Kofradia Jatetxea - Itsas Etxea — Restaurant in San Sebastián

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Kofradia – Itsas Etxea is a restaurant owned by the local fishermen’s community of San Sebastián 🐟. They serve only fish — no meat, no vegetable-based dishes, no classic sides. Everything is centered around the fresh catch from the Bay of Biscay and traditional Basque preparations. The main focus is on tuna, but you’ll also find other very specific species: conger, monkfish, ray, cuttlefish.

We tried the tasting menu at €75. To their credit, water is served free of charge 💧. The menu is varied but quite niche. The only dishes we truly enjoyed were the Sea Bream (Mérou) and one more local specialty. The rest was interesting, but more for connoisseurs than for those expecting universal “deliciousness.” This is not fine dining in the classic sense — it’s more about diving into the local product and the way it is prepared here.

The atmosphere is lively and very authentic. There are many locals 🧑‍🤝‍🧑, which is always a good sign. But be aware: the restaurant isn’t the most comfortable — tables are tight, the hall is crowded, and it can get noisy.

Service is straightforward. The waitresses are not particularly friendly; they are older women who do their job reliably but without much enthusiasm 🙃. They bring the dishes on time and correctly, but don’t expect smiles or warmth.

📌 Overall — this is a true local experience. If you want to feel how the Basques themselves eat fish — come here. If you’re looking for comfort, refinement, and gastronomic fireworks — this probably isn’t your place.

💭 I would gladly return to try other dishes and compare impressions, but unfortunately at the...

We just had an really great experience at Kofradia! This Restaurant is famous for it's local fish dishes, but my spouse is vegetarian. So when we asked for a reservation on the next day, they immediatly offered to prepare something, even if they are not specialised for it. She got a very delicious tomato salad and a extremly delicious vegetable risotto which made her really happy! 😊 I had the raw red tuna as a starter and a Red mullet from the charcoal Grill - both exceeded my expectations! Need also to mention the great service from our waiter who did a great job - perfect wine reccomendations, perfect service and made us feel very welcomed also with our very special food wishes! 😉 Thanks for this great...

We order the rape fish on the grill, it came undercooked, almost raw in the middle, kinda grossed to eat when u order a fish on the grill, tuna tartar with some sauce made by them from olive oil and anshoa, that was good but nothing special, and croquetas with variety of fish, normal ones nothing special. Restaurant is nice, view amazing. Prices high for what they offer. Fish is nothing spectacular it s fresh but not nice cooked. We payed 130€ 2 persons without desert. We will not return, but once it s worth it. P.S schedule is very tight: They close at...