29 upscale rooms in San Sebastián, editor-picked. occasion rooms in San Sebastián: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All San Sebastián food.
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.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The bar counter is walk-in; the basement dining room takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
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.
Tip: Counter walk-in, basement takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
Galerna Jan Edan ★ 4.7
gros · Paseo Colon 46, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
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.
Tip: Two services, lunch and dinner, both menu-only. Book a fortnight ahead in season; the dining room is small and full.
Ganbara (counter) ★ 4.7
San Jeronimo Kalea 21, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Ganbara's ground-floor counter on San Jeronimo in San Sebastian's Old Town pours Txakoli alongside the autumn setas pintxo and the spider-crab plate.
Tip: October to December for peak mushroom season; the counter is busy from 13:00.
La Cuchara de San Telmo (counter) ★ 4.7
Calle 31 de Agosto 28, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, open since 1999, pairs the made-to-order pintxos with a Rioja-leaning by-the-glass list.
Tip: The carrillera with a Rioja red is the canonical Cuchara order. Queue early.
Casa Urola ★ 4.6
parte-vieja · Fermin Calbeton Kalea 20, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Casa Urola on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian has cooked Basque market food since 1956, with pintxos downstairs and the dining room upstairs.
Tip: Eat pintxos at the ground-floor counter or book upstairs for a full meal. The kokotxas are the surest order in the city.
Borda Berri ★ 4.6
Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos off a tight blackboard menu, with a Txakoli pour and a single house red.
Tip: No counter display; read the blackboard. Closed Sundays Standing room when busy.
Galerna Jan Edan ★ 4.6
Paseo Colon 46, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
Galerna Jan Edan in San Sebastian's Gros pairs the chef-partners' tasting menu with a deep Basque growers' wine list, natural and small-producer leaning.
Tip: Book ahead; ask for the wine pairing with the lunch menu for best value.
Bodegon Alejandro ★ 4.5
parte-vieja · Fermin Calbeton Kalea 4, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bodegon Alejandro on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian is the underground Old Town room where Martin Berasategui won his first Michelin star in 1986.
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.
Casa Urola (downstairs counter) ★ 4.5
Fermin Calbeton Kalea 20, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Casa Urola's downstairs counter on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian's Old Town is the entry-level Basque pintxo bar with the city's deepest Txakoli pour.
Tip: Stand at the counter for pintxos; upstairs takes reservations for full sit-down.
Bar Tamboril ★ 4.5
Arrandegi Kalea 2, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bar Tamboril on Arrandegi next to Plaza de la Constitucion in San Sebastian's Old Town, run by the same family as Ganbara, keeps the mushroom-in-olive-oil.
Tip: Listed in the Michelin Guide as a Bib-recognised pintxo room. Counter standing only.
La Vina (counter bar) ★ 4.5
Calle 31 de Agosto 3, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
La Vina's front counter on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian pours sherry and Pedro Ximenez alongside the burnt cheesecake wedge, the canonical pairing.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The wedge plus PX is the proper Old Town stop.
Bar Txepetxa ★ 4.5
Pescaderia Kalea 5, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bar Txepetxa on Pescaderia in San Sebastian, since 1972, pours Txakoli alongside the vinegar-cured anchovy pintxos for which the city queues.
Tip: Two anchoas with a glass of Txakoli; closed Mondays.
Casa Urola ★ 4.5
Fermin Calbeton Kalea 20, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Casa Urola on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian's Old Town keeps one of the most complete Basque wine lists in the Old Town, with Txakoli on tap and a deep.
Tip: Drink Txakoli at the counter; the dining room upstairs lets you settle in with a half-bottle of Rioja.
Antonio Bar ★ 4.5
Bergara Kalea 3, 20005 Donostia-San Sebastian
Antonio Bar on Bergara in San Sebastian's Centro pairs the 28-egg tortilla and the double-anchovy gilda with a tight by-the-glass list of Txakoli and Spanish.
Tip: Drink Txakoli with the gilda; the tortilla wedge needs a heavier red.
Atari Gastroteka ★ 4.5
Calle Mayor 18, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Atari Gastroteka on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town, opposite the Santa Maria church, pours Txakoli from height into wide tumblers across one.
Tip: Order Txakoli to drink on the church-step terrace. The terrace fills first; arrive by 19:30.
Museo del Whisky ★ 4.4
Alameda del Boulevard 5, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Museo del Whisky on the Boulevard in San Sebastian's Old Town displays 3,400 whisky bottles across two floors, including the world's smallest.
Tip: Owner Paul Bordonaba mixes cocktails at the upstairs bar; the basement is the piano room.
Atari Gastroteka ★ 4.4
Calle Mayor 18, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Atari Gastroteka on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town pours Txakoli from height across the city's busiest standing-room terrace on the steps.
Tip: Terrace fills first; the Friday and Saturday close is 02:30.
Mala Gissona Beer House ★ 4.4
Calle Zabaleta 53, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
Mala Gissona Beer House in San Sebastian's Gros, a hundred metres from Zurriola beach, runs 12 draught taps with the house Oiartzun brewery beers plus 150.
Tip: Industrial-minimalist room; the brewery flights are the value pour. Open daily.
La Vina ★ 4.4
Calle 31 de Agosto 3, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
La Vina on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian is the burnt-cheesecake house since 1990, with a small wine list anchored by sherry and Pedro Ximenez to drink.
Tip: Pedro Ximenez is the canonical pairing; a glass with the tarta de queso wedge.
Casa 887 ★ 4.3
gros · Calle Gran Via 9, 20001 Donostia-San Sebastian
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.
Tip: Book through OpenTable; the room is intimate and sells out on weekends.
Bar Sport ★ 4.3
Fermin Calbeton Kalea 10, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bar Sport on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian's Old Town pours a steady cana and Txakoli with grilled foie and stuffed squid pintxos, the classic.
Tip: Open daily until midnight. Counter standing only.
Basqueland Izakaia ★ 4.3
Calle Zabaleta 53, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
Basqueland Izakaia in San Sebastian's Gros is the brewery's tavern outpost, serving Basqueland's freshly brewed beer, organic wine and Asian bar food.
Tip: Flight of four house beers is the value pour; the Asian small plates are the food pairing.
Topa Sukalderia (cocktail bar) ★ 4.3
Calle Aguirre Miramon 7, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
Topa Sukalderia in San Sebastian's Gros runs a Latin spirits bar inside the Aduriz-helmed restaurant, with mezcal, pisco and tequila programmes alongside.
Tip: Pisco sour is the entry-level pour; the mezcal flight comes with the cochinita pibil.
Topa Sukalderia ★ 4.3
Calle Aguirre Miramon 7, 20002 Donostia-San Sebastian
Topa Sukalderia in San Sebastian's Gros, the IXO Grupo Basque-Latin American room, pairs Txakoli pours with the city's most interesting mezcal and pisco list.
Tip: Order a pisco sour to drink with the morcilla quesadilla; the cocktail bar runs all afternoon.
Akerbeltz ★ 4.2
Calle Mari 19, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Akerbeltz on Calle Mari in San Sebastian's Old Town serves Basque cider from the barrel and a small craft-beer list, with a harbour-side terrace overlooking.
Tip: Cider poured high into wide glasses; the terrace fills at sunset.
Akerbeltz ★ 4.2
Calle Mari 19, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian
Akerbeltz on Calle Mari in San Sebastian's Old Town serves Basque sidra natural from the barrel and a small natural-wine list, with a Bay-of-Biscay terrace.
Tip: Terrace at the front overlooks the bay; the back room is calm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bataplan ★ 4.0
Paseo de la Concha 12, 20007 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bataplan on Paseo de la Concha in San Sebastian is the city's well-known 1990s house-music nightclub, with spectacular night views over La Concha bay.
Tip: Opens 00:30 Thursday to Saturday in summer. Dress smart; the door is selective.
Bideluze ★ 4.0
Plaza Gipuzkoa 14, 20004 Donostia-San Sebastian
Bideluze on Plaza Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian's Centro keeps a tight wine carte alongside the breakfast institution, with Txakoli pours and a small Rioja.
Tip: Aperitif hour 19:00 onwards; the plaza terrace seats four. The classic stop before dinner.