The best restaurants San Sebastián

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).

Our favourite place to eat tapas in the Parte Vieja! Unfortunately, it is no longer a secret for anyone, so you'll have to be patient to place your order, as the place is tiny and always full to bursting! The slate on the wall leaves you dreaming: foie gras pan-fried à la plancha and its apple compote, carrillera (beef) simmered in red wine, suckling pig roasted in beer, grilled octopus in tximitxurri sauce... served as pintxos at the counter, or raciones to share at tables outside. Divine!

The best address for lunch in the old port of San Sebastián, in a very picturesque setting, a stone's throw from the Aquarium. When the weather is fine, this is the perfect place to share raciones of grilled sardines, fresh anchovies and txopitos (fried cuttlefish) on the terrace, all accompanied by a bottle of txakoli. With the first freshness, we will opt for the very tasty fish soup. The restaurant also offers fish and seafood, but the note will obviously be a little saltier!

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).

Here, simplicity and quality go hand in hand and are combined in all weathers. First, there is the large room with tables simply covered in white and bistro chairs. In the warm and courteous welcome. Finally, in the kitchen, chef Daniel Lopez (one Michelin star) works with rare precision, using good products with Basque accents. Some examples to convince yourself: partridge terrine, Iberian pluma (pork) with cherries and basil, Bresse pigeon in its stew... Very original!

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.

Famous chef Martín Berasategui has set up his gourmet restaurant in an elegant villa less than 10 kilometres from the centre of San Sebastián, offering beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. This illustrious restaurant, which has been awarded three Michelin stars, offers impeccable service, a surprising menu, and a very well-assorted wine list that has convinced even the most discerning palates. In fact, people come from all over the world to discover the cuisine of Berasategui, rightly considered one of the greatest Spanish chefs.

A gastronomic restaurant that lives up to its Michelin star, with the added bonus of a privileged location on Mount Ulía, with panoramic views of the ocean. The chef Rubén Trincado elaborates an innovative and uncomplicated cuisine, although rooted in tradition. The tasting menu is obviously the best option to discover his culinary universe: lobster salad, rice with clams, roast pigeon, and vegan and vegetarian options. Take your time and enjoy the view: this is one of the most beautiful panoramas of San Sebastián!

Designed by Andoni Luis Aduriz, chef of the prestigious Mugaritz, this restaurant was born from the union between Basque and Latin American cuisine, inherited from the many exchanges between these two cultures. The highly conceptual menu reinvents the classic tacos, quesadillas and ceviches using local produce to offer original and richly flavoured dishes. Don't miss the guacamole, whose presentation will surprise you! On the drinking side, we test without hesitation the different micheladas, based on beer and lime juice.

This restaurant specialises in organic farming: they offer delicious 100% organic vegetarian dishes.

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.

A classic and elegant restaurant on the road to Mount Igueldo, renowned throughout the city for its superb bodega and refined cuisine. Founded in 1964, Rekondo occupies a pretty stone villa, whose renovated living rooms offer a very pleasant setting to discover its excellent traditional cuisine: artichokes with foie gras, baked txangurro (crab), hake in green sauce, rice with clams ... With more than 4,000 references, the restaurant has one of the finest wine lists in the world. Charming terrace for lunch in the shade of the plane trees.

This typical four-century-old caserío proudly stands out amidst the modern buildings on the outskirts. In addition to its beautiful rustic decor of stones and exposed beams, presided over by huge kupelas (barrels) of cider, the place has been famous since 1982 for its beef ribs and fish grilled in the parilla. Also on the menu, local delicacies such as Tudela's cogollos (sweetmeats), endives with salmon and txangurro (crab), scrambled eggs with kokotxas (cod)... A good address for a traditional meal.

On the Paseo Nuevo, nestled against Mount Urgull, this restaurant offers a privileged location next to the aquarium and facing the Bay of La Concha. It is a modern and minimalist glass cube that opens out to the ocean with its beautiful terrace. In the kitchen, chef Mikel Santamaría creates creative and iodised dishes: tuna belly with green Ibarra peppers; Donostiarra soup with clams, monkfish and lobster; scampi ravioli and sautéed scallops. For a more modest price, enjoy the cafeteria area.

One of the Parte Vieja's unmissable tapas bars: celebrity photos, press articles and numerous awards hanging on its walls testify to its deserved status as an institution! Manu Marañón, the current owner, inherited this maritime bar from his grandparents. Away from the fashions, he continues to prepare the house speciality: boquerones, these anchovies marinated in vinegar. Unmistakable: pintxo d'antxoas con crema de centollo (anchovies with crab cream) and jardinera, made with red and green peppers and onion.