Zoko Moko — Restaurant in Bayonne

I recently had lunch at this restaurant, and it was not a good experience. The food and service were both very disappointing, especially for a "tasting menu".

The problems started early. We were given a very small amount of wine, and the bread came with no butter or oil. Olives were served, but then, without asking, they were taken away before we even got to finish them.

The food itself was not good. The starter tasted like mushy cookies, which was strange and not tasty. The fish was bland, and the vegetables that came with it were not seasoned or prepared well. The duck dish was also poor. The duck had no seasoning, the cube of rice was dry and had no salt, and the acidic vegetables on the side didn’t match the rest of the dish. There was also a random piece of fried cheese on the plate that didn’t make sense. There was no sauce to bring the dish together, making everything feel like a mix of random ingredients.

The service was another big issue. The waiter wore low-rise jeans with the bottom buttons of his shirt open, and we could clearly see his 'healthy stomach' - this is not something I want to see, especially not while eating. The waitress explained the dishes very quickly in French, which makes sense because it is a restaurant in France. But I heard her speaking English to other customers, and she knew I didn’t speak French, so I don’t understand why she didn’t bother explaining the dishes in English to us. She was in such a hurry that she didn’t give us a chance to ask any questions. Also, not once did anyone ask if I wanted more wine or if they could take my empty glass away.

Dessert was the final letdown. It was just chocolate on top of more chocolate, and it was far too sweet with no balance in flavour. It just made me nauseous. The lunch took two hours for just four courses, which would be fine if the food and service were great, but they weren’t.

Overall, this "tasting menu" was a total waste of money. The food was badly made, and the service was poor. I would rather burn my money, than...

When you feel let down, it’s often a sign that your expectations were simply too high—and that’s exactly how I feel about this restaurant.

To be fair, the food was very good, and the service was pleasant. That said, we personally found the dishes a bit too salty, and the overall pacing of the meal felt quite slow. It took two full hours from the time we were seated to finish the entire course.

Interestingly, the local diners—madames and messieurs around us—seemed perfectly at ease, chatting and enjoying their time without any sign of impatience. So perhaps this relaxed tempo is just the norm here.

As travelers on a day trip to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, we would have appreciated being able to make better use of our time. But again, none of this is meant as criticism. It all comes down to the fact that we had let our expectations get a...

J'ai récemment visité le restaurant Zoko Moko avec ma famille, et nous avons été ravis par la qualité de la cuisine. Cependant, il y avait quelques aspects de notre expérience que nous souhaitons souligner.

Tout d'abord, la nourriture était excellente. Chaque plat que nous avons commandé était préparé avec soin et avait une saveur délicieuse. Nous avons été agréablement surpris par la créativité des plats et la qualité des ingrédients utilisés. Les assiettes étaient joliment présentées, ce qui ajoutait à l'expérience culinaire.

Cependant, nous avons remarqué que les quantités étaient plutôt modestes. Les portions étaient un peu petites, ce qui nous a laissé légèrement sur notre faim. Bien que la qualité soit importante, nous aurions apprécié des portions un peu plus généreuses pour le prix payé.

Le service au Zoko Moko était impeccable. Les serveurs étaient attentifs, aimables et disponibles pour répondre à nos questions. Cependant, nous avons remarqué qu'une personne supplémentaire aurait pu rendre notre expérience encore plus agréable. Le restaurant était très fréquenté, et le personnel semblait un peu débordé par l'affluence. Un effectif supplémentaire aurait permis de garantir un service encore plus fluide et rapide.

En ce qui concerne le rapport qualité-prix, nous pensons qu'il existe des options plus intéressantes à Saint-Jean. Bien que la qualité des plats soit indéniable, les quantités plus modestes et le prix relativement élevé nous ont laissé sur notre faim sur ce point. Nous aurions aimé trouver un meilleur équilibre entre les portions et le coût.

Malgré ces points, nous avons apprécié notre expérience au Zoko Moko. Le service exceptionnel et la qualité de la cuisine restent les points forts du restaurant. Cependant, nous recommandons au restaurant d'évaluer l'affluence et de prévoir un personnel adéquat pour offrir une expérience optimale à tous les convives.

Au final, si vous recherchez une cuisine de qualité et un service attentionné, le Zoko Moko est une option à considérer. Cependant, si vous êtes à la recherche d'un rapport qualité-prix plus avantageux, il pourrait être intéressant d'explorer d'autres options...