Must-see restaurants in San Sebastián

  • Xarma

    Gros

    A striking contemporary wood-lined dining room with bare-bulb downlighting is the backdrop for artistically presented dishes prepared in the open kitchen…

  • La Cuchara de San Telmo

    Parte Vieja

    This bustling, always packed bar offers miniature nueva cocina vasca (Basque nouvelle cuisine) from a supremely creative kitchen. Unlike many San…

  • Arzak

    San Sebastián

    With three shining Michelin stars, acclaimed chef Juan Mari Arzak is king when it comes to Basque nouvelle cuisine and his restaurant, 3.5km east of San…

  • Casa Urola

    Parte Vieja

    Founded in 1956, Casa Urola has hefty stone walls, hams hanging above the bar and a blackboard menu chalking up the day's pintxos. Join the lunch and…

  • Bodega Donostiarra

    Gros

    The whitewashed stone walls, framed prints and black-and-white photos give this place a quirky charm, though the crowds can be so thick that you might not…

  • Mugaritz

    San Sebastián

    Perched high up in the bucolic hills 10km southeast of San Sebastián, twin-Michelin-starred Mugaritz' calling card is chef Andoni Luis Aduriz' avant-garde…

  • Bar Borda Berri

    Parte Vieja

    Perennially popular Bar Borda Berri is an old-school pintxo bar – with black-and-white chequerboard floors and mustard-coloured walls hung with old photos…

  • Gerald's Bar

    Gros

    Melbourne-based restaurateur Gerald Diffey fell so hard for San Sebastián that he decided to open a second Gerald's in the city – never mind that the…

  • Arnoldo Heladeria

    San Sebastián

    In business since 1935, Arnoldo Heladeria makes San Sebastián's best ice cream. Alongside sorbets such as mango and passion fruit, and white peach, they…

  • Antonio Bar

    San Sebastián

    From the outside, Antonio Bar looks like the sort of cafe you'd get in a train station waiting room. Hidden downstairs, however, is its six-table basement…

  • Chutney Gastrobar

    San Sebastián

    When a French bartender and an English cook with Pakistani-Saudi roots teamed up, they created one of the most innovative pintxos spots in town. This…

  • Gandarias

    Parte Vieja

    An obligatory destination for anyone interested in San Sebastián's foodie hot spots, Gandarias has a sterling reputation for its artfully prepared pintxos…

  • La Viña

    Parte Vieja

    The bar of this traditional spot displays a wonderful array of fishy pintxos and delectable snacks, but the real highlight is the creamy baked cheesecake…

  • Martín Berasategui Restaurant

    San Sebastián

    This superlative restaurant, 9km southwest of San Sebastián, is considered by gourmands to be among the world's finest dining addresses. The chef, Martín…

  • Zeruko

    Parte Vieja

    A fun and festive eatery, Zeruko has garnered its share of awards and earns rave reviews for its creative high-quality pintxos. It's famous for its smoked…

  • Restaurante Kokotxa

    Parte Vieja

    Hidden in an overlooked Parte Vieja alley, this Michelin-starred restaurant rewards those who search. Most people opt for the menú de mercado and enjoy…

  • Bergara Bar

    Gros

    The Bergara Bar is one of Gros' most highly regarded pintxo bars and has a mouth-watering array of delights piled on the bar counter, as well as others…

  • Lanziego

    San Sebastián

    Just back from Playa de la Concha, Lanziego is all class, with its chandeliers, comfy booths and white-linen settings. Although the food might lack some…

  • Bodegón Alejandro

    Parte Vieja

    Tucked down the steps off a pedestrian-packed street, this handsome cellar restaurant is acclaimed for its Basque cooking. The small, changing menu has…

  • Sirimiri Atari Akademy

    Parte Vieja

    A bit smarter than many of the bars in the Parte Vieja, this contemporary joint dishes up a modern, jazzy vibe, artful pintxos and skilfully shaken…

  • Akelaŕe

    San Sebastián

    This is where chef Pedro Subijana creates cuisine that is a feast for all five senses. As with most of the region's top nueva cocina vasca restaurants,…

  • Restaurante Ni Neu

    Gros

    The light, fluffy and utterly modern dishes of the Restaurante Ni Neu will leave you never wanting to eat old-fashioned meat and two veg again. Throw in a…

  • Belgrado

    Gros

    Just across from Zurriola beach, Belgrado is a cafe, deli and boutique all rolled into one. You can munch on freshly made pastries, burgers or delicious…

  • Txalupa Gastroleku

    Parte Vieja

    A wooden bar shaped like a txalupa (traditional fishing boat), piled high with sublime pintxos prepared in the adjoining open kitchen, forms the…

  • Bar Goiz-Argi

    Parte Vieja

    Brochetas de gambas (prawn skewers) are the house speciality. Sounds simple, but no one in town grills them up to such tender perfection. Other hits:…

  • Altuna

    San Sebastián

    Decorated in jade-green tiles, this contemporary stunner serves freshly shucked oysters and inventive pintxos, such as dried tuna and cold almond soup…

  • Txepetxa

    Parte Vieja

    The humble antxoa (anchovy) is elevated to royal status at this old-fashioned, wood-panelled local favourite. You can order it in over a dozen different…

  • A Fuego Negro

    Parte Vieja

    Dark, theatrical and anything but traditional, A Fuego Negro is one of the leading designers of arty pintxos (here made to quick-fire order rather than…

  • Restaurante Tenis Ondarreta

    San Sebastián

    At the foot of Monte Igueldo in the San Sebastián Royal Tennis Club, this restaurant has a white-dressed dining room and al fresco terrace overlooking the…

  • La Fábrica

    Parte Vieja

    The red-brick interior walls and white tablecloths lend an air of class to this restaurant, whose modern takes on Basque classics continue to make waves…

  • Loaf

    Gros

    Streetside viewing windows let you watch the Loaf baking breads, cakes (eg lemon drizzle), cookies and other treats, including rich, dense chocolate…

  • Casa Valles

    San Sebastián

    Well away from the tourist hustle and bustle is this timber-panelled locals' institution with long communal tables, which serves some of the new town's…

  • Café de la Concha

    San Sebastián

    The Café de la Concha is inside a wonderful art deco building that recalls San Sebastián's aristocratic heyday. As regal as the history are the views –…

  • Kata 4

    San Sebastián

    An urbane crowd gather at this fashionable spot near the ritzy Hotel Maria Cristina to feast on eight different varieties of oysters and refined pintxos,…

  • La Madame

    San Sebastián

    For a break from pintxos and classic Basque cooking, search out this modern New York–style setup a block back from the beach. A restaurant-cum-lounge bar,…

  • Rojo y Negro

    San Sebastián

    You can eat a full sit-down meal at this bar, but you're best following the locals' lead and concentrating on pintxos such as cuttlefish miniburgers,…

  • La Guinda

    Gros

    The pick of the seats at this little cafe a block from the beach are on the terrace, shaded by a retractable awning. Breakfast dishes range from yogurt…

  • Txuleta

    Parte Vieja

    A txuleta is a cut of beef and this is the place to sample some wonderful melt-in-your mouth examples – try the pintxo txuleta, a minikebab of three bite…

  • Bar Nestor

    Parte Vieja

    Wonderfully eccentric Bar Nestor has a cult following for its tortillas made with green peppers (just one tortilla is cooked at lunch and at dinner; put…

  • Bokado Mikel Santamaría

    Parte Vieja

    Above the aquarium, reached by a lift, stylish Bokado is all about the views. First there are the memorable panoramas over the Bahía de la Concha from…

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