The story
Petit Grill Basque, at 4 rue Saint-Jacques in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is a bistro serving Spanish-leaning dishes that Le Fooding recognized with its Fooding d'honneur in 2025.
Monsieur Aizpitarte, owner of Le Chateaubriand and Le Dauphin in Paris, returned to his home base to cook here. His Saturday set menu at €34 is the value pick Le Fooding singled out. On one visit it opened with tender white asparagus dragged through a garrigue-inspired mayonnaise, followed by veal escalope from Belaun, seared so the center stays rosy. The fries are double-cooked in beef fat, and dessert is a caramel floating island.
The dining room keeps its original charm: a punkah fan turns from the ceiling, and stenciled walls by painter Louis Floutier frame vintage tableware. In the evening the menu moves to potatoes with Banka trout roe, corn polenta with sheep's milk cheese and Choricero pepper cream, and hake with salsa verde and palourde clams. Tarta de Santiago closes the meal. Next door, Chez Maya, the take-away run by partner Delphine Zampetti, works as a separate shop.
Recognition
Details
History
Elementary, my dear Iñaki! It’s back to basics for monsieur Aizpitarte, owner of Le Chateaubriand (Le Fooding’s Best Restaurant of 2007) and Le Dauphin in Paris, who has retreated to his home base, (re)deploying his bistronomic talents in the kitchens of an old Saint-Jean-de-Luz institution, which has retained its original old-fashioned charm – a punkah fan hanging from the ceiling, stenciled motifs on the walls by the painter Louis Floutier, vintage tableware… Without entering into competition with Chez Maya , the take-away shop run by his partner Delphine Zampetti (ex-CheZaline) located right next door, the chef cooks up the best deal in town with his €34 set menu served on Saturdays. The day we went, it included: tender white asparagus from the Ferme Saint-Henri which you drag through a garrigue -inspired mayonnaise (seasoned with thyme, rosemary and savory); incredibly tender veal escalope from Belaun, flash-seared so it was still rosy pink in the center, paired with spicy maître d’hôtel butter and golden fries – which were double-cooked in beef fat; before a comforting caramel floating island. At night, there are à la carte offerings, like potatoes with Banka trout roe and fresh herbs; Grand Roux corn polenta, sheep’s milk cheese and Choricero pepper cream; hake with salsa verde and palourde clams… And even a tarta de Santiago , that Spanish cake adorned with the cross of Saint James. // Loulou Pic
Elementary, my dear Iñaki! It’s back to basics for monsieur Aizpitarte, owner of Le Chateaubriand (Le Fooding’s Best Restaurant of 2007) and Le Dauphin in Paris, who has retreated to his home base, (re)deploying his bistronomic talents in the kitchens of an old Saint-Jean-de-Luz institution, which has retained its original old-fashioned charm – a punkah fan hanging from the ceiling, stenciled motifs on the walls by the painter Louis Floutier, vintage tableware… Without entering into competition with Chez Maya , the take-away shop run by his partner Delphine Zampetti (ex-CheZaline) located right next door, the chef cooks up the best deal in town with his €34 set menu served on Saturdays. The day we went, it included: tender white asparagus from the Ferme Saint-Henri which you drag through a garrigue -inspired mayonnaise (seasoned with thyme, rosemary and savory); incredibly tender veal escalope from Belaun, flash-seared so it was still rosy pink in the center, paired with spicy maître d’hôtel butter and golden fries – which were double-cooked in beef fat; before a comforting caramel floating island. At night, there are à la carte offerings, like potatoes with Banka trout roe and fresh herbs; Grand Roux corn polenta, sheep’s milk cheese and Choricero pepper cream; hake with salsa verde and palourde clams… And even a tarta de Santiago , that Spanish cake adorned with the cross of Saint James. // Loulou Pic
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