Came back here after three years. While it's still a very enjoyable, lively place to grab some wine…read moreand Tapas, if fell a bit behind compared to some Tapas in Zumaia and also Haro. Especially the bread doesn't seem to be as good as others. But the toppings and combinations are still very good, very creative and we still had a great time having Tapas and wine here. Some came with salmon & sardine & eggplants, eggplant & egg & peperoni, crabmeat & bacon. There are also more simple and basic tapas. As well as raciones. We've had the very good stuffed mussels and also the fried calamari. All enjoyable items like I've said. Just some places did it just a bit better. But prices are fair, especially the wine. Cost us less than 50 Euros for a table full of food. You order your tapas inside at the bar. Some you can pick right away and the raciones will be brought to the table. The wine you also gotta get on your own - and that's good so, less waiting time and less stress for the staff. We came a bit after 2pm and it wasn't that busy anymore. A good time to grab some Tapas.

I'm not letting anyone reading this in on a secret here...while San Sebastián is known for all…read moretheir Michelin Star restaurants, it's the Pintxos that will be the most memorable and really what foodies come here for. It's like a high end food festival out there, and you just bar hop from place to place eating all these wonderful Pintxos and drinking cold glasses of Txakoli - a refreshing lightly carbonated wine. Everything in Basque Country is local and they have it all. Atari Gastroteka was our first stop, and we showed up right when they opened for the first Pintxos of the day. We focused on the cold Pintxos at the counter, just pointed at whatever looked good and ate it. Some of my favorites were... The marinated red Piquillo Pepper stuffed with tuna salad on a baguette. Smoked Mackerel on tomato bread Smoked Salmon with shrimp, egg, tomato, cream cheese on a raisin walnut toast. Topped with pickled veggie relish. Man this hit every flavor profile perfectly. We needed a 2nd one of those when I went back for Round 2. Jamon with Brie, honey, on dark walnut bread. I'm pretty sure they quickly hit this with a blowtorch to get the honey to caramelize on the Brie and also scorching the bread slightly. I could keep going on....but whatever bites you get here will be fantastic. Best to go with people who enjoy sharing bites, so you can try many different things so you don't get full.

Atari was one of our favorite pintxos stops in San Sebastián. We sat outside in the open-air…read moreseating directly across from the beautiful Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus, and the setting couldn't have been better. Watching the square come alive in the evening while dining beneath the illuminated basilica made for a memorable experience. We ordered several pintxos to share, and every dish was excellent. The standout was the Carrillera (slow-braised beef cheek with mashed potatoes), which was incredibly tender, rich, and comforting. The Platillo de Bonito with tuna, anchovies, green peppers, and olives was fresh and full of classic Basque flavors. The Panceta (pork belly) was another highlight, perfectly crisp on the outside and meltingly tender inside. We also loved the creamy Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico, and the Bacalao Confitado con Pil Pil de Piquillos was beautifully cooked, with delicate cod and a silky piquillo pepper pil pil sauce. We couldn't resist trying the Pintxo Especial as well, and it was a great addition to the meal. The staff were warm and accommodating, helping us get a table outside and making us feel welcome throughout the evening. Inside, the restaurant has a lively, authentic Basque atmosphere, but the outdoor seating overlooking one of San Sebastián's most iconic churches makes the experience even more special. If you're looking for traditional Basque pintxos in a fantastic location, Atari is an easy recommendation. We'd happily come back on our next visit.

Great pinxtos, beer, wine and reggaeton music. Indoor and outdoor seating. Quick service.read more

Amazing pinchos, polpo with egg and especially the sautéed liver with apple mix. 2 euros each !read more

One of the best steaks I've ever had! To get a reservation you must show up at a designated time…read morefor same day reservations. For lunch get there around 11am. I think the lunch reservations are 1,2,3pm. For dinner get there at 5:30 pm for 8,9,10 pm seatings. They don't come out until 6-6:15 to take your name. They only take about 20 people per seating. Fixed menu. Torta, tomatoes, peppers and steak. They bring out raw bone in ribeyes and let you choose your steak. The steak comes out seared and raw on the inside on a sizzling cast-iron skillet. You are able to cook it to your liking on the skillet as you eat this incredible steak. No frills not totally worth the experience.

If you come to San Sebastián and don't stop at Bar Néstor, you've skipped one of the city's great…read moreculinary rituals. This tiny, high‑energy bar in the Parte Vieja is famous for doing just a few things -- and doing them with absolute conviction. The lineup is legendary: the txuleta steak, the tomato salad, the Padrón peppers, and of course, the tortilla that sells out instantly. They make only two tortillas a day, and getting your name on the list feels like joining a local rite of passage. Here's the twist: although the tortilla is the most famous item, it actually wasn't our favorite version in the city. It's still fun to chase, still a cool story to tell, but the real stars of the meal were the steak -- charred, juicy, perfectly salted -- and the tomatoes, which taste like they've been engineered for maximum summer. They only make 2 tortillas a day, so you have to stand in line before they open to get a reservation for a slice. Inside, it's tiny, loud, and joyful. The staff runs the place with precision and a wink, and even when it's packed shoulder‑to‑shoulder, it feels like you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Come early, come hungry, and come ready for a meal that feels like a Basque rite of passage -- tortilla hype and all.

No trip to San Sebastián is complete without a pintxos crawl, and after seeing Borda Berri…read morerecommended over and over again, we knew we had to include it on ours. We actually stopped by the day before, but it was already closed, so we made sure to come back the following evening. It was definitely worth it. Unlike many pintxos bars where the food is already displayed on the counter, everything here is cooked to order. The place is small, lively, and always packed, with people spilling out onto the narrow streets of the Old Town while waiting for their dishes. It has that energetic atmosphere that makes San Sebastián's food scene so much fun. We ordered the dishes the bar is best known for, starting with the Carrillera de Ternera (beef cheek). It was unbelievably tender, rich, and practically melted with every bite. We also tried the famous Idiazabal "risotto," which isn't actually risotto but creamy orzo pasta cooked with smoked Idiazabal cheese. It was comforting, creamy, and completely different from anything we'd had before. One surprise of the evening was the tomato salad. It sounds simple, but the tomatoes were incredibly sweet and juicy, finished with excellent olive oil and flaky sea salt. Sometimes the simplest dishes leave the biggest impression. I noticed almost every table ordering the Pork Rib "Kebab," one of the restaurant's signature dishes, so that's definitely on my list for next time. If you're planning a pintxos crawl through San Sebastián's Old Town, Borda Berri deserves a stop. Come early if you can, expect to stand, order a few of the house specialties, and enjoy the lively atmosphere. It's easy to see why this little bar has become such a favorite among both locals and visitors.

Delicious and highly recommend! This spot lives up to the hype. Highly recommend the beef cheek and…read morerisotto. The place does get packed but we got lucky and went right when they open and was able to get a spot at the bar.

It was around 11 am and I was surprised this place was open and serving pintxos and coffee. Seems…read morelike my clock is just in line with Spain and this was my first name of the day. The coffee wasn't as good as I've had another places, and I asked for a Caliente pitxo, which is supposed to be made fresh. He however, folded from under the bar and it was barely lukewarm. Only good part was it had nice flavoring. It's a small space with standing room only, but has a WC.

Simple, old-school, and delicious. This place excels at old-school pintxod. No elaborate…read moreMichelin-star touches. No 21st-century twists. Just beautiful peppers, amazing fresh bread, blood sausage, and other sausages. Made fresh in-house and served by a couple of older gentlemen who could not possibly have been sweeter to me and my wife. It's the sort of spot where, when you're finished with your pinchos, you toss the wrappers and napkins on the floor and head out. I absolutely loved the vibe in here. As low-key as it could possibly get. The pace is unhurried, but the food reaches you quickly, and you will be blown away by the quality of the sausages, the peppers, the olives, the cheeses, the anchovies and sardines, and all the other basics done so flawlessly that you'll want to come back again and again. A special request for blood sausage was happily honored despite it needing to be stuffed and cut fresh. A perfect place to begin your Donostia journey, because you'll get Basque food as it is, not a fusion or an elevated reinterpretation. Plenty of places in the Old Town do modern takes very well, but this is the fundamentals, executed with perfection.

Silver Medal winner! Best tapas in pamplona! Fun cute couple with great service runs it.read more

Outstanding food and very efficient service from staff who are sometimes overwhelmed by the hungry…read morecrowds. We ate there twice on our brief stay in town!

We came by Gaucho on a previous night around 7pm it was swamped with people. If you want to try…read moreGaucho, come early and be brave and just dive in. We came for lunch the next day and it was more manageable. We bucked up and dove in. We learned that the drill is to find a table or bar space and order drinks, then peruse the tapa offerings along the bar. You pay when you've ordered the items you want. When you want more, you return to the bar, get more and pay. Tables are precious, but they do turn over so just be patient. The folks behind the bar get busy. If you speak Spanish, you can get their attention more easily. If not, don't be shy, signal you are ready to order. The staff is there to move customers, so be quick about decisions. They do understand and speak some English though there's not much chatting going on. This was some of the best tapas we've had on the the trip and we went to Madrid and San Sebastian. We just picked things that looked interesting not knowing what they were. Everything was delicious. Several items were creamy and rich like the crispy duck, crispy spinach and shrimp, and the sea urchin. The foie gras was cooked just enough to brown but still had plenty of melty richness. We had everything plus 4 beers for about $57. It's a great place and definitely worth a visit if you're in Pamplona.

Amazing service and the food was excellent. Really enjoyed the crispy bacon (Jamon Iberico) and…read morecider (sidre).

fun! lively on a monday evening. great wine and pintxos selection. friendly staff. attractive room…read moreand outside terrace.