Gastronomy in San Sebastian, Spain

Eating Pinchos in San Sebastian

Donostia-San Sebastian has the highest number of Michelin Stars per square meter of any city on the planet. And while San Sebastian certainly has a lot to offer for fine dining, the Basque Country offers more than just gourmet opportunities to delight the palate.

The Basque Country has been internationally famous for its delicious traditional cuisine since a group of new chefs decided to take a number of older dishes and renew them on the basis of their imagination. This movement, which was soon to become known as Basque nouvelle cuisine, was modeled in the mid-70's by a series of young chefs whose point of reference was the French cookery of the same name.

More Pinchos...

Today, these young chefs are maestros of renowned prestige whose creativity falls under the title of so-called 'author cuisine'. Despite their high social standing, the top restaurateurs still lead surprisingly down-to-earth lives. It's not unusual to see any of world renowned figures in the gastronomic field doing their own shopping at the market, passing some of their recipes to the media or rubbing elbows at the cookery schools with the new generation of chefs. Like most aspects of the Basque identity, the aim is to preserve the continuity of this delicious new gastronomy so that future generations can enjoy it as well.

 

The Country of the Fish

Most of the fish found in San Sebastian is either from the Basque Coast or from the far-off fishing grounds where local Basque fishermen (arrantzales) have been working for centuries. Prepared in many different styles, Hake, bream, bonito and cod are the main fish used in local recipes. There is also a resurgence of more humble species such as sardines, anchovies, turbot, monkfish, and sea-bass. A number of basic, light sauces such as the delicate 'green ' or pil-pil sauces extract the essence of the fish without altering either texture or flavour.

The Basques have always known how to make the most out of the products offered by the earth and the sea hence the incorporation into their cuisine of kokotxas - the small, gelatinous, smooth flavoured cheeks of hake, the cogote of hake, or the ventresca or underside of bonito. Squid, cooked in its traditional and highly original black ink or sautéed with onion and peppers a lo Pelayoare classic dishes in Basque restaurants, as is the greatly appreciated spider crab (txangurro).
 

Delicious Wines

 

These succulent dishes have the perfect complement in equally delicious wines. Despite its relatively small size, the product of the Rioja Alavesa is perfectly capable of competing with the best wines in the world. Reds from this area are denominated crianza, reserva or gran reserva depending on the amount of time they spend in oak barrels. Another local beverage is txakoli, a young, fresh and fruity wine which has recently started making a name for itself outside of the Basque Country.

But we mustn't forget the cider which we can taste at the cider houses themselves! Just minutes outside of San Sebastian, Astigarraga, Hernani and Usurbil, in Gipuzkoa are the villages with the highest number of these raucous establishments. These 'Sidrerias' date back hundreds of years into Basque culture and if you're here during the typical cider season (January - July) a visit is an absolute must and will most certainly be arranged by Lacunza. Patrons dine on typical home-cooked Basque entrees (Bacalao, Tortillas, Assorted Meats, etc...) while sampling the latest ciders served by the producers themselves!
 

Typical Dishes

Anyone who's been to San Sebastian before knows all about Pinxtos; small 'tapas'-like dishes covering the counters of the countless bars in the city. These bite-sized snacks range from 1 to 4 Euros and could be any number of typical Basque dishes:
Codfish (bacalao al pil-pil), cuttlefish in ink, rib, hake in green sauce, Spanish omelet, Bocadillos, crab salad...
 

Restaurant Timetable

In San Sebastian there are restaurants for all kinds of tastes. Usually, they open from 1 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. and later from 8.30 p.m. to 12 p.m.Some of them are open until late night. In addition to their regular food lists, restaurants usually offer a set menu (menú del día) for lunch. It includes a starter, main dish and dessert, drink and bread for about 9€. In the evening there is also a "menú del día" in the cheaper restaurants, but is usually not offered at upper-end restaurants.

Restaurants/Bars:
To try and list every bar and restaurant in San Sebastian would take even the most discerning historian more than a lifetime, so we'll limit this list to our favorites.
• CARAVANSERAI: Different menus, cafeteria... Pza. Buen Pastor (city center) Phone no.: 943475418
• MAMA MÍA: Italian food. San Bartolomé (city center) Phone no.: 943465293
• ESLABÓN: Set menus, meals, dinners... C/Urbieta, 44 (city center) Phone no.: 943464208
• CAFÉ DE LA CONCHA: Menus, meals, dinners... Pº de la Concha (city center) Phone no.: 943473600
• BERGARA: Pintxos. General Arretxe, nº8 (Gros)
• VALLÉS: Pintxos. Reyes Católicos (city center) Phone no.: 943452210
• IZKIÑA: Basque traditional cuisine. Pintxos, meals, dinners. Fermín Calbetón, 4-bajo (Old Part) Phone no.: 943422562
• LA CEPA: Basque traditional cuisine. Pintxos, meals, dinners... C/31 de Agosto, 7 (Old Part) Phone no.: 943426394

 

Pubs

There are lots of pubs around the town where you can enjoy a beer, wine, or pintxo from morning to night. You will find most of the bars in the Old Part of the town on C/ Fermín Calbetón and 31 de Agosto. There is also a variety of nightclubs to suit any musical taste. For a local's secret, try Kumplat hidden in the city center.

Recently, Anthony Bourdain has done several shows focusing on the Basque Country. What better person to suggest a restaurant!

Why not check out our Spanish & Cookery course in San Sebastian and learn to make great Spanish food like this for yourself.