263057 Tue Aug 12 22:00:15 -0700 2003 14 26 International 0 1389821 I'm going to be in northern Spain this fall and was hoping to visit one of the exceptional restaurants in San Sebastian. I've been considering making a pilgrimage for some time, and yesterday's NY Times Magazine story on Spanish chefs finally put the hooks in me. (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/10/magazine/10SPAIN.html) I'd be thrilled to hear from ANYONE with ANY recommendations. Thanks. Tue Aug 12 22:00:15 -0700 2003 0 Raul 1 1389822 My friend traveled to Spain last year, including San Sebastian, and he wrote an account of his adventures on our food website. Link: http://www.bourrezvisage.com/files/spain_trip.pdf Tue Aug 12 22:01:07 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Tweaked 1 1389823 i visited a 5 years ago in the dead of winter...and i was all alone. it was before i got in the business...so i wasn't seeking out the highest rated restaurants and what not; but i found myself at some great bars at midnight sampling delicious tapas of fresh seafoods and delicious olive oils and cheap wines. i think it would be hard to go wrong in san sebastion. Tue Aug 12 22:16:42 -0700 2003 1389821 0 jonathan 1 1389824 Jose Andreas (chef of Jaleo) has recommendations for where to eat in San Sebastian on his website. Link: http://www.joseandres.com/ Tue Aug 12 22:18:33 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Spade 1 1389825 I LOVE San Sebastian -- it turned out to be my very favorite place on a trip to Spain a couple of years ago. I was on a starving-student budget, but found that San Sebastian offered one of the best cheap and fantastic "tapas crawls" I'd ever experienced. Facing the shore, turn right and wander the narrow streets in the evening as people are getting out of work. The locals will crowd into the bars with the best tapas -- a very lively and friendly atmosphere. On my limited budget I could load up on excellent tapas in lieu of a pricier dinner and still enjoy really fabulous food. Be sure to eat the "signature" San Sebastian tapas: a Rita Hayworth, whose inspiration stayed in the big shorefront hotel/casino back when SS was a stylish celebrity resort town. It's just a simple olive and anchovy on a toothpick, but it tastes just right. Enjoy your trip! Tue Aug 12 22:19:36 -0700 2003 1389821 0 HungryKate 1 1389826 Boy, do I have some information for you. This is a first for me, I had never posted anything on a board I was visiting for the first time, but I couldn't resist your question. I'm a native of San Sebastian, so here it goes: - Don't miss Arzak, but make reservations well in advance. As you probably know by now, it's a Michelin three-star and, I believe, the first one in the Basque country to achieve that. Until Ferrán Adriá became the new king of the hill, Juan Mari had deservedly been considered the very best chef in all of Spain. You should go for the degustation menu, where for a fixed price you can have six 1/2 dishes (2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, if I remember correctly). Plus, he used two have two degustation menus to choose from, so if you're accompanied, you can end up tasting 12 dishes. They'll all be worthwhile. - Akelarre is also very good, as is Martin Berasategi. But I have better information on pinchos (or "pintxos", different spelling but same pronunciation). They are the Basque version of tapas, a world apart from regular tapas and an absolutely unique experience. You should really, really, do this instead of trying a second restaurant. Do Arzak and do pintxos, hopping from one bar to another and having just the best of each. In the Old Town (Parte Vieja), go to these bars (they are all nearby, ask around and you'll never be more than 5 mins. away from another) and have this: - HAIZEA: Pastel de pimientos - TXEPETXA: Pintxo de anchoas marinadas (marinated anchovies) Pintxo de pasta de aceitunas (olive paste) - ASTELENA: Hojaldre de mejillón/Hojaldre de chipirón (mussel or squid in black ink puff pastries) Pastel de pescado - GANBARA: Stuffed mini-croissants (they're on display, the jamón ones are exceptional) Hojaldre de chistorra (chistorra puff pastry, chistorra is a local kind of chorizo eaten fried) Champis (an order of mushrooms) - CLERY: Tartaleta de txangurro (spider crab pie) - MARTINEZ: Molde de calabacín (zucchini cake) - GAZTELU: Revuelto de champis (mushrooms in scrambled eggs) - LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO: This one's owned by Martin Berasategi, I think, and you can actually sit down at a table outside, the pintxos are a bit more "refined", so to speak, but let the waitress make recommendations. In most of the bars the pintxos will be on display. As the offerings will be immense, ask for the specific pintxos listed above so they'll point you to them. You just order your drink (a vino or a zurito, which is a small serving of beer), grab and eat your pintxos and, before leaving, recite the list of what you had to the bartender to pay. At other bars, you'll have to order. This will be the case in Astelena, La cuchara de San Telmo, Txepetxa, Clery, the mushrooms in Ganbara, Gaztelu. Pintxos aren't available all day long, the best times are around noon and 7-9 pm. Bars will close around 10, but Ganbara is the one that stays open the latest. Also, near the Plaza de Guipuzcoa, a very short walk from the Parte Vieja, you can go to the bar Lasarte and order a "trainera", grilled squid and shrimp atop a slice of bread lined with serrano ham. There are other good pintxo bars scattered around the city, but this should be enough. As a matter of curiosity, Food TV series "A Cook's Tour" with Anthony Bourdain includes an episode on SS, where they visit Arzak and some of these bars. Check their website in case they air that episode before you go, it'll give you a good idea of what to expect. Enjoy! -- Now, Really Tue Aug 12 22:20:37 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Now, really 2 1389858 Welcome, what a helpful informative post! Hope we hear more from you. Wed Aug 13 17:30:59 -0700 2003 1389826 0 jen kalb 2 1390435 Hi, Never been to san sebastian before, wich is the nearest city, Barcelona, Bilbao or Madrid? Thank you ver much in advance Love Esin, From Istanbul Thu Sep 11 17:18:00 -0700 2003 1389826 0 Hello 3 1390446 Bilbao is the closest. Barcelona is second closest. Madrid is the furtherest. Thu Sep 11 22:17:41 -0700 2003 1390435 0 m 1 1389828 One word for food- ARZAK the best meal we have ever had anywhere - we live in the Napa Valley and have traveled extensively - Arzak was the all time best food experience.- and - you MUST go to Bilbao and see the Guggenheim - MUST Tue Aug 12 23:03:57 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Mad 1 1389831 I can't believe that, so far, nobody has said look at some of the threads below. S.S. has been well covered, but I can't give you a single link to the various different threads covering the topic. One quick way to get to the best discussions is to do a "ctrl F" search on this board and find "AmyH". She provides a wonderful 3-part exigesis on her recent pilgrimage to the best of the best. Then, if you keep searching for threads in which her posts appear, you'll find a couple more discussions by her and others of S.S.'s ample offerings. I know all that, not because I've been to S.S., but I'm going the 2nd week of Sept. and have been getting ready to eat. Wed Aug 13 00:14:54 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Wayno 1 1389852 Saveur, March 2003 had an article about the Drum Festival and dining clubs in San Sebastian - they also listed various restaurants. Wed Aug 13 14:42:07 -0700 2003 1389821 0 mt 1 1389993 Just returned from Spain. In San Sebastian went to Martin Berasategui and Akelare. Berasategui was disappointing and Akelare was the best meal of my life, replacing Michel Guerard at Eugenie-les-Bains in 1983, (skipped Arzak as I need a break between fine dining). Will write this up in detail soon, but as you'll need reservations thought I'd mention the experience here. Thu Aug 21 10:39:30 -0700 2003 1389821 0 estufarian 1 1390249 I can only agree which the praise for the food and atmosphere in San Sebastian, which remains my favorite after going at least yearly to Spain for the last 20 years. The reason I write is to remind you of the lovely village Hondarribia (in the preferred Basque, Fuenterrabía in Castilian). It's on the seaside just below Irun, sitting right opposite France. There you should head to the one-starred but deliciously simple and informal Alameda. The outside simplicity is wholly deceptive, though, once the plates start to arrive you realize that the place serves very sophisticated food firmly based on the basque tradition. I preferred Alameda to Berasategui and Arzak (but didn't go to Akelare, will definately after reading eustufarian review). You can easily go to Hondarribia from S.S. over, or if you fly the airport of S.S is actually located there. There are also several nice lodging alternatives in the old town, notably the Parador. Enjoy! Jonas Wed Sep 03 09:11:08 -0700 2003 1389821 0 Jonas 2 1390732 O.K. Here is what I have to say. I have visited San Sebastian every year for the past 15 because it is my favorite city in the whole world. Not only because of the sumptous food but just the beauty of the place and the people who live there. My wife and I have eaten at Arzak, Alkelare, Panier Fleuri, Juanito Kojua, Rekondo and Portveche (incorrectly spelled). In our opinion, the top restaurant is Arzak, however, there are many other that are so good you won't go wrong. Our favorites are Arzak, Rekondo and Portveche. Portveche is a place just beyond Playa Ondarreta and you will not find tourists there. It is away from the crowds and superb. We also enjoy hanging out in the evening in the old city just eating away on tapas. Enjoy!!! Sun Nov 02 18:22:53 -0800 2003 1390249 0 Howard