San Sebastian Food Travel Guide

A dream destination for any self-proclaimed foodie, San Sebastian is the home of pintxos, small bites of delicious food. A lot goes into understanding the food culture of San Sebastian. From the private San Sebastian food and gastronomy associations, where generations of male chefs cook for their friends while singing to traditional music. To the many Michelin Star restaurants and contemporary gastronomy. From the cider houses to the local wines. From pintxos that range from simply grilled prawns, to elaborate modern pintxos that require explanations on how to eat.

San Sebastian seems to have it all, but there is more to the city than just San Sebastian food. The city itself is stunning, with a fabulous mix of neo-classical and Belle Époque architecture. The city formed between the end of the Napoleonic era and World War I. It’s the most French-looking city in Spain and offers a unique geographical position, surrounded by water on about 5 sides. It’s also a perfect stop on a northern Spain road trip or a San Sebastian bike tour.

Stay near the old town and wander through the city streets, tasting and drinking along the way. This is what San Sebastian food travel is all about.

Check out our San Sebastian Guide to Pintxos

Food In San Sebastian

One of the truly unique things about exploring the San Sebastian food travel scene is that the food itself is pretty unique, as is the way they eat. Most people around the world know the concept of tapas, but pintxos are different than tapas. There are two ways to enjoy pintxos in San Sebastian. Most pintxos bars are covered with platters of various pintxos, or small bites. You can pick what you want, or you can point to the pintxo and the bar tender will place it on the plate for you.

But, some of the best pintxos are those that are on the menu, ordered, and made fresh. There actually is a lot that goes into it. This is why we would recommend the Devour San Sebastian pintxos and wine tour. Not only does the tour make at least 6 stops for pintxos, wine, cider, and even sherry, but they teach the ins and outs. We took the San Sebastian pintxos tour our first night in San Sebastian and it taught us everything we needed to know for the rest of our San Sebastian food travel tour.

Pintxos Bars

One of the main reasons to travel to San Sebastian is to explore all of the pintxos bars, which offer fabulous little bits of deliciousness. They are similar to tapas, but oh so different.

We conducted a ton of research (it was quite the sacrifice) to put together this San Sebastian food travel guide, and, in particular our list of the top 10 pintxos to eat while dining in San Sebastian. Some of these are typical pintxos, that you can find at many bars. But, some are super unique to a single bar, and are the must east pintxos for that location.

Devour San Sebastian Tours start at €99. Book here Read our Full Review of Arzak in San Sebastian

Hotels in San Sebastian Spain

There are loads of hotels both within San Sebastian and in the surrounding area. Within the San Sebastian old town there are a lot of hostels and pensions, but it can get loud and crazy in the heart of the land of pintxos and cider. Particularly at night and on weekends.

Instead, there are two recommendations for places on the periphery of the old town. It’s a great place to base yourself on a San Sebastian food trip because you can walk everywhere, and can go back to the hotel to rest throughout the day. If choosing a hotel outside of town, remember you will need to find parking in town, which can be difficult.

We stayed at the Hotel Parma, where rooms without a view start at only €50 in the low season. Rooms with a view of the sea are a lot more. They also have parking available for €15 a night. (Check TripAdvisor reviews here | Book here)

For a more luxury experience, check out Hotel Maria Christina, a Starwood Luxury Collection property. Rooms start at €250 a night. (Check TripAdvisor reviews here | Book here)

Get more recommendations for San Sebastian hotels