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€€€gros
Galerna Jan Edan in San Sebastian's Gros, run since 2016 by Jorge Asenjo and Rebeca Barainca, cooks a short modern-Basque tasting menu in a 30-cover room across from Zurriola beach.
Signature: Tasting menu, Bonito de Bermeo, Game-season hare
Order: The bonito de Bermeo when the line boats land; in autumn the game-season tasting around hare and pigeon.
Tip: Two services, lunch and dinner, both menu-only. Book a fortnight ahead in season; the dining room is small and full.
Basque-Latin American€€gros
Topa Sukalderia in San Sebastian's Gros is the IXO Grupo (Andoni Luis Aduriz) Basque-Latin American room since 2017, with tacos, ceviches and a counter cooking Aduriz's pan-Hispanic experiments.
Signature: Quesadilla de morcilla, Cochinita pibil taco, Pisco sour
Order: The quesadilla de morcilla and the cochinita pibil taco; the pisco sour to drink.
Tip: The bar is walk-in; tables need a reservation through the website. The kitchen runs continuously from 13:00 onwards.
Modern Basque€€€gros
Casa 887 in San Sebastian's Gros runs a Basque-fusion kitchen with Asian inflection in a stone-and-wood room, with both a la carte and a 65-euro tasting menu the locals book midweek.
Signature: Steak tartare, Carabineros, Asian-leaning Basque tasting
Order: The steak tartare and the carabineros if they're on the carte; the tasting if you're in for the night.
Tip: Book through OpenTable; the room is intimate and sells out on weekends.
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.
