intense bonito flavor, which I believe should be the main character of the dish.
4 MAIN COURSES
2. Anti Salpicón of Lobster.
The lobster salpicón is a dish that Pedro Arregi started serving in 1980.
According to Aitor, they call it “Anti” because they wanted to differentiate it from the salpicón described in Don Quixote, and they don’t serve the leftovers of the lobster as traditionally done in a salpicón. Instead, they serve the tail, meaning the body, the trunk. As he says, the other parts are used in other dishes.
It’s a local, large-sized lobster (I assume between 1 and 2 kg), which they boil whole, shell and all, in very salty water (often seawater). Afterward, they let it cool, separate the head from the body, remove the meat from the tail and claws, and cut it into slices, which are kept submerged in a vinaigrette made with Lourdes water, vinegar, salt, and small diced spring onion, peeled and seedless tomato, and chopped hard-boiled egg. On the side, it’s served with an emulsion made from the coral in the head.
Served fresh at room temperature.
It was truly an “anti” salpicón, meaning it wasn’t a typical salpicón. It was a slice of lobster, not shredded lobster with its coral and all the juices mixed in.
It had the same aroma as the bonito, due to the dressing of diced tomato and onion they put on top. In this case, it also had small diced hard-boiled egg.
The cooking was minimal and perfect, with an ideal texture inside, just at the moment it stops being raw. However, in terms of flavor, I would have preferred a more intense lobster taste.
The emulsion made with the coral was a very dense sauce, but there was only a drop of it—far too little.
It was served with a fork and knife, but a spoon would have been helpful, and I would have preferred eating it on a round plate rather than the narrow, elongated, and concave dish they use, which makes it difficult to cut the lobster without making the plate wobble. I would also opt for a white plate that highlights the color of this magnificent product, rather than the gray one.
3. Hake Kokotxas: 1 Grilled and 1 in Pil-Pil Sauce
Hake kokotxas are the throat meat found under the chin of the fish, next to the tongue. Currently, it is the most highly valued part of the hake, often sold separately at a much higher price. It is one of the stars of traditional Basque cuisine.
I find this product worth traveling for, as in Maresme, even though we have a good variety of hakes and small hakes, we do not have pieces of this quality and caliber. Therefore, if we want to eat it in Catalonia, no matter how quickly and well it’s transported, the product doesn’t have the same freshness as when eaten right in Getaria, just a few meters from the port where it was caught. Especially considering that it is such a highly perishable product.
One kokotxa grilled and one kokotxa in sauce, that is, in pil-pil.
The Grilled Kokotxa
Grilled for the first time one night in late 2002, and eventually, in 2003, the kokotxera—a tool designed specifically for cooking kokotxas from a thick, dense mesh from a milk strainer—was developed. This recipe emerged after the traditional pil-pil and battered preparations and opened the door to a new concept of a dish that we have seen more and more in recent years: kokotxas cooked in different ways, grouped in a single dish. This idea has also been applied to other seafood products like anchovies, red mullet, squid, clams, etc.
Cooked directly on the grill without any other type of cooking. Salted and placed in the kokotxera, which was designed thanks to a construction materials company in Hernani that provided them with a stainless steel metal mesh, allowing the kokotxa to be in direct contact with the fire, rather than being cooked on a griddle, no matter how perforated it was. Cooked over a low-intensity fire at a considerable height to prevent them from burning or drying out. Cooked for 1.5 minutes on the black skin side and just a few seconds on the more delicate white skin side. Served warm.
A magnificent size, perfect for eating in two bites. It had a subtle grilled aroma but no grill flavor. It was incredibly tender and gelatinous! Fantastic, with such finesse and magic in maintaining its own texture.
The Kokotxa in Sauce, or Pil-Pil, in the Traditional Way
Cooked directly in a clay pot, in pil-pil, without prior grilling. Simply with a bit of crushed garlic (cooked in the pot along with the kokotxa) and chopped parsley (added off the heat, just before serving).
Also sized for two bites.
It had a salty aroma, and based on the scent, it seemed saltier than the grilled one. It had such a luscious appearance that you could almost perceive the lusciousness of the sauce by its smell. It also had a pleasant garlic aroma from the sauce.
Both were among the best kokotxas I remember. It’s truly the subtle combination of sea flavors and textures, the generously balanced gelatinous quality. The quintessence of subtlety and finesse. It made me think: why didn’t we come here three days in a row instead of going to other restaurants?
Moreover, the luxury of having one of each cooked in different ways allows you to find the differences—distinct sensations that I think are perfectly complementary.
Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding with Aitor, and instead of serving three kokotxas, one of each, he only served the grilled one and the pil-pil one, omitting the battered version, which was the preparation that appeared after the pil-pil ones and is also cooked directly, battered with egg and flour and fried, without prior or subsequent grilling.
The kokotxa, the gastronomic jewel of any Basque restaurant.
4. St. George’s Mushrooms (moixernons, Calocybe gambosa) and Mushrooms (porcini, boletus edulis)
It was a surprise to find moixernons in August, as they are more of a spring and autumn mushroom. After confirming with Aitor that it was an unusual year and that they were still sourced locally (likely from Navarra), we ordered the dish. However, instead of porcini, they were accompanied by chanterelles. The dish was served with an egg yolk and a generous amount of coarse salt.
Served warm.
Aromatically, the scent of the chanterelles was predominant. The grill was not noticeable. The moixernons were meaty and delicious. An exceptional dish, bravo!
5. Turbot
A 1 kg 30 grams turbot for 2 people. Grilled, with three or four small slices of garlic and the famous Aguas de Lourdes, a type of vinaigrette made with more than one type of oil, apple vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, etc., which Aitor prepares every night (previously with his mother as well). I will explain this dish in three parts: firstly, the product; secondly, the cooking; and finally, the service.
The Product and Quality
Although I really enjoy female turbots from late spring and early summer, when they are plump with fat and carrying eggs because it’s their spawning season, this time I was curious to try a leaner one from August. It’s also worth mentioning that, according to Aitor, it was a strange August, and they were still receiving turbots with eggs.
Regarding the SIZE, although it was a rather small turbot for two people, I would highlight the thickness of the piece, with a magnificent depth.
As for the FAT, it was quite lean. Obviously, being August, it couldn’t have the excessive fat seen in May-June when turbots spawn along the coast.
Concerning the GELATIN, all the collagen-rich parts released that characteristic tenderness of turbot, which, thanks to the high quality of both the product and the cooking technique, arrived on the plate intact and in perfect condition.
In terms of FLAVOR, I found it lacked a bit of spark or intensity, which I attribute to the time of year and the fat percentage of the fish, as we know that fat is a flavor enhancer. However, this could also be due to many other factors like diet, water temperature and salinity, lunar phases, and all the variables I mentioned at the beginning of this review.
Regarding the FRESHNESS, it seemed quite fresh, as if it hadn’t been out of the water for long (I assume they don’t age their fish). No part was tainted with bile or blood; it seemed very well cleaned and gutted.
A brilliant, excellent product that demonstrates why Elkano has the reputation it does.
However, I would have liked to see the fish we ate before it was cooked. I can assess the freshness of a fish much more clearly when it’s raw (observing the redness of the gills, the brightness of the eyes, the sheen of the skin, the condition of the fins, etc.) rather than when it’s cooked. But I don’t know if Elkano has ever shown the fish before cooking, and I don’t recall being shown the fish on previous visits either.
Regarding the Cooking
The cooking was excellent, spot-on. Of course, there were no cuts made to the skin, which would have caused the loss of gelatin, the little fat the fish had, and, consequently, an important part of its flavor. It was also cooked first on the light side and then on the dark side, which seems logical to me because the light side is more ventral and fattier, allowing the fat to infuse and soak into the fish during cooking towards the darker, always leaner side of the skin.
Only one part of the skin was slightly burned, resulting in an overly charred taste, which I consider a downside.
However, the cooking was excellent, with no noticeable smoke flavor, no hint of the cooking system used, and not masked by the vinaigrette. Some parts, if someone told me they were oven-cooked, I would believe it. Mastering such a complex and difficult cooking system like grilling, Elkano continues to demonstrate why they maintain their good reputation.
The turbot was well-hydrated (it didn’t seem dry at any point during the cooking). It was firm, flavorful, and juicy, thanks to both its own gelatin and the perfectly integrated vinaigrette, which emulsifies well with its juices, though this time without the richness it has in early spring. That said, the head, bones, white skin, and the inner part of the dark skin all had the stickiness I expect from turbot, which, together with the slight acidity of the Aguas de Lourdes, tasted exquisitely good. Due to the time of year, it didn’t form the slightly thick pil-pil, but rather a lighter, more diluted emulsion.
The amount of sauce served also seemed very appropriate: a generous quantity but not a soup.
One day, I’d like to compare the turbot grilled at the last minute, at 3 pm. But since I always like to arrive early, I always eat the turbot grilled over a strong fire, which takes about 15 minutes, rather than the one cooked over a gentler fire that takes longer, up to about 30 minutes (always referring to pieces weighing around a kilo or a kilo and a half for two people).
Lastly, the Service
First of all, I’ll tell you that what I agreed upon when ordering with Aitor and what they ended up serving and doing had nothing to do with each other; they did whatever they wanted, as if it were just any other restaurant.
When ordering, I asked Aitor how they managed the service to ensure that I could enjoy all parts of the fish calmly and in different servings, so it would remain hot at all times. He confirmed that they served the turbot in 2 or 3 servings to keep it warm and that he would bring me the liver and the eggs (he said that every day they were receiving turbots with eggs, which was very unusual in August, but the spawning season had extended), the head (with the eyes), the skin, the tail, the bones, etc. He confirmed that the only part not served was the central spine. Until that point, everything was going well, and I felt reassured, thinking that, of course, this was a place sensitive to how they served the fish.
But when it arrived at the table, I found, first of all, that it no longer had its graceful tail and that neither the eggs nor the liver were included.
Luckily, at least, when the waiter was serving it from the platter to the individual plate (which, by the way, was cold), and seeing that they intended to serve it all at once—confirmed by the waiter himself—I asked to be allowed to eat directly from the serving platter.
Thanks to this, I was still able to enjoy it warm enough.
It was served upside down from how it swims, meaning with the white side up, which is where they remove the dorsal, central spine—the only manipulation the turbot undergoes in the kitchen (they also add a bit more Aguas) before being plated and served.
That said, I believe the way whole fish (entire pieces) are served needs to be seriously reconsidered everywhere. That’s why I wrote this article describing how I think it should be done.
With all that said, it’s also worth mentioning that, at the end of the meal, when I spoke to Aitor about it, he admitted that he didn’t understand that I wanted the liver and the eggs, which is why they weren’t served, taking the blame himself, which is commendable.
The waiter who served us also mentioned that the fish did have eggs and that he would bring them, but that they normally don’t serve them.
Honestly, from a temple of product quality, I expected better service—more careful, more attentive, with a more respectful ritual, and with greater sensitivity to the product.
Lastly, what might initially seem like a slightly excessive price (€120/kg when good turbots can be found at the fishmonger for €39-59/kg) didn’t seem overpriced to me. Let’s remember and consider, when evaluating the quality-price ratio that is often discussed, the small details that make a big difference. The turbots available to us as individuals—and therefore the ones we buy at fishmongers—are likely not treated or selected as well right from the start by the fishermen: they are not killed tail-first, they have been put on ice, possibly even sprayed, not properly cleaned or gutted, etc. And those we might eat at other restaurants usually don’t have a grill master with as much experience both at sea and on the grill. Keep in mind that Elkano is a place with a motto of acquiring the best product, regardless of its price.
1 DESSERT
6. Apple Tart
An apple tart that looked like a very basic deconstruction. On one hand, they serve a few slices of thinly sliced apple (presumably green Errezil apple, a variety from Gipuzkoa also used to make cider) caramelized with sugar on top, similar to a crème brûlée, and it tasted like it had been done with a blowtorch. There was also a bit of grated walnut on top of the apple. The small amount of puff pastry, also very thinly layered, was hidden under the apple slices. It seemed very good, but it was soggy. In between the puff pastry layers, there was a bit of slightly vanilla-flavored pastry cream. Given the good eggs they have, I think they could make a more intense cream. On the side, there was a sauce that seemed to be made from the same stewed apple and a scoop of lemon verbena ice cream, which was very good, with a strong herb flavor and very creamy, as if it were made with cream infused with lemon verbena—it was the best part of the dish. Or perhaps it seemed the best because it wasn’t one of the ubiquitous Paco Jet ice creams but was made with a Carpigiani.
They say they serve the apple tart warm, but it was only lukewarm.
Another €13.50 restaurant dessert that fades into oblivion in our memory.
That said, finally, a round dish! And light!
2 PETITS FOURS
They were left on the table without even mentioning what they were, after serving the coffee.
7. 1 Financier
Delicious, rather light, with an exceptional fluffiness. The taste of egg and butter was noticeable, with a subtle almond flavor. It was not too sticky, and the two we were served were not very uniform, giving them a nice homemade feel.
8. 1 Chocolate Truffle
Also very good.
THE LIQUID OFFERING
The wine selection has been curated since 2016 by Nico Boise, a Burgundian from Brion (a village half an hour from Chablis) whom I first met at Mugaritz 12 years ago, in 2012.
Logically, given the culinary offerings, the wine list mainly consists of sparkling wines and whites, with selections that Nico keeps in the cellar until they are ready to be enjoyed, as was the case with this Clos Béru 2014, a Chablis produced by Athénaïs de Béru through a vinification process where wood plays a significant role, yet accompanies the fruit in a balanced way. A Chablis that perhaps does not have the clarity or freshness of the marvelous Dauvissat nor the depth of Raveneau, but it shows its own character, without sharp edges and with well-constructed foundations.
CONCLUSIONS
In addition to those I have mentioned throughout the text, here are some final notes.
On a global taste level, I found this to be one of the times when the dishes were the least salty, and I appreciated that.
As I have explained throughout the meal, I believe the service should be better.
Starting with an order taken by Aitor that was quite lackluster, with fairly serious misunderstandings or disconnects: from not understanding that we wanted one kokotxa of each kind, to serving half a portion to share between two people instead of half per person, and finally, the issue with the turbot service.
I attribute this lack of service quality to the excessive number of clients they receive per service. I have no doubt that Aitor and the Arregi family are fully aware of this, and it’s probably like this for economic reasons—after all, it always comes down to that. But as a customer, I think that 50-60 diners (including refilling some tables from 3:30 pm) are too many to consistently offer quality service, especially after having reduced the grilling area.
There were many rectangular and oval dishes, which were too small and uncomfortable to eat from. I am in favor of round dishes. Luckily, at least they were white.
THE CUISINE – THE STYLE
Elkano’s cuisine, however traditional and simple it may seem, is clearly influenced by different culinary movements and lines of “creativity”:
- Traditional Basque Cuisine: A result of Belle Époque cooking à la Escoffier; the kitchens of the mansions in San Sebastián; the cooking of private homes, fishermen, and the popular societies of San Sebastián; it has evolved alongside and absorbed the philosophy and “innovation” brought about by the emergence of New Basque Cuisine. Finally, although it hasn’t adopted much from it, Elkano has experienced the training of the second and third generations of chefs who emerged later, but it has always remained focused on figurative and product-based cooking (which is highly valued today) and has kept its distance from avant-garde techniques.
- The Sea.
- The Grill and the Innovation of this Grill: Evolution as an antidote to stagnation, key to avoiding standstill and paralysis, and to continue being dynamic, moving forward, and constantly but subtly updating, always in a reasoned manner.
- Aguas de Lourdes: One of the threads running through Elkano’s cuisine, as it is not only used for turbot and other grilled fish but is also added to the marinated bonito, the lobster salpicón, and other recipes.
- Product Knowledge: Knowing how to acquire the highest quality product and how to cook it, but also using that knowledge as a starting point for innovation.
- Extreme Minimalism: Presenting the product as stripped down as possible to highlight its qualities, trying not to mask it with other ingredients or cooking methods.
- Localism and the Environment: A restaurant where the more local they have been, the more international they have become.
Elkano is a restaurant that has evolved and updated its cuisine (in their case, the Basque grill cuisine) in a gentle, coherent, and sensible way, without ever falling into the dislocated eccentricities of fashion trends, which I find admirable and a testament to their mental clarity and their distinctive approach to cooking, worthy of applause. I admire establishments that have such a deep connection with their surroundings and a strong culinary conviction, or as they say nowadays, a well-defined gastronomic identity.
Elkano’s cuisine is one that requires the diner to have knowledge and pay attention to recognize and perceive the details and subtleties in order to grasp its greatness and exceptional nature. The standardization of products is a latent danger in society, and soon, we may lose the ability to distinguish between the ordinary, the good, and the exceptional.
Far from aiming to create avant-garde cuisine or to leave their mark on the grill by attempting to craft signature dishes, they have precisely achieved just that—leaving a mark and a valuable legacy in the history of gastronomy.
