Edorta Lamo
“For me it is a privilege to belong to the land with the oldest active salt mines in the world, and even more so if, as a cook, I can contribute that gastronomic “txispa” that only this authentic salt gives. And if in that “txispa” fit the culture, the history and the people that form it, the privilege becomes an honor”.
Edorta Lamo, chef of the Arrea! restaurant, has been appointed ambassador of the Salt of the Añana Salt Valley. This renowned chef, a native of Kanpezu (Alava- Basque Country), studied cooking at the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Oñati and after passing through different kitchens in New York, Vitoria and Granada opened in 2006 in Donostia, together with his sister Amaia García de Albizu, the restaurant “A fuego negro”, a new version of the Donostian pintxo culture, highly recognized throughout his career, which closed its doors in 2020.
In December 2018 he opened the restaurant Arrea! in his hometown. A new gastronomic concept that takes place in the heart of the Alavese Mountains and that represents Edorta Lamo’s return to his roots. Roots that he takes as a reference to practice a strongly local and autochthonous own style gastronomy that invokes personality, culture and local customs.
In these years it has reaped numerous successes and recognitions that, in turn, have given Arrea! a stable strength and projection. In the last year and a half alone:
- Nov 2021: Edorta Lamo participated in Bruges, representing Basque cuisine in the program of the VI World Forum on Gastronomic Tourism organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center.
- Feb 2022: The Repsol Guide awarded it the Second Sun.
- June 2022: Award to the Best Restaurateur of Euskadi, within the XXVIII edition of the Euskadi Gastronomy Awards.
- Nov 2022: Golden T Award from the gastronomic magazine Tapas, which considered Arrea and Edorta Lamo one of the 18 restaurants and chefs revelation of the year.
- Nov 2022: First Michelin Star. The highest recognition in European cuisine was awarded by the prestigious Michelin Guide, which awarded the Red Star and also the Green Star, which distinguishes sustainability and circular economy in the kitchen.
- Nov 2022: TOP10 Guia Macarfi Award that awarded Arrea!, along with Etxebarri and Elkano, as the best restaurants in the Basque Country.
- Sep 2023: Edorta Lamo was included in the Forbes List of the 100 creatives of 2023.
