Zarate

The history of Zarate is that of a man passionate about fishing and the sea, to the point where his cooking is described as “tidal-inspired cuisine”. Chef Sergio Ortiz de Zarate started his career in Lekeitio (Vizcaya), where he began to make a name for himself thanks to his superb baked wild fish. His traditional cooking gained further recognition following his move to Bilbao and a widening of his repertoire that involved more modern dishes and a focus on locally sourced ingredients. The strong guiding principles of the restaurant, the façade of which it shares with the “Taberna Zarate” (the latter offering an array of delicious tapas), are based around his exceptional knowledge of fish – Cantabria’s finest raw ingredient that he sources daily from the ports of Lekeitio and Ondarroa. The à la carte is complemented by two tasting menus with differing numbers of courses (Menú 13 Pasos and Menú 17 Pasos), on which you can find options such as marinated sardines with “migas” breadcrumbs and grapes, the monkfish and duck “mi-cuit” with wakame and apple, and squid risotto without rice.

• A tide-led concept that keeps the menu anchored to what comes off the boats, with daily sourcing from Cantabrian ports.
• Two tasting menu formats are published, including a weekday-lunch-only 10-step option.
• The menu reads like a guided dive through seafood techniques, from curing and garum to pil pil and baked wild fish.

Key products and signatures: Cantabrian fish and shellfish sourced daily, bluefin tuna (Balfegó), sea bass, mackerel, monkfish, spider crab, Motril prawns, squid (begihandi), plus classic Basque treatments like pil pil and salsa verde.

Zarate is a seafood-driven restaurant in Bilbao, built around daily sourcing from Cantabrian fishing ports. Alongside an à la carte of shellfish and baked wild fish, the house runs tasting menus.

Tasting menus: Menú Gastronómico (€136, IVA incluido) and Menú 10 Pasos (€100, IVA incluido), with the 10-step menu offered on weekdays at lunch only.

Example dishes from the current menu include sea butter, cured mackerel brandade with crab, cured sea bass in garum, Balfegó bluefin tuna with ponzu, monkfish mi-cuit with seaweed and apple, ajoblanco royale with spider crab, Motril prawns with garlic cream, and a daily grilled fish.