BASQUE COUNTRY - ZUMAIA - ASADOR BEDUA

5 days ago

3 min read

ASADOR BEDUA

Asador Bedua Zumaia stands beside the Urola River, just outside Zumaia, in a beautiful old house with a long history. The building was once part of a medieval riverside trading area, where iron from the nearby Iraeta forge was brought down to the old Bedua quay for transport.

The restaurant itself began around 1948, when the great-grandmother of the present family started serving simple food to visitors arriving from Zumaia by boat or bicycle. Her potato tortillas with green peppers became especially popular.

Four generations later, Bedua has grown into one of the Basque Country’s most respected traditional Basque grill restaurants. Isabel Antía and José Mari Iriondo have been at its heart for decades, while the next generation continues the story. The restaurant’s own vegetable garden, set on a small island beside the river, still provides seasonal produce for the kitchen.

The grill at Bedua is one of the great strengths of this well-known Basque restaurant. Over the glowing embers, they cook superb beef chops, along with fish such as sea bream, turbot, monkfish, sole and kokotxas, as well as shellfish and seasonal vegetables from their own garden.

This is what we enjoyed on our recent visit, beginning with some excellent croquetas.

Jamón ibérico de bellota.

Tomate con bonito — fabulously ripe tomatoes served with bonito tuna and onions.

Foie gras served with a sweet fruit compote.

Roast piquillo peppers, sweet and smoky.

We then moved on to the main courses.

Besugo a la parrilla.

A very succulent grilled sea bream, perfectly cooked over the hot, smoky embers.

Main menu.

Chuletón de vaca viela— a large, richly flavoured beef chop from mature cow, cooked over the grill. Don’t expect a well-done steak here — it’s not going to happen; the meat is cooked to show its quality and flavour at its best.

We drank Emilio Moro 2019, a full-bodied Ribera del Duero made from 100% Tempranillo. It had ripe dark fruit, gentle spice, smooth tannins and a long finish — which made it an excellent match for the grilled sea bream and chuletón.

Dessert followed, starting with a tarta de manzana con helado — apple tart served with ice cream.

Tarta de grosella negra con helado — blackcurrant tart served with ice cream.

Pantxineta con helado — a traditional Basque puff-pastry cake filled with almond cream, served with vanilla ice cream.

They have their own vegetable garden, set on a small island and reached by an old Roman bridge.

They grow a wide range of vegetables there for use in the restaurant. Guests can also walk around the garden, which is only a few metres away.

Everything grown in the garden — lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and much more — gives the dishes the unmistakable fresh flavour of traditional Basque cooking.