Le Café d’en bas

Bam! If you’re on the lookout for Bidart’s newest hotspot, weave your way through the throngs of tourist-packed tables and head instead to Le Café d’en bas, better known as Chez Jojo. There, chef Jordi Canet (after having closed his Bidaia casbah in Hendaye), and Ainoa Jacazzi-Urruela (ex-Petit Grill Basque in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Arotzenia in Urrugne, front-of-house) have splashed the walls and shutters of the former fine dining restaurant Les Six Saisons with a bold two-tone color scheme, and are sending a bracing gust of flavor straight at thrill-seeking foodies. The night we went, we nabbed a table on the terrace beneath a majestic palm tree with views of the Atlantic Ocean to boot, and dove into a tidal wave of flavor-packed dishes: ethereal Noir de Bigorre AOP jamón; an irresistibly runny Spanish tortilla amped up with César sauce; peppery pan con tomato with Basatxerri ham and goat’s milk tomme cheese; then, the house’s famous steak tartare made with Axuria beef, seasoned with a nice balance of harissa-infused vinaigrette and raw cream, all under a handful of magical fries; and for something green to balance it all out, raw and cooked zucchini, slivered almonds, wild herbs (dill, mint and purple basil) and a sauce made from organic, heirloom tomatoes grown in the village. Before rounding out the meal with the silkiness of a tarta de queso with a delightfully charred exterior. Still need convincing? They’ve also got local preserves (honey, octopus, pâtés, boudins, broths…) and cheeky bottles of wine sold to go (at a 30% discount compared to the in-house prices), plus a vegetable patch just 100 meters away where Ainoa grows Japanese eggplant, squash, watermelon, wasabi, shiso… // Angela Dolu

FEELING THIRSTY? Goodbye additives, hello healthy grapes and affordable prices: Entras, a Côtes-de-Gascogne from Michel Maestrojuan (€6 a glass), On S’en Fish!, a Côtes-Catalane red from the Domaine Gardiés (€28 a bottle), Second Souffle, a macabeu from Le Mas de la Lune (€42)…. Along with a Piratak beer on tap (€3.50 for 250 ml), Turbulente, a Basque kombucha (€6 for 300 ml) and lots of flavored syrups (€2 a glass).
PRICE: : Breakfast €3.50 to €9, pintxos €3, plates €4-22, pork chops €45 (for 800 grams), desserts €5.