San Sebastian is a beautiful town in nothern Spain. In a region known as the Basque Country, the Best Restaurants in San Sebastian are a food lover’s dream.
However, the people of San Sebastian are proud and fiercely independent. The tourist information Website proclaims the town as one of the gastronomic capitals of the world.
San Sebastian is on the World map of culinary destinations. Visitors from around the world flock to San Sebastian to sample the wide variety of foodie treats, Some of the top chefs prepare the culinary delights od San Sebastian.
And, people travel from around the world, to see, taste and absorb the culture and heritage of San Sebastian.
Best Restaurants in San Sebastian
When you visit San Sebastian, you will find the great foodie treasure of Pintxos. These culinary bites range from the original slice of bread piled with food, to the amazing creations of top chefs.
There are quite a few guided foodie tours in San Sebastian. You will find the best Pintxos bars, taste a selection of the best pintxos. And, learn all about the history of Pintxos and the people who create it.
12 Great Places to Eat
The folks at my travel monkey must be serious foodies if they were able to properly sample all 12 of these restaurants in a single visit.
I know how difficult and expensive it can be to find and evaluate the best restaurants in any location.
Foodie’s Guide to Pintxos
The San Fransiscan lady behind the Year of the Monkey blog considers San Sebastian as one of the best-kept foodie secrets.
She wants to help fellow foodie travellers to find the best pintxos bars. Additionally, there is a Pintxos ordering etiquette that she explains to help us assimilate with the locals.
Don’t confuse Pintxos with Tapas. Pintxos are finger food, that is unique to the Basque Country.
But, both Pintxos and Tapas are delicious Spanish foods.
Best Pintxos in San Sebastian
A table filled with pintxos is a kaleidoscope of colours and smells. From fresh seafood and creamy cheeses to perfectly pickled nibbles, the choice is overwhelming.
But, that is only the cold foods, There will be amazing hot foods, prepared by top chefs in the kitchen.
However, it is all very well reading about this culinary heaven. You need to visit San Sebastian to get the full flavour of the food and the people.
A Food Lover Dream
Arnette is a solo female traveller and blogger. She expounds the delights of the food in San Sebastian.
Her initial 3-day break in San Sebastian was insufficient to satisfy her wanderlust.
So, she extended her stay. But, this was still too little time. She returned for a three-week visit over the Christmas period.
However, she now has a much better idea of where the best restaurants in San Sebastian are,
Where to find the best Pintxos
Your first visit to a good Pintxos bar will be a treat for your eyes as much as it will be a treat for your stomach.
Just look at the above image to get a morsel of the visual delight you will be treated to, if and when you visit San Sebastian.
Eat like a Local in San Sebastian
The beautiful beaches of San Sebastian will be an attraction for many travellers.
But, the serious foodie is after the local grub. We are offered six pieces of advice before heading out to explore the famous Pintxos bars:
- Forget about Tapas
- Don’t stay in one place
- Check the bar and the blackboard
- Don’t worry about your tab
- Brush up on the local language
The Basque language is nothing like mainstream Spanish which you have experience of.
But, don’t worry is you aren’t a fluent Basque speaker. A handful of appropriate phrases will get the job done.
3 San Sebastian Restaurants
There are a few basic Basque facts that may help with your exploration of Donostia as the locals call the Basque Country. The local language is Euskera and bears no resemblance to the Castillian Spanish you may already know.
The local delicacy is Pintxos or Basque Tapas. The beaches are fantastic and the architecture will rival any of the other great Spanish cities.
The three restaurants detailed above, are traditional sit-in eateries, where you can enjoy high-quality, reasonably-priced Basque cuisine.
Good eating at good prices is an essential for most foodie travellers.
However, the more I learn about San Sebastian, the higher it rises on my bucket list of Spanish cities.
Furthermore, it is competing with Barcelona. Cordoba and Seville.
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