Glaces Gantxo, Bayonne

Glaces Gantxo is Bayonne's most respected artisan ice cream and sorbet maker, operating a small workshop-parlour on the Rue du Trinquet in the old city—a few minutes from the famous chocolate shops of the Rue d'Espagne and the covered market. Gantxo (meaning 'hook' in Basque, a reference to the Adour River's fishing tradition) makes all its ice creams and sorbets in small batches using local and regional ingredients: the Espelette pepper chocolate ice cream is the most emblematic—dark chocolate base infused with a measured heat of Espelette piment AOP, arriving warm in the finish; the Armagnac prune sorbet uses fruit macerated in Ténarèze Armagnac from the Gers; the Basque sheep's milk ice cream is made from the ewes' milk that also produces the Ossau-Iraty cheese of the Pyrénées. Seasonal flavours rotate with local availability: strawberries from Anglet in spring, Bayonne cherries in early summer, and figs from the Hendaye coast in late summer. The parlour does not serve sit-down; visitors choose from the cabinet, order at the counter, and eat on the street or at the small tables outside. Cones and cups are both available; a double scoop costs approximately €3.50–€4.50. The shop is popular with families, market visitors, and anyone who has just finished tasting chocolate in the nearby confiseries and wants a cold contrast. Gantxo is closed in winter and operates Tuesday through Sunday during the warmer months.