I am writing this post from San Sebastian, Spain. It is one of my favorite places to be. It has not been that cold, it is currently December, and was about 18 degrees Celsius today.
As I was eating lunch today, I thought about my blog. What better thing to talk about than food ? So I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite places to eat while I’m here.
First on the list :
La Viña, San Sebastian Old Town
This is the restaurant where my husband and I met in 2019. We went to get cheesecake, separately, but in the same bar. They were out of cheesecake. Him and I met and instead of having cheesecake together, we had a glass of wine, because if you can’t have dessert, you might as well have wine.
We got to talking, then the restaurant part closed while the bar remained open. When the restaurant closes, the bar gets the rest of their cheesecake to sell to the customers in the bar. The bartender knew we wanted cheesecake, so offered some to us first. And voilà, we got our cheesecake. Not only did we get our cheesecake, but we also got a love story.
We now take friends and family who visit San Sebastian here. You’ll notice the cheesecake in the glass case behind my mom and I in the photo. We are also eating the cheesecake. My husband and I retell our story over great wine and food with great company.
La Cepa, San Sebastian Old Town
Right next door to La Viña is La Cepa de Bernardo. Yes, there is ham hanging over the bar. There are cups under each ham that are there to catch the dripping fat.
At first, this was so unappetizing to me. I didn’t want to look at ham dripping fat while I ate. But, I have gotten used to it. Their ham is so good. They cut the ham in house, sometimes you can see the man doing it. He is the owner, a little old man that cuts the ham. It is really incredible to watch, because the force he has to use to cut the ham is so great. I know I couldn’t do it.
The ham is cut to serve as plates of ham or on their mixto sandwich, which I highly recommend. This is not a pintxo but a full sandwich, so if you want pintxos, read my other blog here. I also really enjoy their croquettas. I think they are the best (at least that I know of so far) in San Sebastian.
La Rampa
La Rampa is located right on the harbor. They always have good, fresh seafood. It is not necessarily cheap, but good. So good. The last time we went here, we ate sardines as an appetizer, they were delicious. And as a main course, my husband and I had monkfish (rapé in Spanish). They bring the whole fish to the table, cut it in half, and serve it to you in a butter/lemon/garlic sauce. It was so good !
Txurrut, San Sebastian Old Town
Located in Place de la Constitution, this is a bar, not a restaurant to eat. Place de la Constitution used to be a bull fighting ring, you’ll notice the doors have numbers, these corresponded to ticket numbers for the people going to watch the bull fight.
This is a good place for a coffee or cocktail before or after a meal. There is no food served here, but it is a beautiful location. Yesterday, we took an Irish coffee here (it was delicious !). It was even warm enough to sit outside, but cold enough to enjoy a hot Irish coffee. This is also a good place to take a gin and tonic (or whatever you prefer) after a meal.
Taloa
This is not a restaurant, it’s a stand selling taloa, which are homemade corn tortillas. You can see the woman sitting down in the photo making them. The traditional is a tortilla with txistorra (a thin sausage). Usually these stands appear during holidays or during local festivals. So if you’re lucky enough to be in San Sebastián and see one of these, stop and get a taloa con txistorra !
You’ll see “taloak” because in Basque, when something ends in -k, it is plural. So “taloa” is the singular of “taloak,”
Bodega Donostiarra, San Sebastian, Gros
You’ll know you’re somewhere good when there’s always a crowd. There is no crowd in this photo, because it’s December and was after lunch time. Usually, there’s a crowd on the street waiting to get in.
They serve traditional Basque cuisine here that is relatively inexpensive, and this restaurant has been around since 1928 ! The pintxos here are simple and traditional.
Picaro, Gros
Usually when I go here, it’s to have a glass of wine and read. It’s a relatively quiet bar, if you sit inside, usually the outside is crowded and loud.
They serve some food, it’s far from the best in San Sebastián. But this is a good spot for a glass of wine and a good book. And if you’re hungry, get a small snack. I’ve eaten here, the food is not bad, just not the best you’ll find in San Sebastián.
Ondarra, Gros
This bar is located around the corner from our apartment, so my husband and I go here often – you’ll find there is not much to do in San Sebastian besides walk, eat, drink, and sleep. Just across the street from this bar is the sea, so we’ll watch the sunset and then head here. They serve small snacks, so not a place for dinner, just an apéro and a snack.
Ramuntxo Berri, Gros
This is a relatively new restaurant and is located across the street from the Bodega Donostiarria.
This restaurant serves typical Basque cuisine on a charcoal grill, giving it a delicious flavor. We have been here several times since it opened and I definitely recommend going here. It is not in the Old Town, but in Gros, where you’ll still find tourists, but a lot more local places as well.
La Gintonería, Gros
The national drink of Spain is the gin and tonic. This bar serves mainly gin and tonics. They are pricey (around €10), but it’s nice to go here on a special occasion. I recommend going inside because you have to see the precision and technique the bartenders use to make the drinks.
Fabo, Gros
This is not a restaurant, but where you should go to buy fresh and local produce ! It was recommended to me by a local friend, so when my husband and I visit San Sebastian, we go here for local produce.
Over the last four years, I have come to know and love this town, and these are some of my favorite spots to go while I’m here !
Take a food tour here.
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