The aperitif: Txiki Bar, Portugalete (Biscay)
When I stayed this summer at the magnificent Puente Colgante Boutique Hotel, I not only fell for the privileged views of that industrial giant—a World Heritage Site that links Portu with Getxo—but I also discovered this timeless bar, the kind of old-school place that deserves a stroll wherever you are. Opened in 1946 on the Nervión riverbank, there are two reasons the counter at this small institution is always crowded: its draught ciders, served in those glamorous pompadour glasses that are a pure retro icon of champagne, and for the house’s star tapa, which the Sopeña family (the owners of Txiki) still call the ‘the sushi vasco’. Or, in other words: a desalted and shredded raw cod served with extra virgin olive oil (AOVE), garlic and chopped parsley that is addictive. So much so that I even forgot to take a photo, and the place has no website.
The main course: Eneko Atxa’s Gastronomic Society, Madrid
The mastermind behind Azurmendi has a new space in Madrid. Eneko unveiled the concept just before the summer, in partnership with the new and spectacular Mercer Hotel Madrid. In short, it’s a txoko with the soul of haute cuisine. The chef’s interpretation of those traditional gastronomic societies where the crew gathers to cook, eat and enjoy translates into a tasting menu that invites you to enjoy an intimate concept, with an open bar and a few tables (the venue seats only 12 diners, though there is an adjoining room that raises the capacity to 24) where you find both a creative marine vermouth and some simple but perfect kokotxas al pil pil with lágrima peas.
