Where to Eat
The Basque Country has long been known for its distinct culinary offerings: from fire-grilled meat and fish plates, to hot stews and signature Basque pastries. And now, with a myriad of buzzy new restaurants helmed by some of France’s top chefs and curious creatives from around the world eager to experiment with the territory’s rich ingredients, Biarritz is becoming an epicure’s paradise in its own right. If you’re just passing through, pick up a box of Basque macarons (a heartier cousin to Parisian macarons) from the famed Maison Adam to take home with you before hitting Les Halles food market, where you can sample Basque cuisine via the various local fruit, vegetable, cheese, and meat vendors. If you’re looking for a traditional Basque bistro, on the other hand, head to the beloved Le Bar Jean for tapas, paellas, and meat dishes.
Wake up late and head to Bleach, a relaxed, design-savvy café just minutes from the surf in Biarritz. Founded by ex–pro skater Jon Monié and his partner Stéphane Borgne, it serves simple, seasonal food built on high-quality local ingredients, like easy breakfasts, elevated sandwiches and soups, alongside natural wines and great coffee, all in a laid-back, sunlit space that captures the town’s effortless cool. If you’re looking for the best coffee in town and some stellar banana bread, Café Loky never disappoints.
Housed in the former Carøe restaurant, Les Enfants du Marché La Table is the seaside outpost of the acclaimed market counter Les Enfants du Marché in Paris’s Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Haut Marais. Bringing their laid-back, produce-first cooking to the Basque coast, it’s less about a single chef and more about a group of people who really care about where their ingredients come from. The menu changes all the time, depending on what’s fresh, but you can expect simple, flavorful dishes, like grilled fish, beautifully cooked meat, and seasonal vegetables done right. It’s the kind of place made for sharing, with natural wines and an easy, buzzy atmosphere.
Chéri Bibi opened a few years ago under new ownership, transforming the former fish shop into a casual restaurant focused on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with a daily-changing dinner menu centered around sustainability, featuring 60 to 70% vegetable-forward items, as well as high-quality and sustainably sourced fish and meat. While there’s no physical wine menu, guests can access the wine cellar to hand-select their own bottle of natural wine to pair with their meal.
If you’re looking for something simpler, head to the beloved Nelly’s for burgers, or head down to Restaurant Le Corsaire or Casa Juan Pedro by the fisherman’s port, or Chistera et Coquillages in town for some of the best no frills seafood and pintxos in Biarritz.
Away from town, over at Villa Magnan, their restaurant, De Puta Madre, is tucked in the shady garden behind the property where meals are enjoyed under the property’s old oak trees, with meals featuring ingredients from the local farm nearby. A single menu is offered for dinner at 85 euros per person, and an à la carte sharing menu is available for lunch.
