Elkano

A grill from 1964 on Calle Herrerieta

Elkano opened in April 1964 as a bar on Calle Elkano in Getaria. It was set up by Pedro Arregi, with the help of his mother, Joxepa, who had worked in San Sebastián houses such as Casa Nicolasa, and very soon María José Artano, his wife, joined, who ran the dining room for decades. Today the house is at Herrerieta Kalea, 2, at the entrance to the old town and a short walk from the harbour. Since 2002 it has been run by their son Aitor Arregi, who returned to the village after ten years as a professional footballer. Pedro died in 2014 and that same November the Michelin Guide gave Elkano its first star, which it keeps in the 2026 guide.

The turbot, whole and to share

You come here to eat fish and shellfish cooked over embers, and above all the grilled turbot, which is served whole at the table. The house publishes no fixed menu: it changes every day according to what the fishermen and producers of Getaria bring in, by area, species and season. That is why it pays to take advice in the dining room on which piece there is that day and what size, and to order it for two or more. The website does not publish prices either. Michelin places it in its highest price bracket, so expect an expensive, special-occasion meal, and ask the price of pieces by weight before ordering.

When it opens and how to get a table

Elkano serves lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, from 13:00 to 15:00, and dinner only on Friday and Saturday, from 20:30 to 22:00. It is closed on Sunday and Monday; in July and August it also opens on Monday at midday, but Sunday remains closed all year. Book on its website, by email ([email protected]) or by telephone, on 943 140 024 or 649 335 274, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00. For a Friday or Saturday in summer, book weeks ahead.

If there is no table: Elkano Txiki

The same family has Elkano Txiki, a seafaring bar at Elkano Kalea, 13, in the old town. It is open Thursday and Friday from 19:00 to midnight, and Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to midnight. Its website publishes no menu or prices, but it is the way to eat something from the house on a Sunday, when the restaurant is closed.

Before or afterwards, the old town of Getaria and the church of San Salvador are two streets away, and the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum, in the Aldamar palace, a few minutes' walk. If you stay overnight, SaiazGetaria is in the same old quarter.