Three days and a half days in San Sebastián. Adventurous eater, want the hits, and the hole in the walls. Where should we go?
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These were my SS postings. Hope some of ideas help?
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So many places, so little time! 
Just returned from yet another trip to San Sebastián to visit friends. We now travel to San Sebastián 4 times a year, so we’re current on the food scene.
The “hits” in the Old Quarter:
Ganbara (but be there before opening if you hope to get in)
Tambo (formerly El Tamboril), same owners as Ganbara but less overwhelmed with tourists)
La Cuchara de San Telmo, but get there before opening
Casa Urola, totally unmissable (closed on Tuesday/ Wednesday)
Brand new Egosari (closed on Thursdays)
Ormazabal (new one for us that our dear friend Gabriella of Tenedor Tours introduced us to)
Paco Bueno, a total hole-in-the-wall for gambas gabardina that locals love–looks like a rustic rugby bar)
Antonio Boulevard
Sit-down dining, non Michelin star:
Casa Urola upstairs (must reserve!)
Maun Grill Bar (inside the Mercado de San Martin)
Artean Barra Abierta (bar seating only, fab and highly creative)
Rekondo (world class, WS Grand Award wine list, lovely views of the bay)
Narru in the Hotel Arbaso
Astelena 1997
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@Maribel What’s the “best” time of year to visit San Sebastián, or is there one? Could be a future trip for me.
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Hi PedroPero,
Well, the worst time is in high season, June, July, August, when the city gets an enormous amount of tourism.
For me, the late spring and the early fall.
We’re headed back in early October, for our annual trip to the gastronomic festival, SS Gastronomika, on October 6-7-8, which is an exciting time to be there, as all the world famous chefs are in residence, including this year, Maido, but before and after when it’s less crowded and thus less expensive, is perfect.
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Wow!! What a mouth watering list!! Sooooo jealous!! 
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Darn, I was hoping to be the one who discovered this one, right near our hotel. You are too good.
Any subpar meals on this trip?
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Thank you!
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You might find this interesting!
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@THECHARLES
The best way to get into Ganbara now, given the huge amount of visitors in SS this summer (+ the Bourdain effect), is to make a reservation for the downstairs dining room. Even with Gabriella as our escort, we haven’t been able to snag any space at the bar, as once the bar area is filled (and quickly, as soon as they open), they don’t allow any more would be diners to come in.
During Tamborrada, we have had our Ganbara pintxos and wine with Gabriella outside on a concrete ledge across the street!
The server has brought them to us and perched them there! It’s our “table 19”! (what the once lone table at Bar Néstor is called).
Amaia and family of Ganbara have taken over the former El Tamboril on the corner of Pescaderia and Plaza de la Constitución, now called “Tambo”. Their signature pintxos: the “txampis” (wild mushrooms) and the “pipas” (battered shrimp)
@Ziggy
No subpar meals except for the much hyped “Zurita Barra y Mantel” by Leandro Gil in the Hotel La Perla, Pamplona. It was the uninspiring San Fermín menu, quite underwhelming, but in all fairness, during San Fermín these festival menus are hard to get just right given the crowds. The dining room was understaffed, servers overwhelmed.
I’ll try to post photos and summaries soon. We just returned but off to coastal Asturias soon to try to beat the heat!
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I share in your enthusiasm for the beloved institution, Casa Urola (don’t sleep on their torrija after enjoying their savory delights), and for Artean, which I dined in last summer. It’s a lovely, intimate bar seating space, run by an enthusiastic couple, with extremely high quality product at every turn of the menu. Their seasonal white tuna was truly as fine a specimen as I’ve had anywhere.
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If Gabby can’t get you in…
It’s not exactly that Gabriella couldn’t get us in to Ganbara; it’s that neither of us wanted to wait in line until someone left to occupy the seats at the bar (their new form of crowd control). That’s why we “dined” at Ganbara during Tamborrada having our pintxos and wine outside on the concrete ledge across the street, our table “19”.
BTW, Gabriella dined there and at other spots with Bourdain, as she and her husband were featured in his Basque Country episode. She is the first person featured in that episode, walking alone down a deserted street of the Old Quarter.
I agree that Artean should be on everyone’s list.
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Thanks everyone for your recommendations! Happy to report: Ganbara, at the bar, 2:15 PM arrival and seated by 3PM. Mushrooms were perfection and the prawn was the best ever.
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Success!
I see no mention of IBAI (??)
Those 45 euro “scarlet prawns…”??
Are those local, or are they the same as the carabineros that addicted me in the area of Zahara/Barbate??
erica1,
No mention of Ibai on my post because I limited it to non Michelin starred sit-down dining. Ibai now has a Michelin star.
As I explained on another SS or Basque Country thread, Ibai has been reinvented by the multi-Michelin starred chef of Amelia and others, the Argentinian Paulo Airaudo. Alicio Garrido still owns the building but has no day-to-day presence at all. Airaudo has a 15-year lease of the premises.
Ibai received last year a Michelin star and no longer offers an a la carte option, but instead expensive tasting menus. While Airaudo has maintained the original décor adding a side table at each of the only six tables for the wine and cheese service, he did update the lighting, remodeled the kitchen and purchased new china, but it looks very much the same. As does the unprepossessing entrance at Elkano 15.
However…dining is an entirely different experience. 2 tasting menus priced at 190 and 220. The main dish is the best fish of the day found at the market. If diners want to add a txuleta, it’s a steep extra charge. There are several off menu items in addition to the extra txuleta/meat course. For dessert, a cheese tray followed by a flan topped with caviar or a tartaleta de manzana.
But like before, Ibai is only open for lunch, Mon-Fri. from 1-3.
Gabriella has hosted several meals there for her well known food lover clients and took us to meet Paulo. We had pintxos and his fine all Basque cheese tray at the bar, which is now open and expertly manned by the supremely capable former barman of Antonio Bar, Atxen Guruzeta. The upstairs bar is now open from 10-4, but like the downstairs restaurant, closed Sat/Sun.
The former Argentinian sommelier of Rekondo has created the 300 label wine list and the chef de cuisine is Italian, Nicola Baron, from the Veneto.
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@erica1
I know that the scarlet prawns, carabineros, that are served at Lanperna, one of the best restaurants in Donostia specializing specifically in seafood/crustacean, and also at Casa 887, are from Isla Cristina in Huelva. Then I assume that these at Ganbara are from the southern, Mediterranean coast.
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Thanks, Maribel! I missed the part that Ibai is now starred in Michelin!!
I can’t refrain from sharing my pics of carabineros, probably from the Huelva coast, that I swooned over at ANTONIO in Zahara de los Atunes.
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At Pescaderías Coruñesas here in Madrid, Spain’s finest seafood/crustaceans provider, they’re priced at 145 euros/kilo. At Antonio, 195 euros/kilo.
At Lanperna in San Sebastián one carabinero (from Isla Cristina) served with broken eggs costs 45.
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