Walking into the sun-filled atmosphere with a sea view of Zarautz and distant Donostia-San Sebastián, I recalled how I first met manager and chef Igor Arregui at his Restaurante Kaia-Kaipe over a spectacular dinner here in Getaria. This time I had my camera and I wanted to capture some of the ambiance and check out the amazing wine list.
Last year at lunch with USA friends, we heard a group of Scottish food and wine connoisseurs step out of Kaia-Kaipe’s bodega (cellar). They repeated what I had heard previously—that Kaia-Kaipe might just have the best wine list in all Iberia. Wow. So today Igor invited me to see the bodega firsthand and I caught some of the decades-old vintages through the lens. I saw wines from the 1940’s and there are some from 1920; the range of years and price is immense and many bottles Igor just enjoys privately with friends and family, savouring the richness of flavours.
The beautiful thing about Kaia-Kaipe is not just the quality food and wine, it’s the experience—Igor’s welcome, the familial atmosphere and the friendly staff—a pleasure to visit. I will have to drop back in with my camera another time to highlight the superb menu!
Words & Photos by Jonathan McCallum
