Elkano

Until quite recently, there were a few specialties that made up the ideal meal in this legendary restaurant, reaching the fortieth year of its illustrious existence in 2004. We have always ordered the world-class char-grilled turbot, which no one does as consistently well. Nothing has changed: this rhomboid fish is always a requisite when at the height of its season; or the sole, if better, also grilled, is of universal quality. And to complete the menu, we had, and have, the Cantabrian langouste, perfectly grilled in its shell with a charcoal aroma; the sweet, wild baby squid, Pelayo-style (with onion and a hint of green peppercorns); the delicate and elusive battered kokotxas (hake cheeks); and the simple, meaty lobster cocktail. It is all as, if not more, perfect than ever—in a world of patent decadence in raw materials, this establishment stays rooted in excellence and acquires increasingly exceptional specimens, accentuating its merit.

However, Pedro Arregui, who back in 1968 broke ground by char-grilling a hake collar for the first time, is not satisfied, either with his virtuosity or his contributions. And, as he opted in the late nineties to open a few exquisite clams over the smoldering heat of coals (a technique without precedent), lightly impregnating them with this rustic aroma, he experimented in 2003—in the midst of the “char grill revolution”—with two heavenly delicacies, kokotxas and chipirones (baby squid), that enrich the menu with so primal and timeless technique. A technique now subject to conceptual and technical modifications, a reduction in cooking temperature points, and ingenious new instruments that make grilling possible; these three exquisite improvements make for different palatal and textural sensations that rise, rise and rise, to become part of the gastronomic world heritage between uncontrollable, exaggerated sybaritic exclamations of those who enjoy them.

Do not overly complicate things: if you follow the described script, if you assume that this is a table in which triumph is not left to the cards—that it is pre-established and assured beforehand—you can treat yourself to a feast that will take years to forget. Such a banquet deserves a worthy toast, and the wines here are an incredibly accessible luxury that invite one to indulgence. In short, an exclusive grill for gourmets.