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On Seymour Place in Marylebone, Lurra brings the cooking traditions of Spain’s Basque Country to a quietly stylish corner of central London. The restaurant takes its cues from the traditional erretegia, where charcoal and wood grills are central to the kitchen, with carefully sourced meat, seafood and vegetables given straightforward treatment over fire.
Opened by Melody Adams and Nemanja Borjanović, the restaurateurs behind neighbouring Donostia, Lurra has been serving this style of Basque cooking since 2015. The setting is relaxed, the menu encourages sharing, and some of its best-known dishes have remained fixtures for years. For diners who appreciate serious ingredients without the ceremony of formal fine dining, it makes a compelling Marylebone address.
Basque Roots, London Address
Lurra means “land” in Basque, a name that neatly reflects the restaurant’s emphasis on provenance. Its inspiration comes largely from northern Spain, where the quality of the produce and the handling of it carry more weight than elaborate presentation.
The grill is fundamental to that approach. Charcoal and wood are used in the tradition of Basque erretegia, bringing smoke and heat to everything from wild turbot to thick cuts of beef. Lurra’s founders have deliberately stayed close to traditional Basque cooking rather than continually reshaping the menu around passing trends.
Beef is particularly important. Lurra is known for Rubia Gallega, or Galician Blond, sourced from older cattle reared in northern Spain. The restaurant also works with retired British dairy cattle, allowing them time on pasture before the beef is eventually served. Age, fat and marbling give these cuts a depth that suits the direct heat of the charcoal grill.
Warmth, Light and a Hidden Courtyard
Lurra’s dining room follows the same understated philosophy as its cooking. The interiors are bright and restrained, with pale finishes, natural materials and an uncluttered feel that keeps the restaurant polished without making dinner feel overly formal.
There is an easy intimacy to the space, helped by its Marylebone location away from the busier dining stretches of the West End. It works equally well for a long lunch or dinner where sharing several plates is part of the appeal.
The courtyard is one of Lurra’s more distinctive features. Tucked behind the restaurant, it is covered and heated for year-round dining and can be booked for individual tables or hired exclusively. It offers a quieter alternative to the main dining room and is particularly appealing when London’s weather cooperates.
The Grill at the Heart of Lurra
Lurra’s menu is built for sharing, moving from small snacks and tapas into larger dishes designed for the table. The grill provides the thread running through much of it, although some of the simplest plates are equally revealing of the restaurant’s approach.
Small Plates and Tapas
A meal can begin with sourdough, Gordal olives or Spanish peppers seasoned simply with sea salt. Jamón Ibérico brings a familiar Basque-Spanish starting point, while matrimonio pairs anchovies and boquerones, giving the opening plates a sharper, saltier edge.
Seafood becomes more substantial with dishes such as wild prawns al ajillo and grilled octopus with piquillo sauce. The latter has been served since Lurra opened and remains one of its signatures. Hake kokotxas, the prized flesh from beneath the fish’s jaw, also reflects the restaurant’s willingness to retain dishes firmly rooted in Basque cooking.
Meat dishes among the smaller plates can include Ibérico pork, while vegetables and salads are treated with similar care. Lurra’s tomato salad has developed a reputation of its own, relying largely on the quality of the tomatoes rather than an elaborate preparation.
Sharing Plates From the Grill
The Rubia Gallega “Galician Blond” beef is the obvious centrepiece for meat eaters. The cattle are typically considerably older than conventional beef animals, resulting in pronounced marbling and a richer flavour. Thick cuts are grilled over charcoal and intended for sharing, making the steak particularly suited to a table ordering several dishes rather than a conventional starter-and-main format.
Whole grilled wild turbot is the seafood counterpart. Cooked over the grill and served whole, it is another longstanding Lurra signature and captures the restaurant’s preference for excellent produce handled with restraint. Depending on the menu, larger sharing dishes can also extend to slow-cooked lamb.
Sides remain uncomplicated. Fries with smoked paprika and aioli, grilled peppers, seasonal vegetables and tomato salad provide enough contrast without competing with the larger plates.
A Basque Finish
Burnt Basque cheesecake is the dessert most closely associated with Lurra. Inspired by the cheesecakes of La Viña in San Sebastián, the restaurant has refined its own recipe over many years. Its deeply browned exterior gives way to a soft, rich centre, making it an appropriately regional conclusion to the meal and one of the dishes worth leaving room for.
The overall menu works best when approached communally. A handful of smaller plates followed by one of the substantial grilled dishes allows the kitchen’s strengths to come through without turning dinner into an unnecessarily long procession of courses.
Spanish Bottles and Basque Pouring
The wine list keeps the geographical focus largely in Spain, with particular attention paid to indigenous grapes and the wider Basque Country. This gives the selection a stronger sense of identity than a broad international list would provide.
Basque Txakoli is a natural starting point, particularly alongside seafood and lighter opening dishes, while fuller Spanish reds are well suited to the aged beef and richer plates from the grill. Lurra’s longstanding interest in Spanish wine has also seen the restaurant work with notable producers through dedicated dinners and events.
For diners interested in wine, there is enough depth to make the bottle an important part of the meal rather than an afterthought. At the same time, the list remains closely connected to what arrives from the kitchen.
A More Private Side of Lurra
For private occasions, Lurra has a first-floor dining room overlooking the courtyard. Decorated in keeping with the main restaurant, it can accommodate up to 34 guests seated and is available for celebrations as well as daytime corporate meetings and lunches.
The courtyard offers another option for exclusive hire. Its covered, heated arrangement makes it considerably more practical than a seasonal terrace, particularly for groups that want some separation from the main dining room without moving to a conventional event space.
Both options suit Lurra’s broader character: intimate, well-considered and centred on the shared-table dining style that works naturally with the restaurant’s larger grilled dishes.
Lurra at Its Best
Lurra has the confidence of a restaurant that knows exactly what it wants to cook. Basque traditions remain clearly visible, the grill gives the menu its character, and longstanding signatures such as Rubia Gallega beef, whole wild turbot, grilled octopus and burnt Basque cheesecake provide good reason to visit.
Its appeal is equally tied to the atmosphere. The Marylebone setting feels discreet, the courtyard adds another dimension, and the experience remains relaxed enough for the food to take precedence. For a London meal built around excellent produce, Spanish wine and cooking over fire, Lurra continues to make a strong case for keeping things focused.
Location: 9 Seymour Pl, London W1H 5BA
