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 dishes: Risotto de Idiazabal, Carrillera al vino tinto, Costilla de Basatxerri
Must 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.
Address: Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, San Sebastián
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Antonio Bar on Bergara in San Sebastian's Centro is the locals' tortilla room, with a 28-egg, deep-caramelised tortilla and a gilda built on two anchovies and the double-olive Donostian standard.
Signature: Tortilla de patatas, Gilda, Bacalao rebozado
Order: A wedge of the tortilla, the double-anchovy gilda; espresso at the counter to finish.
Tip: Tortilla is finished by 14:30 most days; arrive before then. Cash-friendly; the counter is small and stand-only.
