Victor Arguinzoniz

Victor Arguinzoniz was born in Axpe, grew up without electricity, and learned to cook on a hearth from his mother and grandmother. He worked in a flag factory before opening Etxebarri at age 30 — never attending culinary school, becoming instead the world's foremost master of wood-fire cooking. Over 30+ years he designed custom grills for every ingredient category, selecting different woods: holm oak for meat, vine shoots for vegetables, orange wood for select dishes. Voted Chef's Choice by peer chefs in 2021. The sommelier, Mohamed Benabdallah, won the 2025 World's Best Sommelier Award (50 Best).