ARREA!

The story

ARREA! – Michelin-Starred Basque Cuisine in Oion / Oyón, Spain

A Return to Raw Roots

In the heart of the Montaña Alavesa, ARREA! is chef Edorta Lamo’s homecoming. His cooking reaches back to the most rugged, wild traditions of the region – a style he describes as “strongly local and autochthonous,” rooted in the culture, customs, and hunger of the mountain and the muga (border). The result is a deeply personal expression of Basque cuisine that earned a Michelin star in 2026.

The Tools and Ingredients of the Land

Lamo’s kitchen is defined by what the landscape offers: boxwood spoons, charcoal, game, wild herbs, garden vegetables, truffle, honey, and nearly extinct native fruits. These are not nostalgic props but living ingredients used to revive a local food culture that, in his words, has been “neglected, undervalued, and forgotten.” The menu changes with the seasons and the local market, turning the bounty of the Ega valley into plates that tell a story of place.

Three Spaces, One Philosophy

ARREA! is divided into the bar, the kuadra (a casual dining room), and the formal comedor. Each offers a different approach to the same ethos. In the comedor, the Menú Arrea! (160 €) is the full gastronomic experience – a multi-course journey through Lamo’s personal vision. In the kuadra, the Menú Mendialdea (60 €) is a five-course closed menu plus putxero, based on what’s fresh and local. The bar serves pikoteo and smaller dishes, welcoming everyone from hikers to gourmands.

A Cuisine of the Mountain

Game is central: wild boar, venison, partridge, and pigeon appear in sausages, stews, and grilled cuts. The allergen menu reveals dishes like caracoles en salsa (snails), paloma guisada (braised pigeon), and txuletón de vaca vieja (old cow ribeye). Vegetables come from the Huerta del Ega, and the cooking often involves charcoal grilling or long-simmered putxero pots. This is Basque cuisine at its most territorial – unapologetic, precise, and alive with the flavours of the Álava mountains.