Cycle Tour Camino del Norte 2019

Donostia-San Sebastián (Basque: Donostia; Spanish: San Sebastián) is a major city in the Basque Country , an Autonomous Community of Spain. Donostia/San Sebastian boasts one of the best in-city beaches in Europe. It is quite unusual feeling that you can sunbathe and swim right next to major historical buildings and churches. Surfers are in abundance here.

Understand

This city of 187,000 people (2018) is quite small and cozy, featuring many seafood restaurants, several beaches, tons of pintxos bars and a choice of designer clothes shops.

Orientation: The city is divided into Old Town (Parte Zaharra/Parte Vieja), Gros and Erdialdea/Centro.

See

• From top of Mount Igeldo at the West end of Kontxa/La Concha bay, enjoy great view of the town
• Visit the Miramar palace and its park over Loretope/El pico del Loro; enjoy sitting on a lawn there
• ⊙Iglesia San Vicente
• ⊙Artzain Onaren Katedrala
• ⊙Santa María del Coro
• ⊙Castillo de la Mota
• ⊙Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio Kursaal
• ⊙Casa consistorial de San Sebastián
• ⊙Old town hall
• ⊙Victoria Eugenia Theater
• ⊙San Telmo Museum, Plaza Zuloaga 1. 10:00-19:00 Tu-Su. Wide ranging museum partially in a 16th century Dominican convent and a new building. The top floor is an art gallery featuring Basque artists. Adult: €6; Students, +65; €3; 25- free. Also free on Tu. (updated Jul 2023)
• ⊙Plaza de la Constitución

Eat

The Basque cuisine is famous within Spain and many believe it is the Basque Country where you can find the best food. Much of this fame comes from San Sebastian and its bars and restaurants.

Although tapas were invented in Andalucia they became perfected in San Sebastian and a walk through the old town before lunch time with its many bars shows why. Each bar is bursting with tapas and they look very delicate. Tapas are generally enjoyed together with a glass of wine or a small beer, and the Spanish tradition suggests to have one tapa and a wine in one bar and move on to the next bar. Tapas can be used as a good substitute for a meal - you pay for each one you eat (about €2-4 each) so you can have as many as you want.

If you want 'real' food then that is where San Sebastian can be very good. You can find several different cuisines such Chinese, German, Galician, Italian and of course the obvious Basque cuisine. In and around the harbor you can have the freshest seafood and if you don’t enjoy the simple harbour taverns go and enjoy San Sebastian restaurants with Michelin stars if you have some money to spare.

San Sebastian is not a place for vegetarians or vegans, unless you are able to catch the fresh produce markets in the morning and cook for yourself. Pescetarians can get along fine with the abundance of seafood offered on menus.

Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia holds annual conference and competition in November, including nominations for pintxos bars and for restaurants.

Healthy breakfast (even omelet) is hard to find in cafes: typically sandwiches or breakfast variety of pintxos are offered.

Pintxos

The way to eat pintxos, (tapas in the Basque Country whether speaking Spanish or Basque) in San Sebastian is quite different from other cities in Spain. There are two kinds of tapas: cold and hot ones.

Don't attempt to eat pintxos if you're starving, you'll treat it like a buffet and prices will easily rack up as everything seems more appealing. Only get a couple of pintxos at a time as sometimes what looks really appealing, has been sitting on the bar the whole day and is past its use by date. Test the waters. Cold ones are displayed on the bar. Just ask the barman for your drink and pick the pintxos yourself. If you need a plate, just ask. Hot ones must be ordered from the barman and they take a short time to be cooked. There is always a hot tapas menu hanging from the wall.

When you are done eating your tapas and have finished your drink you ask the barman for the bill, and you have to tell him what you have eaten. It is very important to be honest, as it is a long tradition. Locals will be upset if they find people eating and not paying. Normally you don't eat many pintxos at one bar but move from bar to bar, drinking a beer (caña) or wine and eating one or two tapas. Then you move to another bar. Traditionally residents would have one or two pintxos in the early evening to stave off any hunger before a later sit-down meal, rather than making a meal out of a large number of pintxos.

Generally, if the barman asks you to show your plate to them before you start eating, you know the bar markets towards tourists and is sub par and more expensive that it should be. A good bar will ask you what you've eaten as you pay and you should see a chef working out the back.

Most pintxo bars are to be found in the old town, particularly on the streets running parallel to Boulevard. Generally a pintxo will cost €2-3. At some bars the pintxos are all priced the same, at others the price depends on the pintxo. Pintxos (tapas) bars are thick in the Parte Vieja (Old Town), but there are masses of other places nearby in the Gros and Centro areas. Most bars charge by the toothpick or plate from €1-5.

The Jamon Iberico (usually seen hanging from the ceiling in whole leg portions) is ubiquitous, and equally good virtually everywhere. The calamari seems to be the same at every bar, don't order it again at a different pintxo bar if you didn't like it the first time.

Cook-by-order pintxos

Some slightly pricier pintxo bars that don't have pre-cooked pintxos and only cook them on order (correspondingly, their pintxo are of higher quality).

Budget

• ⊙Bideluze, Garibai Kalea, 24.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Pollitena, C. de San Jerónimo, 3. Basque restaurant  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Québec Krep'Herria, Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 11. Crêpes  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙José Mari, Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 5. Basque restaurant  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Kixkurra Taberna 1987, Gloria Kalea, 2A.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Pincel, Segundo Izpizua Kalea, 2.  (updated Feb 2023)

Pintxos

• ⊙Tamboril, Arrandegi Kalea, 2 (Old Town (Parte Vieja) in the corner of the main square).  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Goiz Argi, Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 4 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)). Pintxos bar with the delicious brocheta de gambas (fried prawns with a special vinaigrette), bola de carne (meat ball with red pepper) and a lot of cold pintxos with anchovies, mushrooms, cod, salmon, etc. Any of wine by glasses is good.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Juantxo Taberna, Enbeltran Kalea, 6 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)). Best, cheapest 'bocadillo de tortilla de patatas' in Parte Vieja. Also offers huge sandwiches.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙La Cepa de Bernardo, 31 de Agosto Kalea, 7-9 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)).  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Bar Álex, Larramendi Kalea, 10 (Centro).  (updated Jul 2025)

Cook-by-order pintxos

• ⊙Borda Berri, Calle 12 Fermín Calbetón (Old Town (Parte Vieja)), ☎ +34 943 425638. The menu is on a chalk board and everything is excellent.  (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range

Along the waterfront one can find many cafes and bakeries.

• ⊙Aldanondo Erretegia, C/Euskal Herria 6, ☎ +34 943 422852. Great and inexpensive steak house.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙La Rampa Jatetxea, Kaiko Pasealekua, 26-27, ☎ +34 943 421652. Fish restaurant with Basque flavour. Perfectly-trained waiters with excellent English. Grilled rape is particularly good. Try cider, take a specialty cider pouring cork with you. VAT not included.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙La Zurri Jatetxea, 10 Zabaleta St., ☎ +34 943 293886. 13:00-15:00. Simple Basque dishes which are cooked delicately. Go downstairs. Popular with locals. For lunch, arrive before 3PM to catch full range of options. The daily menu includes a glass of wine. Flan is rare case when it has taste in every layer. €10-20.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Txuleta, Plaza de la Trinidad 2, Parte Vieja. Excellent, reasonably priced renditions of Basque specialties Txangurro, Chipirones en su tinta, y sopa de pescado.  (updated Feb 2023)

Pintxos

• ⊙Rojo Y Negro, Calle San Marcial 52 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)), ☎ +34 943 431861. A little bit out of old town you'll find huge portions of tasty pintxos without breaking the bank. If you want to meet locals or see how this whole pintxos thing is done, this is the place to do it without being obnoxious or tacky. Minimal tourist flow and friendly, professional staff that speak enough English to understand you. Try the marinated octopus and meatballs in tomato sauce, although these are slightly expensive, it's a full meal in itself and comes with bread. You can't go wrong with the even cheaper bread-based pintxos which range from interesting flavour combinations to the ol' steady, jamon on bread. Beer and wine is cheap and they won't turn up their noses if you ask for tap water.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Casa Gandarias, 31 de Agosto Kalea, 23 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)). Try Solo Mio (a piece of sirloin steak) with a glass of Belondrade Y Lurton white wine.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Casa Vergara 1948, Mayor 15 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)), ☎ +34 943 431073. Pintxos bar, quite spacious. Not overcrowded in the evenings during the weekdays.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Bar Martinez, 31 de Agosto Kalea (Old Town (Parte Vieja)).  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Borda Berri, Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 12 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)). Excellent pintxos with a changing menu. Try the 'Taco de Bacalao' (Tempura fried cod with a romesco sauce)  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Ganbara, C. de San Jerónimo, 21 (Old Town (Parte Vieja)). Higher prices. (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Bergara, Calle del, General Artetxe Kalea, 8 (Gros).  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Casa Senra Donostia, San Francisco Kalea (Gros).  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Iturrioz, San Martin Kalea, 30 (Centro).  (updated Feb 2023)

Cook-by-order pintxos

• ⊙La Cuchara de San Telmo (The Spoon), Plaza Valle Lersundi, C/31 de Agosto 28, ☎ +34 943 435446.Don't judge their food by their interior. Jamon Iberico is cited as particularly good.  

Splurge

• ⊙Juanito Kojua, Calle Puerto 14, Old Town, ☎ +34 943 420180. 13:00 - 15:30 and 20:30 - 23:00.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Casa Urola, Calle Fermin Calbeton 20, Old Town. 13:00-16:15, 20:00-23:15.  (updated Feb 2023)
• ⊙Saltxipi, Calzada Vieja de Ategorrieta 3, ☎ +34 943 323310. Calzada Vieja de Ategorrieta, 3, 943 323 310. Just outside Gros in a residential street this family run restaurant has a mainly seafood menu. Its specialty is Spider Crab - its baked variety is worth the 10 minute walk from the old town!  (updated Feb 2023)