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    Casa Julián

    4.9 (14 reviews)
    Closed 1:00 pm - 3:30 PM, 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM

    Casa Julián Photos

    CASA JULIÁN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Touristy
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Casa Julián

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    Martina T.

    Found this Basque steakhouse via reviews and decided to try it to see if it lived up to its hype. Rated as World's 101 Best steak restaurant in 2023. You can book a reservation online to secure a spot. We did this about a month in advance and received confirmation. Established in 1954 by Matías Gorrotxategi and was mentioned as the best steak in the world by Forbes magazine. Xabi Gorrotxategi, following in his father's footsteps, is in charge of grilling meat and peppers. Hours are 1300-1800 Tuesday to Sunday and 2030-2400 Fridays and Saturdays. Tolosa is a gorgeous city to visit, so you can definitely make it into a daytrip. We hiked up the Elosegi Parkea for a gorgeous view of Tolosa after our meal and later came back to a parking ticket for parking past 1900 in the lot with lots of trees and no parking demarcations 2 mins walking distance to the restaurant, so make sure to read / translate all signs. We ordered their tomato salad, leeks, beef tartare, piquillo peppers and beef txuleta. We finished off with the cheesecake, custard, and tiles and cigarettes. They forgot to bring out our piquillo peppers so we ended up trying it right before dessert when we were pretty much wrapped up. Our server said that the beef is aged for 28-30 days and they choose 6-8 yo cows. Usually the cows are from Germany, however once in a while they have local cown instead. The time we visited, she said our beef was from local cows. The server sees how many people are present and gauges how much beef to order. They can either pre slice it or give you a whole piece to slice on your own. The steak is beautiful and delicious. Melts in your mouth. You can feel the meat is high quality. It was not fatty, but tasted amazing and delicious. Definitely worth trying and the hype. The decoration is nice but low key. Not a lot of seats so it fills up quickly. As you walk in, you'll see the display of meat hanging and another by the kitchen ready to be sliced. The leek, tomatoes and beef tartare were top notch. The peppers were ok, not sure if it was due to the fact that we received them late and we were full by then but definitely worth trying.

    beautiful bottle   @davideatsdc
    David H.

    Amazing meal here, one of our favorites on a trip full of Michelins. It's simple, but done very, very well. Service is great. Wine list is great and well priced. We ate and drank like kings for a wonderful price. Ulysse Collin paired perfectly with our food. The meal starts with aperitifs and sausages. We ordered a handful of sides/apps in addition to our txuleton (they had the option of basque or I believe german cow that day - we opted for basque). The jamon iberico was magical. The grilled leeks were amazing. The meatball with pepper ice cream had us in tears, so delicious. The white asparagus are amazing and huge, priced by the spear - I wish I had ordered more. The steak was huge (we didn't finish), and so flavorful. The fat was so delicious, the steak perfectly seasoned and cooked, just one of the best meat experiences in the world. We skipped dessert as we were super full, but this will be a guaranteed restaurant stop on every trip to San Sebastian going forward.

    Allen M.

    If you love steak then you should give this restaurant a try when you're in this area. The appetizers (grilled peppers, tomatoes, asparagus) were all tasty too.

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    11 months ago

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    7 days ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing experience! Great service and delicious food. Steaks are unbelievably flavorful. Highly recommend!!!

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I'm not a huge meat person but by gosh, this place will make you one!! Such a wonderful experience.

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    9 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Casa Julián

    Set in atmospheric rooms next to the river in Tolosa, Casa Julian pretty much does one thing: chuleta (massive steaks).

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Bar Néstor - Spanish Tortilla de Patata

    Bar Néstor

    4.7(159 reviews)
    22.2 km
    €€

    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.

    Photos
    Bar Néstor
    Bar Néstor - Fresh tomatoes with olive oil and salt

    Fresh tomatoes with olive oil and salt

    Bar Néstor - Outside Façade

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    Outside Façade

    Restaurante Aldanondo

    Restaurante Aldanondo

    4.7(10 reviews)
    22.2 km

    Ugh, I want to be honest but I also want to highlight the good part of the experience, for it was…read morenot a wasted meal. This was not a favorite flavorful experience, for the most part. We did however thoroughly enjoy the small sirloin steak. It was tender, perfectly cooked medium rare, delicious and the best part of the meal. It came with fries that were properly crispy and delicious. Perfect amount of salt and so good!! I would go back for the steak in a heartbeat!! We ordered the tomato and tuna salad, it was OK. Wouldn't order again. The poached egg was different and tasty. It had mushrooms and I enjoyed it. I would order this again. The clams were tasty but a bit larger than I usually like them. I wouldn't order them again. Absolutely did not like the crab. It had so much of the shell that had to be spit out. I would not order this again. I would go back for the steak!! The wine was not my favorite either, we got a bottle of Muga. I will ask for a recommendation next time. I also thought it was super strange that almost everyone with a jacket was asked to hang it on the coat rack (which we didn't notice when we entered), but ours hung from our chairs. This was a last minute trip and we booked what we could for dinner. While I loved the steak, the other things we ordered were a miss.

    We shared a majestic, 5-star tomahawk steak cooked perfectly inside a fire oven/grill. We also had…read morefries and a simple, much needed green salad - both were very good. Service was delightful because it was happy and frisky.

    Photos
    Restaurante Aldanondo
    Restaurante Aldanondo - Sidra al Txotx de Petritegi

    Sidra al Txotx de Petritegi

    Restaurante Aldanondo - Comedor Interior

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    Comedor Interior

    Asador San Martin - Grilled Whole turbot

    Asador San Martin

    5.0(1 review)
    16.6 km

    Asador San Martin San Martin, Orio Spain…read more Easily our most favorite restaurant in Basque Country so far.... Located on the top of a hill in the middle of pastures and fields of grapes. In the middle of nowhere. Amazing to see how much food can be consumed in one meal! When it's this delicious, you take your time to enjoy. Ideally with family and friends in a group so you eat everything together and revel in the splendid tastes of some of the best food on Earth. This is the Basque way of life-how lucky to be able to live this way! Our gigantic beef steak was lean,and cooked with sea salt...and raw! And perfect that way! The red peppers were SO deeply flavorful and our dessert....Perfecto! Simple milk pie was warm, slightly sweet from the carmelized sugar top accompanied by a light banana with chocolate bits ice cream. This was like a very light bread pudding. The Basque cheesecake was light, slightly sweet SO very full of flavor served with the perfect side of macerated cherries. The depth of flavor, simplicity of the ingredients and their absolute freshness in a cozy Mountain View setting and the ocean down below. There was light hail falling outside before the sun came out....divine. Speaking Spanish certainly helps as google translate doesn't always describe what's on the menu. Wait staff speak minimal English but can certainly recommend what's wonderful. Parking right out front and reservations recommended.

    Photos
    Asador San Martin - Interior front room

    Interior front room

    Asador San Martin - Roasted red peppers

    Roasted red peppers

    Asador San Martin

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    La Gabarra

    La Gabarra

    4.7(7 reviews)
    72.2 km
    €€€

    Come here and have the t-bone, a bottle of sidre (cider), a super fresh salad, and relax. This is a…read moreBasque style steakhouse. The restaurant provides bread and a little tapas (or pintxos) to get you started. This was fresh crusty bread with a soft fluffy center and a small place of sausages. Sidre is the drink to order! I think a whole large (wine bottle size) bottle is only 8€. It's fun to watch it being poured from a height by your server to aerate the beverage for enhanced flavor. It's like apple juice but tart, sour, and so refreshing. The salad of butter lettuce and thinly sliced sweet onions with olive oil and vinegar was perfection. It was so fresh and the dressing was perfect. The main course, the T-bone steak for two was sheer excellence! The steak came on a sizzling platter and was served with potato frites, perfectly simple but delicious! The steak platter continued to sizzle throughout lunch, so the precut steak pieces could be seared or cooked longer if that was desired. The meat is served medium-rare automatically, so the sizzling stone allows you to adjust the cooking of the steak after its served. This was by far the best meal I had in all of Spain. After dinner the server brought over pacharrán shots, an herbal plum-based after dinner aperitif to help with digestion. It's served in frosted shot glasses. We had one and thanked him for it, then maybe we had one more. What a way to end a great meal-with a buzz. This place is a little pricey, but very much worth it. So glad we came here and dined. It's looks humble but the food is the star of the show here!

    This is a wonderful restaurant! We had been driving all day and were exhausted, hungry, and hoping…read moreto find a place that could make us feel at home. La Gabarra was the perfect place at the perfect time! The owners were very patient and helped us with our selection. We shared a T-bone steak that was beautifully cooked and delicious, a green salad, and a bottle of wine. We finished the meal with a nice cheese and jam board... If we are in Bilbao again, we will most certainly return to this restaurant! Great food, simply prepared, kind and friendly owners... just can't say enough nice things about this restaurant!

    Photos
    La Gabarra
    La Gabarra - Main dining room. Great bread!

    Main dining room. Great bread!

    La Gabarra - The steak "chuleton" was huge, delicious and perfectly cooked! You should get it.

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    The steak "chuleton" was huge, delicious and perfectly cooked! You should get it.

    Casa Julián - steak - Updated May 2026

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