Txispa (Axpe, ES) * – March, 2026

A few prefacing statements:

We did try and book Etxebarri, but after conversations with a few folks in the industry, elected for Txispa regardless of Etxebarri openings.

We are huge proponents of Japanese cuisine and Japanese influence in other cuisines.

We also ate at Disfrutar on this trip, so that experience information this review.

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Ok, so.

Txispa is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to, particularly from a technique and cohesiveness perspective.

The service is not the most polished or precise, but it is charming, accessible, and deeply human.

First and foremost, the location is stunning. I found it more visually arresting than Mil in Peru, which is saying a lot. We took a car from Bilbao (95 euro) so we could drink, relax, etc.

When we arrived, we were offered to sit inside or outside to have our first appetizer and an aperitif (we elected for sake).

The chips dusted in kale and the light sweet potato broth were mild, pleasant, and a good palate opener.

At 1:30 PM, we were escorted to the kitchen where Chef Maeda greeted us with three appetizers. Grilled leek, Chorizo Bao, and a riff on tuna tataki were all impeccable, highlighting basque ingredients with Japanese flair.

From there, we were brought to our table. We elected the wine pairing, which I would highly recommend – Gabriel, the sommelier, was very clever and passionate about the pairings and it really enlivened the meal.

For the first time in a long time, there were zero misses in the menu. While the tongue and the prawns were the weakest courses (mostly in that they were complacent in their basque-ness and not terribly interesting), they still were delicious.

The Kinmedai fish with peri peri and Swiss Chard was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. It was grilled immaculately, the flavors were wildly complimentary, and the technique was perfect. Additionally, the fresh spring trout with garden flowers was stunning, and the cleanest tasting trout I've ever experienced.

The highlight, unsurprisingly, was the Txuleta, a perfectly seared 10-year old cow that we watched Chef Maeda grill with a casual perfection. After eating it, we were offered additional steak, and we decided to have another full serving, it was that good.

Dessert and coffee we're perfect, and we took the last coffee/dessert to the outdoors and enjoyed it while we waited for our car to return.

While service was informal, and occasionally clumsy, the meal overall was an absolute highlight of our trip; I found it to be better than Disfrutar in almost every way, with the exception that the showmanship and service of Disfrutar was legendary.

Chef Maeda has an incredible command of the grill, the exceptional interweaving of Japanese technique with basque ingredients is beyond reproach, and the staff, location, and quality was perfection.

Our total cost was approximately 1200 euros, which included additional sake, wine, and the extra steak portion, as well as the tasting menu and pairing for two.

Overall I would rank the food alone higher than Disfrutar, DiverXO, Central, or Merito.

All said, I would be astounded if a second (or third) star is far off, and I would expect Txispa to skyrocket on the 50Best list next year.

If you are in Spain, I can't recommend highly enough that you go.