144.

Verdict: At €€ per head, 144. is the most adventurous tasting menu option in Vitoria-Gasteiz

For a mid-range price point, 144. delivers a level of creative ambition you would normally associate with restaurants charging considerably more. Two tasting menu formats, 17 courses or 21 courses, built around fusion cooking and a signature cocktail pairing program make this the clearest choice in the city for a special occasion dinner where you want something genuinely different. The Michelin Plate recognition (2025) confirms the kitchen is operating at a credible technical level. If you are in Vitoria-Gasteiz for one serious meal, this is where the value-to-ambition ratio is hardest to argue.

Portrait

The name itself is a declaration of intent. 144 is the product of 12 signature dishes multiplied by 12 paired cocktails, and that arithmetic is the clearest signal of what 144. is trying to do: treat the drinks program as a structural equal to the food, not an afterthought. In a city where the restaurant scene leans heavily toward traditional Basque cooking and modern Spanish refinement, that positioning is a genuine point of difference.

The menus run to 17 or 21 courses depending on how much time and appetite you are bringing to the table. The cooking is fusion-led with global references: pig's ear and pig's trotter stew paired with grilled crayfish, deboned pork rib with Korean BBQ sauce alongside grilled lettuce and coriander. These are the kinds of combinations that require a kitchen with real confidence, the margin for error on a dish that asks you to connect Basque produce with Korean fermentation is narrow.

On the drinks side, the cocktail pairing program is the element that most directly shapes the experience here. At 144. the pairing is not wine, and that is a considered choice worth thinking through before you book. If your preference is for a classical wine-driven pairing alongside a tasting menu, the format here will feel different from what you might expect. The cocktail pairings are designed as the primary lens through which the flavors of each course are interpreted. For diners who are open to that approach, it offers something you will not find at Andere, Karmine, or Zaldiarán. For diners who prioritize a serious wine list, those three restaurants are a more natural fit.

The editorial angle on the drinks program deserves a direct assessment: the 12-cocktail pairing sequence at 144. functions as the venue's most distinctive credential. Where wine pairings at comparable price points tend toward familiar regional selections, a cocktail-forward pairing allows the kitchen more creative latitude in flavor matching. The global influences in the food, Korean, broadly Asian, traditional Basque, are not naturally suited to a single wine region, and the cocktail program sidesteps that constraint. Whether you find that liberating or disorienting will depend on your expectations walking in.

Practically, 144. sits at San Antonio Kalea, 33, in Vitoria-Gasteiz's city center, which puts it in a walkable position relative to the old town and most central accommodation. A 17-or 21-course tasting menu in a Michelin-recognized restaurant that does not require weeks of advance planning is not common at this tier. That said, for a weekend dinner on a special occasion, booking several days ahead is sensible rather than leaving it to chance.

For context within Spain's broader tasting menu scene, 144. sits in an interesting position. The country's flagship tasting experiences, Arzak in San Sebastián, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, or DiverXO in Madrid, operate at a different price tier and carry multi-star recognition. 144. is not competing at that level. That is a different kind of value, and worth weighing directly. For international comparison at a similar creative-fusion register, Loumi in Berlin and Haubentaucher in Rottach-Egern occupy adjacent territory in European terms.

The special occasion framing is well-supported here. A 21-course menu with 12 cocktail pairings, Michelin recognition, and a kitchen clearly operating with a point of view gives a celebration dinner the structural weight it needs. This is not the place for a quick meal or a business lunch where conversation needs to come first, the format demands engagement with the food and drinks sequence. If that matches what you are planning, 144. is the most distinctive option available in Vitoria-Gasteiz at this price.

Browse our full Vitoria-Gasteiz restaurants guide, or explore the city further through our guides to hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Ratings & Recognition

• Michelin Plate (2025)
• Price range: €€

Booking

The tasting menu format and Michelin recognition do not appear to create the weeks-long wait times found at harder-to-book comparables. For a weekend special occasion, book a few days ahead.

Practical Details

144. is located at San Antonio Kalea, 33, 01005 Vitoria-Gasteiz, centrally positioned within the city. The price range is €€, which for a 17- or 21-course tasting menu with cocktail pairings represents strong value relative to the format. The tasting menu format and occasion-dining positioning suggest smart-casual at minimum.