Bayonne, the capital of the Basque Country, is a gourmet city, cradle of authentic gastronomy rich in flavors and traditions, in the image of the southwest. To add a little (or a lot) of indulgence to your vacation, let your senses take over. Bayonne takes the cake!
Bayonne for chocolate lovers
Bayonne and chocolate have a long-standing love affair. It dates back to the early 17th century, when Portuguese Jews, driven out by the Inquisition, settled in Saint-Esprit, on the right bank of the Adour river. They founded the first workshops to transform cocoa beans into chocolate, a luxury delicacy reserved for the nobility, the upper middle classes and the canons of the cathedral. Over the centuries, chocolate has become even more widely available, contributing even more to the reputation of the small Basque town.
Today, rue Port Neuf is Bayonne‘s “carré gourmand”. From Maison Cazenave to Atelier Andrieu, via Pariès and Daranatz, the Rue du Chocolat is home to France’s greatest master chocolatiers. Gathered in a guild (
l’Académie du Chocolat de Bayonne
), they perpetuate traditional artisanal production. Dark, white or milk chocolate; in bars, bites, boxes, to drink or spread; flavored with tea, coffee, mint or orange, and even Esplette pepper, there’s something for every taste!
Don’t miss: chocolate days (Ascension weekend) and ” Bayonne fête son chocolat” (first weekend in November), where history, discoveries and delicacies come together.
The ham the Italians envy
It’s impossible not to mention the famous Bayonne Ham, a jewel in France’s gastronomic crown for centuries. An exceptional charcuterie to be enjoyed in a restaurant, on the terrace of a wine bar, at one of the city’s many charcutiers or under the Halles centrales de Bayonne. For the more curious, a visit to the Atelier de Salaison Pierre Ibaialde and the
Maison Aubard Ham Museum
is a must. And if you stay at Camping Lou Ptit Poun over the Easter weekend, don’t miss the Bayonne Ham Fair, which has been held since 1462. An unmissable gourmet and gastronomic event in the Basque Country!
Legend has it that Gaston Fébus, a great lord of the Southwest in the 14th century, was hunting a wild boar that managed to escape. The wounded animal was discovered a few months later in a saltwater spring in Salies-de-Béarn. Hams from wild boar are in perfect condition. Thus was born the salting of Bayonne Ham!
Taste the flavours of Bayonne at the markets
Enjoy your camping vacation
camping in Bayonne
to stroll through the markets, brimming with color, smells, voices and good cheer. You’ll be able to fill your basket with delicious local produce: Basque ham (Bayonne, Ibaïona, Kintoa), foie gras, Basque pork pâté, sausages, veal axoa, Piment d’Espelette, as well as Ardi Gasna and Ossau-Iraty sheep’s cheese, Basque cake and Irouleguy wine, to name but a few. The list is long and tempting!
Bayonne market dates and locations: Wednesday mornings, Place des Gascons. Saturday mornings on the carreau des Halles and the quays of the Nive. On Friday mornings, meet at Place du Polo, Place de la République or Place du Marquisat.
Restaurants: Basque cuisine, tapas and bodega atmosphere
An emblematic district of the city, Petit Bayonne is known as the city’s restaurant and bar district. The area is teeming with authentic addresses, restaurants, tapas bars and other convivial places where you can eat well without breaking the bank. French, Basque and Spanish cuisine. On the menu: paella valenciana, pan-fried chipirons salad, homemade foie gras, Basque burger, fish of the day.
Renowned for its fine dining, Greater Bayonne also attracts epicureans of all stripes in search of new flavors. Near Les Halles, the Bar du Marché is a veritable institution, run by the Erramoun family for almost half a century. The house’s signature dish: the Basque omelette withEspelette pepper!
For a Sunday morning brunch or a quick bite to eat, take advantage of the terraces set up on the cobblestones of the Quais de la Nive and around Sainte-Marie Cathedral. Chez Janine, chez Martin, Le Carré… there’s no shortage of places to enjoy delicious pancakes with honey and jam for the sweet tooth, or a platter of charcuterie and tapas-style cheeses for the late riser.
A snack to remember for a long time to come
Time for a snack? Take a gourmet break between two visits! Bayonne is full of tearooms and patisseries where you can spend a gourmet moment with your children. To keep things local, you’ll be tempted by a small slice of Basque cherry or cream cake.
For chocolate lovers, Maison Pariès is famous throughout the Basque Country for its famous Mouchous, Macarons and Kanougas. A Bayonne institution since 1895! Further afield, Cazenave ‘s hot chocolate is considered the best in town, in the eyes and especially the taste buds of cocoa lovers. You’ll also want to stop by the Loreztia boutique to pick up some black cherry jam with Espelette pepper or a small jar of Miels de Navarre and Aragon honey. And what are your favorite gourmet addresses in Bayonne?