These great restaurants in San Sebastian showcase the gastronomic excellence of the Basque Country, with seafood, chargrilled meat, and pintxos delicacies taking centre stage. Throughout the city, you’ll find traditional and contemporary diners serving local, national and international favourites. And with Europe’s highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita, San Sebastian is sure to offer a dining experience you won’t forget.
Whether you want to feast on bite-sized shellfish in a longstanding bistro or dig into avant-garde Basque cuisine in a converted farmhouse, one of these great restaurants in San Sebastian promises you a wonderful dining experience.
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Arzak
Traditional Basque cuisine with a contemporary twist
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Storia
- Lusso
Arzak is a Michelin-starred San Sebastian restaurant, where you can dig into traditional Basque dishes adapted to modern tastes. A family-run restaurant for 4 generations since 1897, the Arzak family utilises a library of over 1,500 spices to create deliciously flavourful plates, which you can order from an a la carte menu or 7-course tasting menu.
Crowd-favourite menu options include marble-poached egg with crispy puff rice, lamb with crispy orzo and mole sauce, and red prawns with butternut squash. Dishes go down a treat when paired with a Spanish wine recommended by Arzak's sommelier.
Posizione: Alcalde J. Elosegi Hiribidea, 273, 20015 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Tuesday–Saturday from 1.15 pm to 3.15 pm and from 8.45 pm to 10.45 pm (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Telefono: +34 943 27 84 65
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Restaurante Kokotxa
Adventurous Basque fare with a seafood focus
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Lusso
Restaurant Kokotxa takes its name from a fleshy part of a fish jaw, considered a local delicacy in the Basque Country. True to its name, the San Sebastian restaurant rustles up innovative Basque dishes such as spider crab with jalapeño cream and salmon crackers. You can either order from its seasonal market menu or sample the latest creations from the tasting menu.
Reservations are recommended at this top-rated restaurant. While you’re in the area, you might want to explore historical landmarks such as Constitution Square.
Posizione: Calle del Campanario, 11, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Tuesday–Saturday from 1.30 pm to 3 pm and 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Telefono: +34 943 42 19 04
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Gandarias
An all-day Basque diner and pintxos bar
- Famiglie
- Cibo
- Gruppi
Gandarias is one of the most popular restaurants in the old town area of San Sebastian. It features a pintxos bar in one section and a more formal dining area in the other. Tasty bites include sea urchins, cremini mushroom with shrimp, lamb brochette, and the delicious foie a la plancha. We also recommend pairing Iberian ham with one of the restaurant’s local wines.
Gandarias is an all-day diner, serving food from 11 am to midnight. You don’t usually need to reserve a table to enjoy a meal at the pintxos bar, but you can expect a short wait for a dining table around lunch and dinner over the weekend.
Posizione: 31 de Agosto Kalea, 23, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Daily from 11 am to midnight
Telefono: +34 943 42 63 62
MappaFoto di Danny Qvarfordt (CC BY-SA 2.0) modificata
- 4
Casa Urola
A longstanding favourite for seafood and pintxos
- Famiglie
- Cibo
- Gruppi
Since 1956, Casa Urola has been charming visitors and locals with a diverse range of seasonal pintxos, chargrilled meat, and seafood delicacies. Menu highlights include grilled octopus over kale, ventresca de bonito (white tuna fillet dish) and hake in green sauce. Despite its superb reputation, Casa Urola is surprisingly affordable. Locals often come here for family dinners.
Evenings are usually busy at Casa Urola, though Sunday evenings tend to be the quietest. The restaurant is a street behind Constitution Square along Fermin Calbeton Kalea, not far from the Port of San Sebastian.
Posizione: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 20, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Thursday–Monday from noon to 3.30 pm and f7 pm to 11.30 pm (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Telefono: +34 943 44 13 71
MappaFoto di Ian Irving (CC BY 2.0) modificata
- 5
Ganbara
A vibrant pintxos bar and diner with street seating
- Famiglie
- Cibo
- Gruppi
Ganbara is a buzzing pintxos bar in San Sebastian that spills out onto the street. It’s where small plates of foie, fish and mushrooms on griddled bread and puff pastry always attract a crowd. In the sit-down dining area, tasty menu options include flaky hake, squid and big fish such as wild turbot, bream and sole, all chargrilled to perfection.
You’ll find the restaurant towards the west of San Sebastian’s Constitution Square. Without a reservation at Ganbara, you can expect to wait up to 15 minutes for a table on Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as over lunch on Sundays.
Posizione: San Jeronimo Kalea, 21, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Tuesday–Sunday from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm and from 7 pm to 11 pm (closed on Mondays)
Telefono: +34 943 42 25 75
MappaFoto di WordRidden (CC BY 2.0) modificata
- 6
Bodegon Alejandro
Seasonal game and seafood dishes with local wine pairings
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Gruppi
Bodegon Alejandro is a low-lit, trendy and intimate venue in San Sebastian that offers seasonal tasting menus of fish and game dishes. They’re usually paired with a local wine such as txakoli (sparkling dry white wine). Popular main courses include grilled hake in citrus vinaigrette and marinated anchovy lasagne with gazpacho cream. After filling up on seafood, you can treat yourself to a dessert such as lemon thyme ice cream or apple pie with rosemary trifle.
While you don’t usually need to wait for a table at Bodegon Alejandro, we recommended making a reservation in advance. Nearby attractions you can visit before or after meals include the iconic 19th-century Mercado de la Bretxa.
Posizione: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 4, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Daily from 1 pm to 3.30 pm and from 8 pm to 10 pm
Telefono: +34 943 42 71 58
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eMe Be Garrote
Fine Basque cuisine in San Sebastian
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Lusso
eMe Be Garrote is a Basque haute-cuisine restaurant housed in a former cider house with a Scandinavian-inspired interior. Menu favourites include hake cheeks and roast pigeon with truffle-infused potato puree. We highly recommend the steak tartare made with Galacian beef.
Eme be Garrote is in the residential barrio of Igara. Taking a taxi is usually the easiest way to get there. If you’d rather avoid taxi fees, you can take bus number 5, 24, 40 or 45 from the centre of San Sebastian to the restaurant in about 30 minutes.
Posizione: Igara Bidea, 33, 37, 20018 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Tuesday–Saturday from 1 pm to 3.30 pm and from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Telefono: +34 943 22 79 71
Mappa - 8
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo
Basque fare with Mediterranean and Asian influences
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Lusso
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo is a fine-dining restaurant in San Sebastian that celebrates local seasonal produce and expert culinary skills. Headed by Italian-born Michelin-starred chef Paulo Airaudo, this is a personal restaurant. You can dig into Basque cuisine (with Italian and Japanese influences) at one of just 3 snug tables by the bar. You also get a view into the kitchen while the chefs prepare your food.
We recommend ordering the 10-course tasting menu, complete with 10 wine pairings. The caviar with ice cream is a delectable treat. An important note is that you’ll need to reserve your table at least a couple of weeks in advance.
Posizione: Zubieta Kalea, 26, 20007 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Wednesday from 7 pm to 9.30 pm, Thursday–Saturday from 1 pm to 3 pm and from 7 pm to 9.30 pm (closed Sundays to Tuesdays)
Telefono: +34 943 84 56 47
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Rekondo
Basque haute cuisine, bay views and fine wines galore
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Lusso
Rekondo is a rustic restaurant by talented Basque chef Iñaki Arrieta. It also hosts a wine cellar overseen by globally revered sommelier, Martín Flea. It is set inside a former farmhouse on the road to Mount Igeldo with sweeping views of La Concha Bay. While the interior dining room is warm and homely, nothing beats enjoying fine Basque fare on its romantic terrace.
Wood-grilled ox, scallops a la plancha and carpaccio of carabinero prawns are just some of the menu highlights at Rekondo. Unsurprisingly, reservations are a must at this upscale restaurant, but it's well worth the wait.
Posizione: Paseo de Igeldo, 57, 20008 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Thursday–Monday from 1.15 pm to 3.30 pm and from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Telefono: +34 943 21 29 07
MappaFoto di Lou Stejskal (CC BY 2.0) modificata
- 10
Mugaritz
Avant-garde Basque cuisine served in a pitched-roof farmhouse
- Coppie
- Cibo
- Lusso
Mugaritz, with its avant-garde menu, is widely considered to be the cathedral of contemporary Basque cuisine in San Sebastian. It features 20-course tasting menus that are uniquely designed and prepared for each guest. Inventive creations may include pig’s blood macaroon with almonds and sautéed sea slugs with salad sprouts and ‘vegetable charcoal’.
Dining at one of the best restaurants in San Sebastian, which also has 2 Michelin stars, is an experience you’re unlikely to forget. It's a good idea to make a reservation at Mugaritz at least a few weeks in advance.
Posizione: Aldura Gunea Aldea, 20, 20100 Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Orario di apertura: Monday–Saturday from 12.30 pm to 6 pm (closed on Mondays)
Telefono: +34 943 52 24 55
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