Ipar Itsaso, the seafood restaurant in Urrunaga.

Enjoy a seafood in style at Ipar Itsaso, the seafood restaurant at the Urrunaga reservoir.

The Ipar Itsaso seafood restaurant, popularly known as the Urrunaga seafood restaurant, is one of those restaurants that leaves its mark. A seafood restaurant that, thanks to its good work and the good value for money offered in all its products, has become one of the best restaurants in the Basque Country. Located less than 15 minutes from the capital of Alava, Vitoria-Gasteiz, next to the Urrunaga reservoir, in the middle of nature, the Ipar Itsaso seafood restaurant attracts thousands of people during the summer season. Ipar Itsaso, has been offering its seafood services in Urrunaga for more than 25 years, its owners, Angel and Tere, have managed to bring all the flavor of the sea to the interior of Euskadi. And not in any way, and is that, this Basque restaurant has nothing to envy to many of those that we find in the Basque coast, very meritorious.

The system devised to achieve this, a type of self-service, is formed by a fishmonger’s shop, a kitchen and a bar, three elements that perfectly synchronized offer us a gastronomic experience to take our hats off. Today, Angel and Tere have given way to the new generations, who, in addition to maintaining the same quality and price as their aitas (parents in Basque), have also launched a new restaurant in Barrika (Bizkaia), a town famous for being one of the scenes of Game of Thrones in the Basque Country.

This family business is spreading throughout the Basque Country with the sole objective of offering a different, authentic culinary experience. According to Maitane, head of Ipar Itsaso, the key to their success lies in maintaining what they offered from the beginning, good quality, good price and proximity to customers, premises that, although in theory may appear to be easy to offer, in practice are not so easy.

Although it is always recommended to taste the house specialties, fish and seafood, in Ipar Itsaso we also find other high quality products such as meat, so that going out of the script, can be even good. Moreover, in our case, we ordered some croquettes that turned out to be a success, very good texture and flavor. 100% recommended.

The type of cuisine with which they work in this restaurant, working the grill as if it were another limb, impregnate each of its products with that peculiar flavor that attracts the attention of all lovers of fish and seafood. The environment that surrounds this seafood restaurant, is another of those attractions that help to highlight this Basque restaurant, and is that, the Urrunaga reservoir, located less than 15 minutes from places as emblematic as Vitoria-Gasteiz, Otxandio, Leintz Gatzaga, the reservoir of Ullibarri – Gamboa or the Otzarreta beech forest, is presented to the visitor as a great place to know many of the charms of our land.

How it works: Ipar Itsaso seafood restaurant does not have the standard operation we are so used to. They don’t take notes at the table, they don’t serve us at the table and they don’t charge us at the table either. But don’t panic, don’t panic. The operation of the system that they have established in the seafood restaurant Ipar Itsaso of Urrunaga is very simple, very practical, 100% functional.

Separated into 3 different areas, fishmonger, kitchen and bar, the diner places his own order in the fishmonger (it has a separate refrigerator with meat), where, as in any other place of these characteristics, we must take a ticket, wait our turn, buy and pay the total of what we bought. After obtaining the raw material, it is time to get in line in the kitchen area, where, very orderly, they establish a number for each order.

After getting our order number, it’s time to look for a table, the dining room is very large and there are usually no problems with space. Once the table is occupied, it is time to go to the bar to order drinks while others set up the table with the plates, cutlery and glasses that we found at the beginning of the dining room. After this, we just have to wait at the table until the electronic pager of the seafood restaurant Ipar Itsaso de Urrunaga starts to blink and vibrate indicating that it is time to go to pick up some of our dishes. Remember, at the time of picking up each of the dishes on your menu, you should not hand over the beeper, nor carry it with you, just knowing or carrying the plate with the number of your order is enough. Simple, isn’t it?

Menu: The menu of Ipar Itsaso is very varied. In addition to their specialties (seafood and fish) they also have all kinds of starters (Iberian ham, salads or croquettes) or homemade desserts. In case you want something different, we recommend contacting them, we are sure that they will advise you in the best possible way.

Reservations: If you are a large group, a kuadrilla or large family (more than 10 people), we recommend you to make a reservation. If you make a reservation, remember that it will not be effective until you receive confirmation from the Ipar Itsaso seafood restaurant team. Otherwise, if you go alone or as a couple, reservations are not usually necessary. In fact, we have been there 2 times as a couple, and when we call to make a reservation, the answer is repeated: it is not necessary. The dining room is very spacious, with plenty of room to sit and enjoy, but if you want to ensure a good table, it is as simple as going for a drink on the terrace before eating and watching the level of affluence.

Dining room: The dining room, of large dimensions, makes that the seafood restaurant Ipar Itsaso de Urrunaga does not usually have problems of place. Remember that tables are not assigned by the waiters, so getting a table is as easy as choosing the one you like and sitting down. No waiting, very practical.

Facilities: The facilities of the Marisqueria Ipar Itsaso are together with the recreational areas of the Urrunaga reservoir a strong point for all those people traveling with children, and is that, the fusion of garden area, swings, terrace and the possibility of bathing less than 2 minutes by car is a winning formula for family tourism. It has ample parking and space without architectural barriers, zero level throughout the restaurant, very successful.

Location: The geographical location of Marisqueria Ipar Itsaso, in Urrunaga, next to the reservoir of the same name, offers us the possibility of discovering some of the most impressive places in our land. Located less than 15 minutes from the capital of Alava, Vitoria-Gasteiz (one of the largest cities in the Basque Country) and less than 25 minutes from the Gorbeia Natural Park (one of the most important natural areas in the Basque Country), Urrunaga allows travelers of all profiles to enjoy. Moreover, as if this were not enough, it is very close to places like Otxandio, Urkiola, Leintz Gatzaga, the Ullibarri – Gamboa reservoir, the Otzarreta beech forest, the Larrabea golf course and many other tourist attractions in the Basque Country.

Our menu: We wanted to taste as many dishes as possible, so we opted to try to squeeze the starters menu before tasting a good fish. Unfortunately, we were faced with what for us was the only negative point of the seafood restaurant Ipar Itsaso, the impossibility of finding a piece of fish for a couple. All the fish they had exceeded the recommended weight for 2 people. We asked about the possibility of dividing some of the pieces, but we received a negative answer, a pity. Faced with this little improvisation, we opted for croquettes, razor clams, prawns, skewers and langoustines, a nice variety of dishes that surprised and pleased us.

We should mention that in the fishmonger’s shop, you must be precise with each order. Although they try to please the customer, the optimal quantities for one person are not the same for everyone. In our case, we ordered shrimp for 2 people, as a starter, to share, and they put almost 40 shrimp, typical of Basque restaurants, so that we do not stay hungry. As for the dessert, I must say that, although they are not the best desserts we have tasted during our travels in Euskadi, they were more than decent value for money. Good taste and price.

Each and every one of the dishes we tasted brought a smile to our faces. The good work of the chefs on the grill deserves a mention. In short, a finger-licking menu, literally. Remember that they have a take-away service, so there is always the possibility of taking the food from this Basque restaurant to your rural house or place where you are staying.

Price: As in any other fishmonger, Ipar Itsaso’s prices are established by weight. A price that includes its preparation. This section is one of the most surprising of Ipar Itsaso, and is that nowadays it is difficult to find quality seafood and fish at such a competitive price. Undoubtedly, the great quality-price ratio of this seafood restaurant in Urrunaga is one of the keys to its success. And the fact is that eating a lot of quality food for about 40€ is more than complicated in these times. From today, the saying that seafood and fish are a luxury available to only a few is history. We must make special mention to the desserts, and it is that accustomed to the devastating prices of some restaurants, those of Ipar Itsaso, we found them affordable (4.5 € each).

Video: As usual, in the case of the seafood restaurant Ipar Itsaso de Urrunaga we have also uploaded a video to our YouTube channel. And is that, often, the videos that we offer perfectly complement the usual photos and text in the articles of tourism in Euskadi.

As you have been able to verify, thanks to all the aspects mentioned above, Ipar Itsaso, the seafood restaurant in Urrunaga, is a great option to eat in the vicinity of Vitoria-Gasteiz. A great restaurant, which can accommodate business lunches, celebrations or any other event that requires large capacity and quality. An emblematic restaurant of the Urrunaga reservoir where we find people coming from all over the world. And you? We are waiting for your opinions! As we say around here, on egin, enjoy!