The delicious restaurants in San Sebastian, Spain contribute to what makes it one of the greatest food cities in the world. The Basque region of Spain has a unique cuisine because of it’s proximity to the mountains, rich soil for gardening and the Atlantic ocean.
There are endless options for different pincho/pintxo bars, restaurants and even Michelin starred restaurants. It can be overwhelming to figure out where to eat. San Sebastian is known for having the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants. Have a wonderful time eating your way around the incredible restaurants in San Sebastian!
This post is all about restaurants in San Sebastian!
1. Bar Nestor
Bar Nestor is hands down my favorite restaurant in San Sebastian. I love and appreciate when a restaurant only has a few options, done incredibly well. When ordering you can choose tomatoes (with sea salt and delicious olive oil), shishito peppers (blistered and topped with sea salt) and steak.
The incredible steak. The chef will show you two different thick cut, bone-in ribeye steaks. You then select which one you’d like, and they weigh the steak to calculate the cost. You don’t get to choose how you’d like it cooked, they do it to their liking which is pretty rare – and delicious. It’s grilled and then served on a piping hot plate.
What sets their beef apart is that it comes from older, grass-fed dairy cows. It’s unique in it’s rich meaty flavor and the thick yellow fat. The flavors they achieve by grilling the meat is truly unparalleled.
My personal opinion: I don’t love their tortilla de patatas. They only serve two per day which each feed around 20 people. You must reserve a portion a few hours before they serve it, and they’ll tell you what time to come back at. We made sure to get this dish, but unfortunately in my opinion, it wasn’t anything special.
2. la cuchara de san telmo
La Cuchara de San Telmo is an unassuming little restaurant tucked in a back alley in San Sebastian. The flavors and unique dishes are truly exceptional and sumptuous. Each dish can be offered in various portion sizes to allow you to try many different dishes.
The dishes are written on a chalkboard inside the restaurant and are always changing with the seasons and freshness. The beef cheek, slow braised in red wine, is our favorite dish.
3. antonio Bar
Antonio Bar has the best tortilla de patatas or tortilla Española in the world. I can’t say that definitively, as I haven’t tried every tortilla, but this one truly is phenomenal. The level of caramelization they’re able to achieve on the onions and peppers adds a depth of flavor that is so exquisite.
The best drink to pair with this rich tortilla is a ice cold glass of Spanish vermouth.
How to get a serving: You don’t need to reserve a slice in advance, but the tortilla comes out at 6:30pm, so don’t arrive to long after that!
4. la viña
Burnt basque cheesecake is truly phenomenal. It’s crustless, cooked at a much higher heat and known for it’s luscious, custardy interior. The flavors are unique because it’s made with Idiazábal cheese – a hard sheep-milk cheese from the Basque region. Also, it’s not nearly as sweet as traditional American cheesecake.
The best spot to basque cheesecake in San Sebastian is La Viña. If you’re too full after eating your way around the city, then you can always take it to go and eat it in the comfort of your accommodation.
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