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Nicholas Lander. The fine line that separates the notion of culinary wit from the idea of fun, that prerequisite for a good night out, is clearly demonstrated by the opening of two new Basque restaurants in London.

Eneko, which has taken over the basement space under the One Aldwych hotel on the Strand, offers the aforementioned wit, while Sagardi, on the more boisterous Curtain Road in east London’s Hoxton area, is arguably more fun.

Eneko takes its name from chef Eneko Atxa, whose Azurmendi restaurant in Spain’s Basque country has become known as one of the world’s best since it launched in 2005. Backed by Atxa’s uncle Gorka Izagirre and located just a 15-minute drive from Bilbao airport, it won its third Michelin star in 2012.

In London, Atxa has teamed up with One Aldwych’s management to create a more casual restaurant. This requires all his wit, as the space is far from ideal. Down not one but two flights of curved stairs, it has a rather cool feel (so cool, in fact, that my wife chose to keep her coat on while eating).

But the space is enlivened by some colourful leather banquettes and a series of wooden tables artfully sculpted by Arkaia, a Basque company that believes in the values of family and tradition in the same way that Atxa and his uncle clearly do.

Perhaps it is these surroundings that have prompted Atxa to design such an interesting menu. A single A4 piece of thin cardboard lists the savoury dishes, using colour to signify different headings — itsasotik (from the sea), lurretik (from the land) and hortutik (from the garden).

We started with two dishes from the sea: a tempura of fresh anchovies and something described as “Memories of the Bay of Biscay”, which incorporated oysters with apple blossom, crab with a sea-urchin emulsion and a wild prawn tartare served in a sea urchin. The presentation was as dramatic as the flavours: the anchovies were served in a cornet of mock newsprint that bore that day’s date and had Atxa’s arrival in London as its headline news; while the shellfish dish was presented with dry ice, over which a seaweed infusion was poured to dramatic effect.

The high standards of flavour and display were maintained in our main courses: cod bizcaína, a stew described as delicate despite a hefty smattering of fresh chilli; “morsels” of succulent pork in milk buns, served in a wooden box shaped like the nose and ears of a pig. Meanwhile, our dish from the vegetarian section comprised small new potatoes in a herb and Txakoli sauce, the plate dotted with crunchy fried egg yolks.

Our desserts were even more impressive. I have always been a sucker for the caramelised rice pudding that is a speciality of the Basque region but I don’t believe I have ever had one so stylishly served. Having left the menu with us, the waiter returned a few minutes later pulling a dessert trolley (again made by Arkaia), whose shelves conveyed an array of delights. He served a rice pudding and an equally good raspberry macaroon with basil before offering a scoop of ewe’s-milk ice cream from the trolley’s chilled container.

Sagardi, by contrast, is warmer and more relaxed, and reminded me strongly of the bars and restaurants I have enjoyed in Bilbao and San Sebastián.

The Sagardi group was founded 18 years ago in Barcelona, and now has other restaurants in Valencia, Madrid, Seville and Buenos Aires. The entrance to the Shoreditch branch is busy, with a butcher’s counter on one side and a bar selling pintxos (the Basque equivalent of tapas) on the other. Beyond the butcher’s stall is a massive oak-burning grill.

The interior has the regulation east London industrial feel, and the menu is extensive, with a drawing of a cow adorning the section marked txuletón, compiled by Imanol Jaca, the company butcher.

We began with anchovies from Getaria and a plateful of predominantly meat pintxos, before moving on to a smallish steak and one of those typically Basque dishes that I shouldn’t have ordered in London. Txipirones en su tinta, stuffed baby squid in black sauce, is a great dish but here it was disjointed, the rice and fish served as two separate items rather than as one. I looked on enviously at the man at the next table who had ordered the grilled turbot.

Yet, overall, Eneko and Sagardi join Donostia, Lurra and Ametsa with Arzak Instruction in the Halkin hotel as outposts of sophisticated Basque cooking in London. The style is up to you.

Eneko

One Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ; 0207 300 0300; eneko.london

Sagardi

Cordy House, 95 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3BS; 0203 802 0478; sagardi.co.uk