Best lunch deal in the old Town, 14 euros for a starter, entree, half bottle of wine, dessert,…read morewater and bread. My family and I had various dishes as we came here twice, and none disappointed, a few of the standouts were varios fritos, lomo a la plancha, dorada al horno, and codillo. Just note that the restaurant is upstairs

From the alcohol perspective, cider or sidra rules in the Northwest side of Spain as it is touted…read moreas the apple growing region. That is not to say that wine is not prevalent here, but many tend to gravitate towards that apple fermented goodness! My travel partner is a huge cider fan, so of course I found a sidra house for her to visit, but honestly I did not expect this gem to be the star of the show for the day. When we finally arrived, I honestly thought the place was closed, but apparently four in the afternoon is a tad early for locals to hit the cider bars. We had the entire large sidra house to ourselves!! The lone employee manning the front was ecstatic to show us how traditional cider was made and how the local Spaniards drink it. Of course I paid attention to his entire speech, but was easily distracted by the large barrels with spouts ready to be tapped... We basically paid nothing for a tasting flight, which I thought would be pulled from the back in a bottle or from a keg, but boy was I wrong! He took us to these large wooden barrels and basically explained each one while we had large samples from each with free refills (Take that Mcdonalds!). I think the coolest part of the mini tour and tasting was the traditional way Spaniards pour their cider which is at a distance and basically moon shot it into your glass. It is quite difficult and I will not lie when I say that we may of wasted a few bottles of good cider from trying to aim the liquid goodness into our glasses, but I guess that is part of the fun for the locals. Make a long story short, I came for the cider, so I cannot comment on the food as they do have a huge hall with ample seating and a large kitchen. The cider on the other hand was quite good and well worth it if you show up early when you can really go through the extensive tasting flight!

(This is - obviously - written in English from a tourist's perspective. Modify your expectations…read moreaccordingly.) This was the meal I was looking for. The one I envisaged immediately when my wife suggested traveling to Spain. The one I felt I had to get my hands on, after watching so many food documentaries and reading travelogues about dining in Spain. Some trips just don't work out that way. I have never had that meal in France, for example. The meal has nothing to do with price, location, or reputation: it's solely about the food. In the case of Spain, my mental picture was fresh seafood, large portions, and varied courses. I was not disappointed. The setting was straightforward: a large, below-ground hall filled with long, communal wooden benches and tables. The meal was entirely inexpensive: the three-course menu del dia cost just 10.50€. Yet the quality and quantity of the food could have demanded ten times that price. The first course was simple: melon and ham. This was a meal into itself, with five giant slices of sweet green melon piled high with shaved ham. This arrived with a jug of cider for the table: tart and clean. The second course was a whole broiled fish, cooked head-on with garlic and nuts and served with fries. This was, again, a meal onto itself; the fish (similar to a hake) was succulent, juicy, and flavorful. My wife had a simple minute steak. It, too, was perfect: millimeters thin, yet served medium rare, it was the essence of beef. Dessert was a custard flavored with cinnamon and cardamom, topped with a light cookie. I will certainly be returning here to sample the rest of the menu (lamb! lentils!). I can say with certainty that this meal alone made this vacation a glorious success.

After trying to get a table for lunch without reservations at Elkano and Kaia-Kaipe, we were…read morefortunately about to get into the Mayflower. The service was prompt and not overbearing and friendly. We had a lovely lunch of octopus a la gallega and the turbot for two. It was a lot of food and came with bread to soak up some warm olive oil and garlic coming off the fish. Be sure to order a glass of Txakoli to go with your meal! We ended off with a piece of cheesecake which was light and delicious.

Fills up very quickly, we had to do an early dinner (20:00) and after that all tables were taken…read more We had a monkfish and a "dorada" roasted with some salad as starter. An awesome homemade cheesecake as dessert. Very nice views directly to the sea and with ambient music from the square next to the restaurant. Good service.

My wife, niece and I had hiked from Donostia for nearly six miles along the scenic Mt. Ulia…read moretrailhead on a warm August day and were in desperate need of a good reward meal as we strolled the waterfront plaza in Pasai Donibane. We came across Yola Berri and grabbed an outdoor table with a stunning view of the water. The food was excellent! We started with a plate of fried calamari. The calamari rings were tender with a crispy crust. Just what we needed. Next up were the patatas bravas, or fried potatoes. They were the best we had during our monthlong stay in Donostia. The potatoes were sliced into small cubes and fried to a golden crisp perfection--warm and perfect for dipping into the hot sauce and aioli sauce that came with the order. In need of some fresh vegetables, we devoured two plates of sliced tomatoes and onions, smothered with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt--a classic Basque dish. In between bites, I enjoyed a glass of cold 18/70 lager as I watched the boats glide along the inlet that abuts this historic port town. We left tired from the hike but satisfied by a great meal!