10 Best Restaurants
San Sebastián curves around La Concha Bay, with green hills at either end and the Old Town tucked beside the harbour. Come for the food, from crowded pintxos counters to ambitious tasting menus, but leave time for the waterfront. Walk the promenade, climb Mount Urgull or cross to Gros to watch the surfers. Basque culture gives the city its character, and San Telmo Museum is a good place to begin understanding it.
Arzak
Alto de Miracruz, Spain
Arzak remains rooted in the family house on Alto de Miracruz, where Elena Arzak continues a tradition of ambitious Basque cooking. The interest lies in how familiar regional ingredients meet the kitchen's appetite for experimentation, rather than novelty alone. A substantial tasting menu is the natural choice for a special visit, supported by a deep wine selection. Allow the meal its own space in the day and book directly well ahead.
Inventive Basque cooking
Akelarre Restaurant
Igeldo, Spain
Pedro Subijana's Akelarre pairs expansive Bay of Biscay views with cooking that helped shape the New Basque Cuisine movement. Contemporary techniques and carefully composed dishes remain connected to regional traditions. The dining room inside the hotel gives the meal a strong sense of place, especially in daylight. Reserve the gastronomic restaurant specifically, since the property also has a separate, more informal dining option at Espazio Oteiza.
A sea-view tasting menu
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo
City centre, Spain
Now at Hotel Maria Cristina, Amelia centres on an open kitchen and a close connection between diners and cooks. Paulo Airaudo combines Italian influences with Japanese flavours, drawing heavily on seafood and seasonal produce. The experience follows a single tasting menu, with both wine and alcohol-free pairings available. It suits diners who enjoy a focused, personal format. Use the current República Argentina address when arranging your visit.
An intimate chef's counter
Kokotxa
Old Town, Spain
Kokotxa occupies a useful Old Town position between the port and Santa María del Coro. Daniel López's cooking begins with Basque ingredients and traditions, then introduces restrained influences from elsewhere, including Japan and India. Two menus offer different lengths of experience, both designed for the whole table. It is a good choice when you want a considered tasting-menu dinner without leaving the city centre, followed by a walk through the quieter streets.
Contemporary cooking in the Old Town
Itzuli
Igeldo, Spain
Iñigo Lavado's Itzuli occupies elegant rooms inside the Luze San Sebastián hotel on Monte Igueldo. Large windows bring the coast into the dining experience, while the cooking draws on the chef's professional history and a more personal contemporary approach. There are tasting menus and a selection of dishes available separately. Choose a daylight visit to enjoy the setting, and plan transport because this is a hillside outing rather than an Old Town stop.
A destination lunch above the bay
Rekondo
Igeldo, Spain
Rekondo occupies a rustic property on the road towards Monte Igueldo, with a dining room that feels more polished than its exterior suggests. The kitchen respects Basque traditions, working with seasonal produce and familiar preparations alongside more elaborate dishes. Its wine cellar is a major part of the attraction. This is a particularly rewarding choice for diners who want to discuss bottles and vintages over a substantial, unhurried meal.
Basque cooking and a deep cellar
Narru
City centre, Spain
Opposite Buen Pastor Cathedral, Narru offers both an informal area and a more dressed-up dining room inside Hotel Arbaso. The kitchen focuses on seasonal ingredients, with grilled fish and seafood among its strengths. An à la carte menu makes it useful when you prefer to choose your own meal, while a tasting menu offers a longer experience. Specify which dining area you want when booking, since the mood differs between them.
Ingredient-led Basque dining
Casa Urola
Old Town, Spain
Walk through Casa Urola's busy ground-floor pintxo bar to reach the upstairs restaurant, where Pablo Loureiro gives traditional Basque cooking a precise, contemporary touch. Grilled fish, seafood and seasonal vegetables are central to the appeal. The two floors offer different experiences, so reserve the dining room if you want a full meal rather than a bar stop. This is an appealing choice for a lunch built around the day's best produce.
Grilled fish and seasonal produce
Ganbara
Old Town, Spain
Ganbara is an Old Town institution whose busy bar makes a convincing introduction to San Sebastián's pintxo culture. The appeal is the quality of the food and the pace of an experienced team, with a more intimate dining room below for a seated meal. Decide which experience you want before arriving, rather than assuming the bar and restaurant work in the same way. It pairs naturally with a wider walk through the surrounding streets.
A classic pintxo institution
Bodegón Alejandro
Old Town, Spain
Bodegón Alejandro offers a grounded Old Town meal built around seasonal Basque cooking. Its interior balances rustic character with a more contemporary simplicity, and diners can choose between individual dishes and a tasting menu. This is a useful address when you want regional flavours in a comfortable seated setting rather than another evening spent standing at bars. Leave room for dessert, and check the current menu because the selection changes with the season.
Traditional Basque flavours