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San Sebastián is a foodie’s paradise and arguably one of the best gastronomic destinations in the world! Where does one even begin? This guide of my must-try restaurants in San Sebastian is a great place to start!
If you’re into culinary travel, drop everything and add San Sebastian to your foodie bucket list! This northern Spanish gem might just be one of the best cities in the world for food lovers. It certainly is the best food city I’ve been to! I’ve still got plenty of places in the world to explore, but San Sebastian has set the bar incredibly high.
San Sebastian’s culinary scene offers a great variety for all types of foodie travelers, from bustling pintxos bars to world-class Michelin-starred restaurants. In fact, it has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the world!
While I haven’t dined at any of these Michelin-starred restaurants (yet), culinary artistry spills over into pintxos, which are a more affordable way to experience gourmet Basque cooking.
Pintxos are the best way to eat in San Sebastian. They’re often just one or two bites, making it easy to try many different dishes all in one crawl. I loved hopping around to different bars seeking out each restaurant’s specialties.
Every bite I’ve had in San Sebastian has been pure joy, from simple skewers of Gildas to elevated small plates like seared scallops in truffle cream or morcilla-stuffed ravioli. I dream about going back for all my favorites!
Beyond the food, San Sebastian is just a stunning city – an old, seaside European beauty set right on the Bay of La Concha. There’s no better setting to come and experience some of Spain’s best food!
San Sebastian Dining Tips
Before we get to the food, there are a few dining tips and notes to keep in mind when visiting San Sebastian:
- Open Days: Many restaurants in San Sebastian are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan accordingly. There are plenty of spots open on those days, of course, but if you have your heart set on a place in particular, be sure to check their schedule!
- Kitchen Hours: Be mindful of siesta hours where restaurants close their kitchens from roughly 3:00 p.m until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.! Google Maps often won’t have correct information, so don’t rely on it.
- Language Barrier: We found English to be more widely spoken here than in nearby Bilbao – probably because its a bit more touristy. That being said, you should still learn some Spanish especially when it comes to ordering and paying for your bill.
- Limited Seating: Pintxos bars are often quite small, so standing might be necessary while eating and drinking. That’s part of the fun of it though – get your little bites in and move on to the next spot!
- Take a food tour: If you feel intimidated by the food scene in San Sebastian, there’s always food tours! Devour Tours is an excellent company that I recommend. We took a tour with them in Madrid and it was awesome.
If you’re curious to learn more about different foods I refer to in this guide, be sure to also read my What to Eat in Basque Country post.
Where to Eat in San Sebastian
Here’s my guide to what I think are must-try restaurants in San Sebastian that we’ve been to so far and what I’d recommend at each!
Antonio Bar
Website | Bergara Kalea, 3, 20005 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Go to Antonio Bar for everything. Period.
Located outside of Old Town in the quieter Centro neighborhood, Antonio Bar is one of my favorite bars in San Sebastian! They’re famous for their tortilla de patatas (aka the tortilla espanola) – layers of potatoes, caramelized onions, and green peppers enveloped in eggs. They make 10 of these a day – 8 in the morning and 2 for the evening dinner rush – and they will go fast!
What makes Antonio Bar’s tortilla so perfect (yes, it is perfection) is the onions, which are caramelized for over 40 minutes. Each tortilla is also made with a whopping 35 eggs! This sucker is massive they can get about 35 pieces (pintxos) from each. If there was only one tortilla I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be theirs.
Note: there can be mixed information online about how many they make per day and how many eggs are in each. This info is pretty current from an interview on Eating with Tod with one of the owner’s sons. Highly recommend this video for inspo too!
For a morning slice, be sure to get there early as they will sell out before noon. We arrived just before 10:00 a.m. on a Monday to try and avoid the big crowds and it was perfect timing.
Aside from their mouthwatering tortilla, I also recommend a second visit after 12:00 p.m. when they start serving their full hot pintxos menu.
We’ve had their langoustine ravioli, octopus with bacon cream, scallops with truffle cream, and their salty, savory Gildas. Every single bite of food here is magical. My personal favorite is the ravioli – so decadent and creamy. My husband favors the octopus with bacon cream, and their seared scallops with truffle puree are top notch.
I could visit Antonio, my love, daily.
Bar Desy
Local 19, Ronda Kalea, 4, local 4, 20001 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
In the Gros neighborhood, you can’t miss Bar Desy – a classic pintxos bar with a cozy atmosphere and a great beer menu. Settling in here will make you feel like you’re one of the locals!
The tomato and tuna plate is a great tapas dish for sharing and they have some of the best bacon wrapped shrimp I’ve ever had! You also cannot go wrong with their Gildas and their creamy txangurro stuffed pepper.
Bar Desy also well-known for their txuleta burgers, cooked rare to medium rare and served with a cream cheese sauce. I have regrets over not trying their burgers while we were there, but it just gives me a good excuse to go back!
La Vina
Website | 31 de Agosto Kalea, 3, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
As the inventors of the famous Basque cheesecake, La Vina is a must-stop when in the Old Town!
Basque cheesecake is unique in that it’s baked without a crust and often has a burnt/caramelized look to the outside. Trust me, it does not taste burnt in the slightest! A good Basque cheesecake is set well but still creamy in the center and is not overly sweet.
At La Vina, there will likely be a line out the door. The wait is worth it for their decadent cheesecake! Be sure to get a glass of sherry to pour over it or to have sips in between your bites. The sherry is more like a fortified wine similar to port and it really elevates the cheesecake!
Mala Gissona
Instagram | Zabaleta Kalea, 53, 20002 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
My husband and I love finding craft beer when we travel so I was happy to find Mala Gissona in the Gros neighborhood – and open on a Monday, no less! Spain isn’t exactly known for its craft beer scene, but there are definitely some gems to be found.
We rolled up on a quiet Monday afternoon and tried a flight of these four beers to see how they stacked up:
- Ocean Breeze – a Hazy Basque Coast IPA
- Shackeltown – a traditional IPA
- Element – a nice and juicy NEIPA
- Leviatan – a dark and creamy Stout
Everything was really good! We ended up spending a decent amount of time here chasing our flight with full pints of the Hazy and NEIPAs. Such a great stop in the the Gros neighborhood either before or after filling up on pintxos!
Casa Valles
Website | Calle Los Reyes Católicos, 10, 20006 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Casa Valles is another classic, bustling pintxos bar located in the Centro neighborhood. If you want to visit the alleged birthplace of the Gilda pintxo, this is the spot! The story goes that a customer skewered three ingredients together (olives, guindilla peppers, and anchovies) and it was later given the name La Gilda after Rita Hayworth’s character in the movie Gilda.
Gildas are salty, sometimes a little spicy, and the best bite to start any pintxos crawl!
You definitely have to get the OG Gilda here but be warned for the sake of your teeth – their olives do not come pitted! Every other spot we had Gildas at had pitted olives.
We also had a delicious salmon pintxo with a little dollop of tangy peppers, zamburinas (scallops served in their shell) with a buttery sauce, and two refreshing glasses of txakoli. And if your stomach allows, another popular Basque dish to order here is the tortilla de bacalao (a salt cod omelette) – good for any time of day.
Bells Bar
Instagram | San Bizente Kalea, 9, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
For pintxos with a twist, visit Bells Bar in Old Town serving up unique and international-inspired dishes.
The Colombian soup croquettas are a must – little balls of a hot and creamy mixture reminiscent of chicken soup with a perfectly-fried crust. These were some of the most unique croquettes we had and arguably some of the best we had in Spain. I also highly recommend the pork rib bao, marrying Spain’s love of pork with Asian influence!
Other items we had here were the mattress breaker – a little salsa and ceviche with octopus, squid, and prawns (very light and refreshing) and a bowl of fried pork belly. We also saw a plate of fish and chips come out of the kitchen that looked fabulous!
If you’re craving some offbeat dishes and want a break from traditional Spanish foods, this is the place to come.
Mendaur Berria
Instagram | Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 8, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Recommended by a local we met at Antonio Bar, Mendaur was such a favorite for us, we went back twice! It seems like their kitchen stays open during siesta hours and it was easy for us to walk in and grab a seat at the bar both times we visited.
The pintxos here are creative and tasty Basque dishes with a few that have inspiration from other cuisines. We tried so many different things over the course of our visits!
Some of my favorites here:
- Spicy mussels in tomato sauce
- Crispy fried prawns (my absolute fave) with a lime alioli
- Veal cheek – so rich and tender (no knife needed)
- Shredded pork in a wonton “taco”
- Calamari talo – essentially a fried calamari taco
- “Special” Marianito – Northern Spain’s take on a negroni that’s more vermouth-forward. Be sure to ask for it “special” and not traditional. There’s something they add that makes it taste even better than the original (including a balsamic soaked onion!).
- Torrija – the best sweet ending. A light and fluffy French toast with a flavor-infused milk to pour over the bread and let soak before digging in.
Aldapeta Gastrobar
Website | San Bartolome Gaina K., 9, 20009 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Located in the Catalonia Donosti Hotel, Aldapeta Gastrobar is surprisingly good for a hotel restaurant! We stayed at the Catalonia and it was convenient to dine here when we didn’t want to venture too far out. It is a little on the pricier end compared to other restaurants around town, but that’s the norm for a little convenience.
To start, we had the scallops with a light sea foam and garlic parsley puree. Just delicious – no notes. Pro tip: order the scallops everywhere in Basque Country!
Next, we had txangurro (spider crab) mixed with urchin and Idiazabal cheese (a local Basque sheep’s cheese) presented creatively in an urchin shell. Damn, I wish we had gotten two. What a unique flavor combination!
Lastly, we shared a braised octopus with kimchi sauce, sweet potato puree, and olive oil caviar. Our whole meal was seafood perfection. Basque Country is located on the Bay of Biscay so one should enjoy as much seafood as possible!
Kbzon Haundi
Bar Kbzon Haundi, Miguel Imaz K., Nº 1, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Kbzon Haundi was a unique find for us in the Gros neighborhood, which also happened to be open on a Monday afternoon! We wandered in, sat at the bar, and had the best time with the bartender, Ali. We chose a few things from the menu and also tried some of his recommendations.
One of Ali’s recs was the foie gras – an ingredient that tends to be a popular addition to dishes in the Basque Country. Here, it’s served with green applesauce, muscatel, and walnuts. It was incredibly rich but balanced with the tangy puree and muscatel wine sauce. Also, thank goodness for the bread to cut through that richness!
My husband had never tried foie before, so we can cross that off the foodie bucket list.
We also had scallops with gorgonzola and seaweed roe and a savory ravioli stuffed with morcilla (blood sausage/black pudding) in a tomato and egg yolk reduction. The ravioli was one of the dishes that drew me here and it lived up to my expectations – delicate yet salty, full of flavor, and a really creative way to incorporate morcilla!
The biggest star here for us, though, was the charcoal duck carpaccio. It’s not served raw like a traditional carpaccio, but was lightly grilled, thinly sliced, and served with a sauce that had a nice touch of acid. The roasted pepper served on top also added extra depth of flavor to each bite. It’s a must-try dish in my opinion even if you don’t think you’re a duck fan!
The nice thing about eating here is that you can get dishes in pintxo size, 1/2 portion (medium), or a full portion. Pintxo-sized portions are the best because you can try multiple dishes before filling up, especially if you’re sharing with a partner.
Casa Urola
Website | Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 20, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Last but certainly not least is Casa Urola – an Old Town restaurant and another one of my absolute favorites in San Sebastian. This Michelin-recommended spot serves gourmet, award-winning pintxos and Anthony Bourdain ate here too! Checked that off the Uncle Tony bucket list.
We started with a couple of Gildas (which we practically ordered at every bar) and then what I think is one of the best pintxos in all of San Sebastian: a scallop (vieira) in ajoblanco (a creamy soup made from almonds, garlic and oil) and topped with nuts, a coffee vinaigrette, seaweed and sesame. Goodness me – what a whacky combo of ingredients that blew my mind!
Also worth trying is Casa Urola’s pintxo de txuleta. If you don’t want to order a giant txuleta steak, you can get a little taste of that quality Basque meat here served with a red pepper and cream sauce.
What may be the best thing I ate in all of San Sebastian was their torrija. In fact, this may be one of the best desserts I’ve had – ever. Their torrija is a little block of French toast with a caramelized outside and nice and milky soft on the inside. An absolute masterpiece.
San Sebastian Wish List
I feel like we barely scratched the surface when it comes to the food scene in San Sebastian and I absolutely cannot wait to come back and spend more time here eating!
As you can imagine, my San Sebastian foodie wish list is quite long. Here are just some of the other spots on my wish list for our next visit:
- Borda Berri – especially for their Idiazabal risotto and pork ribs
- Bar Sport – a classic pintxos bar with special urchin cream pintxo (this place was always SO packed when we walked by!)
- Bar Nestor – famous for their txuleta steak and tortilla (of which they only make two per day!). You’ve got to queue up here an hour before opening just to get your name on the reservation list for the day.
- Bar Txepetxa – for all things anchovy
- Otaegui – originator of the pantxineta pastry! We had one in Bilbao and I wish we could have had more here, especially since it was created in this shop.
- Basqueland Izakaia – for craft beers and Asian food
- Rekondo – a Michelin-recommended restaurant I want to try for their chipirones en su tinta dish (stuffed squid in squid ink sauce)
- La Cuchara de San Telmo – their beef cheeks and razor clams look dynamite!
Have you been to San Sebastian to eat all the things? What else would you recommend we try?
Read Next:
- Searching for the Best Gilda Pintxos in Basque Country
- 5 Must-Try Desserts in Spain’s Basque Country
- What to Eat in Spain’s Basque Country: Must-Try Basque Foods, Dishes & Drinks!
- Bilbao Food Tour Review – The Best Intro to Bilbao & the Basque Food Scene
- Savoring Bilbao: A Foodie’s Guide on Where to Eat in Bilbao, Spain
- Best Things to Do in Bilbao, Spain for Food, Art & Architecture Lovers!
- 3-Day Bilbao Itinerary: Discover the City’s Best Pintxos, Museums & Architecture
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