Basque Country dominates dining scene

THE Basque Country dominates Spain’s fine dining scene, with five of Restaurant magazine’s ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ situated in the region.

To put this into perspective, that’s a larger number than the entirety of France, the international capital of posh eats.

Basque Country seaside hotspot San Sebastian and its surrounding areas hold 16 Michelin stars, the greatest density of Michelin stars across the globe.

This international acclaim is largely thanks to the ‘New Basque cuisine’ movement that has foodie tourists and experience-hungry young chefs flocking to northern Spain.

Restaurateur and Michelin chef Juan Mari Arzak pioneered the ‘New Basque’ movement at his famous eatery Arzak in San Sebastian, which made the top 50 list along with Mugaritz, Azurmendi, Asador Etxebarri, and Martin Berasategui.