Authentic Basque grilling comes to the rooftop of Forbes House: Bodegón Joxe Mari and Hika wines in a new Chef's Table
Asador Joxe Mari, founded in Orio in 1957 by Joxe Mari Manterola, began as a small tavern roasting chestnuts and sardines.
The first of the Manterola family pioneered placing the sea bream directly on the grill and then serving it with the sofrito that would eventually give its name to the famous "Orio style." This way of preparing fish, simple in appearance but demanding in its execution, became one of the town's hallmarks and a benchmark of Basque grilling.
Today, three generations later, Mikel Manterola represents the continuation of that story. He is at the helm of the grill, heir to a dynasty of grill masters who maintain their unwavering connection to the product and tradition. For this edition of Chef's Table, this project will bring the essence of his cuisine—direct and unpretentious—to Forbes House. An experience built around the embers and the finest Cantabrian produce, where the grill is not just another technique, but the guiding thread of the entire dinner, right before the diners' eyes.
The tasting menu will begin with grilled txistorra sausage, paired with Hika White 2025, and will continue with grilled kokotxa (hake cheeks), in harmony with Hika Bilduma 2020. Then will come the dish that best summarizes the identity of the house: grilled sea bream, accompanied by Hika Txinpart 2021, with that garlic and chili pepper sofrito as the main protagonist.
The second part of the experience will bring the heat to the meat with a txuleta (Basque-style ribeye steak) with grilled peppers – cooked on the very plate in which they are served – paired with Hika Red 2023. The menu will continue with a tribute to Idiazabal, a Basque cheese jewel, accompanied by Hika B119, and will end with a sweet nod to home with homemade flan, also in harmony with that B119.
If Joxe Mari represents one way of understanding Basque cuisine through fire, Hika embodies another way of telling the story of the land through wine. Asier Arrieta's winery, located in Amasa-Villabona, was founded in 2016 surrounded by vineyards and focused on producing txakoli from the Getariako Txakolina DO. His project combines viticulture, winemaking, landscape, and gastronomy in a single space.
At the helm of the culinary offering is Roberto Ruiz, a leading figure in Basque cuisine. After 25 years leading the Frontón restaurant in Tolosa, Ruiz joined Hika with his team to develop Hika by Roberto Ruiz, a restaurant integrated into the winery itself and based on local produce, landscape cuisine, and straightforward preparations.
Hika's philosophy finds a natural expression in its wines. The winery works primarily with indigenous grape varieties and seeks to produce txakolis that combine Basque identity with a contemporary approach. Its vineyards, located in the Oria Valley with views of Mount Ernio, are an essential part of this philosophy.
On the rooftop of Forbes House, Hika wines will complement every moment of the meal without competing with the grill. From the crispness of Hika White to the complexity of Bilduma, and including Txinpart, Hika Red, and B119, the selection will allow you to explore different expressions of the winery as the menu progresses from charcuterie to fish, meat to cheese, and finally, dessert.
The result will be an evening dedicated to two complementary ways of understanding Basque gastronomy: that which is born from fire and that which is born from the landscape. Joxe Mari will present nearly seven decades of grilling culture; Hika, a contemporary take on Gipuzkoa's winemaking tradition. All of this, brought to Madrid for one night and to the rooftop of Forbes House.
Forbes House Chef’s Table
Date: Monday, September 21, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Location: Forbes House rooftop, Madrid. Guest restaurant: Bodegón Asador Joxe Mari, Orio. Guest winery: Hika Bodega, Gipuzkoa. Price: 250 euros, wine pairing included. SRC