Zest, the sharing table that awakens all the senses

Summer is drawing to a close, and we’ve got a real favourite in store for you. Last week, we spent a whole day with our feet in the sand at Blue Cargo, the beach at Ilbarritz where Paul and Baptiste keep Bidart dancing until 2 am. If this is your first time reading our blog, you should know that we’ve been exploring the Basque Country’s new hotspots all summer. Our latest stop: Larressore.

Zest, the sharing table that awakens all the senses

In Larressore, a young chef from Grenoble, trained in prestigious Basque restaurants, has opened his own establishment. Twenty-one seats, a menu that changes monthly, and a signature ingredient: lemon. Welcome to Anthony's.

In Larressore, a new restaurant is already generating a lot of buzz. Opened at the end of March, Zest has had a flying start and has won over the village's clientele in just a few weeks, eager to discover the cuisine of Anthony, a young chef from Grenoble who has worked in some of the finest establishments in the Basque Country, notably Argi Eder and then AMAE in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, known for his creative cuisine.

The restaurant's name is no coincidence. Zest is a nod to lemon, a fruit Anthony particularly loves and enjoys incorporating into his cooking: in savory dishes, in desserts, always with the ability to awaken a plate both visually and in terms of taste. Here, the chef works alone in the kitchen, from Wednesday to Sunday, for just 21 guests. And when the weather clears, eight additional seats on the terrace offer an open view of the mountains. The menu changes monthly and is designed as a sharing table : seven savory dishes to choose from in the center of the table, followed by three desserts to finish.

That Saturday, despite a packed house, the kitchen ballet was perfectly orchestrated, and the dishes flowed seamlessly from one to the next. We started with a lemon sole ceviche enhanced with mango, red onions, citrus, and pickles, where the chef's signature style was already evident. From the dining room, the tables offered a direct view into the kitchen thanks to a large glass partition behind which Anthony worked tirelessly. We watched him prepare a fabulous chicken cordon bleu from Maison Aldabia, generously stuffed with Ossau-Iraty cheese and served on a wonderfully indulgent cheese sauce. Next came the octopus, perfectly cooked, served majestically on a skewer before being placed on a bed of bell pepper hummus sprinkled with toasted seeds.

When it came time for dessert, while we were still hesitating, Anthony steered us towards his revamped version of the Snickers, and the choice proved particularly inspired. This frozen dessert, as cheeky as it is nostalgic, blends praline biscuit, white chocolate, and pistachio ice cream in a formidable balance.

That was all it took to leave with a happy stomach, already eyeing the Sunday brunch menu, offered at 27 euros, which will most certainly lead to a future visit to this sharing table that is as tempting as it is welcoming.

A small, human-sized place where you immediately feel the desire to do things precisely, but without ever losing the warmth of sharing.

📍 Zest — 34 Aintzirako Bidea, 64480 Larressore

Article written by Anaïs de Garbure & Xipirons.

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