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Sergio Ortiz de Zarate, chef and owner of Zarate Jatetxea restaurant, is considered a culinary eminence for his mastery of the maritime culinary art. Now, he has just implemented an elevated redesign of his high-end restaurant, which also recently opened an adjacent extension called La Taskita; where you can enjoy his coveted omelettes along with gildas and a varied selection of wines.
Beyond this aesthetic update, Sergio is deeply involved in other exciting projects such as the creation of a recipe book in comic format, which follows a culinary mafia made up of chefs of the calibre of Arguiñano. Both Ortiz, as the first protagonist of the saga, and these references will star in this entertaining work of culinary gangsters who will develop the plot along with their star recipes.
An ode to the ocean
Sergio Ortiz‘s tribute to the sea is staged in the Zarate restaurant, which has just transformed its interior -with seating for 37 diners- with a larger minimalist room illuminated by a dim light, a lighter wooden floor and a floral decoration on the tables that adds beauty to the evening.
Another of the innovations represented in this Basque restaurant, awarded one Michelin star and two Repsol suns, is a chef’s table inside the kitchen. An exclusive space dedicated to elevating the experience of two diners, who can watch the cooking show live, while the executive chef or his team give them a series of recommendations with which to experience the ritual to the full.
Zarate’s evolution
Zarate, which opened its doors in 2011 as a traditional fish grill, has been gaining countless followers over the years for its proposal orchestrated around the product of the sea. This becomes the central thread and central element that explores the gastronomic richness of the Cantabrian Sea through the avant-garde reinterpretation of tradition.
Later, the star would arrive in this enclave to mark a milestone. A before and after that provided an emotional and economic boost with which the chef has been able to develop and elevate the technique and sophistication of his menu; achieving a cult status that attracts to his orbit both residents and tourists eclipsed by his cuisine.
We had the opportunity to live the Zarate experience, tasting their ‘GURE MENUA‘. A 13-course menu that praises seafood, as well as some dishes from the menu, such as a delicious spider crab and vanilla curd or spicy prawns from Huelva.
The ritual, bathed in references to the sea, immersed us in surprising dishes such as barnacle and elk ice cream with matcha tea, which starts the evening in reverse: from dessert. From there we went on to taste dishes that harmonised the sea and the land in an oyster with ham, a red mullet fritter or a citrus tartar of white prawn with lime peel emulsion.
Within the tasting menu, we also enjoyed dishes marked by their Basque essence, such as battered kokotzas with creamy apple and txoriceros, or the pigeon sequence orchestrated around smoked eel and whey cheese or salted anchovies with breast.
The icing on the cake was truffles with seaweed, caviar and crispy caviar. All paired with wines in eternal connection with their cuisine, selected from their own wineries, along with great classics such as Barbeito Malvasía or Fino Tradición Magnum from Jerez.
La Taskita de Zarate
Zarate’s universe expands with a more ‘informal’ extension of the restaurant with a traditional tavern located in the adjacent premises of his haute cuisine institution.
This new space called La Taskita de Zarate, which has a pintxo and poteo bar, opened its doors in December 2023. It is a small but cosy place, where you can enjoy Zarate Jatetxea before or after a meal with a selection of white, red, rosé or cava wines from the menu, and tapas and raciones to share, such as its famous omelette, ham croquettes or cod or octopus skewers.
La taberna de Zarate
In the privileged Calle Licenciado Poza 65, you will also find one of the most acclaimed Basque taverns in Bilbao: ‘La Taberna de Zarate‘. A place of reference where they serve the famous omelette of Periko San Pedro, a tavern keeper who started making omelettes at the age of 14 in Ortuella, his grandparents’ bar, and ended up creating the most famous omelette recipe and formula in Spain, which he would transfer to this tavern when he worked for Sergio Zarate.
The tortilla pintxos inherited from this master tortilla maker constantly fill this establishment with more than 12 versions, including goat’s cheese and bacon, black pudding, chorio, pepper or truffle, although the classic one with onion is the most acclaimed in the establishment. In its display case, you can also find other outstanding dishes such as its seafood salad or Lekeitio octopus with Ezpeleta paprika.
