The coastal city of San Sebastian in Spain's Basque Country is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than most other cities in the world. Find out why Kokotxa shines among this sea of fine dining heavyweights.
Situated in San Sebastian's Old Town simply steps from the sea, Kokotxa's unassuming exterior can make it simple to miss, especially among all the grand architecture of the surrounding buildings.
But don't let that fool you. The chefs at Kokotxa construct elaborate menus and unforgettable meals that unfold over the course of a few hours. And it's best simply to embrace the experience, letting the wave of dishes delight your senses, one by one.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🍽 The cuisine at Kokotxa
Kokotxa takes pride in the abundance of natural ingredients that can be found in northern Spain's Basque region. Since this area lies along the Bay of Biscay, the menu is rich with various types of seafood, including prawns, lobster, and several kinds of fish.
The name "kokotxa" in Spanish signifies the meaty part of a fish's jaw, particularly that of cod or hake. And it's considered a local delicacy.
In fact, each of the ingredients is locally sourced and prepared to evoke the essence of modern Basque cuisine. But here, you won't find the type of food that this area is perhaps most famous for: the bite-sized sandwiches called pintxos.
No, from the cuisine to the service, Kokotxa is fine dining at its best.
Kokotxa offers a pair of menus to choose from. The smaller Market Menu features 10 dishes (starting at €105/person). The Tasting Menu includes 14 dishes (starting at €160/person).
🐟 14-course Tasting Menu
We opted for the larger Tasting Menu to get the full experience. What followed over the next three hours was one of the best, most memorable meals we've ever had.
Amuse bouche: Tomato watermelon gazpacho
Before the first course arrived, the meal began with these delightful cups of tomato watermelon gazpacho. Spain is the birthplace of this well-known cold soup, so this was Kokotxa's rendition of the traditional dish. It was a refreshing way to whet the palate for the meal ahead.
Course 1: Sardine with potato paté
The official first course featured a sardine filet atop a bright yellow, creamy potato paté. The menu referred to this as a "snack." And while this two-bite dish was small, it packed a lot of flavor.
Course 2: "The Appetizer"
Next, we were treated to the "appetizer," which actually consisted of three dishes: crackers with hummus, a spoonful of tuna tartare, and a pair of spreads for the bread: an herb butter and an anchovy butter.
The hummus and tuna were tasty, but the butters turned out to be the stars of this course, especially the abundantly flavorful anchovy one.
Course 3: Oysters
We mentioned earlier that the menu at Kokotxa is heavily influenced by the sea. This carried through to the third course made up of oysters with seaweed, roe, and a parsnip puree.
The creamy oysters and puree complemented each other well and the roe added a hint of saltiness.
Course 4: Red prawns
Next up was a beautifully presented dish featuring a red prawn tartar with a white garlic & cucumber puree, served with thin crisp breadsticks. The cucumber gave this dish a cool freshness that played perfectly with the vibrant prawns.
Course 5: Tuna cheek
If you've never had tuna cheek before (and we hadn't), this is an amazing introduction. Served with pumpkin curry, crisps, and microgreens, this dish had a pleasantly crunchy texture and rich, comforting flavors.
Course 6: Stingray
Our next course also featured some unexpected ingredients. A delicately cooked filet of stingray was accompanied by cauliflower and caviar. A whimsical ham powder along with tiny edible flowers completed the dish.
Course 7: Cod
Halfway through our meal we were treated to "Kokotxas" – their signature dish of cod in a classic Basque pil pil sauce: an emulsion made with salt cod, garlic, and olive oil.
Course 8: Lobster
We know what you're thinking: "Wow, that's a lot of seafood, but no lobster? Weird." And it's like they heard you, because out came our next course, a delectable dish of lobster and white kimchi atop a corn coconut puree.
This had a more tropical feel than many of the other dishes, but it was perhaps also the most decadent.
Course 9: Hake fish
Our menu also came with a fish of the day. And on this day is was hake, with a seaweed emulsion, greens, and clams. This dish was visually stunning and each component complemented each other beautifully.
Course 10: Pigeon
Course 10 replaced seafood with an altogether different protein: pigeon. Served with bok choy and hazelnuts in a deep, rich sauce, this hearty dish was a tasty way to complete the savory portion of our meal.
Course 11: Sorbet
Now it was on to dessert. First up, a refreshing red berry sorbet on a bed of yogurt and apple. All of these fresh flavors worked so well together, creating a kind of palette cleanser between savory and sweet.
Course 12: Haba tonka
But why stop at one dessert when you can have two? Or four, as it would turn out! Our second sweet dish featured a mango sorbet and vanilla ice cream sprinkled with dried haba tonka beans (which have a mild vanilla flavor).
Course 13: White chocolate mousse
Our next dessert course was a creamy sensation of white chocolate mousse resting below a quenelle of pistachio basil ice cream. It also came with some fresh berries for a hit of acid to break up the richness of the dish.
Course 14: Petits Fours
Our meal closed with some tasty petits fours along with chocolate truffles resting on a bed of roasted coffee beans. To complete the coffee theme, we added a couple of espressos.
🥂 Wine at Kokotxa
The wine list at Kokotxa is fairly extensive, and expensive if that's what you prefer. But you don't need to overspend to enjoy a good wine here.
We chose a bottle of Chablis for the savory portion of the menu. The crisp white wine paired perfectly with the seafood courses and helped enhance the creaminess of some of the dishes.
For the dessert courses, we switched to a glass of a simple local red table wine, this Valtide rioja-style blend from Hontza Wines, located on the eastern edge of Basque Country.
The richer dark fruit and spice notes of this wine were a good match for the sorbets and other sweet treats that completed the meal.
✨ Restaurant FAQs
The atmosphere at Kokotxa is upscale casual. The restaurant staff only requests that you don't wear flip flops or other beach wear. So, while you don't need to dress up to go here, we don't recommend wearing shorts and a t-shirt, either. After all, it is a Michelin star restaurant.
What does it cost to eat at Kokotxa?The 10-course Market Menu at Kokotxa starts at €105 per person. The 14-course Tasting Menu begins at €160 per person. Expect to pay an additional €100 and up for specific wine pairings for each menu.
Do you need a reservation for Kokotxa?Yes, you should make a reservation to dine at Kokotxa. Plan to reserve at least a few days beforehand as the restaurant is fairly small and it books up quickly. In general, lunchtime reservations are easier to get than those for dinner.
📍Kokotxa Restaurante
Kokotxa epitomizes the best of Michelin-starred dining without the pretentiousness that can sometimes come along with it.
Not only is the cuisine excellent, the service is impeccable. The waitstaff are attentive but not overly so. And they move in an almost choreographed way throughout the cozy dining room, seamlessly replacing plates and utensils before new courses arrive at your table.
The main dining room itself is fairly small, with space for simply around 30 people. But it doesn't feel cramped. The tables are well spaced to allow the waitstaff to move freely among them, and to give diners enough privacy to enjoy their meals.
Hours:
Kokotxa has two meal services per day Tuesday through Saturday. The lunch service starts at 1:30 pm. Dinner reservations begin at 8:30 pm.
Reservations are required.
Location:
Calle del Campanario, 11
20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
For more information, please visit the Kokotxa website.
More things to do in Spain's Basque Country
- Best Things To Do in San Sebastian Spain
- Bilbao, Spain Travel Guide
- 12 Best Pintxos to Try
- What is Txakoli Wine?
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