What To Eat, Where: San Sebastián
Known as the foodie capital of Europe, you’d be hard-pressed to have a bad meal in San Sebastián. Simply turn up, hop between pintxos bars, and you’ll eat some phenomenal food. That being said, there are some extra special dishes that are worth knowing about.
Mushrooms at Ganbara
As with anywhere that has Bourdain’s stamp of approval - there will be a queue, and it will be worth it. This is the case for Ganbara, best known for its mushroom dish: a simple yet genius combination of rich, earthy mushrooms and silky, raw egg yolk. In true Basque style, it’s stripped-back to let the quality of the ingredients sing. The same can be said for a plate of fresh tomatoes drenched in olive oil and sea salt, and a dessert of syrupy strawberries with whole peppercorns. It’s places like this that put San Sebastián on the map.
Sea Urchin at Bar Sport
If there is such a thing as pintxos bar PR, it’s certainly working for Bar Sport. Consistently rammed with people (at one point there looked like a bit of a lock-in?) it’s quintessential San Sebastian - wonderfully chaotic and full of all the pintxos you could imagine. The thing to get here is the sea urchin. Served in a hollowed out spiky shell, the bright orange sea urchin cream is intensely rich, distinctly oceanic and topped with pops of salmon roe, best mopped up with fresh bread.
Txuleta at Casa Julian
Casa Julian may have done the rounds on Topjaw and Tod (née ‘eating with’) but this place is nothing new. Founded in 1951, it ranks as the 7th best steakhouse in the world. Known for its mammoth slabs of txuleta steak, each one is served with a heart-racing salt crust and glistening chunks of fat. The steak is phenomenal, obviously, and the whole experience is special. Get the Basque cheesecake, resist stealing the Negroni glasses and if you’re struggling for a reservation, try the Whatsapp number.
Gilda at Federiko Taberna
This spot is famous for its pintxos and I had the best gilda of the trip here - fat anchovies, spicy peppers, all bathing in olive oil. Wash it down with a jug of Sangria.
Tortilla at Antonio Bar
Take a short stroll away from the Old Town, through the city’s leafy shopping district, and you’ll find Antonio Bar - a slightly modernised, quietly cool pintxos spot. Here, tourists blend in with locals, service is genuine, and the Spanish tortilla is sold out by midday. It’s a family recipe, in which potatoes, onions and peppers are caramelised for an hour, producing a gentle sweetness and crisp outer shell. Go for breakie to avoid disappointment, although any disappointment will be quickly circumvented by the rest of their impressive menu.
Vermouth at Gerald’s Bar
The Gros neighbourhood is the Old Town’s trendier, younger sister, and it’s also home to Gerald’s Bar. Aussies will know this as a Melbourne cult favourite, and happily, the Basque iteration doesn’t stray too far from the original - effortlessly cool with a touch of old-school glamour. Bad news: my visit coincided with the post-Casa Julian digestion process, and any mention of food here would’ve sent me into cardiac arrest. Good news: they do a superb Vermouth cocktail that has a sweet, spicy kick, with not one, but two, wine-soaked olives.
Txuleta Burger at Bar Desy
A family-run spot since 1986, Bar Desy has been handed down a generation and in turn, injected with a new-wave edge. Naturally, they’ve created a banging burger - a chunky, barely cooked patty made with txuleta beef (the same stuff you’ll find over at Casa Julian) slathered in a two-cheese cream cheese and sandwiched between a sweet brioche bun, to balance out the salty meat. It’s as soft as a pillow, like nothing I’ve tried before, and the only thing to make me question my unwavering affinity to the Plimsoll’s Dexter cheese.
Steak Skewers at Txuleta Parrila
Spend five minutes in this place and you’ll soon notice that everyone is eating steak skewers. Consistently being whisked out of the kitchen like they’re on a conveyor belt, these nuggets of steak are topped with shards of salt and sit atop a nest of chips, perfectly positioned for soaking up the juices.
Mussels at Cervecerías La Mejillonera San Sebastian
A lively, seafood-forward spot, known for its delicious mussels. Be rude not to sink a bottle of cider while you’re here too.
Basque Cheesecake at La Vina
Casa Julian may have served up our favourite cheesecake of the trip, but for something more traditional, this is the place to go. Every crevice in the room is filled with a Basque cheesecake, waiting for its turn to fly off the shelf. These slices are perfectly gooey - the kind of consistency that’s so hard to master, you’ll struggle to find it anywhere else in San Sebastian, let alone further afield.
Written by Beth Lane
Beth is the Food Editor of The Everyday Magazine. She also writes her own Substack newsletter called Small Plates and enjoys travel, reading, reformer pilates and watching anything Bravo!
