Service was good and restaurant was nice not too crowded and lots of options to choose from on the…read moremenu. They also had the menu in english which is helpful. We opted for a few pintxos for lunch while we were visiting town. We also had a couple of drinks my husband got whiskey with coke and I asked for a local cocktail since I'm not much of a wine drinker. I was handed a cup of pacharán which was a bit strong but was nice to try something different. The pintxos came out one at a time which was nice we were able to fully enjoy each on their own. The bao was the only one I didn't really like mostly the bun part. It didn't taste like it was cooked all the way and was a bit gummy and there was not a lot of meat filling. Next was the lamb which was really tender and flavorful. The couscous was ok nothing special and not much seasoning to it. Then the beef cheek and mashed potatoes came out which was the star of the pintxos that we had. It was also very tender and the mash was also cooked perfectly. All of this was shared between the two of us and was very filling. The waiter let us know that some of the pinxtos could also be ordered in a full size if we wanted. We enjoyed sampling the pinxtos and would definitely recommend coming here to get a taste of local cuisine.

This was our introduction to the ultra-clean and simple flavors of basque cuisine, served with an…read morealmost impossible degree of finesse and precision with some of the freshest ingredients imaginable. We were pressed for time, but the beef cheek here fell apart in our mouths and was married with a perfect red wine sauce over pillowy smooth mashed potatoes, and the shrimp were unbelievably delicate and cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of gremolata to compliment but not overwhelm. Delicious.

No Bueno. Came here with the wife. The special in the hotel…read moresaid spaghetti bolegnese, we heard the two tables next to us order the special in Spanish. When we tried to order it in English our waiter magically had no idea what spaghetti was. Instead we got a salad that was only ice burg lettuce and chicken that was just greasy french fries and gross ass chicken strips. Felt a bit discriminated against plus the other food was garbage. I'd look elsewhere.

Absolutely amazing food! The atmosphere was fabulous on a Sunday afternoon with all the locals it…read morefelt authentic and lively. Gustavo is the BEST! He picked out all the traditional pintxos for us, and every single one was incredible. Such a great experience!

Service is great. Food is fantastic. Ambiance is awesome. The beer is cold. Locals seem friendlyread more

Mugaritz is iconic! It is not the best meal you'll ever eat, it is not the most comfortable you'll…read moreever be in a dining setting, and it is certainly not the most enjoyable time you'll have at lunch or dinner. But we're here for art - Mugaritz is truly an expensive piece of art that you get to experience if you so decide to go! I've been to Mugaritz twice, and each time has been extremely unique. Not one repeated course, and the experience overall felt different. The attention to detail and care with which they make the meal at Mugaritz is just stunning, and the overall ability to interact with a staff that so clearly loves their job is so fun! Most recently we had everything from pig snout to roasted bees to a soup that we made a as a group of diners. Every dish was plated beautifully, had a story behind it, and felt like true performance food art. The wine pairing is such a treat because they bring you wines that are mainly collaborations, and you get to try so much during your journey. If you want a good steak go to Casa Julian, if you want to save money eat pintxos in San Sebastian, and if you want the best meal ever go to Azurmendi - but if you want an experience that is truly worth having, spend 4 hours at Mugaritz - you will not be underwhelmed.

A very interesting experience (9/2023), giving Mugaritz 4 stars. A very influential place/chef, it…read morewas a bucket list type place so all of the poor reviews and friends' advice couldn't stop me from seeing it for myself. Like others have said, they try to give a unique experience, saying they don't follow a traditional fine dining format, but more just serve you textures and temperatures in no particular order - somewhat true, but the meal did still follow (albeit loosely) the standard, with light bites followed by more substantial entree type dishes, and a little sweet to end. There were few courses where utensils were provided, most of the meal was to be experienced with your hands. The menu was definitely an experience, and it's sort of masochistic - they don't want you to like everything, and pushed us to tell them which dishes/courses/flavors/anything we didn't like. Overall though, the food was mostly good. Nothing with flavor that will blow you away, but the creativity I do greatly appreciate, and I've been to enough of these dinners where something weird and off the beaten path like this is appreciated. There were a couple courses that unfortunately fell flat in terms of flavor, and of course they were the 'weird' courses too - the milk from a fake boob was flavorless and made a mess, the cider "skin" peeled from the face had no flavor and fell apart, making this course basically one where you have to pick up sauce with your hands and eat it. My main issue with the experience overall was the service. Maybe they were understaffed, but it was just bad. The cups are wooden, so servers can't tell that they're empty unless they're standing over them basically. They wouldn't serve a dish unless they had two people ready to serve them simultaneously, which resulted in multiple times where the food was sitting by our table, with one server awkwardly trying to flag down another so we could be served - one of these took like 3 minutes which was very weird. They made a whole spiel about the wine experience where you choose a painting from a booklet and give them keywords to help them choose a bottle for you, but they took that booklet and never asked us about it again so I guess they didn't wanna do that. The wine list is very short, the sommelier couldn't tell us much about the wines we asked about. Also there was one sommelier for the entire service, and the servers refused to pour wine for us so we would sit empty for long periods of time, and the wine was out of our reach where it would be weird to get up and pour our own. We asked one server multiple times to refill our glasses after an extended period of time, and he reluctantly poured the wine, except he did so into my cup with water in it? Barely an apology, no fresh water cup offered or anything. Just very weird stuff from a 2 michelin star/world's best restaurant, where consistency and attention to detail are typically the standard.

This was our second Michelin Star restaurant in two days. Quaint old building, approximately 600…read moreyears old in a small town outside of San Sebastián. The service was excellent, not stuffy at all. Prices where normal for a Michelin Star winner. If your out in this part of Spain it's definitely worth the drive. We had choose three appetizers, two main courses and two desserts.

The family who owns our gorgeous Airbnb made us a reservation at Zuberoa for our anniversary and…read moreafter peeping the menu and the photos of the lovely stonework building I got super excited. It's a bit of a trek from San Sebastián proper (20ish minute cab ride) but well worth it to try a meal from Chef Arbelaritz, who is well known in the region. I didn't find the menu too "out there" in terms of creativity. There's always the risk at a Michelin meal that you'll be eating 7 different colors worth of foam, but in this case familiar things like tuna tartar and quinoa made unique appearances. I wouldn't say my mind was blown but everything was certainly tasty. Our servers tended to switch off, but were very attentive. We opted to try the tasting menu, which consisted of: Tuna Tartar Spider crab and prawns ravioli Lobster, cauliflower and fennel Egg yolk, foie-gras cream and mushroom emulsion Stir-fried squid and gelatinous broth "Pelayo" style Red mullet, celeriac, and quinoa Roasted suckling pig, mashed potatos and cumin flavoured fruit compote (which I had) Roasted pigeon, liver toast and turnip filled with mushrooms (which the huband had) Macerated apricots in amarette and lemon and mint sorbet Hazelnut crocanti with hot chocolate Note! I was beyond full by the time the entrees came out, so definitely come hungry. No wine pairing was offered with the menu but they made it happen when we asked and they pretty cool about honoring our request to begin with a local Txakoli wine. With the wines, a bottle of water, tax and the two tasting menus the total was €344. Bonus points for the tooth brushing kits in the restroom!

From the owner: Las mejor cocina tradicional vasca con producto fresco especialidad en menús para grupos grandes,…read moreraciones y platos combinados. También ofrecemos menú del día, hamburguesas y bocadillos excelentes. La mejor calidad precio disponemos de terraza cubierta con servicio de mesas.

Wow! Little more need be said... let the food speak for…read moreitself; you'll just have to get a table and enjoy. Instead let me wax lyrical about the incredible service... world class. Makes you feel like a king but also like family at the same time. That the world's best female chef made time for small talk says it all. Ps Shout out to the concierge at the Maria Christina for the last minute table.

Tucked up in the quiet Alto de Miracruz, Arzak feels miles from the Old Town shuffle; we took a…read morelovely stroll through the neighborhood before lunch and arrived already relaxed and having worked up an appetite. Inside, it's calm, bright, and welcoming, remarkably friendly for a restaurant with Arzak's stature. This is a true family house: the building began life as a tavern run by the Arzak great-grandparents in 1897, and today Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter, chef Elena Arzak, carry the torch. They're standard-bearers of New Basque Cuisine, and the restaurant has held three Michelin stars continuously since 1989. Our menu balanced playful ideas with Basque soul. A striped egg arrived nestled in a drift of puffed rice and flower petals, creamy, nutty, crunchy, and gently smoky; the kind of dish that makes you grin before the first bite. The texture contrast was killer. A sardine pintxo on a delicate biscuit, lacquered with seeds and a bright little dot of acidity, was pure hit-the-spot snacking. Then came hake kokotxas, those beloved Basque cheeks, set over a green, herb-forward emulsion with light dairy notes and ribbons of something pickled to keep everything lifted. It's the Arzak trick: modern framing around very classic lines. From the sea again, a monumental carabinero prawn arrived butterflied and just-cooked, crowned with citrusy zest and paired with small, sweet orange cubes. Powerful and ingredient-forward, as Basque cuisine should be. The meat course kept the restraint: thick, rare slices with a glossy jus and crisp, earthy garnishes. Restraint and boldness improbably worked together. Desserts were fun and varied: a rhubarb-and-strawberry composition that leaned tart and garden-fresh; a lacy, airy "waffle" scattered with vibrant red powder; a chocolate plate with honeyed, brittle-like shards; and those geometric little chocolates at the end. Service was genuinely warm and inviting throughout: attentive without choreography for its own sake, and the pacing let every course breathe. We left happy, full, and a little star-struck by how gracefully Arzak still threads innovation through tradition after all these years. It was a privilege to meet her after our meal. If you're a food-traveler, it's worth the pilgrimage.

Great food, nice people. Local flavor, clean and very yummy. Indoor seating, cafe style.read more

Reservations are a must for Casa Camara. I suspect that the increasing number of tourists wanting…read moreto dine there has lead them to institute a policy that they will charge a fee of 30 Euros per person for missed reservations. I received a confirmation email and a phone call the evening before the reservation to confirm. Pasaia is a lovely village and well worth a visit while staying in San Sebastian and is just a 15 minute bus ride away plus the 1 minute ferry ride. The staff at Casa Camara are amazing. They are the picture of efficiency. Everyone knows their roles and they all get the job done well. Service was really good and they have no problem answering questions in English. From the long specials list, we chose the grilled cigala. It's like a langostine. It was perfectly grilled and salted. They were so delicious. The monk fish was firm, flaky, and sweet. Our table was next to the lobster tank below the restaurant floor. As lobsters were ordered, staff would hoist the cages up to choose lobsters for the clients to confirm that it's what they want. For dessert, we shared a cheesecake. It was fluffy and light with berries inside. It was a wonderful lunch at a lovely place. Make a reservation so you don't miss out on the experience.

I had the best experience at Casa Camara. The service was excellent & the seafood was to die for…read more The restaurant is right on the water & wherever you sat you could see the water. They have a hole in the middle of the restaurant that goes straight down to the water and they keep their fresh lobster in cages. Whenever you order a lobster they wheel the cage up and you get to select which one you want. We stayed in San Sebastián & drove to the small town to eat. You do need to walk a little ways to find the restaurant but not very far. They also have an amazing view of the water in this town. I highly recommend going for a little walk/hike afterwards.