Sirimiri is a Basque word to describe a type of fine and constant rain that helps to anchor the distinctive green shade in the landscape of the Basque Country. It is a common phenomenon in Lezama, a village in Alava nestled between the Gorbea mountain range and the Sierra de la Demanda, on the border with Castile and Leon.
Halfway between Bilbao and Vitoria, through these lands of green forests and rolling mountains, muleteers, travellers and even soldiers in the Carlist wars have passed through the centuries. They used to come to Bideko, a farmhouse built in the 17th century and run since 1870 by Ponciano Gotxikoa, to collect their wages and fill their stomachs with the homemade stews of his wife Madalena.
Today, following the family tradition of Ponciano and Madalena, brothers Javier and José Cruz Guinea continue to serve as food and drink to those who come to this beautiful caserío. During its restoration a few years ago, an outdoor tent was erected to host weddings, an addition that is proving to be very useful, as is the terrace, in these trying times of the pandemic.
In the kitchen, Javier expertly cooks traditional dishes such as hake in green sauce with clams and kokotxas or stewed tail, as well as seasonal specialities such as perretxikos in spring or wild mushrooms in autumn. Homemade desserts such as the tangerine-filled panchineta and the chocolate and hazelnut cake with homemade ice cream are also part of the menu, which is complemented with a varied, abundant and highly recommended daily menu (€18.15) and a weekend menu (€50).
In the dining room is José Cruz, co-owner of Bat Gara, the txakoli bodega in DO Arabako Txakolina, the smallest of the three txakoli appellations, who enjoys opening old bottles of Uno to wine enthusiasts interested in appreciating the differences between vintages of this txakoli that ages gracefully in bottle. In addition to Bat Gara txakolis, José Cruz has some 200 brands, mainly from Rioja Alavesa, but also from other Spanish areas plus a handful of foreign wines.
In the kitchen, Javier expertly cooks traditional dishes such as hake in green sauce with clams and kokotxas or stewed tail, as well as seasonal specialities such as perretxikos in spring or wild mushrooms in autumn. Homemade desserts such as the tangerine-filled panchineta and the chocolate and hazelnut cake with homemade ice cream are also part of the menu, which is complemented with a varied, abundant and highly recommended daily menu (€18.15) and a weekend menu (€50).
In the dining room is José Cruz, co-owner of Bat Gara, the txakoli bodega, who enjoys opening old bottles of Uno to wine enthusiasts interested in appreciating the differences between vintages of this txakoli that ages gracefully in bottle. In addition to Bat Gara txakolis, José Cruz has some 200 brands, mainly from Rioja Alavesa, but also from other Spanish areas plus a handful of foreign wines.
For anyone wishing to enjoy a day in the midst of nature before enjoying a hearty lunch or dinner at Bideko, the Ayala Valley and the nearby Arrastaria Valley are dotted with places of great beauty such as the Delika Canyon, the Nervión Waterfall (the largest in Spain, at 222m high) and the Maroño Reservoir. And naturally, txakoli vineyards.Y.O.A.
