What to eat in San Sebastián/Donostia Spain

including all my favourite pintxos bars

Mar 28, 2025

I went to San Sebastián in Sept 2023 and never got around to writing about it. it. Spain was so utterly delicious that I have been dreaming about going back ever since. Situated on the Bay of Biscay within Spain's rugged Basque Country, it is a charming resort town known for its stunning beaches and a picturesque bayfront promenade. I fell in love with it for so many reasons, including it being a great place to swim. It was recently voted the best European city to live in by Conde Naste Traveller, and I can totally see why.

San Sebastián is famous for its world-class culinary scene, where cutting-edge chefs head up restaurants that consistently earn international acclaim. In the cobblestoned old town, high-end shops are scattered between vibrant pintxo bars, where locals and tourists can enjoy bite-sized regional specialities paired with delicious local wines.

It has the most dense occurrence of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world outside of Tokyo and has been on my bucket list for a decade.

This is a city to walk in, and everything is joined or surrounded by beautifully maintained promenades. It’s also great for cycling, so if you have time, rent a bike and cycle (it’s mostly very flat).

We stayed in the historic Old Town right in the mix of all the activity. It is quite noisy as people party late every single night, so if you prefer it quieter, stay anywhere nearish to this part as it is very walkable.

Pintxos are what San Sebastián are famous for, and a lot of research went into the best places to go. We ate and drank some delicious things.

However, eating pintxos for breakfast, lunch and supper for a few days can be a bit much, so I recommend taking a trip or two out of town if you have time.

On one of the days, we took the bus to the nearby fishing port, Getaria (about 24 Km west of San Sebastian), where we were lucky enough to secure a table at Elkano. It was a gorgeous drive through a very scenic area. This restaurant is number 16 on the Best Restaurants of the World List, has a Michelin star and is known for its simply prepared seafood that is as fresh as it can get.

The freshly caught fish (often on the same day) is cooked over coals in an outdoor kitchen with very little interference or flavour addition. This is about the best produce stripped back to its bare basics. We had the house speciality of whole-cooked turbot and it was an unforgettable expereince.

The old town of Getaria is lovely to walk around, and we took a stroll before lunch. Elkano has a sister restaurant, Kaia Kaipe, which, like Elkano, specializes in seafood, particularly charcoal-grilled turbot cooked on open-air grills. There is a very beautiful church to see too.

On another day, we took the bus to a 450-year-old Cider house called Lizeaga on the Urumea (River of Cider) and had a traditional Basque feast. This was a set menu with multiple dishes served with the house cider, and you could drink as much as you liked. I was particularly excited as it was the first time I had encountered lettuce on the trip, and we were on around day 12 at this point. Salad is not a big thing in Spain.

My top Pintxos bars in San Sebastián

Pintxos (pronounced peen-chos) are small snacks or bites traditionally served in bars across northern Spain, especially in the Basque Country. Typically enjoyed with a drink, they’re often built on a slice of bread and topped with ingredients like cheese, cured meats, seafood, or vegetables, then held together with a toothpick. Pintxos are meant to be eaten in just a few bites and are a fun, informal way to experience a variety of flavours in one sitting.

Each pintxo bar has its charm, and despite having many delicious options, most have one special dish. We ordered these at all the pintxos bars we went to.

*We were only there for 4 days, so this is by no means a comprehensive list.

Below is my list of favourites:

Ganbara was, hands down, our favourite. This was less rushed, had very professional and friendly staff and bar seating. The menu is filled with interesting and extremely fresh local ingredients, including their speciality dish of wild mushrooms with egg.

They also do monkfish, prawn and potato pintxo, and foie gras on bread. You wait to be seated, which makes the experience a little less chaotic and more special, and the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable.

La Cuchara do San Telmo - They are well known for suckling pig and octopus and have a great atmosphere. This was maybe the most festive and jam-packed of all the Pintxos bars we went into, but we totally loved all the food and the vibe. These two dishes were among our favourites on the trip.

Gandarias - Txuletas - steak, crab tartlet and great octopus. This is an all-around vibey and good Pinxos bar.

Txepetxa Taberna - Anchovy heaven, especially the salted and oil anchovy combo with a red pepper. Cantabrian anchovies are considered the best in the world; they are among my all-time favourite things to eat, and I am almost sure I ate them every single day on this trip.

La Vina - Burnt Basque Cheesecake. This is the home of the iconic Basque Burned Cheesecake, and it's a must-stop spot. The lines form early and are long, but plan accordingly. I had it for breakfast one day and thought this was a splendid idea. I loved it but prefer the one I make myself a little more.

Sebastian Jatetxea - An old seafood restaurant on the harbour. This is a spot that was recommended to us by locals but is not open every day.

Bar Nestor - Steak and tomatoes are the speciality at this popular spot.

There are so many famous and exceptional restaurants near San Sebastian, like Asador Etxebarri, which, sadly, we couldn’t go to.

Ice cream perfection

We stumbled by accident into the Carlos Arribas ice cream shop, and I was blown away. I consider myself somewhat of an ice cream expert after decades of eating it around the world and making it myself. This would stack up against the best in Italy. Some of the flavours were completely off the wall, so I stuck to my faves.

A picnic is always a good idea

When I travel, I love to buy fresh bread, cheese, produce, pastries or any other local speciality and have a few picnics. One day, we packed a bottle of red, a tin of anchovies, and Manchego cheese, along with a baguette and had a wonderful picnic on the top of the Isla de Santa Clara - a small island in the bay only accessible by boat. We hiked up to the lighthouse to enjoy our picnic with stunning views. On reflection, this meal and experience was a highlight of our whole trip. It doesn’t need to be fancy.