Amazing dinner at Elkano. The restaurant is a short drive from San Sebastian along the coast…read more There's a parking lot just past the restaurant down by the sea. The wine list is long - the sommelier unfortunately wasn't there (on a Saturday night?), so we ended up having to choose without guidance which was unfortunate. The service was very lovely, although they did seem to be understaffed which led to issues later on in the meal...will get to those. For the food, we opted for the tasting menu with a supplement from the a la carte. Perfect amount of food, maybe a touch more than we needed and we didn't stay for dessert. The preparations are so simple, you get to experience the purity of the fresh caught ingredients. I loved learning about everything we were eating as we progressed. The turbot really is special, but other standouts were tuna dishes, lobster, grilled squid, red mullet - ok basically all of it. We were looking forward to dessert as we'd heard so much about it, but service really slowed up during the savory courses (understandably, as they spent so much time preparing the turbot at the table). We were seated in the back of the restaurant in the upstairs area, and it was very very warm to the point where myself and other diners were fanning ourselves with the menus. We ran out of water which didn't help. After an extended period of time without water, we just asked for the desserts to go (which they couldn't accommodate as they both had ice cream), but they didn't charge us for everything on the bill so we were ok with it. Even with this unfortunate ending to our meal, we left very full and happy, and look forward to returning (and requesting to sit somewhere where they have air circulation).

Was super excited for the restaurant but left quite underwhelming…read more Menu is very small so we tried quite a few. Honestly the best thing was the additional €6 PP welcome bites, bread, and fries. The Turbot and Scorpion Fish was simply grilled but they are already fatty and soaked in oil, wasn't served hot so the oil became pretty thick already. Everything else was also underwhelming. Like- okay! Best thing might be the Kokotxas it did tasted better than Ganbara but nothing mind blowing. Service was extremely slow as there's only one somm, one server to take order, the rest just serve for the entire restaurant. The dessert was also kinda a joke €20 for so-called souffle but it's more like a lava center brownie.

Atari was one of our favorite pintxos stops in San Sebastián. We sat outside in the open-air…read moreseating directly across from the beautiful Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus, and the setting couldn't have been better. Watching the square come alive in the evening while dining beneath the illuminated basilica made for a memorable experience. We ordered several pintxos to share, and every dish was excellent. The standout was the Carrillera (slow-braised beef cheek with mashed potatoes), which was incredibly tender, rich, and comforting. The Platillo de Bonito with tuna, anchovies, green peppers, and olives was fresh and full of classic Basque flavors. The Panceta (pork belly) was another highlight, perfectly crisp on the outside and meltingly tender inside. We also loved the creamy Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico, and the Bacalao Confitado con Pil Pil de Piquillos was beautifully cooked, with delicate cod and a silky piquillo pepper pil pil sauce. We couldn't resist trying the Pintxo Especial as well, and it was a great addition to the meal. The staff were warm and accommodating, helping us get a table outside and making us feel welcome throughout the evening. Inside, the restaurant has a lively, authentic Basque atmosphere, but the outdoor seating overlooking one of San Sebastián's most iconic churches makes the experience even more special. If you're looking for traditional Basque pintxos in a fantastic location, Atari is an easy recommendation. We'd happily come back on our next visit.

Service was good and restaurant was nice not too crowded and lots of options to choose from on the…read moremenu. They also had the menu in english which is helpful. We opted for a few pintxos for lunch while we were visiting town. We also had a couple of drinks my husband got whiskey with coke and I asked for a local cocktail since I'm not much of a wine drinker. I was handed a cup of pacharán which was a bit strong but was nice to try something different. The pintxos came out one at a time which was nice we were able to fully enjoy each on their own. The bao was the only one I didn't really like mostly the bun part. It didn't taste like it was cooked all the way and was a bit gummy and there was not a lot of meat filling. Next was the lamb which was really tender and flavorful. The couscous was ok nothing special and not much seasoning to it. Then the beef cheek and mashed potatoes came out which was the star of the pintxos that we had. It was also very tender and the mash was also cooked perfectly. All of this was shared between the two of us and was very filling. The waiter let us know that some of the pinxtos could also be ordered in a full size if we wanted. We enjoyed sampling the pinxtos and would definitely recommend coming here to get a taste of local cuisine.

Made the trip Donostia to Tolosa for steak. Staff are…read moreefficient but hardly friendly. Get the feeling this place is starting for believe the hype. So the veg is great. The wine list is impressive. The selection of steak is good to look at, but I left knowing I could have done better on the Braai ( look it up). All in all a very serious experience when a little mirth could have gone a long way.

This place was great! You definitely need reservations to get here and it books up fast. Great…read morelooking space with large fridge of meats hanging as soon as you walk in. The owner was there sitting on the table in front. You come here for their meat. It's hand cut and brought to your table before cooking on the fire. There's a large fat cap, which adds to the flavor. It's the perfect combination of beefy flavor and tenderness and they cook it to perfection, almost rare. It's a flavor of meat you won't find anywhere except this area. Their chanterelle mushrooms with egg yolk was delicious, as well as their asparagus with cheese sauce. I don't know how they got the asparagus to taste so good and sweet, we had to order another one. They also have a selection of wine and make delicious cocktails too. If you are in San Sebastián, this place is definitely a must try. Service was outstanding as well.

We enjoyed a terrific dinner at this small restaurant in the heart of Pamplona. There's a busy bar…read moredownstairs with tapas and drinks. Upstairs is a delightful restaurant that's a favorite with locals. The service here is impeccable and the food was fabulous. We started with a grilled vegetable plate -- vegetables are hard to find in Spain in October! We also enjoyed the classic Spanish meal of grilled steak and potatoes. Our waitress recommended a very nice rioja, the wine of the region. That was superb too! We're not normally dessert eaters, but we wanted to extend this lovely experience so we ordered the waitress' suggestion of a chocolate dessert with cafe con leche.

Really delicious pulpo a la plancha. We ordered two! Good service, and yummy desserts.read more

No Bueno. Came here with the wife. The special in the hotel…read moresaid spaghetti bolegnese, we heard the two tables next to us order the special in Spanish. When we tried to order it in English our waiter magically had no idea what spaghetti was. Instead we got a salad that was only ice burg lettuce and chicken that was just greasy french fries and gross ass chicken strips. Felt a bit discriminated against plus the other food was garbage. I'd look elsewhere.

Great wine selection and delicious pintxos. Beautiful ambience and friendly service, too. Love it.read more

Great food, great ambience and great prices highly recommended if you're in Bilbao Spainread more

We enjoyed an amazing lunch here. We sat in the beautiful quaint courtyard on a lovely afternoon to…read moreenjoy all their specialities including the carpaccio of red prawns that melted in your mouth, glazed crispy suckling pig so tender inside, savory black pudding ravioli with truffle and incredibly flavorful ribeye. We ended the meal with a tasty hot apple cake with vanilla ice cream. Each dish raised the bar. Service was attentive but non-intrusive.

Food was very good- we had a number of dishes and particularly enjoyed the rice with clams, baked…read morecrab and turbot. The wine cellar is out of this world- probably one of the best in all of Spain if not the world. Definitely worth coming here if you love wine from the old world - ask for cellar tour at the end of your meal.

You must eat here. The food is outstanding. An eclectic menu with traditional Basque meeting…read moreinfluences from Asia, India, Latin America. All prepared with care and attention to detail. Portions are generous. Flavors are big and balanced. Just delicious, whether seafood or meat or vegetables. We had scallops in a deep seafood stock, grilled hake with Thai infused coconut milk and lobster oil, and classic Indian butter chicken. Each dish outstanding on its own, all from one kitchen is wow. Presentation is thoughtful and beautiful. Vibe is cool without trying to be cool. Feels relaxed. Fun music playing without being loud or intrusive. Staff are fun and friendly and precise in their care. And to take it all to the next level was our host, Cesar. Not just thoughtful and welcoming but his passion for each dish and the care and thought that goes into them was obvious. His joy is genuine and we appreciated him sharing details with us so we could be part of the fun. In a city with so much wonderful food, La Madame stands out because it is a sit down restaurant, serving fresh and inspired and delicious food, with care and creativity and obsessive detail and pure happiness. Make a reservation, it's worth it. And take in the joy Cesar shares with you through every dish.

We are so glad we chose this restaurant! D---DIEGO--- made us feel welcome from the moment we…read morearrived and shared the culture behind the food, which made the experience even more memorable. The food was outstanding, especially the scallop, the broth they were served in was incredible. The spicy mango margarita was one of the best cocktails we've had. Great service, amazing food and drinks, and an overall fantastic experience. Highly recommend!

This was our second Michelin Star restaurant in two days. Quaint old building, approximately 600…read moreyears old in a small town outside of San Sebastián. The service was excellent, not stuffy at all. Prices where normal for a Michelin Star winner. If your out in this part of Spain it's definitely worth the drive. We had choose three appetizers, two main courses and two desserts.

Are there really only 7 reviews on this place? I am honored to be able to give a review on this…read moreplace and feel lucky we were able to get reservations and have this experience. As we were seated at our table I felt like a queen. Never had I experienced service like this. I took a look at the tasting menu (which I had originally planned to do) but none of the dishes caught my fancy. I hemmed and hawed at what to order and finally ended up with....the tasting menu. When in Madrid.... This is one of my favorite meals of all time and may be one of the less wordy of the bunch ("maybe", I haven't finished yet). A dish by dish review is not necessary and cannot give justice to the umami that the night unfolded. With each tasting set before me, I kept asking myself - how can you put so much goodness in such a small little dish? For example, one of my favorites of the night was shellfish to the royal with fennel flavour. Shellfish to what? and fennel... not a fan of fennel. Have you ever had something so good that you want to close your eyes and just take it all in with only your tastebuds? This frothy little portion had layers of flavor you couldn't imagine. A few of which I was able to guess correctly as uni and lobster (pat myself on the back). I loved it all. Each dish in and of itself was uniquely astonishing in its own way. To hit on a couple other surprises - the mashed potatoes were the jam. They were a runny thick consistency and when I asked what made them so good, the waitress answered "lots of butter". The cheesecake was like no other cheesecake. So good that it called for an additional order to close out the night. The wines (recommended by the sommelier) were less expensive than any red wines sold in US restaurants (even the cheaper US brands). I was wined and dined - an experience I can't explain other than using the word amazing. Which by the way, I need to find a better word because it was actually better than amazing.