Pasteleria Geltoki on Easo in San Sebastian's Amara is a working Basque bakery-cafe with a counter of pastries, sit-down coffee service and the locals' morning bread queue.
Tip: Open from 07:30 weekdays; the bread queue is long by 09:00. Closed Sundays.
Address: Easo Kalea 61, 20006 Donostia-San Sebastian, San Sebastián
Pasteleria Otaegui's original branch on Narrika in San Sebastian's Old Town has run a counter of Basque pastries and morning coffee since 1886, the century-old breakfast stop.
Signature drink: Coffee and Basque pastries
Tip: Tartas de queso to take away; eat in for a coffee and a slice of the day's bake.
Atari Gastroteka on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town, opposite the Santa Maria del Coro basilica, pulls a steady morning coffee crowd that takes the church-step terrace by 09:00.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche on the church steps
Tip: Mornings are the best coffee hour; pintxos start from 11:30. The terrace seats fill first.
Sakona Coffee Roasters in San Sebastian's Gros has run a specialty coffee programme since 2015, anchoring the city's third-wave scene with a 30-cover cafe a block from Zurriola beach. The roastery is in Irun on the French border.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter coffee
Tip: Try the seasonal filter pour or a flat white; the bean retail wall stocks Sakona's roasts to take home.
Old Town Coffee in San Sebastian's Centro, founded by Brazilian friends, runs single-origin coffees rotated seasonally and a counter of organic bakes with vegan and gluten-free options.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso
Tip: The Mercado San Martin branch is the original location; the Reyes Catolicos cafe is the newer flagship.
Koh Tao Cafe in San Sebastian's Centro, named for the Thai island where founders Ana and Ainara dreamed it up, is one of the original third-wave coffee bars in the city.
Signature drink: Specialty flat white
Tip: Pull up at the counter for the flat white; homemade cakes and a small brunch carte sit on the side.
Old Town Coffee inside Mercado San Martin in San Sebastian's Centro is the market-stall outpost of the city's specialty coffee pioneer, with a stand-up counter and a rotating bean wall.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Tip: Pair a filter coffee with a Geltoki croissant from the bakery stall across the aisle. Closed Sundays.
