BASQUE COUNTRYSIDE - GETARIA - KAIA-KAIPE

RESTAURANTE KAIA-KAIPE Michelin Plate IIO

In December 2019, we returned to the fishing port of Getaria and the excellent Restaurante Kaia-Kaipe.

Getaria is the typical picture postcard Basque Country fishing village.

The village was home to Plácido Domingo's mother and the famous fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga.

You can now visit the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa (€7 entry fee)

Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa

It was also home to the explorer, navigator, and mariner Juan Sebastián Elkano, who became the first man to circumnavigate the globe (Also spelt Juan Sebastián del Cano, de Elcano and Elcano (1476 - 1526)

Once you have parked in the car park in the above bay, walk down the winding streets to the seafront.

Past the impressive church

Until you reach Restaurante Kaia-Kaipe

Kaia Kaipe was founded in 1962, specialising in seafood dishes as it befits its coastal and harbour location.

It is one of the best parrillas (restaurants where the food is cooked over hot coals in open wire mesh grills).

It is located right down in front of this bustling commercial harbour (there are some big fishing vessels here).

The place is full of life, from locals having a drink to enjoying the sun (if there is any!).

The Restaurant is divided into two parts: Kaia is the upstairs venue (inside), and Kaipe (downstairs) is an outdoor terrace (Kaia means port, and kaipe means below the port).

The interior has an interesting ship design, like a luxury yacht, down to the lashed sails on the ceiling.

With polished brass and varnished wood finishes, it is pretty formal.

Nothing beats the ambience of the downstairs asador with its outside tables, which have perfect views of the harbour and are in sight of the monumental grill that runs along one wall of the Restaurant.

You will spot the whole fish, such as besugo (sea bream) and rodaballo (turbot), being grilled.

Most of the fish are big enough for two to share happily.

On this occasion in December 2019, we ate upstairs, having previously eaten downstairs on the terrace.

We had a couple of bottles of the local Txakoli Txomin Etxaniz, a slightly sparkling local white wine.

Cocochas (hake cheeks three ways - grilled, deep fired and pil-pil)

Tataki atún premium

Hongas plancha (grilled mushrooms with egg yolk)

The mushrooms and egg yolk are mixed

2.5kg rodaballo (turbot cooked on the outside grill)

Rodabello

Dessert

The fish here is the freshest and correctly cooked I have ever eaten.

This is what we had for lunch on a visit in July 2017

Aperitivo de atún (aperitif of tuna)

Anchoas en aceite (anchovies in olive oil)

Pulpo a la parrilla con puré de patatas (grilled octopus with potato puree)

The fish here is sold by the kg, so be careful when ordering. Our turbot for two was 1.2 kg and cost €80.40, so it was not cheap!

Rodaballo a la parrilla (grilled turbot)

The turbot is very moist and has a simple olive oil dressing.

Torrija caramelizada y helado de café (described as French toast with coffee ice cream but more of a bread and butter pudding with a caramelised top and coffee ice cream

Coffee

They boast a massive wine list of 40,000 bottles worldwide at something like English retail prices!

We had an excellent Rebisaca alberiño for €19

The service can be a bit haphazard when busy, but it is friendly enough and a small price to pay for the food.

Closed Monday.

If you have no car or wish to drink, Getaria can be reached by Euskotren or bus from San Sebastián. The train takes you as far as Zarautz (seen here in the distance from Getaria Harbour). From there, you can take a bus or walk along the beautiful walkway beside the coast to Getaria—about an hour's walk.