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99 Reasons to Visit San Sebastián

in Food & Drink

Pintxo culture alone should excite any food-lover to visit the charming town of San Sebastián. This Basque city makes eating an event. You’re not only fueling your body, but you’re also exploring the city as you indulge in some of the world’s greatest ingredients.

As any pintxo enthusiast will tell you, when feasting on these gourmet bites, you enjoy one at a bar with a drink of your choice, and then move on to the next.

Each pintxo bar has their own specialties, and it’s common to visit a place solely for that one dish. Of course, they’ll have others that you may just have to try, but with limited time, make sure to try the house special.

With the pintxo tradition being so instilled in the city, it’s one of the main tourist attractions. It’s truly what people from all over the world flock to the coastal town to experience.

Each day, multiple guided group tours take hungry tourists to taste the city’s pintxos. While this is a great option for those that want to be shown the ropes and not figure it out on their own, a guided tour may not be for everyone.

And for those people, there’s a secret weapon that will take your self-guided pintxo tour of the city to the next level.

That secret weapon you ask? Pintxos – The 99 Best!

Pintxos – The 99 Best is a special project that highlights the 99 best pintxos in San Sebastián. What makes it special though is that the judges are the 11 Michelin starred chefs of the city.

That means that by following the guide, you’ll eat the best pintxos as chosen by some of the best chefs in the world:

  • Juan Mari Arzak – Arzak

  • Pedro Subijana – Akelarre

  • Martín Berasategui – Martín Berasategui

  • Elena Arzak – Arzak

  • Adoni Luis Aduriz – Mugaritz

  • Hilario Arbelaitz – Zuberoa

  • Gorka Txapartegi – Alameda

  • Dani López – Kokotxa

  • Rubén Trincado – Mirador De Ulia

  • Aitor Arregi – Elkano

  • Paulo Airaudo – Amelia

The judges narrowed down the list by choosing pintxos and establishments that have the highest standard in products used, as well as dishes that are, well, delicious.

Basque people, in general, are quite picky in terms of quality of produce, so you can be certain that all those on this list are only using the best.

Pintxos – The 99 Best has made it extremely easy to eat well in San Sebastián. On their website, you can purchase the book which gives background information on each neighborhood, as well as elaborates on each restaurant and their star pintxo (or in some cases, pintxos).

For those that prefer a digital version, there’s an app too! Available for both iOS and Android, the app provides the information available in the book, as well as gives recommended routes to make your pintxo crawl easy to self-guide.

As listed on the Pintxos – The 99 Best website, here are the pintxos that made the list. You’ll find the name of the restaurant or bar in alphabetical order followed by the pintxo (or pintxos) that made it.

By the end you’ll find that you now have 99 more reasons to visit beautiful San Sebastián!

>> Read till the end for a free map of all the places to find the 99 best pintxos.

The 99 Best Pintxos in San Sebastián

Mini kobe burger with a red bun with a side of plantain chips
A Fuego Negro's Makcobe with Chips
black plate with a glass filled with a bottom layer of red sauce with mussles and then a white sauce
A Fuego Negro's Tigretón de Mejillón

1A Fuego Negro

  • Tigretón de Mejillón – a pintxo with warm tomato, béchamel sauce, three mussels, vegetables, and pork rinds

  • Black Rabas – a take on a traditional Basque stew of baby squid in their ink. Fried balls of squid in a tempura batter filled with cream of baby squid and their ink.

  • Makcobe with Chips – a mini burger of Kobe beef served with plantain chips

Ravioli filled with langostine and a cream sauce
Ravioli de Langostino en Salsa de Martini from Bar Antonio

2Antonio Bar

  • Ravioli de Langostino en Salsa de Martini – ravioli stuffed with king prawn and topped with a Martini sauce
  • Crujiente de Rabo de Buey – crispy pasta stuffed with oxtail and topped with parmesan cheese
  • Antxoa en Salazón – a piece of crispy bread topped with salted anchovy, green pepper, chili pepper, and olive oil

3Aratz

  • Berrogi – a small sandwich of tuna, anchovy, green pepper, and mayonnaise

4Arrate

  • Tosta de Papada Ibérica – crispy bread topped with slices of Iberian bacon

5Arrikitaun

  • Montadito de Pringá – a small panini filled with a traditional Andalusian meat stew

6Aste148 Gastroleku

  • Pulpo a la Brasa – grilled octopus with marinated potato and kimchi mayonnaise

7Atari Gastroleku

  • Brocheta de Langostinos – a skewer of grilled king prawns served on a slice of bread and topped with vinaigrette of peppers and onion

8Bar Auñamendi

  • Gambón en Tempura – prawn fried in tempura and covered in sliced almonds with a shellfish cream
Cubed potatoes on a white plate with smoked paprika
Bar Ciaboga’s Patatas al Ajillo

9Bar Ciaboga

  • Patatas al Ajillo – potatoes cooked with garlic and then sprinkled with hot paprika to taste

10Bar El Bombín

  • Pastrami – a sandwich filled with pastrami

11Bar Ezkurra

  • Ensaladilla Rusa – a salad of boiled potatoes, tuna, carrot, hardboiled egg, and olives mixed with mayonnaise and topped with a salted anchovy

12Bar Ipotx

  • Croqueta de Jamón y Huevo – ham and egg croquette

13Bar Lobo

  • Risotto de Chipirón – black rice risotto with small squid

14Bar Martinez

  • Charlota de Calabacín Relleno de Centollo – a slice of bread topped with zucchini stuffed with cream cheese and spider crab

15Bar Meltxor

  • Crujiente de Langostino – shrimp rolled in a crispy pastry
Bar Nestor’s Tortilla de Patata

16Bar Nestor

  • Tortilla de Patata – a popular Spanish omelette. Only two are made each day which people come early for to reserve a slice.

17Bar Ricardo

  • Croqueta de Mejillón – croquette filled with mussel cream
DSC02268
Bar Sport's Foie de Las Landas

18Bar Sport

  • Foie de Las Landas – Foie gras from Landes that’s grilled and served on toasted bread with apple compote and topped with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Two baguette slices topped with anchovy and chopped peppers and onion
Bar Txepetxa's Antxoa con Jardinera

19Bar Txepetxa

  • Antxoa con Jardinera – an anchovy on top of a slice of bread and topped with chopped bell peppers and onion

  • Antxoas con Crema de Centollo – a piece of bread topped with an anchovy fillet and spider crab cream

20Bar Txirrita

  • Txalupa – a brochette of griddled baby squid topped with a garlic and parsley sauce

21Bar Zabaleta

  • Tortilla de Patata – a classic Spanish potato omelette

22Bar/Restaurant Kiki

  • Croqueta de Tres Quesos – three cheese croquette made with cream, blue, and edam cheeses

23Bergara

  • Tortilla de Antxoas – Spanish omelette with anchovies and garlic

  • Txalupa – puff pastry topped with mushrooms, prawns, chives, cream, and grated cheese

24Bistroteka Astoria7

  • Carrillra Sobre Puré de Patatas – stewed veal cheek served on potato purée
Tuna sandwich on a baguette with peppers and anchovies
Bodega Donostiarra's Completo

25Bodega Donostiarra

  • Ensaladilla Rusa – a classic potato salad pintxo made of potatoes, tuna, carrot, hardboiled egg, and olives, mixed with mayonnaise and topped with an anchovy
  • Indurain – a pintxo in honor of the famous cyclist made of a chunk of tuna, salted anchovy, piparra chili peppers, and chive with olive oil
  • Completo – a sandwich of Spanish white tuna in oil with Cantabrian anchovies and chili peppers

26Bokado San Telmo

  • Tortilla de Patata Hecha al Momento – freshly made Spanish omelette with pepper and onion

  • Patatas Casi Bravas – translating to “almost fierce potatoes”, this pintxo is a plate of fried baby potatoes with ali-oli sauce, mayo, chili, and topped with a wasabi pea

Pasta risotto on a white plate
Borda Berri's "Risotto" con Idiazabal
Stewed veal cheeks on a white plate with brown and green sauces
Borda Berri's Carrillera al Vino Tinto

27Borda Berri

  • “Risotto” con Idiazabal – a “risotto” made of small pasta noodles and Idiazabal cheese
  • Oreja de Cerdo Crujiente – crunchy griddled pork ear served with romescu and chimichurri sauces
  • Carrillera al Vino Tinto – veal cheeks that are stewed in red wine and vegetable broth and served with a home-made tomato sauce

28Café Kursaal

  • Cochinita Pibil – pork stewed with achiote pepper served on a corn tortilla
prawn on a skewer wrapped in bacon and topped with garlic herb sauce next to fried potato sticks
Casa Senra Donostia's Gambón con Bacon y Patatas

29Casa Senra Donostia

  • Gambón con Bacon y Patatas – a skewer of king prawn wrapped in bacon and served with crispy potato sticks
White dish filled with scallops, white cream, almonds, oil, and seaweed
Casa Urola’s Vieira a la Plancha con Ajoblanco

30Casa Urola

  • Vieira a la Plancha con Ajoblanco – grilled scallops season with ajoblanco (cold cream of almonds, garlic, and oil), nuts, and a coffee vinaigrette, then topped with fried seaweed and sesame

  • Karmelita – a cold pintxo of fried bread topped with salted anchovy, boiled egg, prawn, and mayonnaise

  • Alcachofa con Praliné de Almendras y Jamón – artichoke with almond praline and cured ham

31Casa Valles

  • Gilda – the original pintxo created in Donostia in the 1940’s made of chili peppers, an anchovy, and an olive pickled in vinegar and skewered on a cocktail stick

32Divinum

  • Patata Tortilla – a potato omelette that’s served slightly runny on the inside

33Donibane

  • Oreja en Salsa – pig ear cooked with carrot, onion, leek, garlic, and pepper sauce with a touch of brandy

34Drinka

  • Croqueta de Queso y Nuez – a cheese and walnut croquette
White dish with a variety of mushrooms and an egg yolk
Ganbara's Hongo a la Plancha con Yema de Huevo
Crab tartlet on white background
Ganbara's Tartaleta de Txangurro

35Ganbara

  • Gambas Rebozadas – a skewer of fresh battered prawns with a hint of spice

  • Tartaleta de Txangurro – spider crab tartlet

  • Hongo a la Plancha con Yema de Huevo – seasonal mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and garlic topped with an egg yolk

white plate topped with two pintxos
Gandarias’ Solomillo con Pimiento Verde (front) and Brocheta de Gambas (back)

36Gandarias

  • Brocheta de Gambas – a skewer of three prawns and Iberian bacon topped with a vinaigrette of bell peppers and onion on a piece of baguette
  • Solomillo con Pimiento Verde – piece of veal tenderloin on bread, topped with a roasted green pepper and sea salt

37Goiz-Argi

  • Mari Juli – a piece of toasted bread topped with smoked salmon, anchovy, and green pepper topped with a vinaigrette

38Gorriti Taberna

  • Cabeza de Jabalí, Cebolleta, y Pepinillo – bread topped with head of wild boar, pickle, and chives

39Haizea

  • Brocheta de Vieira y Langostino – a grilled skewer of scallop and king prawn

40Hidalgo 56

  • Callos y Morros – traditional stew made of tripe and snout and served in a clay pot

41Iturrioz

  • Bacalao Club Ranero – desalted cod in a confit of olive oil with fried green and red pepper and garlic

42Kata 4

  • Yema del Caserío – free-range egg cooked at a low temperature and served with polenta, pine nuts, Manchego cheese, and mushrooms

43La Cepa

  • Mixto de Jamón – warm sandwich of Serrano ham and cheese

44La Cuchara de San Telmo

  • Foie de Manfort con Compota de Manzana – freshly grilled foie gras on a bed of stewed apples and sea salt

  • Carrillera de Ternera Guisada al Vino Tinto – veal cheek stewed in red wine for 8 hours and served over hummus

45La Espiga

  • Delicia – a brochette topped with anchovy, a hardboiled egg, mayonnaise, and a vinaigrette of egg white, onion, and parsley

  • Chorrera – a hot pintxo of boiled egg, cheese, and ham that’s battered in egg and flour and deep-fried

Plate of patatas bravas
La Mejillonera’s Patatas Bravas

46La Mejillonera

  • Patatas Bravas – fried potato cubes topped with garlic ali-oli and spicy tomato sauce

47Matalauva

  • Láminas de Txuleta – a pintxo of salted steak slices

48MendaurBerria

  • Taco-talo de Begihaundi – a Basque-style wrap filled with small squid, kimchi, and micro-greens

49Mesón Martín

  • Trainera – piece of toast topped with grilled squid, prawn, and Iberian cured ham with a sauce made of oil, garlic, vinegar, and white wine

50Mil Catas

  • Risotto de Idiazabal con Foie – Idiazabal cheese risotto topped with grilled foie gras

51Ni Neu

  • Brocheta de Langostinos con Salsa Ponzu – a skewer of battered and fried prawns with ponzu sauce

52Oliyos

  • Tortilla de Patata – traditional Spanish omelette with potatoes

53Ormazabal

  • Morros de Ternera – veal snouts stewed using a special family recipe

  • Croqueta de Espinacas – a croquette filled with creamy spinach

Two fried prawns on a skewer
Paco Bueno’s Gambas a la Gabardina

54Paco Bueno

  • Gambas a la Gabardina – one of the most typical pintxos in San Sebastián of battered and fried prawns on a skewer

55Ramuntxo Berri

  • Carbón Brie – brie cheese covered in poppy seeds and served with sweet tomato jam

56Restaurante Biarritz

  • Secreto Ibérico con Puré de Manzana – slow-cooked Iberian pork skirt steak over a purée of local apples served with mashed potatoes

  • Arroz de Crustáceos con Socarrat – shellfish rice with prawns and “socarrat” or toasted rice

57Restaurante Kukuarri

  • Mini-hamburguesa de Secreto Ibérico – a small burger of pork shoulder on a sesame bun served with chips

58Restaurante Zumeltzegi

  • Brocheta de Rape y Langostinos – brochette with anglerfish and shrimp

59San Marcial

  • Gavilla – ham, cheese, and béchamel battered and deep fried

60Sirimiri Gastroleku

  • Pan Bao de Pato – an Asian-style bun filled with duck stew
Baguette with sirloin topped with foie gras and drizzled with a red sauce
Taberna Dakara Bi’s Taco de Solomillo con Foie

61Taberna Dakara Bi

  • Taco de Solomillo con Foie – slice of bread topped with grilled sirloin and foie gras

62Taberna La Jarana

  • Pastel de Pescado – a classic pintxo of fish pie with mayonnaise

  • Ropa Vieja – a potato omelette with shredded meat

Three fried prawns on a skewer
Tamboril's Gamba a la Gabardina
Two skewers with three mushroom caps each and pieces of bread
Tamboril's Champiñon

63Tamboril

  • Champiñón – a skewer of three mushrooms on a piece of bread with their sauce

  • Gamba a la Gabardina – battered and fried shrimp

64Topa Sukaldería

  • Takotalo de Pastor – a pintxo combining Basque and Mexican flavors. Flour and millet tortillas filled with marinated pork and local Basque applesauce.
  • Guacamole Topa – avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, chili, and lime served with instructions on how to prepare the guacamole and is shared and eaten with chips

65Txalupa Gastroleku

  • Croqueta Vegetal de Coco y Curry Rojo – a croquette made of red and green peppers, red curry paste, and coconut milk, then breaded in Panko and deep-fried
Two croquettes of txuleta on a white plate
Txuleta's Croqueta de Chuleta

66Txuleta

  • Croqueta de Chuleta – steak croquette

67Urkabe

  • Croqueta de Ave – a creamy poultry croquette

68Vinoteca Bernardina

  • Langostino Crujiente – crispy prawns with soy mayonnaise

69Xarma Cook & Culture

  • Solomillo Euskaltxerri – Basque pig sirloin with celeriac cream, mushroom emulsion, and wasabi caviar

  • Piquillo Parrillero – grilled piquillo pepper stuffed with piquillo emulsion

70Xiri Donosti

  • Abanico de Cerdo Ibérico – roasted Iberian pork with seasonal garnish
Ravioli of oxtail cut in half
Zazpi's Ravioli Cremoso de Rabo de Toro

71Zazpi

  • Ravioli Cremoso de Rabo de Toro – a creamy oxtail ravioli

  • Borrajas con Almejas – clams stewed with borrage leaves

  • Solomillo con Caldo Morrón – tenderloin served with sweet red pepper sauce and topped with sea salt

Check out the map below of where to find all 99 pintxos!

Tip: Click on the star next to 99 Best Pintxos above to view and save the map in the Google Maps app on your phone.

View Full Map

>> Have a favorite pintxo? Leave a comment and let us know what it is below!

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Comments 2

  1. Isabel says:
    5 months ago

    OMG I’m going to need to stay a month so I can try all of these recommendations ! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Daniel says:
    4 months ago

    Literally starving now LOL

    Reply

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