"Sébastien Gravé's €70 Basque tasting at a Bayonne zinc counter — book the two-seat kitchen table for a quiet first date."
About La Table Sébastien Gravé
Sébastien Gravé grew up in Labastide-Clairence, trained in starred Paris kitchens, and built his name in the capital with Pottoka before bringing the same Basque cooking home. La Table sits on the Quai Amiral Dubourdieu, on the Nive in Petit Bayonne, and it is a bistrot in the real sense: a zinc counter, a long table d'hôtes for groups, and a two-seat table set inside the kitchen for anyone who wants to watch the pass.
The kitchen reads as farm-to-table South-West France, listed in the MICHELIN Guide's Bayonne selection and rated by Gault&Millau. Lunch menus start at €27; the evening tasting is €70. See more restaurants in Bayonne or the guide to the best French restaurants worldwide.
The Kitchen
Gravé cooks the South-West off its own larder. The natural hake from Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the plate to order — line-caught, barely cooked, dressed with restraint. Marinated and charred mackerel and a slow Ibaïma pork shoulder round out the regular roster, and the menus change with what the boats and farms send up. The €70 tasting is the fullest read of the kitchen; the €27 and €32 lunches are the value way in.
This is bistrot cooking with a starred-kitchen backbone, closer in spirit to François Miura than to the tweezer-and-foam school. Produce leads; technique stays out of the way.
The Room
The room is small and unfussy, built around a zinc-topped counter where you can eat alone and a communal table d'hôtes for friends. Best of all is the two-seat table inside the kitchen, where the cooking happens an arm's length away. Lighting is warm, the noise is conversational, and the riverfront setting on the Nive quay does the rest. Dress is smart casual; this is the Basque country, not Paris.
Best for a First Date
La Table suits a first date because it is intimate without trying too hard: take the two-seat kitchen table or a pair of counter stools, order the €70 tasting, and let Basque produce carry the conversation. The price is honest, so picking up the cheque is painless. Book Tuesday to Saturday, ask for the kitchen table when you reserve, and compare notes with the best first-date restaurants. More Bayonne dining is one click on.
Not for
Avoid if you want haute-cuisine theatre — this is a Basque bistrot, generous and unfussy, not a starched tasting-menu temple with tweezers.
Frequently Asked
Is La Table Sébastien Gravé worth it?
Yes, particularly for the price. Chef Sébastien Gravé carries a starred-Paris pedigree and his Pottoka name, and the €70 tasting of South-West produce — hake from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, charred mackerel, slow pork shoulder — punches above a bistrot bill. It is honest Basque cooking rather than fine-dining spectacle.
How do you book La Table Sébastien Gravé?
Book by phone on +33 5 59 46 14 94 or through latable-sebastiengrave.fr. The restaurant opens Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and the two-seat table inside the kitchen is the first seat to go, so request it when you reserve, ideally a week or two ahead.
What is the dress code at La Table Sébastien Gravé?
Smart casual. This is a riverfront Basque bistrot, not a formal dining room, so there is no jacket requirement. Most guests dress neatly — a shirt or a simple dress is plenty — and you will be comfortable at the counter or the kitchen table either way.
How much is a meal at La Table Sébastien Gravé?
Lunch menus run €27 and €32, an a la carte choice menu is €45, and the full tasting menu is €70. That makes the kitchen unusually good value for its quality, with the lunch menus the cheapest way to sample Gravé's cooking and the €70 tasting the most complete.
Is La Table Sébastien Gravé good for a first date?
Yes. The two-seat kitchen table and the zinc counter are made for leaning in, the €70 tasting keeps things relaxed rather than formal, and the honest pricing takes the awkwardness out of the bill. Reserve the kitchen table Tuesday to Saturday and arrive a little early for a drink.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at La Table Sébastien Gravé
Open Tuesday to Saturday, lunch and dinner; the two-seat kitchen table books out first.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address21 Quai Amiral Dubourdieu, 64100 Bayonne
NeighbourhoodPetit Bayonne, riverfront
CuisineSouth-West French bistrot
PriceLunch menus €27 and €32; à la carte choice menu €45; tasting menu €70
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingZinc counter, table d'hôtes, two-seat kitchen table
ReservationPhone or latable-sebastiengrave.fr; Tue–Sat
