The Basque Country is a region renowned for its excellent gastronomy, and Guipuzcoa, with its 9 Michelin starred restaurants, is the province with the most Michelin stars. And what better place to try the region’s cuisine than in San Sebastian, the city that stands out for its haute cuisine and miniature dishes.
The ideal place to enjoy these tapas –better known as pintxos– is without a doubt in the city’s old town. So if you plan to visit San Sebastian and wish to taste the miniature haute cuisine but don’t know where to get started, here are some places you cannot pass up.
Zeruko: This bar has a counter full of pintxos...the greatest variety of miniature dishes you’ve ever seen. One of the most traditional pintxos is La Hoguera (Spanish for bonfire), a special cod tapa worth sampling.
Borda Berri: If you love rice, we recommend you visit this place. The bar offers a large menu of pintxos; we consider the arroz bomba (Spanish for bomb rice) with baby squid and the risotto with idiazábal cheese to be their most delicious specialties.
La Cuchara de San Telmo: This is a typical place to visit in San Sebastian. While it may be crowded, it’s well worth grabbing a seat to try one of their outstanding pintxos. We strongly recommend you taste the Foie with applesauce.
Goiz-Argi: This bar is yet another classic. Despite the recent change in ownership, the food counter at Goiz-Argi remains packed with pintxos. The most typical ones you can taste here are the Mari Juli or the prawn brochette.
Gandarias: A traditional bar in the old town of San Sebastian, where both locals and tourists gather. When you eat at Gandarias, the sirloin pintxo is a must.
A Fuego Negro: This is one of the trendiest bars in the area that specialises in miniature haute cuisine. Although somewhat more expensive than other establishments, here you will have the chance to taste extremely elaborate pintxos.
La Viña: If you are still hungry, you can visit La Viña, a bar offering good pintxos at affordable prices. This bar also has some excellent cheese cake, so it’s the ideal place to finish your tour.
As you can see, you can spend the entire day tasting San Sebastian’s famous pintxos. These are just some examples of the many gastronomic establishments you will find, so if you are planning to visit San Sebastian, do it on an empty stomach!
Nice review. Don’t miss also, places like Haizea, Txuleta or La Cepa in the old town. I would also recommend to visit some bars in the area of Gros. Vientos Sur, Hidalgo 56 or Bergara have very much to offer their guests.
Let me suggest you http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en to have a detailed view of pintxos and bars in San Sebastian.