Just minutes from its first address Osaba, Frédéric Dassonville opened Osabaita in 2024 with a clear ambition: to offer a fuller, more refined version of Basque cuisine in Paris. In a traditional setting, the menu blends tapas, classic dishes and pantry products sourced from renowned producers.
Originating from Brittany but Basque at heart, the owner bears a sincere attachment to this bold, characterful cuisine. His long beard makes him instantly recognizable, just as his passion for beautiful and high-quality ingredients that he selects with care.
More than just a tapas bar, Osabaita offers a complete Iberian menu, able to cover everything from a lively apéro with friends to a more structured tête-à-tête dinner. The decor, of course, leans fully into Basque country vibes, with red bandanas, dried chiles hanging from the ceiling, and even a surfboard carved with the restaurant’s name.
With Ricardo at the service, conviviality is an integral part of the place. He also lets slip that groups of young professionals have their little habits here, popping in for a few tapas before extending the evening at a bar à blindtest du quartier.
One has to admit that on the tapas front, the offer is both generous and playful, with the option to order a meter of tapas (that’s 10 tapas) for €39.90. Nice! About ten hot tapas and about ten cold tapas alternate between the genre’s classics and more original twists: revisited mozzarella sticks with sheep’s cheese, cod fritters, croquetas ham-and-cheese, Basque pâté with Espelette pepper, piquillos stuffed, or Iberian ham. The tartinables, such as crab mayonnaise, also add variety to the lineup.
The planches follow the same logic with well-sourced products and shareable formats. For 2 people, expect €31 for the charcuterie board, €31.50 for the cheese board, and €33.90 for the mixed board. To wash it down, cheerfully, with Basque beers, cocktails based on Txakoli, and wines from the Southwest!
To delight diners, the owner leans on a handful of producers and artisans who are renowned and respected, such as Pierre Oteiza, Anne Rozès, or the Montauzer family, indispensable references of the Basque terroir. These products are also available to take home, thanks to a well-stocked little grocery corner epicerie corner.
Beyond tapas, Osabaita also serves a menu of hearty dishes, headlined by the axoa de veau, a standout (very, very good), the burger au lomo (€21.50) with mountain sheep’s milk cheese, an egg and ventrèche, not to mention the Basque chicken (€22.50) and the magret de canard (€24). Pays basque pur jus!
At lunchtime, the taloa sandwiches offer a tasty option, with about a dozen ready-to-go choices, and even more original, the Basque raclette (!) is sure to delight aficionados. With generosity and warmth, Osabaita pulls off the feat of being a real little Basque enclave in Paris!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
