Jakarta is no stranger to Spanish cuisine, but the recently opened ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta brings a little something different to the table, serving up the fiery flavours of the Basque Country.
“Classic Spanish cuisine is very Mediterranean, rich with olive oils, lots vegetables, whilst the Basque cuisine is known for its beef and its fish and seafood,” explains Chef Iñigo Urrechu, founder of the restaurant brand. “Here at ERRE & Urrechu, you have the best of both gastronomies!”
Animated and full of life, Chef Iñigo’s passion burns as hot as a Basque grill. He brings this enthusiasm into the heart of ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta, the third installment of his restaurant brand which officially opened on 13 June 2025, with previous locations in Marbella and Barcelona.
The new venue opens on the Lobby Floor of the Gran Melia Jakarta, Kuningan, which is part of a renowned Spanish international hotel chain. It welcomes diners into a sophisticated, Mediterranean-inspired oasis in the city centre.
Inside the conservatory-style dining area, bathed in natural light, an olive tree stands as the centrepiece, surrounded by earth-toned leather seats, solid wood tables and rustic stone and brick details that gives ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta a tangible Spanish charm and warmth – a vision of CMV Architects, a design firm from Palma de Mallorca. The space is complemented by a European-style bar and two private rooms for more intimate occasions.
On the far side, an open kitchen clues into what’s on the menu: the live fire grill and oven are placed front and centre for all to see, with a counter highlighting fresh seafood on ice and dry-ageing meats on display. The Basque country is a bountiful pocket of northern Spain, a coastal region benefitting from fresh seafood as well as rich dairy and meat products, all infused into the cuisine. Much of this is put to the grill, cooked over and flavoured by live fires, which is precisely where the restaurant gets its name: erre being a Basque word that means “to burn.”
“We bring this cooking culture to Jakarta, but we localise the grill using Indonesian woods,” explains Chef Alejandro García Martín, the head chef leading the kitchen at ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta. “Here we use local jackfruit and tamarind woods to cook with,” adds the Spanish chef.
Every dish is introduced to an element of fire, be it over the grill, or smoked or cooked in the oven. Highlight starters include the premium French No.2 Oysters, served natural or grilled, along with a piquant, smoked jalapeño cream sauce, or for those who prefer their seafood cooked, delectable ‘Briochito’ (mini brioche), toasted gold in butter, with a king crab filling. The first taste of steak comes from the crispy croquetas, with a 3-hour braised ribeye, or creamier tiger prawn croquette hits the mark. Of course, a Spanish restaurant is incomplete without an offering of Jamón Ibérico.
Then we come to the grilled specialties featuring premium seafood and steaks. ‘Atlantic Ocean Cod’ is a Spanish specialty, doused in a creamy pil-pil sauce that cuts through the sweet, delicate richness of this cold-water fish; or the ‘Grilled Octopus,’ perfectly tender, soaking up the flavours of the jackfruit wood and served on a creamy root vegetable purée. As for meat cuts, diners are spoiled for choice with dry-aged Australian Wagyu and Black Angus.
These are finished with Chef Iñigo’s ‘secret salt mix’ –rumour has it even Chef Alejandro doesn’t know what goes into this special seasoning! The grilled vegetables are by no means a mere side dish, they are highlights in their own right, especially the specially-imported ‘piquillo peppers’, roasting in their own juices for hours in the tamarind wood fired oven, until they are soft and delicate layers of paprika flesh. Another must-try veggie dish is the ‘Baked Leek’, topped with a comté cheese emulsion.
Though Basque specialties are a highlight, ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta still serves up Spanish classics including the crowd favourite paella, including ‘Erre’s Signature Paella’ with 250gm grilled Spanish Ribeye, beef alioli and garlic chips. To finish, the irresistible offering of churros, which the restaurant serves with a side of ‘smoked’ ice cream; and, of course, a Basque-style Cheesecake also features on the dessert menu.
Certainly a stylish restaurant, ERRE and Urrechu Jakarta has a real warmth, and totally devoid of pretension, a quality Jakarta needs a little more of! Perhaps this is thanks to the friendly, Spanish charm of its founder: “We are friends cooking for friends,” Chef Iñigo continues to say.
ERRE & Urrechu Jakarta
Lobby Floor, Gran Meliá Jakarta,
Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said, Kuningan
+62 811 8890 712 (WA)
@erreurrechu.jkt
