A Rustic 35-Year-Old Farmhouse Restaurant in Spain Is the World 's Best
"Perched in the village of Axpe in the Basque Country, this 18th-century stone cottage restored by chef-owner Víctor Arguinzoniz is built around a philosophy of live-fire cooking and slow, nature-tuned rhythms. The restaurant—famous and notoriously difficult to book, requiring full prepayment for an almost $300 tasting menu and sometimes limited communication—changes roughly 40% of the menu daily and cooks everything over wood or charcoal, selecting different woods by season (on a winter visit holm oak was used for fish and vegetables) to achieve layered, smoky flavors. Dishes read simply but taste complex: examples cited include locally foraged mushrooms with a hint of smoke in a bright green sauce, a charred, salt-crusted steak with a crisp dressed salad, and preparations of angulas (baby eels). Service is unpretentious and intimate—only eight tables—staffed by a small, familial team (manager/sommelier Mohamed Benabdallah and the chef’s wife among them) who balance professionalism with warmth; about 70% of guests are returning regulars. Despite global acclaim, the kitchen retains old rhythms—Arguinzoniz starts each day at 7 a.m. to tend the fire and make bread and buffalo cheese—producing meals that many visitors find genuinely deserving of the hype." - Yasmin Fahr
