A third-generation restaurateur, she trained at the Madrid School of Hospitality, completing her apprenticeship in England and Lausanne, Switzerland. She then returned to the family restaurant, Panier Fleuri, in Errenteria. She built a long career there as head of front-of-house, always championing the close relationship between the kitchen and the dining room, and viewing service as a way of looking after diners.

In 1976, she started attending the meetings that would lay the foundations for the New Basque Cuisine, sharing knowledge and experiences with some of the leading figures in Basque gastronomy. From the dining room, she contributed to a new understanding of the profession based on exchange, teamwork, and opening up kitchens.

Panier Fleuri, awarded a Michelin star in 1982 which it retained until closing, was one of Gipuzkoa’s leading restaurants for decades. Having retired from the profession in 2002, Tatus Fombellida remains a key figure in understanding the origins and legacy of the gastronomic revolution that transformed Basque cuisine and spread its influence far beyond the Basque Country.