The meal of a lifetime in Deba
The best food of all time. Ever.
*please note: I have a few affiliate links in this article. When you click on the link and book or purchase through the Affiliate company, I get a tiny little commission. Teeny tiny … like Tea-Cup Chihuahua tiny but I sure do appreciate your support! There is no extra cost for you! Affiliate links help to keep this blog up and running! I ONLY include links to products or services that I believe in.
Have you ever had a meal that makes you feel as though you are in some sort of alternate universe because everything about it is so perfect?
If you are lucky enough to visit Uberu in the town of Deba (just outside of San Sebastián), you will immediately understand what a special place this restaurant is.
It is very much a local’s joint and has an interesting history. We met up with Jaimé’s friend and her young, foodie son for a late lunch. Jaimé filled us in on the history of the restaurant and I was immediately in love.
Uberu used to be a place back in the day that ran contraband and its front was food service! So as I mentioned before, it’s VERY local.
The restaurant is a classic sagardotegia… (cider house) and is filled with long tables which diners share and you can view the open kitchen grill from most tables in the seating area. The environment is energetic, social and fun. Dining here as a tourist makes you feel as though you’ve been let in on a wonderful secret.
Uberu Sagardotegia
We ordered insane amounts of Chuletas (Chuleton, txuletas …. bone in ribeye steaks), whole, filleted fish, fries, salads and bread. We had dessert and coffee afterwards and it equaled about $20 euros per person. That’s it! You can’t get a meal like that for $20 (+ in USD) bucks anywhere here in the states. VERY inexpensive for the amount and quality of the food we ate. I couldn’t believe it! The food here is fresh, cooked to perfection and the portions are perfect for family style dining.
You will fall in love with the food in the Basque Country! I recommend picking up these books so you familiarize yourself with its rich history and can create some dishes once you’ve returned home!
*please note: I have a few affiliate links in this article. When you click on the link and book or purchase through the affilate company, I get a tiny little commission. Teeny tiny … like Tea-Cup Chihuahua tiny but I sure do appreciate your support! There is no extra cost for you! Affiliate links help to keep this blog up and running! I ONLY include links to products or services that I believe in.
The Cider!
Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of dining here is the unique tradition of cider pouring. They have 4 LARGE barrels at the front of the restaurant and when you order cider, the server brings you an empty glass.
You march up to the barrels and stand at an unbelievably lengthy distance from the spigot to catch the cider while someone opens the spigot for you. The proper way to is to hold your glass at an angle so the cider hits the rim which creates txinparta (foam… ). This distance from spigot to glass allows for aeration and, well, it’s fun!
It takes good aim (I wonder if people who get a little tipsy end up wasting a lot of cider with impaired aim??) and a certain level of confidence. Don’t be alarmed when some of it misses the well placed bucket and hits the floor, it is expected. This is an all you can drink situation and the history of cider in northern Spain goes back hundreds of years. It is a point of pride here… a way of life and they are all too happy to share their cider with visitors. Just ask your friend or even a stranger to open the spigot and then reciprocate.
It is a really unique experience and there are cider house tours you can take in this region of Spain. Read out this NYT article for more on this traditional beverage.
