Arzak is a restaurant in San Sebastián,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It features New Basque Cuisine. In 2008, Arzak's owner and chef, Juan Mari Arzak, was awarded the Universal Basque award for "adapting gastronomy, one of the most important traditions of the Basque Country, to the new times and making of it one of the most innovative of the world".

Description

Arzak serves modernized

Basque cuisine Basque cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Basque Country and includes meats and fish grilled over hot coals, '' marmitako'' and lamb stews, cod, Tolosa bean dishes, paprikas from Lekeitio, '' pintxos'' (Basque ''tapas)'', Idiazabal sheep' ...

, inspired by cooking techniques and presentation found in ''

nouvelle cuisine ''Nouvelle cuisine'' (; ) is an approach to cooking and food presentation in French cuisine. In contrast to cuisine classique, an older form of haute cuisine, nouvelle cuisine is characterized by lighter, more delicate dishes and an increased e ...

''. The restaurant is inside an old multiple-storied brick building, with the restaurant on the main floor. Above the restaurant is a

wine cellar A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae, or plastic containers. In an ''active'' wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system ...

with over 100,000 bottles of wine, as well as a

test kitchen A test kitchen is a kitchen used for the process of developing new kinds of food. On the largest scale, they are run by the research and development departments of large companies in the food industry. Other test kitchens are owned by individuals ...

. The test kitchen, established in 2000, is where the Arzaks come up with new recipes and methods. It houses over 1500 ingredients that can potentially serve as inspiration for a dish. Assisted by chefs Igor Zalacain and Xabi Gutiérrez, the Arzak test kitchen comes up with 40 new dishes a year, stemming from recipes that are created and refined over a period of three to six months.

History

Built as a house in 1897 by the current owner's grandparents (José Maria Arzak Etxabe and Escolastica Lete), they turned it into a wine inn and

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...

. At the time, the village of Alza was separate from San Sebastián. When the next generation took over (Juan Ramon Arzak and Francisca Arratibel), it was turned into a restaurant. Kitchen duties are now shared between Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena Arzak.

Awards and honors

*1989–present,

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...

Three Stars *2003–present,

Restaurant (magazine) ''Restaurant'' magazine is a British magazine aimed at chefs, restaurant proprietors and other catering professionals that concentrates on the fine dining end of the restaurant industry. History and profile ''Restaurant'' was founded in 2001. T ...

S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants *2013, 8th

best restaurant in the world The World's Best 50 Restaurants is a list produced by UK media company William Reed, which originally appeared in the British magazine '' Restaurant'' in 2002. The list and awards however are no longer directly related to ''Restaurant'' magazin ...

, S. Pellegrino

References

External links

*
Arzak biography. A Teacher with the Eyes of a Child
Michelin Guide starred restaurants in Spain Basque cuisine Molecular gastronomy Buildings and structures in Gipuzkoa San Sebastián {{Spain-restaurant-stub