San Sebastian
*All work including photos , video and writing on this page is my own,
San Sebastian, (Donostia in the Basque language), is the culinary capital of Spain, with the second most michelin star restaurants in the world, which certainly impressed me! They are famous for their tapas style food called Pintxo, but there are plenty of fine dining restaurants too. it is certainly the best destination in Spain for foodies. It even has the most bars per capita of any city, although they are not full of drunken tourists at the moment. What more could you ask for from a city, beautiful beaches, lush green rolling hills overlooking this bewildering coastal resort with amazing food. This enchanting city is situated in the Bay of Biscay, in the northern Basque area of Spain near the Pyrenees mountains and French border. It is also known as the Pearl of the north for it's stunning architecture. I really loved this city and do intend to go back sometime.
Although this city is popular with wealthy tourists, it isn't actually expensive at the moment and for me the weather is perfect ranging from day time temperatures from 12C in January to the mid to high 20's in the summer. It was an unusual 29.5C when I visited in September. It does rain a lot in winter, but that's what keeps it green and the reason it isn't a year round resort in the same way the Costa Del Sol is.
San Sebastian, (Donostia in the Basque language), is the culinary capital of Spain, with the second most michelin star restaurants in the world, which certainly impressed me! They are famous for their tapas style food called Pintxo, but there are plenty of fine dining restaurants too. it is certainly the best destination in Spain for foodies. It even has the most bars per capita of any city, although they are not full of drunken tourists at the moment. What more could you ask for from a city, beautiful beaches, lush green rolling hills overlooking this bewildering coastal resort with amazing food. This enchanting city is situated in the Bay of Biscay, in the northern Basque area of Spain near the Pyrenees mountains and French border. It is also known as the Pearl of the north for it's stunning architecture. I really loved this city and do intend to go back sometime.
Although this city is popular with wealthy tourists, it isn't actually expensive at the moment and for me the weather is perfect ranging from day time temperatures from 12C in January to the mid to high 20's in the summer. It was an unusual 29.5C when I visited in September. It does rain a lot in winter, but that's what keeps it green and the reason it isn't a year round resort in the same way the Costa Del Sol is.
FOOD
As already stated San Sebastian is world famous for it's culinary scene, not just the fine dining, but the local pintxo style taps too. You can do a restaurant crawl from one Pintxo to the next, washed down with wine, marianito or the local cider. The local delicacies are asparagus and mackerel, Guindilla peppers and tomato, Txangurro a la donostiarra, Txuleta, Idiazabel, Anchovies, foie gras, salted cod, kokotxas de merluza, hake, sole, turbot, and Idiazabal cheese
Recommended restaurants
Mendaur Berria - Mediterranean
Bar Sport - European
Galerna Jan Edan - Michelin Mediterranen
Restaurante Asador Aldanondo - Steakhouse
Txirrita Sagardotegia - Spanish
Bodegon Usarbi - Basque
Zirtan - Spanish
La Mila Milanesa - International/Italian
Restaurante Hotel Bidaia - Mediterranean
Victoria 10 - Peruvian
Zelai Txiki - Michelin Mediterranean
Ikaitz - Michelin Mediterranean
Xiri - Mexican
Restaurante Kokotxa - Michelin Seafood
Enxalao - Cafe
Casa Urola - Michelin Steakhouse
Da Filippo Trattoria - Michelin Italian
Where to stay
I only visited for the day, so can't personally recommend anywhere to stay, but it's a small city, so it doesn't really matter. These are places with good reviews:
Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra
Hotel Maria Cristina
Hotel Villa Soro
Arima Hotel and Spa
Hotel Villa Eugenia
Hotel Bidaia
Villa Birdie
Arrizul Congress Hotel
Hotel Bed 4U
Pensian Aia
Hotel villa Katalina
Satori Suites
Hotel Atari
Numad Studios
Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra
Hotel Maria Cristina
Hotel Villa Soro
Arima Hotel and Spa
Hotel Villa Eugenia
Hotel Bidaia
Villa Birdie
Arrizul Congress Hotel
Hotel Bed 4U
Pensian Aia
Hotel villa Katalina
Satori Suites
Hotel Atari
Numad Studios
What to see in San Sebastian
San Sebastian does have quite a lot to see and do, despite being a small city. There are plenty of shops, an aquarium, museums, beautiful churches and of course beautiful beaches, which are right next to the shops and restaurants. you can easily walk from the end of one beach through the old town to the end of the second main beach, grabbing drinks and snacks on the way.
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Places to visit from San Sebastian
I would hire a car and explore this beautiful hilly and nearby mountainous area, as the countryside is as interesting and photogenic as the nearby towns and cities listed below. There are buses to the following Spanish towns and cities if you don't wish to drive though.
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Crime
The crime rate in San Sebastian is low, with pick pockets in the old town the most common crime.
For more information see the San Sebastian tourism site