Ziaboga Restaurant, an eminence of gastronomy in Pasaia

High quality local products combined with a great knowledge of Basque gastronomy, do you dare to taste the creations of Ziaboga restaurant?

Pasaia, a coastal town with a great fishing tradition, awaits us on the shores of the bay of the same name. In this municipality, we find the Ziaboga restaurant, a restaurant that transmits peace and tranquility while we enjoy the breaking of the small waves created by the boats.

Located in the district of San Juan (Donibane in Basque) of Pasaia, the Ziaboga restaurant shares its location with colorful houses, fishing boats and the Jaizkibel mountain, 3 emblems of our little Pasaia that make the charm of this place flow through every corner of it.

Pasaia, San Juan

The Ziaboga restaurant was inaugurated in 1988, and since then it has stood out for its fish and seafood grills, a specialty that it maintains today among its dishes. The chef Alex Barcenilla gives life between the stoves to these wonderful dishes, which usually attract attention for the products that compose them; fish of the day, vegetables from nearby orchards, high quality meat …. and of course, for the good work of its creators.

Dining room of the Ziaboga restaurant

Every time we visit Albaola or the Mater Museum, we drop by one of the tables of this great restaurant, the first time, we opted for one of the tables on the terrace to enjoy a light snack, this last time we wanted to learn more about the restaurant Ziaboga and we have entered the kitchen….., like crazy!

It is clear that the Ziaboga restaurant is a must visit place, but we leave it to you to choose the way you want to enjoy it, which one do you prefer?

Chef for a day at Ziaboga: If you like new experiences, if you like gastronomy and you are willing to get dirty, laugh and learn… this experience is designed for you. We will enjoy the company of Alex, Roca, Nuria and all their team, they will teach us the secrets of Basque cuisine in an incredible atmosphere, perfect to enjoy our gastronomy. Of course, try to put all your effort at the time of making the dishes, because you will create the menu that you will taste later.

Chef for a day at Ziaboga restaurant

The most incredible thing is that the restaurant does not close during this activity, the kitchen of the Ziaboga restaurant is open for any customer who wants to taste their dishes. This usually makes it possible to see Alex and his team at full capacity, working as if it were just another day, really amazing.

Restaurant: If you are tired of creating your own dishes and want to enjoy the creations of others, Ziaboga restaurant offers you its terrace and main dining room, two charming areas that will help make your experience in this restaurant unforgettable. A quiet, charming place where traditional dishes full of flavor are prepared, what more do you want? Ziaboga restaurant is waiting for you.

Entrance Ziaboga Restaurant

Location: Undoubtedly one of the most striking charms of the Ziaboga restaurant. The colorful houses, the coming and going of the trawlers and fishing boats and the Jaizkibel mountain make up a unique, movie-like setting. The terrace and dining room of this restaurant are located literally over the bay of Pasaia, making the tasting of its dishes an unforgettable experience.

The terrace is located in Santiago square, between the pier and the old fronton of Pasaia San Juan. Its dining room, with capacity for 40 people, shares the same views as the terrace. Two perfect places to enjoy a good fresh fish.

Quality: We have repeated it ad nauseam, I know, but finding a restaurant that only cooks with seasonal products clearly marks the quality of all its dishes.

Local seasonal products from Ziaboga Restaurant

Attention: Nuria, Alex and all their team will attend us as always, with passion and care, creating a good atmosphere in which to enjoy the products that nature gives us.

Alex from Ziaboga Restaurant

History: The Ziaboga restaurant was inaugurated in 1998 by José Antonio Pinilla, in the same place where the village store and the net warehouse used to be located. The restaurant owes its name to the maneuver that the trawlers perform at the height where the dining room is located, there, the trawlers turn to return to make their training run. As you can see, this place keeps a lot of history and culture among its chairs, tables and products.

Trawlers in Pasaia

In 2005 Jose Antonio retired, giving way to new generations headed by chef Alex Barcenilla.

Accreditations: The hard work that goes into the Ziaboga restaurant not only has its reward in satisfied customers who are eager to return. The accreditations that have been obtained over time, are the witness of a job well done. We do not hesitate to accredit this establishment with our exclusive tourist accreditation “TurismoVasco Tiketa”.

Tourism AccreditationVasco Tiketa

As we did, we recommend visiting one museum in the morning and another one in the afternoon, having lunch at the Ziaboga restaurant, without a doubt, a complete and very interesting program. The museums that we have the opportunity to visit in Pasaia are the Mater Museum and Albaola, two dynamic museums that delight young and old, don’t miss them!

The replica of the Nao San Juan, Albaola

We went to the Ziaboga restaurant in Pasaia to check if its quality was still the same, this time, simply as diners, without stepping into the kitchen. More than a year ago they seduced us with a simple, high quality dish with an Anglo-Saxon name, Fish&Chips, in English, seasonal fish with potatoes.

Fish&Chips Restaurant Ziaboga year 2015:

Fish&Chips Restaurant Ziaboga year 2016:

The first time we enjoyed this “hamaiketako” (11 o’clock lunch), the seasonal fish was mackerel and this last time it was hake, two great traditional fish of our villages. Although the raw material changes, the dish continues to keep up to the desired or improving the desired, and this last time, the hake was pure butter, a very good flavor that melted in the mouth. The weather accompanied us and we enjoyed a nice walk through Pasaia San Juan, a perfect plan for a sunny day.