San Sebastian/Biarritz on a Sunday/Monday
 

Sadly, it looks like we'll only have time San Sebstian between Saturday morning to Tuesday morning (3 full days), meaning, we'll likely see a bunch of Restaurants and shops closed while we are there on Sunday/Monday.

We won't have a car during this time. Do you guys have any suggestions on what to do and which of the popular tapas places might be open during this time? Will things be the same (i.e. closed) on the France side as well?

Things are pretty much the same on Sunday and Monday, but the good news is that there are a few restaurants open on Sunday for you to sit down and have a great meal (lunch or dinner). Restaurante Rokondo, one of our favorites, is open for dinner on Sundays, and has one of the largest wine cellars in the city. Kokotxa (restaurantekokotxa.com), in the old city, will be open for lunch on Sunday.

On Monday you can try Restaurante Ni Neu in the in the Kursaal Center, which is run by Andoni (one of the best chefs in the world) of Restaurante Mugartiz. Arbelaitz is also open for lunch on Sunday.

If you had a car, I would tell you to reserve a table at La Ferme Gourmande in Osses. My personal favorite is L'Auberge Basque, but again, you'll need to take a taxi to St. Peé. Otherwise there is Les Freres Ibaroure in Bidart. Most of the time we have lunch in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port not Biarritz, because the restaurants tend to be slightly better.

Thanks for all the recommendations. It looks like there are a lot of options that require a car, so we'll try and see if we can get a car for a few days.

Do you have other suggestions in SS that might be less formal that would be good for Sunday/Mondays? Thanks

There are very few places open for dinner on Monday. Rokondo has always been a good destination on Sundays, but reservations are required. You can take the bus or walk up from Ondarreta Beach. You can take a taxi to Eme Be Garrote (should be open for dinner on Sunday) or Xarma (open for lunch on Sunday). Casa Urola in the old quarter is also open on Sunday and Monday. You can also try Narru.

There are several pintxos bars open on Sunday, but only a few Monday night. Check out http://www.todopintxos.com for a list of pintxos bars in Donostia-San Sebastian.

The best meal on our 2 week stay in the Pays Basque in '12 was our Monday dinner at Table et Hostellerie des Freres Ibarbourne in Bidart. We had dined there about 6 years earlier, and it was our best meal then, along with Les Pyrenees in St Jean Pied de Port - which viamichelin says is open on Sundays & Mondays.

The next Monday in '12 we had a fabulous meal at Zuberoa in Oiartzun Spain.

Stu Dudley

On our '12 trip, perhaps our second favorite meal (tied with Zuberoa and Alameda in Hondarribia Spain) was at L'Auberge Basque in St. Peé - which Robert mentioned. Zuberoa, Host des Freres, and L'Auberge Basque are all hotels - which are often open on Sundays & Mondays.

Stu Dudley

<other suggestions in SS that might be less formal that would be good for Sunday/Mondays?>

Traditional Bar Restaurante Vallés, just behind the Cathedral, is an excellent option: http://www.barvalles.com/

Almost next door Restaurante El Rincón comes recommended by Leire at close by Pension Bellas Artes. I have lived there, and she knows what she's talking about: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...ue_Countr.html

La Cepa, in the Parte vieja/Old town, is an insititution in town. Fantastic jamón ibérico (from Jabugo, the best in the world): http://www.barlacepa.com/es/index.php

I also think that my old, family owned and no fuss favourite place for a traditional Basque meal La Cueva is open both on Sunday and Monday. http://restaurantelacueva.org/index.htm

Plenty of fabulous pintxos bars open for Sunday lunch. Pintxos bar hopping (txikiteo) at Sunday lunchtime is one of the highlights of the week for many locals. All about going for pintxos in San Sebastián: http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en

Tons of great places. Here are some of my favourites after visiting almost every year for some 25 years: Ganbara, Goiz-Argi, Txalupa, Txepetxa, Egosari, Cuchara de San Telmo, Astelehena (all in the Parte vieja), and San Marcial /Alustiza (close to Hotel Londres) and Bodega Donostiarra in the local feel Gros area across the river.

La Cueva is closed on Monday's except for holidays.

More upscale La Muralla is also open on Sunday for lunch and Monday for both lunch and dinner. Great value menus from 24-40€ with wine incl. Had a fantastic night here a few years ago. Mentioned in the Michelin guide.
http://www.restaurantelamuralla.com/es/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...e_Country.html
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Resta...a-219893-41102
http://www.restaurantelamuralla.com/es/

And, of course, Egosari is open both on Sunday and Monday. Had another fine sirloin steak with wild mushrooms here a Monday a couple of months ago. http://www.egosari.es/index.php?lang=en
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...e_Country.html

Fine pintxos also. Their speciality, upstairs in the bar, is a wide variety of different skewers. http://www.egosari.es/index.php?p=485&lang=en