This restaurant is lovely! The service from host to waiter was kind and attentive. The food…read morecreative and delicious. The restaurant is very stylish and was tastefully decorated for the holidays. Each dish from the set menu was presented artfully. My friend and I spent Christmas Eve in San Sebastian and it was one of the very few restaurants that was having Christmas Eve dinner. I emailed for a reservation which they replied to in a timely manner. They also communicated in English, which was very kind of them since my Spanish is not great. But what truly pushed me to write this review was the outstanding hospitality at the end. We spent a long time in the restaurant enjoying our food and the atmosphere, it was late on Christmas Eve so taking a train out of the city center and back to where we were staying was no longer an option. The hostess went above and beyond trying to get us a cab for our trip back. We were close to having to walk our way back but luckily a cab arrived. Since it was the end of the night, the man who I am assuming was the head chef, was shaking hands and speaking to the leaving customers. I guess he noticed that we were nervously waiting for our cab, and went out of his way to flag down the cab outside and let us know it was here. This kindness and personality from the people of this restaurant showed throughout our experience and in our meal.

My husband and I had an incredible lunch at Takatak when we were visiting Spain a few weeks ago…read more The food exceeded my expectations and the service was phenomenal. If it's your first time, I highly recommend the multi course experimental tasting. It was a perfect way to sample the amazing masterpieces the chef and his team create. The pork belly was my favorite! A must try!!! Chef Modestov was super attentive and walked around to make sure every table was having a great experience. We can't wait to come back!

One of the many pinxto places in the old town. They had an array of choices but the sea urchin…read morewasn't the classic soupy one. The others appeared to have been there awhile, a hazard of the places that aren't slinging as fast as they can make them. The few spots to stand at a high top in the street were nice as it is right across from a historic church and at the T intersection of two busy pedestrian streets. So good location but may be worth the wait elsewhere.

Casa Vergara was the sleeper hit of our pintxo crawl, introduced by an Airbnb guide and instantly…read moreetched into memory. We ate like happy vagrants on the church steps across the way, because Atari is perpetually slammed, which it ought to be given how deftly they marry quality and price. A piece of white fish arrived lacquered in squid ink so the exterior went midnight-black while the flesh stayed pearly and perfectly moist; saffron threads perfumed the whole thing, and it sat in a sauce so impossibly good I found myself chasing every last streak with bread. A pepper stuffed with crab was light and also dotted with umami squid ink sauce. Then came a sea urchin, baked in its own shell under a light cheese gratin, the roe turning lush and custardy beneath the heat. The texture-and-flavor duet was one of those Basque-country revelations that resists translation into words and simply has to be experienced. Service was quick and good-humored despite the crush, prices were more than fair, and the whole scene (glasses clinking, plates migrating out to the steps) felt like a postcard of San Sebastián come to life. I would eat here every day if I could.

Actually this is not a wine bar but rather a wineshop. The owner was very helpful in selecting…read moreSpanish wines for me. She was very nice and spoke passing English as well. And she took credit cards. Coming from California I am amazed at the low price and high quality of the wines in Spain. Don't waste your money buying wine by the glass go here and pick up a couple bottles.

A perfect spot for small plates and a cool wine! We arrived…read moreas the opened and got sat with no reservation. They did pack out about 45 min later so I would recommend making a reservation. The staff was kind and helpful on recommendations. She even brought out two of their wines for me to try and decide between. We had the olives, tuna belly (in season) and steak tartare. All were perfect. The olives went well with our wine and the tuna belly was flavorful and juicy. The steak tartare was a highlight. Perfect consistency and topped with a runny egg, as it should be. I would love to visit their Australia location someday.

They open at 7:30 pm on the dot, I would recommend getting there right when they open if you don't…read morehave a reservation. From start to finish our meal was exceptional, quite possibly the best meal we had during our three nights in San Sebastián! The veggie salad was so fresh and tasty, the drinks were exquisite and we finished off with the meat tagliatelle which was unreallllll! Would definitely go back if I ever find myself in this part of the world again!

Amazing food and service, waiter spoke English and Spanish very well. Will definitely come here…read moreagain when visiting.

I was so glad to find this restaurant. We were pretty much pintxoed out, and were craving some…read moredelicious Mexican food. This place did not disappoint. While they do serve pintxos, they also have a menu for tacos!!! Halleluia for tacos! The food did not disappoint either. The chef/owner is from Mexico, so believe me, the tacos were authentic and so delicious. I had a combination plate consisting of mole, al pastor, and shrimp tacos. They were all so delicious. Excellent food and service. Kudos to Chef Velloz! Please note though that the correct name is Cafe Kursaal.

Pincos starred chefs list 2019. Excellent selection and selection staff is very friendly. Make this…read moreyour first stop on a long foodie night.

Good tapas y pintxos can be found here. Nice staff and…read morequality food. You cannot go wrong here. Great place to mingle with locals.

Amazing collection of whisky on display. The menu has a tasting option and there's a listing of…read morecocktails. We went late on a week night and there were a handfull of regulars drinking wine at the bar (no idea wine isn't on the menu) and a few tourists taking the whisky tour. Our group wanted cocktails and service was incredibly slow but each drink was made lovingly (and they're strong). We were also provided with a bunch of table games and magic puzzles to keep the weird and wonderful ambiance of the place. This bar is certainly a page out of time forgotten. There's also a grand piano in the basement that you can play if speak with the bartender. I loved the playlist for the night. There was so much classic disco and europop. It's a good place to get a vibe.

Needed something with more punch than a beer or some wine, so how can you resist the Museo del…read morewhisky? Most things are on display and not for consumption, but cool to see all the old bottles. Walk up to the bar and get a taste of something. Prices were a bit more than I expected, but sitting at the bar enjoying the vibe and checking out the owner and a long time patron try out magic tricks was worth it. Looks like downstairs gets hopping at night and potential for music. Only stoped in for the drink, but a very cool place and worth a stop.

Wonderful tapas bar right in the heart of town. The vino kept on flowing and the atmosphere was…read morefabulous. The pimientos were perfectly salted and wine selection was excellent. But let's face it, you'll get fabulous wine all over Spain, right? That said, this spot was perfect for a snack and great company.

We came here late night, on our last evening in Bilbao…read more Most kitchens close quite early in this area, and Ad Hoc was open at least an hour later than anyplace around. The place is clean and modern looking with a beautiful chalkboard and a friendly waiter who was happy to accommodate our late-night drunken and broken Spanish. We had delicious and piping hot croquettes with a creamy interior spiked with salty ham. Their anchovies were standard but really delicious. Finally, at the bartender's recommendation, we had some Morcilla (blood sausage) with a lovely creamy puree. There is so much amazing food in Bilbao, it's sometimes hard to choose where to go to get your fix. In this case, Ad Hoc's unusually extended hours made the decision for us and i'm really happy they did!!

Fantastic sit-down tapas with outside garden seating and great wine selection. The garden is…read morebeautiful. The interior is upscale but you can feel free to visit in casual shorts. Wine-by-glass changes frequently based on open bottles. The current list is listed above bar inside. They offer a nice tapas menu to help you enjoy your wine. They have many wait staff to be sure you are supplied with wine and food as needed. I highly recommend this as a nice place to sit and relax.

Nice neoindustrial ambience. Frendly, professional service. Innovative, tasty good without being…read moretoo strange. They didn't have the too most interesting deserts.