The Basque Country: San Sebastián & Bilbao for Serious Eaters
The Basque Country has more Michelin stars per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth. Four of the world's 50 best restaurants are here. And yet the most astonishing food is found not in dining rooms but standing at bar counters, eating pintxos (the Basque take on tapas) and drinking txakoli (local sparkling white wine) for €2 a glass. This is a place that takes eating very seriously — and for which serious eating is completely democratic.
San Sebastián (Donostia)
The Pintxos Tour
The Old Town (Parte Vieja) contains the highest concentration of excellent bars in Spain. The protocol: order drinks, pick pintxos from the bar, eat standing. Pay when you leave. Move on after two or three drinks and eat at the next bar. The best bars:
- Bar Nestor — the tomato salad (reserve it by signing the list at noon for the 7pm service) and the txuleton steak
- La Cuchara de San Telmo — the most creative pintxos in the old town
- Ganbara — mushroom season (autumn) is when this bar reaches its peak
- Borda Berri — inventive, technique-driven pintxos that stand up to any restaurant
Michelin Dining
- Arzak (3 stars) — Juan Mari Arzak and daughter Elena. The grandmother of Basque nouvelle cuisine. Book 6 months ahead.
- Mugaritz (2 stars) — Andoni Aduriz's laboratory kitchen, 30 minutes from San Sebastián. The most experimental fine dining in Spain.
- Akelare (3 stars) — Pedro Subijana's clifftop restaurant with Bay of Biscay views. The tasting menu is one of Europe's finest experiences.
Beyond Food
La Concha Beach is one of the most beautiful urban beaches in Europe. The Zurriola Beach is Donostia's surf beach. Monte Urgull and Monte Igueldo offer panoramic views.
Bilbao
The Guggenheim Effect
Frank Gehry's titanium-clad museum opened in 1997 and single-handedly reversed Bilbao's post-industrial decline. The building — titanium curves reflecting the Nervión river — is a work of art independent of its contents. Richard Serra's "The Matter of Time" (8 huge curving steel sculptures in the main gallery) is extraordinary.
Bilbao Pintxos
The Casco Viejo (Old Town) and Ensanche (New Town) each have their pintxos character. Best bars: El Globo, Gure Toki, Bar Charly.
Where to Stay
San Sebastián (Luxury): Hotel Maria Cristina — a Belle Époque grande dame on the Urumea River, hosting the San Sebastián Film Festival since 1953. The city's most glamorous address.
Villa Soro is a converted 19th-century manor house with 10 rooms, a Michelin-level restaurant, and the most beautiful garden in San Sebastián.
San Sebastián (Mid-range): Astoria7 is a beautifully designed boutique hotel near the Old Town — film-themed interiors, excellent breakfast and very good value.
Bilbao (Design): Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao faces the Guggenheim directly across the street — rooms with balconies looking straight at Gehry's titanium curves.
