267940 Mon Mar 20 23:00:00 -0800 2006 8 50 Spain/Portugal 0 1412204 going on a 5 day eating trip to san sebastian mid may, overwhelmed by choices, suggestions please. Mon Mar 20 23:00:00 -0800 2006 0 ravenboy 1 1412205 Arzak is excellent and very expensive. Akelare is a much better dining experience for the same high price but in a beautiful hilltop setting overlooking the sea. You'll hear the name Berasategui mentioned a thousand times. I prefer to graze the pintxos bars and drink the outstanding inexpensive Navarran wines. Link: http://www.nycClubTaurino.com Mon Mar 20 23:13:38 -0800 2006 1412204 0 Chow, Baby 2 1412207 I agree with Chow Baby about the Pintxos bars, but if you have to do one blowout, let it be Arzak. I still make his poached eggs in plastic film, with duck fat & scallions, and I'll always do them that way. Outstanding in every way. Berisategui, by the way, is the Ferran Adria of the Basque country. Make a quick trip to Bilbao and, while visiting the Guggenheim, sample Berisategui's style at the museum restaurant. Excellent. - Sean Tue Mar 21 00:14:07 -0800 2006 1412205 0 Sean Dell 3 1412278 A third vote for Arzak. Truly our all-time best dining experience. You must reserve in advance and it is something you will never forget - or regret!!! And on on your other nights in San Sebastian enjoy the relatively inexpensive and so delicous pintxos bars. Wed Mar 22 22:22:48 -0800 2006 1412207 0 Mad 2 1412831 I second Akelare. Best meal of my life there. And the wine list has an exceptional Spanish selection. We had a 1925 Rioja, but play it safe with a 64 Rioja at a very fair price. Tue Apr 11 17:34:43 -0700 2006 1412205 0 estufarian 2 1413457 I'm going to San Sebastian in two weeks--can you give me an idea of just how expensive Arzak and Arkelere are (based on lunch)? Wed May 03 16:46:20 -0700 2006 1412205 0 Madison 1 1412326 La Cuchara de San Telmo (31 de Agosto, 28). The most impressive pintxos (tapas) in the Old Town, by far, based on four days of focused exploration last summer. Untraditional, exploratory cooking, less expensive than most other places, and fabulously good. Fri Mar 24 18:50:21 -0800 2006 1412204 0 Jonathan King 1 1412366 Many tapas places in town. Each is better than yhe next. Suggest walking around and try as many as you could. This may be the tops for tapas anyplace. Sun Mar 26 17:15:06 -0800 2006 1412204 0 Pac 1 1412688 La cuchara de San Telmo - the best food I have ever eaten in my entire life. Amazingly created, unbelievably tasty, gorgeous little courtyard next to the church. Have some of the local wine "txacholi" too Thu Apr 06 12:26:40 -0700 2006 1412204 0 zoejankel