Restaurant in Atxondo, Spain
Book months ahead. Worth every effort.
Ranked #2 in the World's 50 Best (2024) and named Best Restaurant in Europe for 2025, Asador Etxebarri is a strong yes — if you can get a table. Chef Victor Arguinzoniz's fire-cooking in a rural Basque valley requires months of advance planning, but for food and travel enthusiasts willing to make the trip, it sits at the top of Spain's fine dining hierarchy. Lunch only, Tuesday to Sunday.
Ranked #2 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants (2024) and named the Leading Restaurant in Europe for 2025, Asador Etxebarri is one of the clearest cases in fine dining where the answer to "should I book?" is yes — provided you can get a table. Reservations are near-impossible to secure, with waiting lists that run several months. If you land a booking, treat it as fixed in your calendar. The restaurant holds a Michelin star and a 91-point score from La Liste (2026), and has appeared in the World's 50 Best list continuously since 2009. For the food-and-travel enthusiast willing to make the trip to a rural Basque valley, this is among the most purposeful restaurant experiences available in Europe.
The setting alone signals what kind of place this is. The restaurant sits on the village square of Axpe, a small farming community in the Atxondo valley, framed by the slopes of Mount Anboto. The dining room overlooks that square, and the surroundings — mountains, greenery, old stone , are part of the experience before you eat a single bite. For a restaurant that ranks among the leading in the world, the visual environment is deliberately unhurried and rural. There is no grand hotel lobby, no urban energy: you have driven out of your way to be here, and the setting makes that feel correct.
Chef Victor Arguinzoniz has spent more than 30 years refining a single discipline: cooking over live fire. His kitchen uses custom-built grills of his own design, a pulley system that controls the height of the grill over the embers, and different wood types , holm oak, vine shoots, old barrel oak , selected to suit each ingredient. The tasting menu runs to around 14 courses, with everything passing through fire at some point, from the opening bites to the milk ice cream that closes the meal. An à la carte option is also available for those who prefer to order selectively, though the tasting menu is the more complete way to experience the full range of what Arguinzoniz does.
On the question of wine: the awards record and positioning of Etxebarri draw an international clientele who expect a serious list. The Basque Country's own Txakoli is a natural pairing for the lighter seafood courses, and the restaurant's access to Spanish producers , Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and the wider Basque region , gives the list geographic coherence. The wine program is built to support rather than overshadow a menu where the ingredient and the cooking method are always the point. If you are travelling from abroad and want guidance, the restaurant's team are well-positioned to match wine to the progression of courses; this is not a venue where you need to arrive with a pre-selected bottle in mind.
The format is lunch only, Tuesday through Sunday. Service runs from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. There is no dinner service. This concentrates the experience into a single midday seating, which suits the setting , you arrive, you eat at length, you spend the afternoon in the valley. The closest major cities are Bilbao and San Sebastián, both roughly an hour's drive away. Staying the previous night in either city and driving out in the morning is the standard approach. See our full Atxondo hotels guide for accommodation options in the area, and our full Atxondo restaurants guide for context on the local dining scene.
Reservations: Book several months in advance , the restaurant itself recommends this, and the waiting list is among the longest for any restaurant in Europe. Near-impossible to secure at short notice. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, lunch only, 1 PM to 2:30 PM; closed Monday. Getting there: Axpe is roughly one hour from Bilbao and San Sebastián by car; public transport options to the village are limited, so a rental car or hired transfer is the practical choice. Dress: Smart casual fits the setting , the surroundings are rural and the room is relaxed, but the clientele is international and the occasion warrants a considered approach. Format: Tasting menu (approximately 14 courses) or à la carte; the tasting menu is the recommended route. Group size: The restaurant suits couples and small groups well; the room and format are less suited to large parties. For more to do before or after, see our Atxondo experiences guide, bars guide, and wineries guide.
For more context on the wider region, see our guides to Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, Quique Dacosta in Dénia, Ricard Camarena in València, Atrio in Cáceres, Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, and DiverXO in Madrid. For reference points outside Spain, see Le Bernardin and Atomix in New York City.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asador Etxebarri | Spanish Basque | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 91pts; Food-lovers flock to this temple of cuisine like pilgrims to a religious shrine in order to unearth the secrets of flame-grilled cooking that have been mastered by Etxebarri’s owner-chef Bittor Arginzoniz, the life and soul of this restaurant and someone who has invested everything in his dream here. His particular vision for life and for work resulted in him restoring this 18C country house in his home village, Axpe-Atxondo, at the foot of Mt Anboto. His unique cuisine focuses on top-quality grilled dishes using different types of wood (holm oak, vine shoots, oak from old barrels etc), utensils he invented himself, and an unusual system of pulleys that enables him to control the cooking process. Choose between a concise à la carte and a tasting menu, where you’ll find unforgettable dishes such as the famous egg yolk and white truffle, the legendary matured beef chop, and the unequalled reduced milk ice cream with beetroot juice. We strongly recommend booking ahead (we suggest several months) because of the huge waiting list to eat here.; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #7 (2025); La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 94pts; Food-lovers flock to this temple of cuisine like pilgrims to a religious shrine in order to unearth the secrets of flame-grilled cooking that have been mastered by Etxebarri’s owner-chef Bittor Arginzoniz, the life and soul of this restaurant and someone who has invested everything in his dream here. His particular vision for life and for work resulted in him restoring this 18C country house in his home village, Axpe-Atxondo, at the foot of Mt Anboto. His unique cuisine focuses on top-quality grilled dishes using different types of wood (holm oak, vine shoots, oak from old barrels etc), utensils he invented himself, and an unusual system of pulleys that enables him to control the cooking process. Choose between a concise à la carte and a tasting menu, where you’ll find unforgettable dishes such as the famous egg yolk and white truffle, the legendary matured beef chop, and the unequalled reduced milk ice cream with beetroot juice. We strongly recommend booking ahead (we suggest several months) because of the huge waiting list to eat here.; The Best Restaurant in Europe 2025 What’s the deal? Set in a peaceful Basque village surrounded by mountains and lush greenery somewhere between Bilbao and San Sebastian, Asador Etxebarri is the platonic ideal of a destination restaurant. Food enthusiasts travel from all over the world to experience the culinary masterpieces created by chef Bittor Arguinzoniz. With the help of a little fire, he transforms simple ingredients like milk and beef into extraordinary and unforgettable dishes. Kissed by fire: In a small kitchen filled with custom-made grills designed by the chef, Arguinzoniz prepares a series of elegant dishes where the ingredient is king. There is no molecular gastronomy here, as the chef prefers to let the natural flavours of the high-quality produce take centre stage. Everything on the menu is touched by the grill, from anchovy on toast to the milk ice cream with beetroot that ends the meal. Take for instance, a succulent red Palamós prawn simply grilled and served on its own, or the fresh mozzarella from the chef's buffalo served with a juicy tomato slice. What should I order? While locals may plump for the a la carte, the tasting menu is the best way to enjoy everything Etxebarri has to offer. Over 14 courses eaten in the spacious dining room overlooking the village square, guests enjoy Arguinzoniz’s homemade chorizo and seasonal delicacies like baby eels and sea cucumber with green beans. The star of the show is a charcoal-charred beef chop – it may look impossibly large, but its impossibly tender texture and extraordinary flavour mean the plate is almost always sent back clean. Hometown hero: One of the best-loved chefs in the business, Arguinzoniz grew up around the corner from where the restaurant now stands, in a house without electricity and gas where his mother and grandmother would cook on the hearth. He has been passionate about cooking on fire for more than 30 years. Despite gaining recognition, including the Chefs' Choice Award and consistently ranking high in The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, he remains humble. Asador Etxebarri has only been off the list once since 2009 and currently holds the title of The Best Restaurant in Europe 2025.; Chef: Victor Arguinzoniz document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #2 (2024); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #2 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top New Restaurants in Europe Ranked #3 (2023); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #4 (2023); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #6 (2022); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #3 (2021); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #3 (2019); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #10 (2018); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #6 (2017); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #10 (2016); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #13 (2015); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #34 (2014); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #44 (2013); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #31 (2012); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #50 (2011); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #39 (2009); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #44 (2008) | Near Impossible | — |
| Aponiente | Progressive - Seafood, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Arzak | Modern Basque, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Azurmendi | Progressive, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Cocina Hermanos Torres | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| DiverXO | Progressive - Asian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
How Asador Etxebarri stacks up against the competition.
Lunch is your only option. Asador Etxebarri opens Tuesday through Sunday from 1 PM to 2:30 PM and is closed for dinner entirely. Monday is also closed. Build your day around the midday slot and plan to stay in the Basque region the night before or after — Axpe is a significant detour from Bilbao or San Sebastian.
There are no comparable alternatives in Atxondo itself — it is a small farming village. If the journey or booking difficulty puts you off, Azurmendi (near Bilbao, three Michelin stars) offers a more accessible Basque tasting menu experience, and Arzak in San Sebastian has a longer track record for a la carte Basque cooking. Neither replicates Arguinzoniz's fire-only approach.
Take the tasting menu rather than the a la carte — it is the fuller expression of Arguinzoniz's fire-cooking method across around 14 courses. La Liste and The World's 50 Best both single out the charcoal-charred beef chop as the centrepiece dish, and the reduced milk ice cream with beetroot juice closes the meal in a format that is difficult to find elsewhere. The a la carte suits locals returning regularly; first-timers should commit to the full menu.
The restaurant sits on a village square in a restored 18th-century country house in rural Bizkaia, and the dress code reflects that setting — neat but not formal. There is no tuxedo expectation here; considered casual or smart casual fits the room. Avoid overly casual beachwear given the calibre of the occasion, but there is no evidence of a strict dress policy.
Yes, and the booking process itself frames it as one. Ranked #2 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants (2024) and named Best Restaurant in Europe for 2025 by that same list, it carries enough weight to anchor a milestone trip. The rural Basque valley setting and the focus on exceptional seasonal produce make it a strong choice for a food-centred celebration — provided the group is aligned on a long lunch format and an advance booking of several months.
It is manageable solo, though the format and setting lean more naturally toward pairs or small groups sharing the tasting menu together. Solo diners should book well in advance — the waiting list is among the longest for any restaurant in Europe according to the venue's own guidance — and note that the experience is a long, unhurried lunch rather than a quick counter meal. If you are travelling alone specifically to eat here, it is worth it; the food demands full attention regardless of company.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
