A five hour TGV trip from Paris to Biarritz, a walk around the town for an hour or so, and we were ready for dinner just after sunset. Reservations were made by the hotel concierge at
Chez Albert, and for a change I went in blindly. I have written often about striking a balance between well-rated, as per
Trip Advisor or in
Michelin Guides traveller tips, and local knowledge when it comes to picking restaurants in places foreign. I let the concierge be the local knowledge in this case, or more simply the one who refers all hotel guests to Chez Albert. Who knows? As we left the hotel though, I did a quick search on Chez Albert and read some positive reviews.
A friendly host and a menu of mainly seafood dishes, with traditional Basque dishes. I have made it a point to sample some of the traditional culinary delights of Basque cuisine while we're here, but on this night I kept it simple, sticking with the catch of the day of a roasted Saint-Pierre served with vegetables. Their paëlla looked and tasted just average - although I must admit I am not such a fan of this dish - too much of everything in one dish for my liking.
We shared a starter of grilled sardines with a pili-pili sauce from St. Jean de Luz, another place I want to visit while in the Basque country, and
cazuelas (ramekins) of
chipirons (calamari) with espelette pepper. The wine was chilled, the ambiance homely and the company wonderful. By the time we made our way slowly to the hotel we were sated and exhausted.
A good start to what I intend to be a semi-tour of
le pays Basque français.
Chez Albert
61 bis allée Port des Pêcheurs
64200 Biarritz
No comments:
Post a Comment