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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Don't be put off by the slightly outdated decor of this Parte Vieja stalwart—the kitchen at Casa Urola is easily one of the city's most adroit, whether you post up at the informal bar or sit down to a multi-course meal. In the dining room, savor appetizers made with hard-to-find regional vegetables like cardoon, borage, and tiny de lágrima peas before moving onto entrées like seared squab, presented with a pâté of its own liver, and roasted hake loin, served with white wine and clams. Save room for the signature torrija, custardy fried bread crisped in brown butter and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Calle de Fermín Calbetón 20, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Flawless Basque cuisine
- Restaurant industry favorite
- City's best torrija
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
This busy bar and sedate downstairs restaurant near Plaza de la Constitución is run by the third generation of the same family. Exquisite minimalist morsels range from white Huelva prawns to homemade foie gras to roast squab and—the house specialty—wild mushrooms topped with an egg yolk.
Calle San Jerónimo 21, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- To-die-for wild mushrooms
- Traditional Basque pintxos
- Lively atmosphere in the bar area
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tue., No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | |
Presided over by a legendary Basque fishermen's guild, this central restaurant serves the freshest fish money can buy at fair prices. At simple wooden tables and a handsome mahogany bar, locals dig into local comfort food—think sopa de pescado, steamed mussels, and clams a la marinera (in a thick, garlicky sauce).
Calle Zuloaga 12, Hondarribia, Basque Country, 20280, Spain
Known For
- Affordable dayboat fish
- Booking up weeks in advance
- Homey, unfussy dining room
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | El Ensanche |
Littered with used napkins and furnished with simple wood tables beneath hams hanging from the rafters, this lively, deceptively simple bar attracts locals and tourists alike for its exceptional pintxos and affordable breakfasts. Don't pass up the deconstructed Galician-style octopus on a bed of mashed potatoes laced with pimentón (paprika) or the appetizer of house-made foie gras with three preserves. For a more exclusive (and pricier) fine-dining experience, reserve a table at the abutting El Taller, and be sure to peruse the gourmet food store stocked with local conservas, cured meats, wines, and cheeses.
Diputazio 10, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48008, Spain
Known For
- Croquetas flecked with top-shelf Joselito jamón
- Loud, convivial atmosphere
- House-made foie gras
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
A perennial local favorite, this rustic spot has been roasting lamb in wood ovens since 1877 and serves a hearty menestra de verduras (vegetables stewed with bits of ham) that is justly revered as a mandatory sidekick. With rough hand-hewn wooden tables distributed around dark stone and wood-beam dining rooms, the medieval stagecoach-inn environment matches the traditional roasts.
Calle Lucrecia Arana 17, Haro, La Rioja, 26200, Spain
Known For
- 19th-century wood-burning oven
- Succulent roast lamb and suckling pig
- Stock of some of La Rioja's best reservas and crianzas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 1st 2 wks in July, and last 2 wks in Nov. No dinner Sat. and Sun., Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | |
This traditional sagardotegi 7 km (4 miles) south of San Sebastián is where the region's top chefs—Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui, and Pedro Subijana, to name a few—ring in every cider season with a resounding ¡txotx! ("cheers" in Basque). Removed from the tourist track and open from mid-January to late April, Zelaia invites guests into its barrel-lined warehouses to chow down on an à la carte menu of bacalao-centric dishes, thick-cut steaks, and—for dessert—local cheeses with quince preserves and walnuts (vegetarian options are also available).
B0 Martindegi 29, Basque Country, 20120, Spain
Known For
- Authentic cider house
- Food that's an echelon above other sagardotegis
- Unlimited cider drinking
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and late Apr.–mid-Jan., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Sample experimental pintxos here like Kobe beef sliders (the house specialty), béchamel-stuffed mussels, and Basque-style "pastrami" made from indigenous pigs. The dim lighting, industrial decor, and rock posters attract a young, hip crowd.
Calle 31 de Agosto 31, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- "MakCobe" beef slider
- Innovative pintxos
- Cool crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | Casco Viejo |
The sagardotegi experience is a must in the Basque Country, but if you can't swing a trip to one of the huge cider houses in the countryside, Arriaga is a fine urban stand-in. Expect unlimited sidra al txotx (cider drawn straight from the barrel), sausage stewed in apple cider, codfish omelets, txuleta de buey, and Idiazabal cheese with quince preserves. Reserving a table is a good idea, especially on weekends.
Calle Santa Maria 13, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48005, Spain
Known For
- Unlimited cider from the kupela (enormous barrel)
- Char-grilled rib eyes
- Convivial atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
The narrow stone rooms of a defunct banana warehouse are now one of the finest spots for modern Basque dining. There's an affordable weekend tasting menu that hinges on what's in season, though dishes like seared txuleton and hake in white wine sauce with clams never come off the menu for a reason.
Calle Euskal Herria 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Unpretentious yet elegant Basque cuisine
- Fantastic seafood dishes
- Surprisingly good value for this part of town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Weds., Sun.
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$$$ | |
Eleven km (7 miles) south of Mundaka and 1 km (½ mile) northwest of Gernika, you'll find this restaurant in an idyllic 18th-century caserío, or traditional Basque farmhouse. Garlands of red peppers and garlic hang from wooden beams in the cathedral-like dining area, where loyal guests tuck into hearty yet refined fish and meats cooked over a wood-fire grill.
Calle Atxondoa, Mundaka, Basque Country, 48393, Spain
Known For
- Spectacular ambience in a Basque farmhouse
- Bacalao dishes
- Personable waitstaff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Thurs.
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$$$ | |
With creaky wood floors, bare brick walls, and ancient beams and coats of arms, this 15th-century inn turns out classical Castilian and Basque specialties reflective of the region. Try the cochinillo lechal (roast suckling pig) or any of the monkfish preparations. The wine cellar is a gold mine. To reserve a tasting menu, priced at around €55, be sure to call at least two days ahead.
Calle Correría 147, Vitoria, Basque Country, 01001, Spain
Known For
- Fairytale medieval building
- Basque comfort food
- Deep wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | |
This warm, family-run restaurant in a stately mansion with a classically elegant interior is one of Pamplona's foremost addresses for refined cuisine. There's something for everyone on the diverse, internationally inflected menu, whose highlights include baby artichokes with langoustine tails and stewed Tolosa red beans.
Pl. Príncipe de Viana 1, Pamplona, Navarre, 31002, Spain
Known For
- Modern Navarrese cuisine
- White-tablecloth dining room
- Standout artichokes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. (except during San Fermín). No dinner Sun.–Wed.
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$$$ | Centro |
Opened in 2019 in Mercado de San Martín, Maun is not your typical no-frills "bar de mercado" but rather a gastronomical food counter whose mouthwatering dishes—such as fish stew, squid in ink sauce, and heirloom tomato salad—are made with ultrafresh ingredients sourced steps from your table.
Calle Urbieta 9, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Promising young chef
- Terrific value
- Market-fresh cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., No dinner Mon.–Weds.
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$$$ | |
Sweeping beach views through picture windows, aromas of fresh fish cooking over hot coals, a sophisticated country dining room—these are a few reasons Portuondo, a 15-minute walk outside town, is a Mundaka stalwart. Those in the mood for something more informal can post up at the downstairs pintxo bar.
Portuondo Auzoa 1, Mundaka, Basque Country, 48360, Spain
Known For
- Scenic setting
- Meats and fish grilled to perfection
- Buzzy pintxo bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Mon.–Thurs.
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$$$ | |
Don't be put off by the outdated plating (think sorbet served in martini glasses); book a meal here for contemporary interpretations of Basque classics, such as tempura-battered artichokes and razor clams with yuzu vinaigrette. The tasting menu (€78) changes seasonally; beware there is only one dinner service, on Saturday.
Av. Gasteiz 21, Vitoria, Basque Country, 01008, Spain
Known For
- Heavenly steak tartare
- Good-value tasting menus
- Impress-your-date ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed., No dinner Sun.–Fri.
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