San Sebastián is one of the world's great food cities, and it works at every budget: a few euros for a pintxo at the bar, or a once-in-a-lifetime tasting menu up the hill. Here is how to approach it.
How pintxos work
Go bar to bar. In each, order one or two pintxos (the house speciality, often cooked to order and written on a board) and a small drink, pay, and move on. The old town (Parte Vieja) has the classics; Gros, across the river, is where many locals go.
Pintxo bars locals send friends to
- Bar Nestor (old town): the tomato salad, the steak and a potato omelette served in limited batches at set times; arrive early.
- La Cuchara de San Telmo (old town): hot pintxos cooked to order, by the San Telmo museum.
- Gandarias (old town): the bar for a slice of grilled steak (txuleta) on bread.
- Borda Berri (old town): slow-cooked dishes in small portions.
- La Viña (old town): the burnt cheesecake that went around the world: our guide.
The three-star restaurants
San Sebastián and its surroundings have three restaurants with three Michelin stars in the 2026 guide (Michelin Guide):
- Arzak — the Arzak family's restaurant, where new Basque cuisine began.
- Akelarre — Pedro Subijana's restaurant on Monte Igeldo, overlooking the sea.
- Martín Berasategui — in Lasarte-Oria, about 15 minutes away.
Mugaritz, in Errenteria, is the most experimental of the region's top tables. Book all of them weeks or months ahead.
Tips
- Lunch is the main meal (from about 13:30); dinner starts late (21:00 or later).
- In pintxo bars you can eat standing; nobody expects a long stay.
- Check opening days: many bars close one day a week and in parts of winter.
Staying connected
Bookings, maps and bar hopping are easier with data. A data eSIM for Spain gives you local data from the moment you land.