The Best Restaurants in Basque Country, Spain, According to a Michelin-Starred Chef

In Basque Country, the pandemic has served as a reminder of the extent to which food forms the fabric of local life. Eating well is a priority throughout Spain’s northern autonomous community, and seems, to some local chefs, even more so now.

The region is an endless feast. Culinary destinations beckon beyond the many Michelin-starred restaurants. You’ll find pintxo bars littered with waxy paper napkins, and people grazing on two-bite savory snacks, like croquetas or Spanish tortilla, atop a slice of bread and skewered with a toothpick; and sidrerías (cider bars) tucked in the lush green mountains, with patrons slicing into a fire-grilled steak the size of a forearm while sipping fizzy natural cider.

“Our culture is based on food,” said Álvaro Garrido, chef and owner of the Michelin-starred Mina, a restaurant in Bilbao’s La Vieja neighborhood. “Geographically, we’re very lucky,” he said, with access to fresh seafood from the Cantabrian Sea, high-quality produce from small, family-run farms, and meat and dairy from livestock raised on verdant pastures. The result is a strong culinary heritage that even the edgiest chefs hold sacred — and, of course, draws food worshipers from around the world.

Mr. Garrido and his partner, Lara Martín, who runs Mina’s front-of-house, earned their first Michelin star in 2013 and have since garnered a following. On rare days off, when Mr. Garrido is not in the kitchen with the Mina “warriors,” as he calls his staff, the native Bilbaino visits suppliers or enjoys a meal at a nearby restaurant prepared by one of his peers.

I first interviewed Mr. Garrido in December of 2019, to tap into his extensive restaurant knowledge and discover some of his favorite locales in Basque Country. (I worked as a kitchen intern at Mina for about six weeks in 2014.) Shortly after, the pandemic brought the hospitality industry to a sputtering standstill. Restaurants across Spain were forced to shutter by government mandate, some never reopened.

But some of the places on Mr. Garrido’s list managed to quickly pivot their businesses. Zarate, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bilbao known for its pristine seafood, converted a street-facing slice of its dining room into a seafood counter with takeaway dishes. Others waited until outdoor dining was approved and doubled down on their terrace service. Because of the largely extroverted, deeply food-centered culture, local customers were eager to return.

Then, there was that…