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San Sebastian restaurants

You can find some very good restaurants in San Sebastian, Donosti, plenty of Michelin stars here, in San Sebastian and surrounding areas.

First rate

Martin Berasategui - An excellent restaurant located in Lasarte (10 Kms from San Sebastian). Taste new and creative cuisine but without too many frills.

Akelarre - A very good restaurant, as well, located in Monte Igueldo with superb views over the city and the sea. Web site:

Zuberoa - Not as well know as the others but it is the one we like the most. In my opinion, it has achieved a perfect balance between new and classic cuisine. Located in Oiartzun, 15 kms from San Sebastian.

Mugaritz - It is reputed to be one of the best restaurants in the world; very good for those who want to experiment with tastes and in search of very new and creative cuisine, perhaps no so for those not keen on experiments. There was a fire some months ago and the restaurant closed. It was scheduled to open again on April 13th 2011, worth to check beforehand.

Arzak - It was nouvelle cuisine, it is now a “classic.” It is also one of the most famous restaurants and very good but, nowadays, all the other ones are as good, if not better options.

Very good

There are other more accessible restaurants, all of them in downtown San Sebastian.

  • Kaskazuri
  • Ni neu - This restaurant belongs to the same chef than Mugaritz but it has a much more simple cooking.
  • Bokado - located in Paseo Nuevo, over the Aquarium with very nice views over the bay.
  • Urola - Offers classic basque cooking.
  • Urepel

One of the specialities of the area is fish. If you want to taste very good fish direct from the sea, it is worth travelling to Getaria, on the coast, 25 Kms west from San Sebastian. Getaria is a very nice fishermen town. We can recommend three restaurants there, all of them very similar, with speciality in fish and seafood.

If we did not have much time to visit restaurants and we had to choose only two of them, it would be Zuberoa and Elkano - obviously, it s a personal opinion and we have already visited some of the others..

Pintxos (canapes)

You can find a lot bars with very good pintxos in the Old Disctrict. As you should go into one palce, eat a little, drink a little, and move to the next, it is a good idea to know what eacho one of them do best.

Old District

  • La Cuchara de San Telmo - Pintxos delicatessen, for gourmets.
  • Fuego Negro
  • Exteberria - Try their warm bread roll with tuna and chili, really good.
  • Txepetxa - Their spider crab (centollo) is the star of the menu.
  • Zeruko - They have a great lobster on toast. The staff is very friendly and they will even explain how to handle and eat their pintxos.
  • Goiz Argi - Plenty of choice in plain view, over the counter, and to order from the kitchen. Try their shrimp kebabs.
  • La Viña - Ask for Russian salad, the Spanish version of a potato salad that also includes usually peas, boiled carrot and more.
  • La Cepa - If you feel you need something simple, go there for a Serrano haml, they also serve pintxos.
  • Tamboril - Mushrooms, stuffed pepper, great choice of cold pintxos.
  • Astelena - Good selection.
  • Urola - Try txangurro, the crab prepared Donosti way, and cod.
  • Martinez - Stop here for artichokes.
  • Txepetxa - Their specialty isn anchovy canapes.
  • Iturritoz
  • Paco Bueno - Seafood sandwich.

Downton

  • Valles - Very much traditional tapas with a selection of ham, cheese, gilda, Spanish omelet, croquettes.
  • Rincon - Same type of food than Valles, above.
  • La Espiga - Prawns, stuffed peppers, txorreras.
  • Ciaboga - Potatoes.
  • Antonio - Try anchovies with green pepper, black pudding with foie. They have a great selection but it is slightly more formal.
  • Hika Mika - Fish cakes, ropa vieja (similar to bubble and squeak)

Gros district

Outside the Old Town there are also some good bars for pintxos in Barrio de Gros:

  • Bergara
  • El Lagar - Try their eggs and potatoes in a pan.
  • La Tasca - Try their foie and calamari.
  • Iraeta
  • Senra - All is good.
  • Donibane - Try the food they serve in small pans, snails.
  • Bidea Berri - Try their prawns, oxtail and other products from Andalucia.

Cider places

Sidrerías, in basque sagardotegiak, are not proper restaurants; they are cider producers. However, between January and April it is possible to eat and taste the cider from the winter in a peculiar and extremely informal way. In the more “pure” ones the menu is always the same: cod omelet, fried cod with pepper, and beef chops; for dessert, cheese and nuts; for drinking cider served directly from the barrel. People eat standing up and share plates. Most of them are in Hernani and Astigarraga, two little towns 10 Kms away from San Sebastian. There are also a few cider tasting venues more similar to a “formal” restaurant, with more menu options ant tables to sit down to eat. We would highlight Barkaiztegi.

Around San Sebastian area

If you have time, we would suggest some trips around San Sebastian. You will find incredible food in the local restaurants.

  • Zarautz and Getaria, 25 kms west from San Sebastian, on the coast.
  • Hondarribia, 20 kms east from San Sebastian, close to the French border.
  • In France is also very nice Saint Jean de Luz, 15 Kms, from the border.