We chose La Cepa for our last meal in San Sebastián before heading to Bilbao, and it was the…read moreperfect way to end our pintxos adventure. Since we arrived a little early, we were lucky enough to get a table before the lunchtime crowd arrived. La Cepa is known for its Jamón Ibérico, traditional Basque pintxos, and Txuleta (Basque rib steak). The hanging Iberian hams behind the bar immediately catch your attention and give the place a wonderfully authentic feel. I was still on an anchovy high after visiting Txepetxa, so I couldn't resist ordering another anchovy with olive pintxo. It was simple, fresh, and delicious. We also sampled a variety of jamón pintxos before finishing with the Txuleta, which was juicy, perfectly grilled, and simply seasoned with flaky sea salt. It was exactly the kind of meal we wanted before leaving the city. The counter was filled with tempting pintxos, and we also noticed specialties like foie gras, tortilla, grilled seafood, and an impressive selection of Iberian ham, giving us another reason to return. If you're planning a pintxos crawl through San Sebastián's Old Town, make sure La Cepa is one of your stops. Arrive a little early if you want a table, enjoy a few pintxos, and don't miss the Txuleta. It was a memorable way to end our stay in this incredible food city.

This was the second stop on our sort of self guided Pintox tour, as we were recommended this spot…read moreby a local. It has also been on of my favorites thus far. We came here after bar sport, so the calm environment and big space was a nice change of pace. There was a bit more of a language barrier here so we weren't able to ask what their specialty was, but ended up ordering based on what looked good. We went with a pork belly skewer, chorizo and peeper skewer, and 2 of the crab and shrimp pintxos. We thoroughly enjoyed all the pintxos we had here and at 18 euros for 4 pintxos and 2 glasses of wine this one felt like a great deal. Probably won't be back this trip because there are so many places to try in a short amount of time, but would definitely come back in the future and do recommend this spot if you have room for quite a few pintxo bars.

Excellent pintxos and Sangria. Walk up to the counter and pick a few out. Definitely worth your…read morevisit.

The best tapas I had in all of Spain and note that I have visited Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastian…read more(Donostía), Pamplona, Zaragoza and Barcelona. We had six or seven different tapas and I cannot decide which one was the best. They were all outstanding. We had mushroom croquetas and pan con tomate. Also excellent.

I miss the gambas a la plancha and the menu of the day I used to get there. Now it's been purchased…read moreby new owners who cater more to tourists so some of the previous vibe is missing. The food is basic and they are willing to put foil on to go.

Some of the best food and service that we hand in the entire week we spent in Donostia. Food was…read morefantastic. We ordered a few pintxos to share. Beer was excellent and cold. If I ever make it back, this will be one of my first stops. Very inexpensive, great value.

I wandered around old town for HOURS wth my pintxo guide in hand. Many places were either way too…read morecrowded to get to the bar, the food looked not great, or had a terrible atmosphere. Finally, exhausted and delirious I stumbled into this rezi. Thankfully so! The server was so friendly even though my Spanish sucks. I immediately ordered a red sangria (Delish!) to calm my pintxo nerves. I settled into the bar and finally ordered the classic jamón ibérico. I used to think the ibérico was the region of the country but as I learned at the market, it's the cut of ham. Ibérico is very popular but I find there are better less fatty cuts but many bars only carry this. I digress! It was good and came with fluffy fresh bread, plentiful at that! (See pic). Then on a recommendation I ordered the beef carpaccio off the regular non pintxo menu. It was the best dish of my trip so far. It had chopped beef, onion, pickles!, and I think some horseradish sauce. I would fly back to Spain just to have this again. Go here, and order this.

Bar Astelena was the first stop on our pintxos crawl and I would've been happy to spend the whole…read morenight here. The pintxos were delicious and aesthetically pleasing, and the portions were generous compared to some of the other traditional bars. The space was modern, colorful, and inviting. The large platter of Jamon Iberico was pork perfection (16€). We could see them slicing the meat from the large pork leg. The foie a la plancha had a nice presentation with coarse sea salt and fruit reductions, such a great value at 4€. The house wines were 2€. This was one of the culinary highlights of my European trip... I'd definitely go back on my next trip.

This restaurant is one of many located and what is considered the old part of town. A more modern…read moresmaller restaurant in a charming location. There is lower level and street level, indoor dining as well as outdoor seating. Without a reservation, you would be lucky to get any seating particularly during the few hours they are open in the afternoon. They open again later in the evening. We were fortunate enough to come in at the last minute and snag a table downstairs. Our server was very pleasant, and quickly brought us our drinks from the full service bar. There is also a nice wine menu. The specialty of the house is paellas. If you are not a fan of seafood, I would strongly recommend you try something else! Seafood paellas are cooked with shellfish and fish broth, which can make them saltier standard rice dishes. The calamari were done perfectly and the paella was a generous portion with good flavor.

I love coming here for the paella, it's always delicious! The service is consistently good, and the…read moreportions are generous. A great spot for a satisfying meal.

I love bar Pepe. It's where I start my day out, and where I end my night. They are great for…read moretheir pintxos and the people working here are always extra friendly. Bar Pepe is a great spot to pop in for a bite of food and a drink while catching the latest game on tv.

Quick stop after walking the 2 mile La Concha beach and checking out the queen's summer palace…read more-Miramar, now government offices. 3 Tapas/pintxos , a tuna sandwich, glass of red and a capuccino for 13euros. Not bad at all. Warm pintxos are better of course since they're freshly cooked.

Stumbled on this no frills cafe. The staff there were pleasant. The food was mostly average, but…read morewasn't expecting much. One standout item is their tortilla palatas. Surprisingly soft, moist and flavorful. Better than some of the pintxos spots in old town.

I was in search of a place to have breakfast, and this place looked really great. They have the…read morepintxo all set out as most of the bar cafes here. They had two vegetarian options as well as a tortilla. I had the veggie sandwich, and it was delicious with tomato, lettuce, egg, and a bit of mayo or some kind of creme. Just a bit. This place also has delicious café con leche and fresh-squeezed juice. The barrister was absolutely amazing, loving his position, flipping up the plates and glasses, and very attentive. He was quite friendly, and I felt really comfortable. It is just wonderful what eating can do. :) I would suggest this as a great little cafe for breakfast. And all that was only 6.15.

4.5*s You're there…read morefor the burger. They do other things well like the anchovy toast and even the cheesecake looks good (but it's not the same consistency as La Viña). The beer list has a little more variety and it's much more crafty than most pintxo bars in the area. Service was patient with tourists and pretty helpful. It's a tiny, narrow spot with not a lot of seating and the tables on the sidewalk don't have much shade for the sunnier months. All that said, again you're there for the burger. Ground t-bone steak cooked RARE, a mild, white cheese sauce that's borderline whipped cream cheese that melts more evenly and borderline fonduta, and a soft, bun that's brioche in texture without the egginess. Can't say it's my favorite burger in SanSeb, but it's still a good burger and worth the walk to the Gros side of town.

Came here for the hamburgers and it did not disappoint!! The burgers were so juicy and flavorful…read more The meatball sandwich was really good too. Come early if you can because they do run out of items on their menu. The basque cheesecake was cheesy and perfect amount of sweetness. There were indoor and outdoor seating areas. The indoor area is small and narrow. Luckily we got a table, but we saw many people standing on the side drinking and having a burger. Quick service like all places in Spain.