Our editors work with affiliates when we select some or all of the products featured. We will receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases through these links.
San Sebastián: Where to eat, drink, stay and shop in Spain's foodie heaven
Restaurants and bars
So what defines San Sebastián as a destination? Some would say its beaches, or perhaps its history as the summer retreat of the Spanish Royal court. Others might cite its fierce Basque identity. But most would simply say ‘food’. Without doubt, it is one of the great gourmet cities of Europe, with no fewer than 18 Michelin stars. Three establishments alone (Arzak, Akelarre and Martin Berasategui) share nine between them. A notch down from the top, but no less celebrated, is Rekondo, which boasts the best wine cellar in Spain. There are more than 100,000 bottles of wine on site and the wine list runs to a staggering 300 pages. Its chef, Iñaki Arrieta, is a past master at fine-tuning typical Basque cuisine.
Typical Basque cuisine can be more humbly experienced at any of the cafés and bars in the Old Town. These are the gourmet hangouts for sampling pintxos – a type of finger-food that was originally a slice of baguette with any combination of fish, meat, cheese or vegetable topping, which has now evolved to include more sophisticated, tapas-style snacks. The custom is to move from one bar to the next, eating and drinking as you go. Casa Vergara (Calle Mayor 21) has one of the largest selections of traditional pintxos.
Otherwise, head to: La Cuchara de San Telmo (Kalea 4) for its warm braised beef cheek and suckling pig; Ganbara (Kalea 21) for the best croquetas in town; Bar Nestor (Kalea 11) for Spanish omelettes and txuleta (Spanish ribeye); and finally to La Viña (Kalea 3) for the most famous baked cheesecake in Spain. A sweet tooth can also be sated at one of the local pastry shops, Casa Otaegui (Narrika 15) being the best, particularly for panchineta – a Basque puff pastry cake with almonds and custard cream.
Art and festivals
Eduardo Chillida’s El Peine del Viento, the three mighty iron sculptures anchored to the rocks at the entrance to San Sebastián’s bay, are its most iconic artwork from the city’s – and the Basque Country’s – most iconic artist. A 15-minute drive from the centre is Chillida-Leku, an open-air museum dedicated to his work, run by Hauser & Wirth. Tabakalera, San Sebastian’s international centre for contemporary culture celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and is laying on a series of 12 exhibitions throughout 2025. The highlight of these will be Ukitu, an exhibition inaugurated in October and dedicated to the work of celebrated artist Maider Lopez.
Don’t miss a visit to Santa Clara island in the middle of La Concha bay where Spanish installation artist and sculptor Cristina Iglesias has transformed the near-derelict lighthouse into the vast geological sculpture Hondalea (Marine Abyss), or San Telmo, the museum of Basque society, where the collection is divided between a former Dominican monastery and a 21st century, purpose-built avant-garde wing. If hunger strikes while there, grab a table at Zazpi where new-generation chef Paul Arrillaga serves classic Basque dishes.
Shopping
San Sebastián can lay few claims to being a great shopping destination, but like all major cities it has a blend of independent boutiques and well-known international brands. Urbieta, Fuenterrabia and Getaria are all good streets for parting with a euro or two, alongside main shopping drag Avenida de la Libertad. Originally located in the Tabakalera, concept store and art gallery Arteuparte (Berria 4) now has an outlet all of its own selling an interesting collection of art and fashion. Some of the city’s oldest and most famous shops include Irulea (Calle Mayor 7) for its exquisite children’s clothes and Casa Ponsol (Narrica 4) purveyor of the txapela – the Basque peaked beret. Fresh, local produce is best discovered at the lively San Martin market, open daily.
Hotels
No surprise that the gourmet-focussed Nobu chain of hotels should find a spot in San Sebastian and a particularly glamorous one at that, slap bang on the promenade of La Concha Bay. The palatial style of the hotel’s 1912 origins is merged with Japanese simplicity in the interiors. Head to the rooftop for an infinity pool with fabulous sea views and to the restaurant for signature Nobu dishes plus a selection specially created to showcase local produce. Similarly foodie is Villa Favorita, where 23 rooms – many of them sea facing - occupy a charming 19th century townhouse also on La Concha’s ‘prom’. On the hotel’s lower ground floor is the two-Michelin starred Amelia, overseen by Argentine chef Paulo Airaudo. Zinema7, found in the old Astoria cinema, reflects the city’s passion for film, with every suite and room paying homage to the rollcall of stars who have attended San Sebastian’s famous annual film festival in blow-up black-and-white photographs. The vibe is altogether younger and more laid back, and the location – in the quieter residential area of Amara – is still convenient to all the city’s best bits.
Villa Soro is also a walk - 20-minutes or so - from the city centre but this boutique hotel has an exceptional sense of elegance in its 25 rooms. Built in the city’s late-19th-century heyday and with more than a passing nod to the high-Victorian style of architecture, the villa pairs grand features – a vast oak staircase, stained-glass ceiling panels, a tiny chapel – with same sense of sophistication as its sister properties in Mallorca (Sant Francesc Hotel Singular in Palma and Can Ferrereta in Santanyi).
Don’t miss
No mention of San Sebastian would be complete without reference to its beaches – all three of them. La Concha is the biggest and most central – a broad, sandy sweep backed by a glorious esplanade and the venerable Hotel de Londres and overlooking Santa Clara island. Surfers catch perfect waves at Zurriola and locals, particularly from the Antigua region of the city, go to sheltered Ondarreta.
