The story
In the heart of Bayonne, inside the city’s former commercial court, Basa has turned a historic space into a lively, contemporary brasserie. The setting alone is striking: a glass canopy built by a student of Gustave Eiffel, warm terracotta walls, original courtroom benches now wrapped in black and serving as seating for long, convivial tables. Upstairs, a more intimate room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooks the terrace.
Chef Fabian Feldmann, already known for his restaurant L’Impertinent in Biarritz, runs the kitchen alongside Sarah Feldmann, who directs the dining room. Their approach is straightforward: fresh, seasonal ingredients, almost all from the Basque Country, prepared without fuss but with clear ambition. The menu balances traditional dishes — boudin noir, tête de veau — with more playful, Asian-inflected creations like bao buns with spicy steak and kimchi. Local fish from the auctions at Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Capbreton is a constant, and the kitchen works with heritage grains, legumes, and forgotten vegetables such as parsnips and salsify.
The wine list is carefully built around independent producers, with a strong focus on organic, natural, and biodynamic bottles. Many are also available to take away.
Basa’s commitment to quality and locality earned it a place in the Michelin Guide 2026, which described the restaurant as a “sparkling table” in a rehabilitated setting. It’s the kind of recognition that suits a place that takes itself seriously without being solemn.
The restaurant also offers private dining for up to 50 guests, with custom menus for events from weddings to seminars. But the heart of Basa is its daily service — a brasserie that feels both of its place and open to the world.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Behind the Bayonne cathedral, in the old commercial court with its monumental glass ceiling, the Biarritz-based architect Delphine Carrère gave a modern makeover to this big, chic café run by Sarah and Fabian Feldmann (the duo behind L’Impertinent in Biarritz). That’s where the indomitable ( basa in Basque) Bavarian chef celebrates organic, local produce in his revisited, cheeky cuisine. The day we went, the €23 menu featured all of the following: delightful calf’s head from the Belaun co-op in Aldudes, with sauce gribiche, a vinegary cider and potatoes from Arbonne; incredible meagre from Saint-Jean-de-Luz cooked over the embers, swimming in a tomato, chili and miso broth, with haricots verts and fennel blossoms; before some sweet and juicy strawberries with a verbena-infused cream and a muscovado sugar arlette biscuit. In the afternoon, make way for small plates (Ibaiama ham, homemade boudin, guindilla peppers, local cheeses…), ice creams and pastries, and on Sundays, for the brunch that’s centered around a good roasted chicken or fish from the Saint-Jean market. // G.R.
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