Restaurant in Urrugne, France
Michelin-recognised Basque farmhouse at €€ prices.
La Ferme Ilharregui Baita holds consecutive Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) and a 4.9 Google rating across 381 reviews — at a €€ price point. That combination makes it one of the more compelling value cases for a special-occasion meal in the Basque Country. Book for a long lunch in summer; booking difficulty is low.
Picture the scene: a farmhouse in the Basque countryside outside Urrugne, somewhere along a quiet chemin where the Pyrenees sit in the mid-distance and the pace of lunch feels deliberately unhurried. That setting alone might tempt a booking — but what actually justifies one is the cooking. La Ferme Ilharregui Baita holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, carries a 4.9 Google rating across 381 reviews, and sits in the €€ price range. That combination is rare enough to pay attention to.
The verdict: book it, especially if you want a special-occasion meal in the Basque Country without the €€€€ outlay that serious French dining usually demands. This is the kind of place that makes a celebration feel considered rather than expensive — and for a date, anniversary, or quietly important dinner, it delivers a level of quality that the price tag does not prepare you for.
Michelin's Plate designation is awarded to restaurants the guide considers to offer good cooking , distinct from a Star, but a meaningful signal nonetheless. At Ilharregui Baita, the Plate has been held consecutively across two published guides, which suggests consistency rather than a one-cycle fluke. For context, consecutive Michelin Plate recognition in the €€ tier is the closest this region gets to a formally validated bargain: you are getting guide-level cooking at a fraction of what comparable recognition costs in Biarritz or San Sebastián.
The 4.9 Google rating , drawn from 381 reviews, a sample size large enough to be meaningful , reinforces the picture. Ratings this high, sustained across hundreds of data points, typically reflect a kitchen and front-of-house operating in consistent alignment. It is not the kind of score that happens by accident at a venue with serious cooking ambitions.
For diners who want to calibrate expectations: this is modern cuisine in a farmhouse setting. The combination suggests technique applied without ceremony , cooking that respects the ingredients and the surroundings without performing for a critic. If you are looking for gilded dining rooms and trolley service, look elsewhere. If you want genuine quality in a setting that feels rooted in where it is, Ilharregui Baita is a strong answer.
The Basque Country between late spring and early autumn offers the optimal conditions for this kind of visit. The countryside around Urrugne is at its leading from May through September, and a long lunch on a warm afternoon , when the light over the hills is doing its work and there is no reason to rush , is exactly the format this venue suits. The farmhouse setting earns more in good weather; this is not primarily a wet-Tuesday-in-February destination.
For a special occasion, the early part of the week tends to be quieter than Friday or Saturday, and a midday reservation typically allows you to take the surroundings in properly rather than leaving in darkness. Weekend evenings are when demand peaks for venues of this profile in the Basque region, so if flexibility exists, a weekday lunch is the better call for atmosphere and availability.
Booking difficulty is low , this is not a venue requiring weeks of planning or a specific reservation window strategy. That said, a table should still be secured in advance rather than left to chance, particularly during the summer high season when the Basque Country draws visitors from across France and Spain.
Reservations: Advance booking recommended; difficulty is rated easy, but summer weekends fill faster than the rest of the calendar. Dress: No published dress code , the farmhouse setting points to smart-casual comfort rather than formal attire. Budget: €€, meaning this sits in the accessible mid-range; expect a meaningful meal without the exposure of a tasting-menu price point. Getting there: Urrugne is a short drive from Hendaye and Saint-Jean-de-Luz; a car is the most practical way to reach a venue at this address. Dietary requirements: No published information is available; contact the venue directly ahead of booking if dietary restrictions are a factor.
The Basque Country and broader southwest France have a density of serious cooking that rewards regional exploration. At the landmark end, [Mirazur in Menton](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/mirazur-menton-restaurant) and [Bras in Laguiole](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bras-laguiole-restaurant) represent the benchmark for destination dining in this part of the world, with price points and booking complexity to match. [Arpège in Paris](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/arpge-paris-restaurant), [Flocons de Sel in Megève](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/flocons-de-sel-megve-restaurant), and [Troisgros - Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/troisgros-le-bois-sans-feuilles-ouches-restaurant) offer points of reference for what guide-recognised modern cuisine looks like at the leading of the French market.
Closer to home, [Ferme Lizarraga](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/ferme-lizarraga-urrugne-restaurant) and [Gaua](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/gaua-urrugne-restaurant) are the other options worth considering in Urrugne itself. For a broader view of what the area offers, [our full Urrugne restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/urrugne) covers the full picture. If you are building a longer trip around this part of the Basque Country, [our Urrugne hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/urrugne), [bars guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/urrugne), [wineries guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/wineries/urrugne), and [experiences guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/urrugne) are the places to start.
Internationally, [Frantzén in Stockholm](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/frantzn-stockholm-restaurant) and [Maison Lameloise in Chagny](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny-restaurant) illustrate where guide-recognised modern cuisine operates at higher price tiers , useful reference points for calibrating what Ilharregui Baita delivers at €€. [Paul Bocuse - L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/paul-bocuse-lauberge-du-pont-de-collonges-collonges-au-mont-dor-restaurant), [Auberge de l'Ill](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-de-lill-illhaeusern-restaurant), [Les Prés d'Eugénie - Michel Guérard](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/les-prs-deugnie-michel-gurard-eugnie-les-bains-restaurant), and [La Table du Castellet](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/la-table-du-castellet-le-castellet-restaurant) round out the picture of what destination dining looks like across France at varying price points.
Yes, and clearly so. Consecutive Michelin Plate recognition at a €€ price point is about as direct a value signal as exists in French dining. You are getting guide-acknowledged cooking at a fraction of what comparable quality costs in Biarritz, San Sebastián, or Paris. If modern cuisine with a regional sensibility is what you are after, the price-to-quality ratio here is among the strongest in the Basque Country.
We do not have confirmed details on the current menu format from the venue's published data, so we cannot verify whether a tasting menu is offered or price it accurately. What the Michelin Plate and 4.9 rating do confirm is that the cooking quality justifies the spend at this tier. Contact the venue directly to confirm current menu options before booking.
Ferme Lizarraga and Gaua are the main alternatives within Urrugne. For a broader shortlist across the area, our full Urrugne restaurants guide covers all current options. If you are open to short drives across the Basque border, San Sebastián adds considerably more choice at every price point.
No dress code is published, and the farmhouse setting points clearly toward smart-casual. Think well-put-together rather than formal: clean, considered clothing fits the tone without overdressing for a rural Basque venue at the €€ level. Suits and gowns would be out of place; neat trousers or a good dress would not.
The €€ price point makes solo dining financially painless, and a venue with a 4.9 rating tends to be one where front-of-house takes individual guests seriously. That said, with no published seating or counter information in our data, we cannot confirm whether a bar or counter seat is available. If solo comfort matters, call ahead to ask about seating options before booking.
No published information on dietary accommodation is available in our data. Given the farmhouse modern cuisine format, it is reasonable to assume some flexibility, but do not take that for granted. Contact the venue directly before booking if you have specific dietary requirements , this is always the right approach at a smaller, independently run restaurant where kitchen capacity to adapt can vary by service.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Ferme Ilharregui Baita | Modern Cuisine | €€ | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Plénitude | Contemporary French | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | French, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between La Ferme Ilharregui Baita and alternatives.
Dietary accommodations can vary. Flag restrictions in advance via the venue's official channels.
The farmhouse format and €€ price point make it a low-stakes solo visit: you're not committing to a long tasting menu at high spend. A Michelin Plate recognition signals consistent cooking worth the trip on your own. If solo counter seating is important to you, confirm availability when booking, as farmhouse layouts don't always offer bar dining.
No dress code is published for this venue. Given the farmhouse setting in rural Urrugne and the €€ price range, relaxed smart is a reasonable read: clean, put-together, but not formal. A countryside Basque restaurant at this price point is unlikely to turn away well-dressed casual guests.
Menu format and pricing are not confirmed in the venue's available data, so verify current offerings before booking. What is confirmed: two consecutive Michelin Plate awards (2024 and 2025) at a €€ price range, which positions this as one of the stronger value propositions for recognised cooking in the Basque countryside. If a tasting format is offered, that credential makes it worth considering seriously.
At €€ with back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, yes. The Michelin Plate is awarded for good cooking — not a consolation nod — and finding that standard at this price point in the Basque countryside is a straight value win. If you're already in the Urrugne or Saint-Jean-de-Luz area, this is an easy call. If you're travelling specifically for it, pair it with other regional stops to justify the journey.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
