A RECOGNITION THAT COMES JUST SIX MONTHS AFTER ITS OPENING AND HIGHLIGHTS ITZULI AS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PROPOSALS ON THE BASQUE GASTRONOMIC SCENE
THE LAVADO-MARTÍNEZ FAMILY REAFFIRMS ITZULI AS A PROJECT ROOTED IN BASQUE IDENTITY AND THE TERRITORY OF GIPUZKOA
Starting tonight, a new star shines in the gastronomic sky of San Sebastián. Itzuli, the restaurant of Basque chef Iñigo Lavado, has added a milestone to its young career by receiving its first MICHELIN Star. The award, announced during the MICHELIN Guide Spain & Andorra 2026 Gala held at the Sohrlin Andalucía venue in Málaga, consolidates the Irun-born chef’s project as one of the most outstanding and promising openings of the year in Gipuzkoa.
In October, Itzuli was included in the MICHELIN Guide as a recommended restaurant, news that the team celebrated with great joy. No one could have predicted that just a few weeks later, an even more important recognition would arrive. This achievement comes just six months after its opening last May and reaffirms the success of the Lavado-Martínez family’s return to Donostia after more than two decades in Irun. “I am very excited. This award is a recognition of a lifetime’s work, of the efforts of the whole team who, even in difficult times, never gave up and continued to fight, faithful to our understanding of gastronomy with commitment and perseverance. I can’t wait to return to San Sebastián to celebrate with the team”, says Iñigo.
If there is one thing that is clear at Itzuli, it is that the team is also family. That group of young people —Enrique, Mónica, David and Xabi— who left the NH Aranzazu more than twenty years ago and joined forces with the Lavado-Martínez family to start a new professional venture in Irun, returned to Donostia at the beginning of the year to embark on a new journey. Together, tonight, they are celebrating this milestone that recognizes not only their work, but also their loyalty, complicity, and a path built as a family, side by side for more than two decades. For Iñigo and Arantxa, “this success is the result of perseverance, collective commitment and the will to continue evolving every day. It is a gift for all of us, but it is also a dose of motivation to continue growing”.
The name chosen for his return to Donostia is very meaningful and emotional. Itzuli, which means ‘to return’ in Basque, reflects much more than a physical return; it represents the return to its origins of a hospitality dynasty. A dynasty that continues today. As Lavado himself explains, “although many people think that the name refers to my return, it is a tribute to my wife and business partner, Arantxa Martínez, granddaughter of Pilar, founder of the legendary El Tamboril bar. Arantxa is returning to San Sebastián after many years, with me, and we are also doing so together with our children, who have also joined in this adventure”.
This spirit also drives the new generation. Julen, their oldest son, is the head of the front of house and the sommelier, and despite his youth, his talent has already been recognised with the 2024 Gastro Talent Award. The middle son, Iñigo, who is passionate about hospitality and management, and the youngest, María, who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps in the kitchen, are continuing their training in gastronomy and helping their parents in the restaurant whenever their studies allow, reaffirming the family nature of the project.
Itzuli is a family restaurant with a vision deeply rooted in Basque identity, looking to the past with respect, to the land with devotion, and to the future with enthusiasm. Iñigo works every day with the same meticulous dedication that has marked his entire career, visiting markets, talking to farmers, polishing flavours and perfecting techniques with the perseverance of someone who understands cooking as a way of life. His approach is based on seasonal produce and Basque roots, but also on a creative, open-minded and daring approach to the latest techniques. The result is a cuisine that combines tradition and modernity with a unique and instantly recognisable style.
Itzuli’s gastronomic proposal offers two tasting menus that faithfully represent the essence of Iñigo Lavado’s cuisine. The ‘Cuisine of emotions’ menu takes diners on a journey through his most personal universe, a signature cuisine forged alongside leading figures such as Luis Irizar—his mentor—Martín Berasategui, Pedro Subijana, Ferran Adrià and Alain Ducasse, with whom he worked in Paris. Each dish reflects his sensitivity, his background and his commitment to a cuisine that seeks to connect with those who sit at his table.
The second menu, ‘Luis Irizar’, pays tribute to the master who influenced his career. It is a seasonal menu inspired by traditional Basque recipes, interpreted with respect and admiration, and conceived as a homage to a key figure in the training of Iñigo and many other great chefs who have trained in this region.
In addition to these two set menus, there is also an ‘à la carte’ menu that allows diners to choose more freely, expanding the possibilities for enjoying cuisine that celebrates the ingredients, honours its roots and embraces creativity. At Itzuli, every choice is an invitation to discover the essence of a project that was created to last.
To find Itzuli, head to Luze Boutique San Sebastián, a hotel located on Monte Igeldo that recaptures the elegance of San Sebastián’s Belle Époque from a contemporary perspective, with interior design by Iñaki Biurun and architecture by Jesús Ansa. Inspired by the city’s old mansions, the hotel offers bright spaces, peaceful gardens and an infinity pool overlooking the Cantabrian Sea, creating an elegant setting that complements and enhances the restaurant’s dining experience.
In addition to running his restaurant Itzuli, Iñigo Lavado is responsible for the hotel’s entire gastronomic offering, from breakfasts designed to awaken the senses, to a bistro proposal for guests’ dinners and a bar menu with small bites and dishes that offer a refined version of appetisers. A familiar and relaxed cuisine that bears his unmistakable stamp.
With capacity for 35 diners, several private dining rooms and a terrace overlooking the Cantabrian Sea, Itzuli combines balance, elegance, history and tradition. One of its most unique spaces is its wine cellar, which connects the hotel lobby with the dining room and allows customers to select their own wine as part of the experience. The wine cellar is a key part of the restaurant, a space where Julen can dream, explore and give shape to everything he has learned during his training. It is a place that reflects his curiosity, dedication and passion for the world of wine.
Itzuli restaurant is open from Monday to Sunday for lunch, and reservations can be made via its website: www.restauranteitzuli.com
According to Iñigo, “Itzuli was born out of a desire for all the people of San Sebastián and Gipuzkoa to reconnect with our roots and the essence of local cuisine. We are delighted to receive this recognition and hope that it will help San Sebastian to remain one of the world’s leading gastronomic destinations, both for those of us who live here and for those who visit us from elsewhere.”
Tomorrow, the Lavado-Martínez family will continue working as usual: with dedication, perseverance and the certainty that they live in one of the most special places in the world. They will do so looking towards the future, building every day a legacy that they want to endure beyond them. A legacy that one day (not too far away) their children will lead to continue writing this story.