2014 EUROPEAN TOP 100 RESTAURANTS
19
AZURMENDI
RESTAURANT ADDRESS
Corredor del Txori
Larrabetzu, Spain
34-944-558-866
www.azurmendi.biz
RESTAURANT STAFF
Executive Chef: Eneko Atxa
Pastry Chef: Matt Aggire
Sommelier: Miren Yubero & Jon William Herrera
GM: Bertol Izagirre
OAD HISTORY
First appearance in Top 100.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
In an era when the fine dining experience has become much more casual—manifested in ways that range from the abandoning of luxury ingredients like foie gras and truffles to the way restaurants are decorated—Eneko Atxa is swimming against the tide. Fifteen kilometers east of Bilbao, Atxa’s family, the leading producers of the popular local white wine Txakoli, built a 25-million-euro facility that includes not only a spectacular dining room offering views of the Basque countryside, but a complex series of gardens and greenhouses where Atxa raises as much of his own produce as he can. Though he worked in the kitchens of both Martín Berasategui and Adoni Aduriz, the subtle flavor profiles and nuanced nature of his cuisine demonstrate that the former seems to be having more of an influence on his current cuisine.
Truffle-infused egg
Photo Courtesy of: Spanish Hipster