Brasserie Aviron Bayonnais
In the Garage de la Nive
Cuisines: Spanish, French
About
Very few restaurants that we know of are as passionately associated with local sports teams as this one, where regional rugby is viewed with something akin to obsession. Located near the town's sports stadium and the river, within a 10-minute walk from the cathedral, it occupies a second-story dining room that's modern, minimalist, and lined with photos of local athletes. The same building contains the administrative headquarters for the town's rugby team, Aviron Bayonnais. Come here for two-fisted, no-nonsense platters of local charcuteries, among which, of course, will be paper-thin slices of jambon de Bayonne; garlicky tartines piled high with peppers, tomatoes, and onions; massive chunks of beefsteak prepared for two diners at a time; calamaris (chiperones) in a creamy garlic sauce; and oven-baked hake from nearby St-Jean-de-Luz prepared with olive oil and garlic "in the Spanish style."
