David García is taking it easy in Lasai
Ingenious gimmicks designed to justify headlines and fuel expectations, which eventually fade into the background. Having overcome the initial buzz, Lasai enters a phase of stability where the true personality of a restaurant emerges.
Last Tour, a music production company once poised to shake up the local food scene.
Precision cuisine, with contemporary touches on a classic score, attentive service in a relaxed atmosphere, and a thoughtful approach to the liquid aspect - handled by Ander Fernández, until a few months ago at Salitre - make it, quite simply, one of the most reliable restaurants in the city.
Pure Bilbao
After the initial excitement that new things usually generate, Lasai's dining room now offers a fairly representative picture of present-day Bilbao: international travelers, couples treating themselves, industry professionals on their day off—a good sign—and groups of friends confidently ordering and laughing heartily. The fun-loving, accommodating city we all know.
In the kitchen, overseen daily by Igor Méndez, things haven't changed much since opening. García isn't one to go overboard with changing the menu every season. Tried-and-tested recipes remain, such as the grilled scallop with coconut ajoblanco and a tartare of sun-dried tomatoes, dates, and apricots, or the grilled sea bass with caramelized spring onion, grapefruit, and fried capers, which were already on the inaugural menu.
Both are part of the Crystal menu (€85) - named after the neighboring nightclub, also run by Last Tour - while the Lasai menu (€72) focuses on more classic dishes, such as a farm egg with mushrooms and pork jowl or hake with prawn juice and stewed spider crab.
