Agorregi

A new and welcome addition to the local restaurant scene is Agorregi. Chef Gorka Arzelus and his wife Beatriz Bengoetxea have opened a lovely spot above the tennis club in Igara. Both bring a wealth of experience having passed through the kitchens of Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subihana y Martin Berasategui before opening their first venture in the small hill town of Aia.

Transplanted to San Sebastian, Gorka continues to offer his unique interpretation of Basque cuisine. Updated versions of traditional dishes remain on the menu by popular demand but increasingly edgier combinations have found their way onto the table. Everything new is well balanced and in keeping with his specific gastronomic vision. Dishes are designed to provoke pleasure and thought not shock.

While perusing the menu we were served tiny ham croquettes. Beatriz , who runs the dining room (and speaks English!) will be happy to advise. On a recent visit we sampled the chef's own pâté served with winter greens and an onion marmalade. Fish soup made fresh daily is an ideal cold weather starter. My recommendation would be the delicious sautéed vegetables, the freshest from that morning's market, beautifully plated with a coddled egg, wild mushrooms and thin tendrils of Idiazabal cheese.

All of the fish dishes are exceedingly fresh and well presented. Merluza con Hongos is delicate and flaky Hake served with Boletus mushrooms on a creamy potato bed. Filets of Txitxarro, a European member of the Mackerel family, combine perfectly with a cider vinaigrette and thin slices of oven baked potato and onion.

Well deserved praise goes to the ox tail stew. The meat is tender and flavorful and the sauce has been patiently transformed into an astonishingly rich wonder. A winter treat, roast squab with glazed shallots and a balsamic vinegar sauce is served appropriately rare.

Desserts are slightly more elaborate here. Again, Gorka straddles the line between the traditional, offering sheep's milk junket served with local honey, and the more contemporary rice pudding cappuccino which is a exquisitely light foam poised on a mango cream base. The sinful deep chocolate tart lashed with cacao and orange and accompanied by hazelnut ice cream or warm apple puff with yogurt and pineapple ice cream are also winning.

Wines are are middle range and complementary to the food being offered. The standard Riojas are available as well as some interesting Navarran wines.

Service is friendly and attentive, concerned without being oppressive. The dining room is calm and pleasant with some rustic touches. New developments are being introduced periodically as the young chef weans his clientele from the more traditional dishes and guides them one step further into his culinary world. Agorregui and Gorka Arzelus both bear watching.