DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN - BAR iBAi - BY PAULO AIRAUDO

The restaurant is now iBAi by Paulo Airaudo ONE MICHELIN STAR (new 2025)

We have not been to this new version yet. This centrally located restaurant, a famous name in local cuisine under chef Alicio Garro's baton, has reinvented itself and given itself a new lease on life thanks to award-winning chef Paulo Airaudo, who brings his vision of classic recipes.

The place is very respectful to the old Ibai. Despite the star, the bar at the entrance is still there and accessible to any locals wanting a quick drink or a tapa made on the spot, and it is perfect for an informal glass of wine.

Added to this is the small dining room in the basement, featuring six impressively sized tables, each with its own "cupboard." The cuisine, courtesy of two tasting menus to which you can add different appetisers and starters, has a clear market focus. It intends to showcase time-honoured Basque cuisine through dishes such as the spectacular grilled Carabinero prawns and the five hake cheek "kokotxas" (two battered, two grilled, and one confit).

BELOW IS A VISIT TO THE RESTAURANT IN ITS PREVIOUS GUISE

This fantastic old-school restaurant, run by an old Basque couple, serves the best produce from whatever is available at the market that day in a basic set menu form.

You enter by the ground floor bar, which always seems empty

and are then taken downstairs to the small traditional room

You will be offered a menu of what is fresh from the market that day; we had......

Bogavante salpicon (lobster)

Verdura (artichokes, borrajas, and baby peas in a vegetable broth)

Hongos (mushrooms)

Kokotxas de merluza (hake throats)

Lenguado (sole) - Probably the best you will ever taste

Postre

If you visit the restaurant in autumn, you will find angulas (elvers/baby eels).

The special in early summer is likely to be tuna belly, but it changes daily.

The small traditional room only has seven tables, serving mainly locals, and no English is spoken.

They now have a wine list; in the past, you just selected from the shelf or told them the wine you wanted. Most are priced below British retail prices, which is nearly always the case in Spain; a bottle of Contino 2005 was €30.

This restaurant may not have any Michelin stars, but it is a must for anyone serious about Basque cuisine.

They are only open at lunch on weekdays—no evening service.

Reservations are necessary, but booking is usually challenging, with only a few tables available. It's worth getting a Spanish-speaking person to book for you.

Note: Credit cards are not accepted. Bring cash.

The price per person with a decent wine is around €150.