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$$ | Centro |
Tuna carpaccio with pickled Basque peppers, battered hake cheeks, tripe and pork jowl stew—these are some of the classics you'll find on the menu at Antonio, a neighborhood standby that serves unpretentious pintxos at fair prices. Ask about specials, which vary depending on what's in season.
Calle Bergara 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- No-nonsense pintxo bar
- Packed with locals
- Regional beers and wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$$ | Alto de Miracruz |
One of the world's great culinary meccas, award-winning Arzak embodies the prestige, novelty, and science-driven creativity of the Basque culinary zeitgeist. The restaurant and its high-tech food lab—both helmed by founder Juan Mari Arzak's daughter Elena these days—are situated in the family's 19th-century home on the outskirts of San Sebastián. The ever-changing dishes (€240 for four courses or €270 for the tasting menu) are downright thrilling for their eye-popping presentations, unexpected flavor combinations, and rare ingredients. The best seats in the house are in the newly renovated upstairs dining room.
Av. Alcalde Jose Elosegui 273, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20015, Spain
Known For
- Scintillating yet unpretentious culinary experience
- Old-school hospitality
- Fresh flavors and striking plating
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., June 15–July 2, and 3 wks in early Nov., Reservations essential
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$$ | Gros |
A Gros neighborhood stalwart, the ever-bumping Bodega Donostiarra is famous for its down-home dishes centered on Basque conservas such as oil-packed anchovies, pickled hot peppers (piparrak), and bonito del norte (albacore). All three of these find their way onto the "completo," a locally famous mini-baguette sandwich that's deliciously tart, juicy, and salty all at once.
Calle Peña y Goñi 13, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Fresh seafood dishes prepared "al minuto"
- Can't-go-wrong menu of Basque classics
- Pleasant outdoor terrace that fills up fast in summer
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Don't be put off by the slightly outdated decor of this Parte Vieja stalwart—the kitchen at Casa Urola is easily one of the city's most adroit, whether you post up at the informal bar or sit down to a multi-course meal. In the dining room, savor appetizers made with hard-to-find regional vegetables like cardoon, borage, and tiny de lágrima peas before moving onto entrées like seared squab, presented with a pâté of its own liver, and roasted hake loin, served with white wine and clams. Save room for the signature torrija, custardy fried bread crisped in brown butter and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Calle de Fermín Calbetón 20, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Flawless Basque cuisine
- Restaurant industry favorite
- City's best torrija
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
This busy bar and sedate downstairs restaurant near Plaza de la Constitución is run by the third generation of the same family. Exquisite minimalist morsels range from white Huelva prawns to homemade foie gras to roast squab and—the house specialty—wild mushrooms topped with an egg yolk.
Calle San Jerónimo 21, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- To-die-for wild mushrooms
- Traditional Basque pintxos
- Lively atmosphere in the bar area
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tue., No dinner Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
For pintxos that deftly toe the line between traditional and experimental, there is no better bar than this Parte Vieja cubbyhole renowned for its seared foie gras, braised veal cheeks, and garlicky razor clams a la plancha. Throw a few elbows, order a couple glasses of txakoli, and get ready for pintxo paradise.
Calle Santa Korda 4, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Dependably tasty—and well-portioned—pintxos
- Sardine-can digs
- Parte Vieja standby
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
This centrally located, no-frills bar is almost always crowded, drawing busloads of tour groups as well as locals, who come to try the worth-the-hype "burnt" cheesecake with an oozy core. This silky, creamy dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, while, on the savory side, the underrated pintxos—red peppers stuffed with bacalao, croquetas, veal meatballs, what have you—sing alongside a glass of Rioja.
Calle 31 de Agosto 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- World-famous cheesecake with a cult following
- Old-timey ambience
- Wide variety of classic pintxos
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Lasarte |
Basque chef Martín Berasategui has more Michelin stars than any other chef in Spain, and at his flagship in the dewy village of Lasarte-Oria, it's easy to see why. Dishes are Basque at heart but prepared with exacting, French-inflected technique that comes through in dishes like artfully composed salads, elegant caviar preparations, and eel-and-foie-gras mille-feuilles—a Berasategui signature. Of all the three-stars in and around San Sebastián, Martín Berasategui—despite its rather lackluster dining room—consistently delivers when it comes to sheer hedonistic deliciousness.
Calle Loidi 4, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20160, Spain
Known For
- Once-in-a-lifetime dining experience
- Idyllic, white-tablecloth outdoor terrace
- Artful mix of classic and avant-garde
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Tues., and mid-Dec.–mid-Jan. No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
This traditional sagardotegi 7 km (4 miles) south of San Sebastián is where the region's top chefs—Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui, and Pedro Subijana, to name a few—ring in every cider season with a resounding ¡txotx! ("cheers" in Basque). Removed from the tourist track and open from mid-January to late April, Zelaia invites guests into its barrel-lined warehouses to chow down on an à la carte menu of bacalao-centric dishes, thick-cut steaks, and—for dessert—local cheeses with quince preserves and walnuts (vegetarian options are also available).
B0 Martindegi 29, Basque Country, 20120, Spain
Known For
- Authentic cider house
- Food that's an echelon above other sagardotegis
- Unlimited cider drinking
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and late Apr.–mid-Jan., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Sample experimental pintxos here like Kobe beef sliders (the house specialty), béchamel-stuffed mussels, and Basque-style "pastrami" made from indigenous pigs. The dim lighting, industrial decor, and rock posters attract a young, hip crowd.
Calle 31 de Agosto 31, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- "MakCobe" beef slider
- Innovative pintxos
- Cool crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
The narrow stone rooms of a defunct banana warehouse are now one of the finest spots for modern Basque dining. There's an affordable weekend tasting menu that hinges on what's in season, though dishes like seared txuleton and hake in white wine sauce with clams never come off the menu for a reason.
Calle Euskal Herria 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Unpretentious yet elegant Basque cuisine
- Fantastic seafood dishes
- Surprisingly good value for this part of town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Weds., Sun.
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$$ | Gros |
Winner of many a miniature cuisine award (don't miss the prawn-filled txalupa tartlet), this Gros neighborhood standby offers outside-the-box takes on traditional tapas and pintxos. It also serves more substantial dishes for sit-down meals.
Calle General Arteche 8, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Variety of newfangled and traditional pintxos
- Heavenly foie gras
- Lively atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
Hiding in the basement of a timber building in the heart of the Parte Vieja, this restaurant—where world-renowned chef Martín Berasategui cut his teeth—toes the line between traditional and contemporary Basque cuisine. A recent menu included Navarran white asparagus with hollandaise, poached hake with clam-and-pea sauce, and brûléed torrijas (Spanish "French" toast).
Calle de Fermín Calbetón 4, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Affordable and delectable tasting menus
- Kilometer-zero dining
- Seasonal vegetable delicacies like de lágrima peas and white asparagus
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Parte Vieja |
The specialty of this tiny bar—and the reason locals flock here in droves—is the garlicky seared-shrimp brochette.
Calle de Fermín Calbetón 4, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Juicy shrimp skewers
- Good value
- Cheerful bartenders
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$ | Parte Vieja |
Next to the open-air Brecha Market, this traditional little pintxo bar is a well-priced neighborhood standby with a genial old-school staff.
Calle San Juan 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Fabulous tortilla de bacalao
- Casual local crowd
- Simple, well-prepared Basque bites
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
This boisterous tavern established in 1948 has ceilings dangling with jamones, walls covered with old photos of San Sebastián, and a dining room packed with locals and tourists in equal measure. Everything from the Iberian ham to the little olive-pepper-and-anchovy combos called "penaltis" will whet your appetite, but those who opt for a full meal shouldn't overlook the dry-aged txuleton.
Calle 31 de Agosto 7, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Hand-cut Iberian ham
- Melt-in-your-mouth steak
- €20 prix-fixe lunch
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
You may have to throw an elbow or two to get into this teeming bar, but it's worth braving the sardine-can digs for outstanding pintxos like mushroom-and-Idiazabal risotto and seared foie gras with Basque cider compote.
Calle 31 de Agosto 28, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Internationally inflected pintxos
- Constant crowds
- Fabulous foie gras
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Centro |
Opened in 2019 in Mercado de San Martín, Maun is not your typical no-frills "bar de mercado" but rather a gastronomical food counter whose mouthwatering dishes—such as fish stew, squid in ink sauce, and heirloom tomato salad—are made with ultrafresh ingredients sourced steps from your table.
Calle Urbieta 9, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Promising young chef
- Terrific value
- Market-fresh cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., No dinner Mon.–Weds.
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$$$$ | |
This bucolic farmhouse in the hills above Errenteria, 8 km (5 miles) northeast of San Sebastián, is a veritable laboratory of modern cooking techniques helmed by (arguably) the most experimental chef in Spain today, Andoni Aduriz. The obligatory three-hour, 23-course experience is unabashedly abstract with dishes like "don't search, find" and "tradition: onion and squid," all complemented by zany wild-card wines. The current menu, announced in April 2022, was created in tandem with a Basque filmmaker, a writer, and an illustrator.
Aldura Aldea 20, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20100, Spain
Known For
- Most "out there" of the Basque three-stars
- Abstract dishes
- Long, immersive dining experience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. and mid-Jan.–mid-Apr., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Parte Vieja |
The menu at this award-winning restaurant in the heart of the Parte Vieja hinges on chef Daniel López’s clean, innovative cuisine, which plays on traditional Basque and Spanish flavors and often adds an Asian twist. Opt for a market-driven degustación or López's signature tasting menu, which includes dishes like whole langoustine with Navarrese white beans and Sichuan-spiced squab in liver ragout.
Calle del Campanario 11, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Only Michelin-starred dining in the city center
- Asian-inflected Basque cuisine
- Surprisingly casual atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
