A Gastronomic Weekend In San Sebastian

San Sebastian has long been a mecca for food lovers, and rightly so. There are 19 Michelin stars across the city and the surrounding countryside, including three restaurants with 3 stars. These are undoubtedly some of the finest places to eat on earth, with the Basque region famous for its produce. But scratch beyond the surface of the guidebooks, walk the streets, take a chance on an unpronounceable Basque dish and there are rich rewards beyond the obvious.  

Nowhere else on earth is there a food culture quite like the pintxos culture of this city. There are the famous spots in all of the YouTube and Instagram videos that are always busy, often with queues of hungry diners waiting their turn, and each with their iconic pintxos, which do not disappoint. But you can eat well in so many of the establishments you will come across on these streets, and I have made it my mission over my last few visits to get to as many as is humanly possible. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.  

Here are some recent highlights, and a couple from the past that are still going strong.  

Dining out: 

Alboka – located in the neighbourhood of Gros and a recent addition, this is a vegetable forward restaurant with a tightly formed menu and succinct wine list focusing on tiny producers from across Spain. The service is warm and friendly, and the local spider crab tagliatelle (Txangurro) is particularly outstanding.  

Amelia – this 2* Michelin restaurant has just relocated to the famous Maria Cristina Hotel, but my lunch from the previous location still lingers. Argentinian chef Paulo Airaudo has also opened IBAI, just outside of the Old Town, where he holds another star, where you can (if you’re lucky) walk in and sit at the bar. Amelia is arguably the finest restaurant within the city proper, and for fine dining lovers, it’s unmissable cooking.  

Bodegon Alejandro – a bit of an institution that continues to offer exceptional value, it’s a great introduction to Basque cooking in an intimate, beautifully lit basement restaurant in the heart of the Old Town.  

The Best of the Bars: 

Bertakoteka – a recent discovery. The Tortilla is as good as you’ll find, but the must have dish here is ‘AMA’ – a small portion of fried hake in a pig’s ear broth, one of the Michelin Guide’s favourite dishes in 2024.  

Atari Gastolekua – always bustling, but if you can bag an outside table (or a reservation) you won’t want to leave for the people watching. Inside, find a place to perch and try the Confit Cod with Piquillos Pil Pil. 

Bar Desy – it’s in all the videos (and dare I say, viral?) but the Txuleton Burger here is outstanding. A tiny bar in the Gros neighbourhood, but worth squashing in to taste this fine cut of meat (ribeye on the bone), cooked rare, with cream cheese in a brioche bun. What it lacks in looks it makes up for in flavour.  

Casa Vergara 1948 – the pintxos here are modern, inventive and the bar itself is smart and comfortable, even a little flash. The baked sea urchin is a particular stand out.  

Ssua Arde – there is a smart restaurant at the back, but in the bar at the front is served one of the finest dishes in the city – slow cooked Euskal Txerri – a Basque pig – encased in a squid ink crust with a spicy pepper sauce, presented under a smoky mistand officially called Ikatza Kbron. A work of art.  

Hemeretzi – for seafood lovers, this has always been a go to stop for either anchoas or boquerones. The quality here is great as is the menu in the small restaurant at the rear where you can select your fish fresh off the ice display.  

And if you have enough space in your luggage for some wine, just outside of the Old Town is the family run wine shop Ezeiza, which opened in 1930. The staff will find you exactly what you are looking for, make local recommendations (including local Basque Gins and Vermuts) and the place is like stepping back in time.  

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of visiting San Sebastian is that one simply cannot cover everything in a single trip. There are too many bars, too many places to eat, too many pintxos to try. So, the only answer is to make a date to go back and do it all again. Soon. Another hardship.