BASQUE COUNTRYSIDE - BILBAO - AZURMENDI

AZURMENDI Three Michelin Stars

Chef Eneko Atxa Azurmendi was the youngest Spanish chef to obtain 3 Michelin stars in 2012.

You will find out why when you arrive at this sub-tropical glass house overlooking the stunning Basque countryside 25 minutes outside of Bilbao.

Azurmendi is an ecosystem by itself, based on sustainability. It is environmentally friendly, uses renewable energies and recycles any waste generated, harvests the rainfall and heats and cools the facilities using geothermal energy.

They have also just started producing their own wines, from vines, rolling down the hill, in front of the restaurant.

Azurmendi is currently rated as number 55 in the Best fifty restaurants in the world 2022 list.

See here for the full list www.theworlds50best.com

There are two tasting menus (with around 15 courses) to choose from

Menú Adarrak (new vision) €160

Menú Erroak (classics) €135

First, you will be taken on a tour of their large vegetable and herb garden, where everything they need is growing.

A tour of the kitchen and an introduction to the chef is then followed, by picnic aperitifs in the enclosed tropical garden, within the entrance to the restaurant.

Picnic

Anchovies that have been potted and buried in the garden for three months.

Once seated in the main dining area, you will be treated to the delights of the tasting menu, which, you may find, in some of these wonderful courses:-

Huevo de nuestras gallinas, cocinado a la inversa y trufado (Azurmendi eggs, cooked inside out and truffled)

Ostra, Salicornia, tremella Iodada, algas y ortiguilla cujientes con aromas del mar (oysters, Salicornia, iodinated tremella, seaweed and small crunchy nettles with natural aromas from the sea)

Pescado azul marinado, infusión de mata de tomate y flores de primavera (marinated mackerel, tomato bush infusion and autumn flowers)

Cenizas de foie (foie-gras ashes)

El servicio del té de tierra (The earth tea Service)

Lomo de ciervo marinado, castanas, hojas de cacao y helado de boniato asado (marinated deer loin, chestnuts, cacao leaves and roasted sweet potato ice cream)

A modo de estofado de salazones, vegetales, anchoas e ibérico (salted stew, vegetables, anchovies, ibericos with idiazabal cream cheese balls)

Salmonette al ajillo perfumado a la brasa, raviolo de sus interiores y caldo de espinas (perfumed red mullet on a red-hot coal, ravioli of its interiors and fish bone broth)