Kokotxa Jatetxea — Restaurant in San Sebastián

I entered hungry and dangerously underwined. What followed was less of a meal and more of a beautifully choreographed ambush.

I left reborn, overwhelmed, and a couple of hundred euros poorer — but spiritually wealthier and undeniably more pleased with life.

The meal began with a three piece snack, and I blacked out briefly from joy. I don’t recall what it was, nor do I particularly care, but I know that that fermented miso and soy butter that went with the bread is worth killing for.

The first course was oyster, kumquat, and a hint of fennel. A daring ménage à trois between ocean, citrus, and a vegetable that usually just sits quietly in the corner. Not today. The twist? A foamed sauce hollandaise that made the trip to San Sebastián all worth it.

Then came a silky, flirtatious bite of hamachi, with some sesame and avocado. Imagine sashimi that got a PhD in aromatics and now travels first class. The second - or was it the third glass of wine??? - was starting to make the wife happy. I can recognize that glint in her eyes from a mile away.

At this point, the bonito showed up. Like a señorita relaxing on a bed of tomatillo, paired with yet another excellent white wine, I started to make promises I knew I couldn’t keep. That tuna brought back my appreciation for the ingenuity of humanity. A true feast for both the eyes and the pallet.

Then - the lobster and caviar This wasn’t a dish. This was aristocracy on a plate. A delicate turf war between decadence and restraint — with no clear winner. I think I licked the bowl.

By now, the wife is getting a little cross eyed. This was more wine during the last hour or so, than she’s had all vacation. Now she’s glowing. You know what they say: “happy wife, happy life”. I wasn’t complaining.

La pièce de resistance - Kokotxas - the gelatinous throat kiss of the sea. So soft it made me question my relationship with solid food. And, as unpredictable as the weather in this green and lush country, it came with a glass of sake. I remember taking a look at the missus and thinking “this Viking goddess is about to come to life. I am not sure San Sebastián is ready for this.“

Then, an architectural marvel — scallop as foundation, asparagus beams, and a crunchy lace hat so delicate I briefly feared breathing near it. Names like Gaudi, Calatrava, Hadid, Foster, Gehry and Nouvel flashed through my mind - the great visionaries of modern architecture. This was my absolute favorite, and at this point I felt that life doesn’t get any better than this, and if I die tonight, I die as a happy man.

Then came the catch of the day - was it Hake? At this stage of the evening my memory was getting a little bit hazy, I will admit.

Somewhere under a layer of foam was a fish that once had dreams — and now fulfilled mine. My dear wife had now left all thoughts of sobriety behind her, and more worryingly, getting full. Which in practical terms meant that the pigeon from Bresse now became two pigeons from Bresse on my plate. Plus the accompanying wine. At this stage I’m thinking I can’t do four more courses, and safely get back to the hotel.

But fear not, my beautiful lady found her composure again and the three desserts passed in a blur. Tart, sweet, earthy — a tribute to everything that grows, ferments, and seduces.

When it was time for the petits fours, they arrived like the last note of a symphony you didn’t want to end. If I am honest, I don’t remember these. I may have cried a little.

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a meal, go somewhere else. If you’re looking to be seduced, challenged, coddled, intoxicated, and artistically bewildered — book a table.

This was more than dinner. It was theatre. A waltz. A slow, decadent descent into deliciousness — where time stood still and wine flowed freely.

Highly recommended. Bring an appetite. Bring someone you love.

And thank you for a wonderful evening...

Unfortunately, this turned out to be the worst—and most expensive—meal of our entire weekend getaway.

First, a word of caution regarding their booking system. I made a reservation several months in advance but never received a confirmation. I wanted to celebrate our anniversary here, therefore, I attempted to book again closer to the date, and this time, I received an email confirmation. It turned out the first reservation was never confirmed at all, and I certainly wouldn’t have made two bookings within two days had I known. To make matters worse, I woke up the next morning to find they had charged my credit card €200 for a no-show.

I understand that restaurants need to safeguard against no-shows, but this situation was entirely different. I explained the circumstances and asked if they could possibly apply the €200 charge toward our meal, especially since we were still dining there and intended to spend a considerable amount. My initial email was ignored, so when we arrived, I explained the situation in person. One staff member seemed sympathetic and assured me he would pass my concerns to the manager.

At the end of our meal, we were presented with a bill for €450. We asked to speak directly with the manager to explain again, and to see if she would consider deducting even €100 from our bill as a gesture of goodwill for the confusion and the double booking. Her response was dismissive and condescending. She simply stated that the system “manages everything” and that “it is what it is.”

My boyfriend pointed out that it should have raised some concern when the same booking appeared two nights in a row under the same name, same time, and with identical requests. The manager’s only response was a shrug. It felt as though this may be a tactic to extract extra money from customers. Especially when they clearly have walk ins and re sell the tables.

In the end, our total bill came to a staggering €650—far more than we expected for a meal that left us completely dissatisfied.

While the tasting menu was beautifully presented, the flavours were overwhelmingly intense and unpleasant. Of the 11 courses we were served, we only enjoyed three, and some dishes were so unappealing that we couldn’t even finish them.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was equally disappointing. The lighting was harsh and sterile, more reminiscent of a hospital than a fine dining experience. There was no sense of ambience or charm to enhance the meal.

Fortunately, our waiter was friendly and made the evening more enjoyable, and the champagne was lovely too. However, paying €650 for a meal that we ultimately found undesirable left an unpleasant taste—not only literally, but figuratively as well.

For anyone looking for a truly special dining experience in San Sebastián, I would strongly advise seeking out...

In my humble opinion, I think Kokotxa sets a very high bar for one star restaurants. Having dined in several others, this felt like a entirely different experience. Three feats accomplish this:

The first one is obvious. Kokotxa serves some really good food. As expected at this level, the preparations were faultless and the flavors on point. Chef Lopez and his team display a keen understanding of how to let ingredients and tastes play together without obstructing each other. What I liked even more though, was the bigger picture. Besides showcasing its flavors on its own, each dish also carefully prepared us for the following course. Throughout the menu, we could follow along with the use of sweet, sour, umami, salty and bitter. A bonus for people dipping their toes into the world of fine dining: each dish had a fun twist without it being scary or intimidating. I think this is an excellent place to be surprised by new ingredients (I ate my very first mussel and it was actually pretty good!).

The second is the service. From the moment you are shown your table, it is obvious: these people love what they do and because of it, they are outstanding at it. The mood is formal but relaxed, attention to detail is ever present (my cutlery was laid out at my dominant left hand). The staff is knowledgeable, professional and will go above and beyond to accommodate you. They will gladly have a chat with you when time and service permits.

The third, and for me without a doubt the star of the show, is the sommelier. She is by far the best I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm not too good with alcohol, so I asked for two or three glasses instead of the complete pairing. I asked for something adventurous and my word did I get adventurous wines. She exclusively serves local wines from small wineries (