Txispa – August 2025

As many others have probably experienced, going to Basque country my primary objective was an Asador Extebarri booking, albeit despite constant attempts at various angles to get the booking this ultimately just didn't happen.

Txispa was the backup plan. Ultimately while I expect it doesn't quite live up to Extebarri, I still think this is a largely exceptional, and unique restaurant that also likely deserves a second star and at some point will earn it.

I wasn't aware before arriving, but you literally drive past Extebarri on the way up the hill to Txispa, and can see it from the top of the hill. The village is incredibly scenic, one of the most beautiful areas we visited in all of Spain especially with the views from the top of the hill. The dining room itself and the ambience are also very impressive, beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

The interactions with the kitchen and the chef were an enjoyable point of differentiation, trying simply prepared seasonal vegetables in the kitchen along with the starters was a nice touch.

The intertwining of Japanese and Basque cuisine consistently felt natural, the grill smoked caviar in on a bed of chickpea tofu was particularly comforting and delicious, along with a cured bonito "nigiri" on a light, crispy rice cracker.

Precision on the grilled proteins was incredibly impressive, the red snapper which seems to be a signature dish was genuinely astoundingly good, skin emphatically crispy but simultaneously light, and the meat itself beautifully fresh and juicy.

The famous Extebarri red prawn was similarly impressive, my guess is it was a combination of the cooking and the ingredient itself but it was astoundingly juicy for a prawn, almost as much as you'd expect from pork or red meat.

Desserts were equally impressive, and the combination of strawberry and pimenton was not only an exceptionally impressive dish in terms of flavour and texture, but aesthetically beautiful.

There was a native English speaking service person which made the experience more enjoyable for us, but the whole team was incredibly friendly, helpful and came across as naturally passionate and exceptional service people. The chef himself comes out for each course to explain the dish and grill the steak in front of the customer, again a very nice touch and he has a very lively personality.

Again, sad I missed the Extebarri booking but if this is your second pick, you're still getting an exceptional restaurant with a highly refined experience. My guess is this place will only continue to get better.

8.8