You must eat here. The food is outstanding. An eclectic menu with traditional Basque meeting…read moreinfluences from Asia, India, Latin America. All prepared with care and attention to detail. Portions are generous. Flavors are big and balanced. Just delicious, whether seafood or meat or vegetables. We had scallops in a deep seafood stock, grilled hake with Thai infused coconut milk and lobster oil, and classic Indian butter chicken. Each dish outstanding on its own, all from one kitchen is wow. Presentation is thoughtful and beautiful. Vibe is cool without trying to be cool. Feels relaxed. Fun music playing without being loud or intrusive. Staff are fun and friendly and precise in their care. And to take it all to the next level was our host, Cesar. Not just thoughtful and welcoming but his passion for each dish and the care and thought that goes into them was obvious. His joy is genuine and we appreciated him sharing details with us so we could be part of the fun. In a city with so much wonderful food, La Madame stands out because it is a sit down restaurant, serving fresh and inspired and delicious food, with care and creativity and obsessive detail and pure happiness. Make a reservation, it's worth it. And take in the joy Cesar shares with you through every dish.

We are so glad we chose this restaurant! D---DIEGO--- made us feel welcome from the moment we…read morearrived and shared the culture behind the food, which made the experience even more memorable. The food was outstanding, especially the scallop, the broth they were served in was incredible. The spicy mango margarita was one of the best cocktails we've had. Great service, amazing food and drinks, and an overall fantastic experience. Highly recommend!

This restaurant is one of many located and what is considered the old part of town. A more modern…read moresmaller restaurant in a charming location. There is lower level and street level, indoor dining as well as outdoor seating. Without a reservation, you would be lucky to get any seating particularly during the few hours they are open in the afternoon. They open again later in the evening. We were fortunate enough to come in at the last minute and snag a table downstairs. Our server was very pleasant, and quickly brought us our drinks from the full service bar. There is also a nice wine menu. The specialty of the house is paellas. If you are not a fan of seafood, I would strongly recommend you try something else! Seafood paellas are cooked with shellfish and fish broth, which can make them saltier standard rice dishes. The calamari were done perfectly and the paella was a generous portion with good flavor.

I love coming here for the paella, it's always delicious! The service is consistently good, and the…read moreportions are generous. A great spot for a satisfying meal.

Whoa. Just whoa. Overwhelming when you walk in- cramped and super busy (standing room only on the…read moreweekend). Gets packed around 2100. Don't go in If you're a vegetarian. There are ham legs hanging from the ceiling. But the food and drinks are best around otherwise- I am a fish person and the seafood was wonderful. Everyone around me was getting the "jamon" plates and enjoying them. Lots of places in these packed streets. This one is worth your time

We chose La Cepa for our last meal in San Sebastián before heading to Bilbao, and it was the…read moreperfect way to end our pintxos adventure. Since we arrived a little early, we were lucky enough to get a table before the lunchtime crowd arrived. La Cepa is known for its Jamón Ibérico, traditional Basque pintxos, and Txuleta (Basque rib steak). The hanging Iberian hams behind the bar immediately catch your attention and give the place a wonderfully authentic feel. I was still on an anchovy high after visiting Txepetxa, so I couldn't resist ordering another anchovy with olive pintxo. It was simple, fresh, and delicious. We also sampled a variety of jamón pintxos before finishing with the Txuleta, which was juicy, perfectly grilled, and simply seasoned with flaky sea salt. It was exactly the kind of meal we wanted before leaving the city. The counter was filled with tempting pintxos, and we also noticed specialties like foie gras, tortilla, grilled seafood, and an impressive selection of Iberian ham, giving us another reason to return. If you're planning a pintxos crawl through San Sebastián's Old Town, make sure La Cepa is one of your stops. Arrive a little early if you want a table, enjoy a few pintxos, and don't miss the Txuleta. It was a memorable way to end our stay in this incredible food city.

If you're an anchovy lover, Bar Txepetxa is an absolute must in San Sebastián…read more Our tour guide, Javier, highly recommended it, calling it one of the city's best pintxos bars, especially for anchovies. He was spot on. There was a line outside when we arrived, but it moved quickly, and soon we were standing at the lively bar, just like the locals. Don't expect to sit. This is the authentic pintxos experience where you stand, eat, enjoy a drink, and soak in the buzzing atmosphere. Txepetxa specializes in boquerones, vinegar-cured white anchovies that are incredibly fresh, silky, and not fishy at all. They're marinated using a secret family recipe that's made this tiny bar famous for decades. We ordered almost every anchovy pintxo we could, and every single one was delicious. My favorites were the anchovy with jardinera sauce, topped with peppers and onions for a fresh, tangy bite, and the anchovy with trout roe, where the rich anchovy paired perfectly with the delicate pop of the roe. We also loved the anchovy with spider crab cream, which was incredibly creamy and flavorful. The walls are covered with photos of famous visitors, from celebrities to Spanish royalty, adding to the charm of this iconic little bar. Whether you're already an anchovy fan or think you don't like them, this is the place that might change your mind. The quality is outstanding, the service is fast despite the crowds, and the atmosphere is exactly what makes San Sebastián's pintxos culture so special. A definite 5-star must-visit and one of the highlights of our food tour in San Sebastián. I'll be dreaming about those anchovy pintxos long after this trip.

Got here right as they opened. There was no one there. Within minutes, seriously, minutes, there…read morewas no standing room available!! Crazy!! Tried a couple of anchovy pinchos and loved it all. I don't think we actually got the foie one, we got manzana instead but it was all good. Will be back, right when they open again. We could barely leave when we were done! Jaja! The anchovy only one was salty but went well with beer.

Some of the best food and service that we hand in the entire week we spent in Donostia. Food was…read morefantastic. We ordered a few pintxos to share. Beer was excellent and cold. If I ever make it back, this will be one of my first stops. Very inexpensive, great value.

Yelp hours not kept up to date, can't trust them. Walked a ways to find it closed…read more Respect your potential patrons time please.

I wandered around old town for HOURS wth my pintxo guide in hand. Many places were either way too…read morecrowded to get to the bar, the food looked not great, or had a terrible atmosphere. Finally, exhausted and delirious I stumbled into this rezi. Thankfully so! The server was so friendly even though my Spanish sucks. I immediately ordered a red sangria (Delish!) to calm my pintxo nerves. I settled into the bar and finally ordered the classic jamón ibérico. I used to think the ibérico was the region of the country but as I learned at the market, it's the cut of ham. Ibérico is very popular but I find there are better less fatty cuts but many bars only carry this. I digress! It was good and came with fluffy fresh bread, plentiful at that! (See pic). Then on a recommendation I ordered the beef carpaccio off the regular non pintxo menu. It was the best dish of my trip so far. It had chopped beef, onion, pickles!, and I think some horseradish sauce. I would fly back to Spain just to have this again. Go here, and order this.

Bar Astelena was the first stop on our pintxos crawl and I would've been happy to spend the whole…read morenight here. The pintxos were delicious and aesthetically pleasing, and the portions were generous compared to some of the other traditional bars. The space was modern, colorful, and inviting. The large platter of Jamon Iberico was pork perfection (16€). We could see them slicing the meat from the large pork leg. The foie a la plancha had a nice presentation with coarse sea salt and fruit reductions, such a great value at 4€. The house wines were 2€. This was one of the culinary highlights of my European trip... I'd definitely go back on my next trip.

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.

I was in search of a Michelin starred restaurant where I could order off of the menu rather than a…read moretasting menu with things I would rather not eat. The complimentary ratatouille was made from vegetables from the garden, and was perfect with the best bread I'd had in Spain. The lobster salad was not only delicious, but a work of art. Veal cannelloni and fois with truffle was offered as a special, and it was delicious. My only regret was that I did not have room for dessert. The service and the room were perfection. I had high expectations, and Zelai Txiki did not disappoint.

Zelai Txiki was the 'fanciest' of the restaurants we visited, but also the most disappointing. The…read moreamuse bouche was a dull mushroom velouté that required salt, though the crispy (deep fried, wrapped in something like wonton skin) boletus/porcini was delicious. Most of the food needed a little bit of salt, which someone at my table requested. We tried a type of foie ravioli with shaved black truffle. The scent of truffle was weak and the taste quite dull. The large red prawn on a bed of creamy rice (risotto) was fine. The fish soup, like most of the food here, was pretty to look at, but it had a thudding 'fish' punch rather than tasting 'of the sea.' (I understand this sounds like an unsophisticated opinion, but the flavor just didn't appeal to a party that enjoys bouillabaisse very much.) Well-prepared lamb chops tasted well prepared. The suckling pig was chopped and stuffed and rolled in its own skin, presented as a thick cylinder approximately 4 inches long. The skin reminded me of crispy chicken skin, and it was the best pig skin I ever tried. The pork was excellent but other than the preparation required to present it, it was not exciting to eat. The roasted pigeon was allegedly good, but it also went unfinished. The 'artisan bread' baked onsite was shockingly mediocre. The French fries were floppy and lukewarm. The desserts - a strawberry shortcake and a reimagined 'French toast' - were both good. Service, excellent. Ambiance, also excellent.