We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary at Amelia, and it was an extraordinary experience. From…read morestart to finish, both the service and the cuisine were flawless.  Every dish on the tasting menu showcased remarkable precision. Highlights for us included the luxurious langoustine paired with foie gras and champagne, as well as the Wagyu option offered in place of the pigeon. The interplay of flavors across every course was phenomenal. To top off a memorable evening, getting to briefly meet Chef Paulo Airaudo in person was a special touch. Amelia delivered an unforgettable milestone celebration. The vibe is fun and unpretentious - the open concept and being able to see the whole production at work was a noteworthy experience.

They say not doing a Michelin star restaurant in San Sebastián is like going to the Sistine Chapel…read moreand not looking up. I did my homework and I decided that Amelia seemed to be the most universally appreciated of them all. Others were controversial or not open while I was in town. Also with Barcelona as our 1st stop on our trip, we had just enjoyed Disfrutar a few days prior. I noticed that chef friends that love the region, seem to be enthralled with the culinary traditions in the Basque region, more than the fine dining here. So I guess what I'm saying is, it's ok to come to San Sebastián, enjoy the Pintxos and quality of ingredients, and not feel like you need to do non stop Michelin stars. One slightly disappointing thing here, I was hoping to be sitting at a chefs counter, we put in a request for it, but since there was 3 of us, we were stuck at a table. Service was nice, but we missed the show that it felt like every other diner got and we were so looking forward to. At this price point reservations should probably guarantee a seat at the counter or table. We agreed to their non-guarantee of the counter, but you feel slighted when not chosen for it, and who wants to start their meal off with a disappointment. Won't dock them a star for it though. Started off with 2 beautiful presentations of protein and produce ingredients used in our tasting menu for this evening. It was a chance for them to tell us about ingredients and for us to ask questions. Wild Trout Roe - nice pastry crunch to contrast the roe that explodes Kamatoro/Palamos Prawn/Caviar - the richness of the fatty tuna, sweetness of the shrimp, and salinity of the caviar worked perfectly. Also loved the smoky gelee from tuna bones. Langoustine/ Champagne sauce with foie. The foie gras really mixed into the sauce here to create high end surf and turf. Ricciola and Tomato - beautiful amberjack crudo in tomato water with some Shiso oil added. King Crab/ Tear Peas/ Iberian Pork Broth - I was disappointed as the peas were late in the season and not impressive for me. Kind of tough and chewy. I'm not an expert in these peas, but this can't be what all the fuss is about. The Bread - I love when high end restaurants have such a respect for the art of baking, and present it as such. Lobster/ Pumpkin - the lobster was a little purposefully undercooked, which made me wonder if we overcook our lobster in the US. We just might. Lobster Revenge - different textures don't always have to include crunchy, we had this debate at the table. Was each texture different? Yes, so I loved this dish. Pigeon/ Onion/ Baby Zucchini - pigeon is used as the meat course often in European fine dining, takes on the characteristic of red meat. Quite a few shaved truffles also made it on the plate. Potato/ Oyster/ Vin Juane - pasta stuffed with potato puree. This had the flavor profile of a cheesy nutty wine sauce. Excellent Sage and Lemon Palate Cleanser was next - did its job in a refreshing way leading to desserts The Cheese - cheesecake, flan, whatever we are calling it, it worked. Daurikas Caviar/ Banana/ Rum - the only fail of the night. I'm getting tired of chefs doing the caviar on dessert thing, it's everywhere at the moment. And this one, to have the right balance should have had 1/4 or 1/5 of the amount. Couldn't taste the banana or anything else here. So much was just a waste of an expensive ingredient. Luckily we finished off a great meal at Amelia with an assortment of chocolates and other sweet goodies.

A true gem, and it will be hard for you to miss.. The line makes it fairly apparent. Nobody is…read moregoing to stand for an hour in the rain to eat food at a restaurant that is not good. This place rocks out of the park. Bring a poncho an umbrella and a bit of fortitude because you were going to need it if the day turns wet towards the afternoon. I recommend lining up 30 to 45 minutes ahead of time. There will be two lines. The first line is for inside which is PINTXOS, and plates. Outside is plates only. Inside there are approximately as many people as there are stars in the sky. You won't find an inch of ground that a human is not occupying. I strongly recommend sitting outside even if it's raining. The services attentive when you're sitting outside, the portions are nice, and you will really enjoy them.

This has to be the most insane Pinxto experience and probably one of the best meals I had during my…read moretime in San Sebastián. Lined up roughly 30 minutes before the doors open. And another 30 minutes after opening, it's not very clear at first once service starts going, but there is a long counter when you enter to the right hand side, where you place your order several people will be taking orders at once and once you pay, you have to find a spot to sit, which can either be indoor or outdoor. as your food is ready they yell your name and you have to be listening carefully. I would recommend ordering all your food upfront and if you need additional drinks during or after your meal, that's easy to order after the fact. We were there beginning of September and it was very hot. If you are someone that gets claustrophobic, this is a very tight hot space with a lot of chaos and people. That being said, this is one of the best meals we had. We ordered the full portion of the crispy sulking pig , octopus, beef cheeks and crema Catalana. Food runs out fast so my recommendation would be to lineup early before opening. If there's a specific item on the menu, you were looking forward to. I would 100% come back here.

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.

Bar Sport had people spilling out of it devouring all their tasty Pintxos and drinking. This place…read moreis a zoo. Many food tours start here, and for good reason, it's very good and seems to handle the huge crowd well. It was 6 people deep at the bar, so not the easiest to navigate. In fact I would have ordered a second round to try different things, but decided to just move on. But I loved the 3 items I did try. Warm Mushrooms - these were sautéed with garlic and ended up with a savory earthy glaze to them. Chorizo and Bread - this bright red sausage looks spicy, but is more Smokey as the red color is from smoked paprika. The famous Gilda Pintxo - that I thought I wouldn't like, but really loved it. The peppers aren't too spicy, the olive isn't too strong, and the anchovy isn't too fishy. Leave your American expectations at the door...it's been a favorite around San Sebastián since the 1946 Rita Hayworth film "Gilda" for a reason. Spicy, Salty, and Sultry like the character. I also heard that it is named so because it resembles female anatomy, and she was a sex symbol of the day. I had to try it because at Disfrutar in Barcelona, one of their dishes was a deconstructed Gilda Pintxo, so it was necessary to have a reference. Damn good!!!! Do not leave San Sebastián without eating one. And I can for sure recommend Bar Sport's Gilda.

Bar Sport is an amazing spot for pintxos and one of my favorites in San Sebastián…read more The standout here is definitely the crab based pintxos. If you like crab pâté, this is absolutely the place to go. Rich, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. The whole place has that classic lively pintxos bar energy that makes San Sebastián so special. A must stop if you are exploring the food scene here.

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!

Delicious pintxos will definitely come back to try more. I didn't get to try the foie but it…read morelooked amazing

Located near the cathedral this is an excellent place to stop by and grab a quick lunch while in…read morethe downtown area. Typical tapas bar with excellent choices of wines by the glass and plenty of appetizers to choose from at fair prices (about 2.5 euros glasses of wine and 4.5 euros middle of the road tapas). We had Riojo for wine and cod, pulpo and calamars. Everything was excellent.

You've seen this spot all over social media when searching for popular food destinations in San…read moreSebastian-Donostia, and I can concur that the best Tortilla Española is found here. (Yes, we've tried other pintxo bars as well) Locals and tourists line up daily for this breakfast of Champions. Only a certain number of Tortillas are made daily, and when they're gone, they're gone. We were in San Sebastian the first week of May which is kinda like their shoulder season for tourists, so we had no problem on missing out.(Best time to come is between 8:30am-11am according to one of the workers)Trust me, one portion IS NOT ENOUGH , so follow this pro tip and get yourself TWO ORDERS. Simple ingredients, big flavors of the caramelized onions, potatoes, and green peppers seasoned perfectly with salt and binded with just the right amount of eggs(30 per tortilla) just HEAVEN! Oh, but don't stop there. Get what they call their Classics. Four of their most popular pintxos. I remember the Crispy Oxtail, and the scallop pintxo, but can't remember the other two. Ambiance is noisy and vibrant, service is quick and pleasant, and this is one pintxo bar you may find yourself returning to time and time again.(We went four out of the 5 days we were here.) *see Mark Wiens San Sebastian YouTube video to see how the time consuming tortilla is made

On a food tour with Culinary Backstreets in San Sebastian, we are headed to Bar Antonio near the…read morebeach for an absolute gem. The local guides words. We sat outside near the square under the umbrellas and watching people. Our guide prepped us on the history and story of this stop. The city and setting are beautiful. We are excited to explore this idyllic town in the northwestern corner of Spain. One dish, one stop on an evening of many favorite pintxos in the area. Luckily, we are walking from stop to stop so we don't develop the pintxos pooch. To our table is delivered a wedge of what looks like an omelet or pie. The guide explains this is no ordinary omelet but a world renowned "best Spanish omelet". He was absolutely correct. The light, juicy, savory and fluffy Spanish omelet is delicious. There is a sweetness from the peppers and carmelized onions, yet a perfect marriage of flavors. It have great moistness, yet not soupy. If you are entertaining for brunch or breakfast, go to Google and watch the video on how this is done at this spot and in this city. I have said in the past that I could easily skip breakfast, but if this was on the menu, I would have to rescind that statement. To the chefs at Antonio, great job and thanks for showing me what a great omelet is.

Great little restaurant in the Onderreta neighborhood. A fantastic menu del dia at very reasonable…read moreprices. Make a reservation if you want to sit on the patio. We had the best white been and chorizo stew and hake. Wine included. One of those great finds in the neighborhood that you happen upon.