In the summer of 2008 I visited the Restaurante Akelare in the outskirts of San Sebastian, Basque Country.
Pedro Subijana is an icon of the restaurant scene and one of the founding fathers of the New Basque Cuisine movement.
The restaurant has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide.
It was a sunny warm Sunday, the restaurant was packed.
The dining hall atmosphere was festive, and the view of the Bay of Biscay stunning.
I tasted the gastronomic menu ‘Bekarki’.
All the dishes were balanced and served with gusto.
The sole was exceptional both in presentation and taste.
The roasted suckling pig was juicy, tasteful and tender.
I asked to replace the desert with cheese and the head of service satisfied my request, serving the cheese with the exquisite Pedro Jimenez 1979.
At the end of the meal, Pedro Subijana dressed in impeccable whites, visited the tables.
When he came to my table, he signed the bill and the book of his recipes that I had asked to buy.
In the bill he wrote ‘Nikolaos Un abrazo’.
Gastrolvios 