Located in the Axpe neighborhood of the Bizkaia municipality of Atxondo, Asador Etxebarri has established itself as a global culinary benchmark. According to Viajar magazine, this spot “tops the lists of the world's best restaurants” for its exceptional cuisine.

Leading this culinary revolution is Bittor Arginzoniz, a self-taught former forest ranger who has elevated grilling techniques to an unprecedented level. His restaurant currently holds the second position on the prestigious “The World's 50 Best Restaurants” list, attracting diners from across the globe who accept a four-month waiting list and a 280-euro tasting menu to experience a cuisine that “has no branches” and is pure technical perfection.

Arginzoniz's success lies in his obsession with detail and his ability to design his own stainless steel ovens. Unlike other steakhouses, charcoal is forbidden at Etxebarri; only wood is used, and each ingredient has its own specific type. The chef uses “holm oak for meats and strong-flavored fish, vine shoots for seafood, orange wood for salmon, or apple wood for caviar,” achieving nuances that other cooking methods cannot.

From a “laser-perforated pan” for grilling baby eels without them falling into the fire, to smoking cream for making unique-flavored ice creams or butters. His excellence stems from an unnegotiable premise: “I don't argue about the price, I seek the highest quality. What they have to offer me must be the best,” the grill master declared in an interview for the BBC. To ensure this, he has his own baby eel farm and even imported buffaloes from Italy to make his own burrata in the valley.

The surroundings of Atxondo “provide the mystical component that rounds out the experience.” The restaurant is surrounded by “idyllic valleys” and steep gray stone peaks that, according to legend, are home to Mari, the Lady of Anboto. This landscape of farmhouses and meadows is the epicenter of Basque mythology, making a visit to Asador Etxebarri both a gastronomic and “spiritual” journey.