With one Michelin star, we embarked on my 42nd birthday for what undoubtedly will be the best year yet! We arrived ten minutes ahead of our 20:30 seating to be sharply told the restaurant opens sharply at 20:30. Right. A glass of wine around the corner we must. When we finally were seated, the restaurant was nearly full and by 21:00, completely full.

Kokotxa offers two tasting menus and we opted for the full one as we typically do on special occasions. They also offer wine pairings, but in the interest of nine courses and not being hungover, we held off there.

The meal started with what the menu describes as a “snack” which turned out to be a umami broth, incredibly soothing for this cold, windy weekend.

Appetizers were brought to the table which included very crusty bread and two types of butter, the most divine bite of raw tuna, some nutty macarons, and a very strange tinned mussel in a gelatonous substance, a texture I definitely could have done without. So, the highs were really high and the jelly bits were really low.

Unfortunately, more gelantanous-ness would continue with an oyster drowning in a smilar sauce to the tinned mussel. The Gentleman chose this restaurant due to the seafood-forward menu, something I love, but I wanted to taste the seafood! Luckily, it got better from here.

Red prawn tartare with white garlic and cucumber was served with some crispy crackers…getting better…

The surprise standout of the entire meal, we both agreed, was the squid with vizcaina and marrow. Hair blown off for sure. If this was my main, I would have been elated.

Followed by lobster with cauliflower puree and an abundance of caviar. I could have skipped this course too.

Luckily, there was the most perfectly cooked scallop with bright asparagus and a creamy Comte base. A surprise scallop cheese combo, but wow did it pack a delicious punch. A few more of these, a plate of squid and I could have been even happier.

Then there was a version of Kokotxas, a traditional Basque fish stew.

…and a local catch of the day with seaweed emulsion, and mini clams.

Finally for the main, we had pigeons with pak-choy and hazelnuts. I’ve never had pigeon before and I hope not to again. Maybe my tastes just aren’t this elevated, but I couldn’t get past the organ-like texture and gamey taste. Thank goodness for the Gentleman!

We cleansed our palates with a yogurt, apple, and hibiscus bowl.

Then enjoyed a bite of vanilla, mango, and tonka bean dessert.

Followed with another creamy dessert of white chocolate, basil, and pistachio.

Finally, petit fours arrived just ahead of the check and were very nice.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I struggled a bit with the textures of this meal. So much was squishy/gelantanous or creamy, including all of the desserts. It would be nice to have a crunch or taste more of the ingredients without drowning them in sauce. Service was good and the vibe was very busy, but for the price and rating, I just expected more hair blown back moments. I would save this one unless saucy seafood is your thing.