Basque€€€parte-vieja
Casa Urola on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian has cooked Basque market food since 1956, with pintxos downstairs and the dining room upstairs. Chef Pablo Loureiro runs both.
Signature: Kokotxas de merluza al pil pil, Cigala a la plancha, Txuleta de vaca vieja
Order: The kokotxas de merluza al pil pil downstairs first; then upstairs for the cigala and the chargrilled txuleta.
Tip: Eat pintxos at the ground-floor counter or book upstairs for a full meal. The kokotxas are the surest order in the city.
Basque€€€parte-vieja
Bodegon Alejandro on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian is the underground Old Town room where Martin Berasategui won his first Michelin star in 1986. Now Inaxio Valverde runs the kitchen.
Signature: Merluza a la donostiarra, Txuleta, Tarta de queso
Order: The merluza a la donostiarra in cazuela and the txuleta from the grill; finish with the burnt-top cheesecake.
Tip: Book the 14:00 lunch slot for the calmer service. The staircase entry is easy to miss; the door is set below street level.
Modern Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian opened in 1999 from chefs trained at Lasarte and El Bulli, cooking made-to-order modern pintxos off a blackboard menu.
Signature: Carrillera de ternera al vino tinto, Foie a la plancha, Risotto de Idiazabal
Order: The carrillera de ternera braised in red wine; the foie a la plancha with apple compote.
Tip: No display counter; read the blackboard. Queue early before 13:00 or after 21:00, the bar gets four deep at peak.
Modern Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos with bold Basque flavours, no counter display, just a tight list of plates from a chalkboard.
Signature: Risotto de Idiazabal, Carrillera al vino tinto, Costilla de Basatxerri
Order: The Idiazabal risotto with puntalette pasta; the Basatxerri pork ribs with ras el hanout.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash and card both. Stand outside if the bar is full; food comes out fast.
Basque€€€parte-vieja
Ganbara on San Jeronimo in San Sebastian's Old Town has run the Martinez-Ortuzar family kitchen since 1984, anchored by an autumn mushroom counter and a downstairs dining room.
Signature: Setas de temporada, Txangurro al horno, Pintxo de huevo
Order: The autumn setas counter sauteed with egg yolk; the spider crab baked in its shell.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The bar counter is walk-in; the basement dining room takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
Basque grill€€parte-vieja
Bar Nestor on Pescaderia in San Sebastian's Old Town has cooked exactly four things since 1981: txuleta of old-cow ribeye, tomato salad, pimientos de Padron and one tortilla per service.
Signature: Txuleta de vaca vieja, Ensalada de tomate, Tortilla de patatas
Order: The txuleta on the chargrill, the tomato salad with sea salt, then a slice of the daily tortilla if you queued early.
Tip: Tortilla is two per day, twelve to seventeen slices; show up an hour before service. Txuleta needs a list-name on arrival.
Basque€€parte-vieja
La Vina on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian invented the burnt Basque cheesecake in 1990, when Santiago Rivera blasted a crustless cheesecake in a wood-paper-lined tin until the top caramelised.
Signature: Tarta de queso La Vina, Pintxos clasicos, Bacalao al pil pil
Order: The tarta de queso, a wedge from the counter, plus a glass of Pedro Ximenez or Txakoli to cut.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Get the cheesecake at the counter; the dining room behind serves a sit-down lunch with the same wedge for dessert.
Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Atari Gastroteka on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian, opposite the Santa Maria del Coro church, runs a long bar of experimental pintxos with a stand-and-eat terrace on the church steps.
Signature: Brocheta de langostinos, Solomillo con foie, Pintxos de autor
Order: The prawn brochette and the solomillo-foie skewer; finish with a glass of Txakoli on the church-step terrace.
Tip: Open until 01:00 weekdays, 02:30 weekends; the terrace fills first. No reservations, walk-in only.
Modern Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
A Fuego Negro on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, chef Edorta Lamo's avant-garde pintxo room, runs dark walls, indie music and inventive plates pulled from travel and comic-book ideas.
Signature: Black rabas, Makcobe with chips, Pastrami de Euskaltxerri
Order: The black-squid rabas and the Kobe-beef miniburger 'makcobe' with chips.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The counter is small; arrive before 21:00 or after 22:30 to skip the wait.
Basque grill and pintxos€€parte-vieja
Casa Tiburcio on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian, rebranded Fermin Calbeton under Grupo Garrancho in 2022, runs traditional Basque counter cooking with a coal brasa at the back.
Signature: Callos y morros, Brasa de carne, Pintxos tradicionales
Order: The callos y morros if it's on the day's list, the chargrill meat plates from the brasa at the back.
Tip: Pintxos at the front bar, table service in the back room. The brasa lights at 12:30 and 20:00.
Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Bar Sport on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian's Old Town serves a classic counter of grilled foie, stuffed squid and braised cheek, with the house Txakoli pours and a fast-moving crowd.
Signature: Foie a la plancha, Txipiron relleno de changurro, Carrillera
Order: The grilled foie a la plancha; the txipiron stuffed with spider crab; a glass of house Txakoli.
Tip: Walk in only; counter standing room. Open until midnight daily, weekends from 11:00.
Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Goiz Argi on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks one perfect prawn brochette to order, griddled with red pepper sauce on a slice of bread, plus a tight list of plancha pintxos.
Signature: Brocheta de gambas, Chipiron a la plancha, Moruno de carne
Order: The brocheta de gambas (prawn skewer) cooked to order; a glass of Txakoli to pair.
Tip: Stand-only at the counter; brochette is fired fresh, expect a 4-minute wait. Open 10:00 to 16:00 and 18:30 to 23:30.
Basque anchovy bar€€parte-vieja
Bar Txepetxa on Pescaderia in San Sebastian has cured white anchovies since 1972 by a guarded family recipe, served on toasted baguette with a dozen toppings from pepper-onion to spider crab.
Signature: Anchoa de Pescaderia, Anchoa a la jardinera, Anchoa con crema de centollo
Order: Anchoa a la jardinera (with pepper and onion) and anchoa with crema de centollo. Two each, then move.
Tip: Walk in only, stand at the bar. The blackboard lists 12 toppings; pick three and shout your order to the barman.
Basque seafood counter€parte-vieja
La Mejillonera on Calle del Puerto in San Sebastian has cooked one thing since 1967: mussels by the dozen, in five sauces, served standing at the bar with patatas bravas and a cana.
Signature: Mejillones a la vinagreta, Patatas bravas, Mejillones al vapor
Order: A dozen mussels a la vinagreta and a dozen al vapor; bravas to share; cana of Estrella.
Tip: Standing only, no tables. Cash-friendly. Closed Wednesdays.
Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Bar Martinez on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian's Old Town has been a shellfish pintxo bar since 1942, now run by the third generation of the Martinez family with a long counter and house-made plates.
Signature: Pintxos de marisco, Brocheta de gambas, Pulpo a la plancha
Order: A pintxo de marisco from the counter; the seared octopus, the prawn brochette.
Tip: Counter is busy from 13:00 and 21:00; weekends and August are extremely crowded. No reservations.
Basque pintxos€€parte-vieja
Casa Vergara on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town, since 1948, sits across from the Santa Maria del Coro basilica with the bacalao al pil pil pintxo as its house plate.
Signature: Bacalao al pil pil, Pintxo de tortilla, Brocheta
Order: The bacalao al pil pil pintxo from the counter; the tortilla pintxo by the slice.
Tip: Front terrace fills first; the church-step view is the standing-room reward. Open daily.