Basque restaurant Mugaritz: A phoenix from the flames

Basque gastronomy received a blow on Monday 15th February when one of its most internationally-acclaimed restaurants was destroyed by fire.

The web page of the Basque Country’s world-renowned Mugaritz restaurant, run by prestigious chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, now reads just the single phrase - in eight languages - Berreraikuntza sustraizetatik: Construction begins from the foundations.

According to Spanish daily newspaper El Pais, since Monday’s tragedy, several Basque chefs - including Arzak, Berasategi, Subijana and Arguiñano - have shown their support to Aduriz, even offering their premises to carry out the most pressing of commitments.

Meanwhile as far away as Peru, the US, Venezuela and Japan, renowned chefs have offered their solidarity to the Basque chef, considered one of the four best in the world. Seiji Yamamoto and Jatori have even started a collection of money to go towards reconstruction of the restaurant. Speaking with the Spanish daily, Aduriz was both moved and surprised by the gesture: "I don''t know if it''s a tradition there," he said, "but I told them to save up the money to come to the reopening".

But the building’s structure is not the only thing that has been lost in the flames. "Over the years we had collected lots of material to end up with a very well-equipped kitchen and it''s all down the tubes. In three hours, we''ve lost everything," said Aduriz.

Aduriz is acknowledged as a rising star in avant-garde Spanish gastronomy in the style of Catalonian chef Ferran Adria, known for deconstructing food and putting it back together in surprising ways.

The respected San Pellegrino "World''s 50 best restaurants" list rated Mugaritz as fourth behind Adria''s restaurant El Bulli, Heston Blumenthal''s The Fat Duck in Britain, and chef Rene Redzepi''s Noma in Denmark.

The Basque regional Interior Ministry said the cause of the fire may have been an electrical short-circuit.