Go to San Sebastián and eat, they say. Try the pintxos and get a reservation at one of 10 Michelin-starred restaurants, they say. But here’s the wonderful thing about San Sebastián: whether you come ultra-prepared or you just hop off a bus and walk into a neighbourhood bar, the chance is you are going to happen onto some of the most incredible food in the world.
There’s a reason for that. San Sebastián is a perfect storm of unbeatable raw materials from the chilly Bay of Biscay and the green foothills of the Pyrenees, chefs who’ve cooked in the world’s best kitchens, and an intense local devotion to good eating. This tiny dot in the north of Spain has a constellation of world-class restaurants, all tucked into a city smaller than a neighbourhood in London.
After living and eating here for 15 years, I can attest that the family-run bars and restaurants of this city have democratised good eating at all hours. I interviewed hundreds of them to write my book about pintxos, and I found that the energy pulsing through its dining spots comes from passion and hospitality, not concepts and business plans.
The secret to eating in San Sebastián is to go high-low, alternating small bites with larger-than-life luncheons, the best way to digest the area’s unchanging philosophy of respecting the best ingredients and using food as an excuse to gather.
From hallowed haunts to the bar pouring natural wines where you’ll find top chefs on their days off, my list of the best restaurants in San Sebastián is a cross-section of the dining scene’s finest.
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