Raw sheep-milk cheese aged 2 to 12 months from the Latxa and Carranzana breeds of the Basque highlands. Smoked or unsmoked, with a firm-but-yielding texture and intense lamb-meadow flavour. PDO since 1987.
Idiazabal cheese has been made in the Basque Country and Navarre highlands since pre-Roman times, traditionally by shepherds who smoked the cheese over beech and hawthorn wood to preserve it. The PDO classification covers cheese from raw milk of Latxa and Carranzana sheep only. La Vina del Ensanche, Ganbara and Atari Gastroteka all carry serious Idiazabal selections.
4 editor picks for Idiazabal in San Sebastián, ranked by editorial score. All San Sebastián signature dishes · Idiazabal across every city.
Ganbara ★ 4.8
parte-vieja · San Jeronimo Kalea 21, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
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.
La Vina ★ 4.7
parte-vieja · Calle 31 de Agosto 3, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
La Vina on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian invented the burnt Basque cheesecake in 1990, when Santiago Rivera blasted a crustless cheesecake.
Atari Gastroteka ★ 4.4
parte-vieja · Calle Mayor 18, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
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.
Casa Vergara ★ 4.2
parte-vieja · Calle Mayor 21, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
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.