San Sebastian
Hotel Maria Cristina
San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs. In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbor vibrant pintxo bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialties. Here is our guide to San Sebastian, Spain.
STAY
HOTEL MARIA CRISTINA Overlooking the Urumea River, this grand belle epoque hotel dating from 1912 has a posh Asian restaurant and a sophisticated bar, as well as a culinary school. República Argentina K., 4; marriott.com/en-us/hotels/easlc-hotel-maria-cristina
NOBU HOTEL Housed in a historical 1912 villa on the coast of La Concha Bay, Nobu Hotel San Sebastián is paradise in its purest form, moments from Parte Vieja. Mirakontxa Pasealekua, 32; nobuhotels.com/san-sebastian
HOTEL DE LONDRES Y DE INGLATERRA Set along La Concha bay, this upscale beachfront hotel hasmodern, elegant rooms and suites, many with sea views. There's a restaurant serving Basque cuisine, an elegant cocktail bar and a cafe. Zubieta Kalea, 2; hlondres.com
HOTEL ARBASO In a 19th-century building within the city center, this polished hotel has balconies with cathedral views. Hondarribia Kalea, 24;hotelarbaso.com
HOTEL VILLA FAVORITA Across from La Concha Beach, this genteel adults-only hotel has beach views. Amenities include an upscale restaurant and a bar, as well as a terrace. Zubieta Kalea, 26; hotelvillafavorita.com
LASALA PLAZA HOTEL Set on the Plaza Lasala in a restored 1917 building, this fashionable hotel has sea, plaza, or historical building views and there is a rooftop deck.Lasala Pl., 2; lasalaplazahotel.com
ARIMA HOTEL & SPA In the Miramon Forest, this sleek, eco-chic hotel has forest views. A minimalist restaurant with a terrace offers locally sourced ingredients. P.º de Miramón, 162; arimahotel.com
HOTEL VILLA SORO In a Victorian-style villa on a leafy property, this sophisticated hotel has complimentary loaner bikes. There’s a dining room with garden views, as well as a woodsy-chic bar/lounge and a gym. Don’t miss the Chillida Leku sculpture park dedicated to the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida. Ategorrieta Hiribidea, 61; hotelvillasoro.com.
DINE | DRINK
ARZAK Elegant, family-run restaurant from 1897, with tasting menus specializing in modern Basque fare. Alcalde J. Elosegi Hiribidea, 273; arzak.es
LA VIÑA Casual cafe opened in 1959 known for small plates & Basque burnt cheesecake, plus regional wines. 31 de Agosto Kalea, 3; lavinarestaurante.com
BAR SPORT Bar Sport is renowned for pintxos, including the grilled foie gras and uni. Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 10
BAR NESTOR Snug bar famous for its Spanish omelet, plus fried peppers & steaks. Arrandegi Kalea, 11
GANDARIAS Seafood, steak & small bites in a homey restaurant with cookware & ham hocks hanging from the walls. Order the risotto! 31 de Agosto Kalea, 23; restaurantegandarias.com
LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO If you weren’t specifically looking for La Cuchara de San Telmo, you’d probably miss it. This pintxo bar is down a nondescript alley and has a chalkboard with a brief but exciting list of dishes like seared foie gras, charred octopus, and tender beef cheek. This place pioneered the hot pintxo, and after 20 years, continues to prepare food that looks (and tastes) straight off the menu of any fine dining restaurant. Order the carrillera, cochinillo, and foie gras. Santa Korda Kalea, 4
TXULETA Typical Basque pintxos plus meat & fish grills, served in cozy interiors or on a covered terrace. Order the signature Txuleta steak! Pl. de la Trinidad, 2; txuletarestaurante.com
OQUENDO Sandwiches & sharing plates in a convivial space with live music & photos of celebrities. Okendo Kalea, 8; caferestauranteoquendo.com
ASTELENA Locally sourced, seasonal fine dining & a tasting menu offered in an elegant restaurant. Euskal Herria Kalea, 3; restauranteastelena.com
AKELARRE Tasting menus of inventive, modern dishes, plus wine pairings, in a sleek venue with sea views. Padre Orkolaga Ibilbidea, 56; akelarre.net
BAR HAIZEA A small unassuming pintxos bar that is said to be a favorite of the Arzak family. Aldamar Kalea, 8
GANBARA Long-standing restaurant serving small plates & mains in a relaxed space with a wine cellar. C. de San Jerónimo, 21; ganbarajatetxea.com
CASA UROLA Charming 1956 restaurant offering seafood, char-grilled meat dishes & seasonal pintxos. Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 20; casaurolajatetxea.es
ASADOR ETXEBARRI Upscale Basque dining room in a village, serving flame-grilled meat & seafood & a tasting menu. San Juan Plaza, 1; asadoretxebarri.com
MUGARITZ A two-star Michelin restaurant located in Errenteria, but worth the journey. Andoni Luis Aduriz’s great restaurant is not for the faint-hearted or those opposed to challenging avant-garde food. The building is a pitched-roofed farmhouse in a bucolic setting, but the rustic simplicity ends there. The tasting menu is a 20-course extravaganza, rich with theatre and jeux d’esprit: you might be presented with eggs that look like pebbles, a ‘macaroon’ made with pig’s blood and almonds, or sautéed sea slugs with ‘vegetable charcoal’ and salad sprouts. Texture almost seems more important than taste. Aldura Gunea Aldea, 20; mugaritz.com
CASA 887 Chef Antonio Belotti’s position as the local culinary wunderkind, with a degree from the prestigious Basque Culinary Centre and a track record in the city’s best kitchens, doesn’t stop him from colouring outside San Sebastián’s culinary lines. At Casa 887, where hip hop plays softly in the background, excellent local produce gets a light-hearted treatment – spider crab goes into crispy, tender dumplings, and bao buns are coloured with squid ink. His rice dishes are a must, with broth so rich it coats the back of the spoon. Gran Vía, 9; grupo887.com
MUKA Muka means “ashes” in the northern dialect of the Basque language, and fire here serves as the special sauce, lending a smokey flavour to nearly all the dishes. Mugaritz-trained chefs Juan Vargas and Elena Ortiz put immense energy into sourcing micro-seasonal ingredients and presenting them in pared-back dishes that allow flavour to shine. The wine list is varied, with many special natural options. The terrace of Muka gets some of the best afternoon sun in the city, making it a perfect place for a late afternoon snack. Zurriola Hiribidea, 1; muka.eus
PORTUETXE The smell of grilled meat is the first hint you are approaching this squat farmhouse in the neighbourhood of Igara, on the outskirts of San Sebastián. Portuetxe is a fantastic example of that Basque institution, the erretegia, or grillhouse. The steak comes perfectly charred on the outside and juicy on the inside, and should be ordered as the locals do, with a side of sweet red Piquillo peppers, green salad, and fried potatoes. The menu changes throughout the year – if you’re lucky enough to visit during mushroom season, do not miss the grilled porcini served with a single sunny egg yolk. Igara Bidea, 71; portuetxe.com
BELL’S BAR Tourists are wont to queue at Bar Nestor for the famous tortilla española, but truth be told, the Spanish omelette at Bell’s Bar is even better and doesn’t require a reservation. One of the few recently opened pintxo bars in the old town, Bell’s Bar injects both Latin and English sensibilities into the traditional pintxo offerings, thanks to its owners, Lancelot and Sara. This fusion takes the form of dishes like creamy croquetas with a sancocho stew stuffing and crumpets topped with San Sebastián-style spider crab. The midday tortilla comes out around 1:30 and sells quickly, so don’t miss it. C/San Vicente, 9
ZELAI TXIKI Zelai Txiki could skirt by on its superficial charm, located on the skirts of Mount Ulia, with an impossibly beautiful terrace and views. Chef Juan Carlos Caro, however, is not one to settle for easy – he plants and maintains the garden that supplies the kitchen and bakes bread daily from a sourdough starter that’s nearing a decade of life. One of the best seats in town. Be sure to order their signature, wood-fired suckling pig ahead of time. Rodil Kalea, 79; restaurantezelaitxiki.com
MAUN Tucked in between greengrocers at the San Martín Market, Maun defies expectations. What started as a pop-up is now a must-visit for produce-obsessed eaters. Chef Mateus Mendes and Unai Paulis source the best of the best produce from the providers around them, grilling up everything from flawless langoustines and meaty mushrooms with a light hand and serving them after hours in the aisles of the local food market. Their paella-like rice dish, with its perfectly crispy edges, could very well be the best in Basque Country. Visit with a group so you can sample the entire menu, which is short but droolworthy. Urbieta Kalea, 9; maungrillbar.com
ZAZPI Not all great cooking happens in a hushed room with linen tablecloths and servers in waistcoats. Zazpi is proof: this restaurant sits in the avant-garde wing of the Museo San Telmo, and the food by new-generation chef Paul Arrillaga is stunning. Paul started Zazpi serving upscale pintxos in the centre, some of which are still on the menu at his new location: rice with kokotxas and salsa verde, or a surf-and-turf pintxo of hake served on porrusalda, a Basque potato-leek soup, with shreds of confit heritage pig. Now diners dig into full-size servings of Paul’s technically perfect versions of classic Basque dishes, each with his signature modern touches. Zazpi, Plaza Zuloaga, 1; zazpistm.com
KOFRADIA ITSAS ETXEA This gleaming pavilion on the harbourside is a laudable project serving sustainably caught and lesser-known fish species. The “brotherhood” behind it also runs net-repairing workshops, local fishermen-led tastings, and guided fishing port tours. Kofradia Itsas Etxea Donostia, Kaimingaintxo Plaza, 1; kofradia.eus
TXEPETXA A fresh anchovy, butterflied, left in a secret marinade until it turns a beautiful silvery white, served on warm toast. Visitors flock from all over the globe to family-run Txepetxa for this exquisite pintxo, crowned with one of a dozen different toppings, like the pepper-onion vinaigrette (the jardinera) or spider-crab cream (the centollo). Arrandegi Kalea, 5; bartxepetxa.es
REKONDO This place has several aces up its sleeve. One is the setting, in a former farmhouse on the way up to Mount Igeldo with views of La Concha Bay. Another is the wine cellar, long recognised as San Sebastián’s finest, overseen by world-class sommelier Alejando Hernandez and featuring one of the world’s great collections of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. A third is Iñaki Arrieta, a chef whose talents are discreetly taking Rekondo’s dyed-in-the-wool Basque cooking to a higher plane. Nowadays, you might find scallops a la plancha with a coriander cream, or carpaccio of carabinero prawns with pistachio vinaigrette, alongside the classic txuleta – a slab of ox grilled over wood embers. Rekondo, Igeldo Pasealekua, 57; rekondo.com
SUKALDEAN The Santamaria family are San Sebastián hospitality royalty, helping to write the story of the pintxo revolution in the 1980s. Aitor, the third generation, carries the mantle at Sukaldean, where classics like rich, brown fish soup and innovations like txuleta steak nigiri sit comfortably together on the menu. San Martin Kalea, 45; sukaldeanaitorsantamaria.com
ANTONIO BAR There’s more to pintxo-bar life here than the Parte Vieja: it turns out that San Sebastián’s downtown Centro area also has a lively scene, though the client base here is more office workers and business folk than tourists. A modest corner site with a few outside tables, Antonio punches above its weight due to chef Jose Ramón Ezcurdia’s intensely flavourful versions of langoustine ravioli, artichokes with baby broad beans and an arroz meloso (creamy rice) that’s worth crossing town for. Insider tip: the speakeasy-like downstairs room can be booked for private feasts amid boxes of wine and tins of olive oil. Bergara Kalea, 3; antoniobar.com
BAR MANOJO Bar Manojo isn’t somewhere you would stumble upon, tucked into the corner of San Sebastián’s laid-back neighbourhood of Gros. This tiny half-bar, half-restaurant spot feels like a real local’s secret. The dishes constantly change with the Cantabrian Sea and Basque forests’ micro-seasons, and most come in three sizes (pintxo, half ración, full ración) to be shared and paired with carefully selected natural wines. José Arana Kalea, 13
NARRU For years ensconced in a basement behind La Concha beach, Narru has long been a go-to for delicious food that dares to be simple, natural, subtle, and luxurious. Now chef Iñigo Peña and his team have decamped to the new Hotel Arbaso, beside Buen Pastor Cathedral – but despite the move, Narru maintains its less-is-more philosophy. Quality ingredients are, as ever, the essence of Peña’s cooking: imagine a pan-fried hunk of mero (grouper) caught off the Cantabrian coast just a few hours earlier, served with nothing fancier than a slick of potato cream and a sofrito of onion in olive oil. Narru, San Martin Kalea, 22; hotelarbaso.com
CASA UROLA The unassuming façade blends in with the throng of pintxo bars on busy calle Fermin Calbetón. However, for those in the know, this first-floor dining room is a cut above the rest. Urola excels at traditional Basque market cooking – hake in green sauce, char-grilled turbot, rice with clams – using peerless raw materials treated without fuss or pretension. The simplicity of Pablo Loureiro’s cooking is radical and brave. The menestra, a classic if ever there was one, is an assembly of spring vegetables tasting supremely of themselves. It’s worth remembering that, for all its excellence, this is food the whole family can enjoy. Casa Urola, Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 20; casaurolajatetxea.es
BAR ARENALES What was once a neighbourhood hangout on the boulevard is now a bistro that breaks new ground for traditionally minded San Sebastián with a modern take on plant-based cooking and natural wines. Bar Arenales, Boulevard Zumardia, 11
ZAPIAIN In Spain’s northern regions, the cider house rules – and nowhere more so than in the Basque Country, where the local apple crop makes a crisply refreshing draught, and the sagardotegia (cider house) is an institution. Part experience, part meal, diners line up the 15,000-litre chestnut wood barrels in Zapiain to taste the home-produced cider in between courses of salt-cod tortilla, chargrilled T-bone steak, and apple paste with sheep’s cheese and walnuts for pudding. This cider house, dating from 1542, is a local favourite out of the crowd in the suburb of Astigarraga, where there are over 20. Kale Nagusia, 96; zapiain.eus
ELKANO As you drive up to the restaurant you’ll see these enormous grills outside, with fish already on them, and you are immediately drawn to that and think, “My god, my god. I can’t wait!” What you see in Basque cooking is an honest and genuine style of cuisine that is very rich in heritage and technique—techniques that are simple and rely on specific skills, such as grilling. You see the pure essence of the chef’s ability to cook specific things and do it really well. I particularly recommend the grilled kokotxas, the char grilled clams and turbot, and the baby squid Pelayo-style. Herrerieta Kalea, 2; restauranteelkano.com
BETI JAI BERRIA A pintxo bar famous for its blood suasage (morcilla). Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 22; betijaiberria.eus
A FUEGO NEGRO A Fuego Negro is one of San Sebastian's hippest pintxo bars, with dark lighting, cool decor and and experimental menu. Be sure to order a Beltza, a quaffable vermouth created especially for the bar. Oddly, it’s served from a tap so you could just as easily discover it by accident, thinking you’re ordering one more cerveza. Calle Del 31 De Agosto
MARTIN BERASATEGUI French-inspired fine dining in an elegant modern venue with wraparound windows & countryside views. Chef Berasategui holds more Michelin stars (eight) than anyone else in Spain. Loidi Kalea, 4; martinberasategui.com
BAR AKERBELTZ A well-known local favorite offering the best selection of local and international craft beer in the city and a breathtaking view of the port. Mari Kalea, 19
CASA VERGARA Pintxo-style tapas on skewers, plus classic Basque sandwiches & wines at a stylish modern gastrobar. Order the uni! C. Mayor, 21; grupogarrancho.com
BASQUELAND IZAKAIA Freshly made craft beer, organic wines and Asian cuisine, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Peña y Goñi Kalea, 4; basquebeer.com
GERALD’S Inventive Spanish & Italian cuisine & local beer in a cozy, wood-lined tavern with sidewalk tables. Iparragirre K., 13; geraldsbar.eu
DABADABA CLUB A music venue, bar, and club. Paseo de Mundaiz, 8, bajo B; dabadabass.com
EL TAMBORIL Located in the heart of the old town, Tamboril is run by the family that owns the legendary Ganbara. The bar is teeming with traditional pintxos, with a special mention for the mushrooms! Pescadería 2; restaurante.covermanager.com/el-tamboril
BODEGÓN ALEJANDRO If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in the old town that epitomises Basque values and traditional cooking, the Bodegón Alejandro is the place for you, thanks to its focus on authentic local cuisine. In the simply furnished, rustic yet contemporary interior, choose between a varied à la carte of seasonal dishes (fried anchovies, Donostia-style supreme of cod with pil-pil and crab, Iberian pork loin with mashed potatoes etc) and an impressive tasting menu. Make sure you leave space for dessert as the warm pistachio soufflé with lemon sorbet is absolutely delicious! Fermín Calbetón 4; bodegonalejandro.com
KOKOTXA Located in the heart of the old town, between the port and the Santa María del Coro basilica, this restaurant bears a name that pays homage to one of the finest dishes in Basque cuisine, prepared with the delicious barbels of either hake or cod. In this pleasant eatery, run by the duo of Daniel López in the kitchen and Estela Velasco front of house. The fish dish of the day is always spectacular, although we also loved one of his meat dishes – Bresse chicken with pak choi, hazelnuts and PX sherry. Kanpandegi 11; restaurantekokotxa.com
IBAI BY PAULO AIRAUDO This centrally located restaurant, which was a popular name in local cuisine under the baton of chef Alicio Garro, has reinvented itself and has had a new lease of life thanks to award-winning chef Paulo Airaudo, who brings with him his personal vision of classic recipes. The bar at the entrance is still here, serving tapas made on the spot, and is perfect for an informal glass of wine. Try the spectacular grilled Carabinero prawns as well as the five hake cheek “kokotxas” (two battered, two grilled and one confit). Getaria 15; baribai.com
AMELIA BY PAULO AIRAUDO In terms of technical excellence and personality, this restaurant is constantly striving to be different, to challenge the palate of its guests, and to be the benchmark eatery on La Concha bay. Housed in the Villa Favorita hotel, this restaurant is presided over by chef Paulo Airaudo, who hails from Córdoba (Argentina). Here, he conjures up creative cuisine that stands out for its excellent fish and seafood, combining the essence of Basque culinary traditions with subtle Spanish, Italian and Asian influences. Zubieta 26; ameliarestaurant.com
IKAITZ This pleasant family-run restaurant in a good location in the Gros district of the city focuses on traditional-regional cuisine and is almost always full, including with many foreign visitors who are attracted by cuisine with an authentic Basque flavour and generous portions. Ikaitz’s à la carte features delicious fish, premium meats and plenty of locally sourced ingredients. These are showcased in dishes such as grilled octopus with a creamy purée and paprika, and boneless oxtail in its own jus, served with vegetables and almonds. Paseo Colón 21; restauranteikaitz.com
DA FILIPPO Here, in the former premises of the Amelia restaurant, you can discover Italian flavours as interpreted by chef Paulo Airaudo in contemporary dishes with a definite gourmet feel that are very different to the normal fare usually found in a trattoria. One dish that won us over in particular was the intense yet delicate duck, butter and thyme cappelletti. Prim 34; da-filippo.com
BERGARA A popular eatery in the Gros district of the city which has won various awards for its miniature take on haute cuisine! In its colourful and delightful bar you’ll find a vast array of innovative tapas and pinchos, both hot and cold, such as Txalupa (a gratin of mushrooms with prawns), Itxaso (monkfish with a seafood cream), Udaberri (courgette with a crayfish cream), plus the delicious foie gras with port-braised grapes. General Artetxe 8; pinchosbergara.es
SA TAULA Eating at this diminutive restaurant, in the heart of the Gros district, is like being welcomed to the home of a good friend, such is the warm welcome and the glass of Cava almost imperceptibly placed in your hand on arrival. The two owner-chefs, Carlos and Manel, cook, chat, serve and wash the dishes, seemingly at the same time, and in a highly relaxed atmosphere given that they only attend to a maximum ten guests per sitting, all eating together. They work with a single surprise menu, usually based around ingredients sourced from small-scale local producers. Segundo Ispizua 27
MIRADOR DE ULÍA A special restaurant, particularly given its outstanding views of the city and Zurriola beach that will definitely grab your attention. Located at the top of Monte Ulía, it is run by chef Rubén Trincado, the third generation of the family, who has his own style yet with a culinary legacy rooted in tradition. His creatively inspired cuisine plays with native Guipúzcoa ingredients such as hake, but also focuses on dishes from the world’s “blue zones” where people live longer than anywhere else on the planet. Paseo de Ulía 193; miradordeulia.es
AGORREGI Agorregi has a somewhat unusual setting on the Igara industrial estate, where it offers a contemporary, market-inspired à la carte with its roots in Basque cooking, featuring dishes that are always honest yet with the occasional contemporary detail. Try the thin-sliced “erezilla” apple cake with natural yoghurt ice cream, and the chocolate and hazelnut cake with banana ice cream. Portuetxe 14; agorregi.com
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
EL PIENE DEL VIENTO The Comb of the Wind is a collection of three sculptures by Eduardo Chillida arranged as an architectural work by the Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui. For both, this is one of their most important and well-known works. Eduardo Chillida Pasealekua; sansebastianturismoa.eus
CHILLIDA-LEKU Open-air works by Basque Country sculptor Eduardo Chillida, a restored farmhouse & an organic cafe. Jauregi Bailara, 66; museochillidaleku.com
MUSIKENE Musikene or the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country is a higher education music school located in San Sebastián, in the Basque Country of Spain. It was founded in 2001 by the Basque Government through the establishment of a private foundation. The school was housed on the Miramar Palace. Europa Plaza, 2; musikene.eus
BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF CORO The Basilica of Saint Mary of Coro is a baroque Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica completed in 1774. It is located in the "Parte Vieja.” 31 de Agosto Kalea, 46; sansebastianturismoa.eus
MUSEO CRISTÓBAL BALENCIAGA Displays of haute couture outfits by the famed designer, plus tours & courses in fashion techniques. Aldamar Parkea Parkea, 6; cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com