Txipirones en su Tinta at Restaurante Zapupe
Lekeitio is a working fishing port, which means the seafood on your plate was likely hauled from the Cantabrian Sea that same morning. Restaurante Zapupe, a no-nonsense local favourite on the harbourfront, serves txipirones en su tinta — baby squid braised in their own ink — that is a textbook lesson in why Basque cooking conquered the world.
Why this dish, why here
Txipirones en su tinta is one of the canonical dishes of Basque cuisine, and eating it in a port town where the squid is genuinely fresh elevates it from good to extraordinary. The ink sauce is deep, briny and slightly sweet, served with white rice that soaks up every drop — order bread too, because the sauce demands it.
Zapupe occupies a simple, bright dining room with views of the fishing boats from its terrace tables. The menu del día at lunch (typically €14–18) is one of the best-value ways to eat well in the Basque Country, often including a starter, the fish of the day, dessert and a glass of txakoli.
What else to order
The anchovy toast — fresh anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea, not the tinned variety — is a worthy starter, and the grilled sea bream (besugo) is a regional staple worth ordering when in season between October and March. Wash everything down with a cold glass of txakoli, the local slightly sparkling white wine poured from a height to aerate it.
If Zapupe is full (it often is at peak summer lunchtimes), the neighbouring Mesón Arropain on the same harbourfront stretch offers similar quality and a comparable menu del día, with an equally loyal local clientele.
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