The best Spanish restaurants Basque Country

Here you won't find pintxos at the counter: you have to make your choice on the slate and order from the waiters (if you manage to make your way to the bar!). This tiny tavern, one of the best in the whole city, is a must for its pintxos guisados, real little dishes simmered in sauce, such as the famous carrillera (pork) with red wine. Idiazábal's cheese risotto is also excellent, as is the pork rib kebab and ravioli filled with scampi or chipiron (depending on the season).

Just a stone's throw from the Kursaal, this cheerful tavern from 1928 never fails to fill up! During the film festival, it is even one of the favourite places for journalists. In addition to its excellent daily menu and brasa specialities (octopus skewers, black pudding with peppers, hake), the place is famous for its excellent pintxos. At the counter, try the classic Gilda or the octopus with vinaigrette. Above all, don't leave without tasting the excellent tortilla (prepared on the spot) and the kompleto sandwich made with tuna, Ibarra peppers and anchovies.

A Parte Vieja institution since 1980! This tiny tavern has only one table, the famous Mesa 19, which must be reserved in advance for the chance to eat there. Otherwise, like the others, you'll have to lean back at the bar to taste the Bar Nestor's specialities. The divine tortilla, to begin with, is invariably served at 1pm and 8pm (you'll have to reserve your share by noon, as it is so much in demand!). Then the excellent tomato salad, roasted peppers, and the best prime rib (txuleta) in town. Always crowded!

An essential stop on the road to the pintxos of Donostia! Located in the Gros district, not far from the Kursaal, the Bergara bar offers miniature cuisine in a modern setting. Don't miss the emblematic pintxos of the house, such as txalupa (mushroom and scampi gratin) and bacalao ajoarriero (cod-based), but also foie gras with mango jam, itxaso (monkfish with leek cream), scrambled eggs with anchovies and peppers... Everything is delicious and well explained on the map: handy for beginners!

Led by chef Ander González, this renowned table occupies a beautifully restored old banana warehouse. In addition to its beautiful decor, the restaurant offers quality traditional cuisine, inherited from a long family tradition (Ander's grandparents owned a bar in the Plaza de la Constitución). On the menu, you will find, for example, excellent scallops a la plancha, small Orio sausages with roasted peppers, or a carrillera simmered in red wine. For dessert, try the caramelized torrija (a variant of French toast).

This is the restaurant of the friendly and talented Pedro Subijana - 3 Michelin stars! Splendid sea view through large bay windows, where you can enjoy a sublime cuisine combining tradition and advanced gastronomic research. Akelarre's sommelier, Juan Carlos Muro, is an institution in his own right. The "maridaje" (wine accompaniment) option is a must, as it is just as intense an experience as tasting the dishes. Discreet, friendly and French-speaking, Juan Carlos offers an admirable accompaniment.

This restaurant specialising in cod prepares innovative and refined cuisine. You can taste cod prepared in various ways (with pil-pil sauce basque, or in the form of croquettes). Very neat and cosy setting with views of the ría.

A superb 17th century farmhouse surrounded by bucolic gardens, where the waitresses are dressed in black and white. The setting, imbued with authenticity, offers an ideal backdrop for tasting traditional Basque cuisine. Under a sturdy frame, its elegant tables are the setting for many family celebrations. On the menu, excellent fish from the ports of Mundaka, Bermeo and Ondarroa, as well as brasa grilled meats. Also a wide choice of menus!

A country restaurant that enjoys a privileged hilltop location with panoramic views of Bermeo. Founded in 1975 on Mount Sollube, this typical asador is appreciated for its parilla grilled meat and fish, especially its chuletón (prime rib) served on a charcoal grill and the delicious octopus "a feira". The tables on the terrace offer a privileged setting for a meal in the open air with a view of the bay.

The Ariño restaurant is a charming comedor, rustic to the core with its large wooden beams and old stone walls decorated with antique paintings or equally old painted ceramic plates. It is in this typical Basque country canteen atmosphere that we share with the locals an unpretentious but copious menu, always prepared with care. Usually you start with a salad and then move on to a solid rib of beef or fish cooked with skill. Beautiful wine list and warm welcome!

Five minutes by car from the centre of Bermeo, this family restaurant offers traditional Basque cuisine in a rustic caserío built in 1850. The restaurant is famous for its good meat and fish grilled parilla, but it also offers more modest dishes such as garlic soup, kidney beans, talo with chorizo (a kind of wafer) and so on. In winter, an excellent sarteneko (potato-egg-chorizo) typical of the region is eaten by the fireplace.

Twice winner of the national gastronomy prize and three times Michelin starred since 1989, the address for fine gourmets combines new cuisine and traditional cuisine. Nec plus ultra of San Sebastián, the address nestles however in a discreet villa. On the menu: chipirones in black ink, monkfish cheeks in Txacoli sauce, lobster with peaches, red fruit cake on white chocolate... And a cellar whose richness is due to the quality and diversity of the great traditional wines of France and Spain, but also to new wine-producing origins.