Affordable top notch fine dinning experience
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| “Carabinero” (large red prawn) rice, beets and seaweed |
Most people are aware that San Sebastian is the food capital of Europe, thanks to its triple 3 Michelin starred restaurants and countless of value for money pintxos bars. However, there are also plenty of great restaurants too and Kokotxa is one of the finest in the Old Town area of the city. The restaurant is renowned for its contemporary cooking style, using high quality ingredients with international influences. Just like most high end restaurants in the Basque region, it offers the standard a la carte as well as two tasting menus. The decor is fairly standard, with white paint and tablecloth across the whole dining room.
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| Shadefish tartar, apple, cucumber and celery sorbet |
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| Kimchi- Crunchy- Crab |
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| Monkfish, Iberian bacon, pickled white beans cream |
We opted for the tasting menu and not one single dish failed to shine. The carabinero, a giant red prawn was truly fantastic, it had such an unforgettable sweet and rich flavours that I would happily have another ten of those. The kimchi crunchy crab was an exciting dish that took on Asian flavours, the spiciness of the kimchi was finely paired with the settled sweetness of the coconut, which worked like a treat with the crispy soft-shell crab. The Bresse pigeon was another high level dish, it was as moist as you can get, finely seasoned with a nutty aroma from the sesame and it worked beautifully with the boldness of the pigeon.
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| Pigeon from Bresse, corn French toast, black sesame |
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| Tangerine, olive, thyme |
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| Red fruit and chocolate ganache, apple and whisky |
The lunch experience at Kokotxa went beyond of my expectation, it was a pure joy and the quality of the cooking could easily compare to another 2 Michelin starred restaurants in London. The service was also pretty decent and the sommelier really knows how to suggest some excellent wine at a decent price. While the reputation of Kokotxa is nowhere near as great as the "big 3", it is a fabulous restaurant in its own right with top notch cooking at an affordable price. If you are seeking fine dinning experience without sky high price tag, Kokotxa is the perfect restaurant for you.
Food 4.5/5
What I paid:
110 Euro per person with wine
Average cost without drinks and services:
85 Euro
Calle del Campanario, 11, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, 20003 Donostia, Guipúzcoa, Spain
http://restaurantekokotxa.com/
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