BASQUE COUNTRYSIDE - BILBAO

AZURMENDI Three Michelin Stars

Chef Eneko Atxa Azurmendi was the youngest Spanish chef to obtain 3 Michelin stars in 2012.

You will discover why when you arrive at this sub-tropical glass house overlooking the stunning Basque countryside 25 minutes outside Bilbao.

Azurmendi is an ecosystem by itself, based on sustainability. It is environmentally friendly, uses renewable energies, recycles any generated waste, harvests rainfall, and heats and cools the facilities using geothermal energy.

They have also just started producing their own wines from vines, rolling down the hill in front of the restaurant.

Azurmendi is usually on the list of the best fifty restaurants in the world.

See here for the complete list www.theworlds50best.com

There are two tasting menus (with around 15 courses) to choose from

Menú Adarrak (new vision) €200

Menú Erroak (classics) €165

First, you will tour their large vegetable and herb garden, where everything they need grows.

Picnic aperitifs then follow a tour of the kitchen and an introduction to the chef in the enclosed tropical garden within the entrance to the restaurant.

Picnic

Anchovies that have been potted and buried in the garden for three months.

Once seated in the main dining area, you will be treated to the delights of the tasting menu, which you may find in some of these outstanding courses:-

Huevo de nuestras gallinas, cocinado a la inversa y trufado (Azurmendi eggs, cooked inside out and truffled)

Ostra, Salicornia, tremella Iodada, algas y ortiguilla cujientes con aromas del mar (oysters, Salicornia, iodinated tremella, seaweed and small crunchy nettles with natural aromas from the sea)

Pescado azul marinado, infusión de mata de tomate y flores de primavera (marinated mackerel, tomato bush infusion and autumn flowers)

Cenizas de foie (foie-gras ashes)

El servicio del té de tierra (The earth tea Service)

Lomo de ciervo marinado, castanas, hojas de cacao y helado de boniato asado (marinated deer loin, chestnuts, cacao leaves and roasted sweet potato ice cream)

A modo de estofado de salazones, vegetales, anchoas e ibérico (salted stew, vegetables, anchovies, ibericos with idiazabal cream cheese balls)

Salmonette al ajillo perfumado a la brasa, raviolo de sus interiores y caldo de espinas (perfumed red mullet on a red-hot coal, ravioli of its interiors and fish bone broth)