The 10 Best Hotels for Foodies in the Basque Country

Why it made the list

The gorgeous Villa Soro is the closest hotel to one of the best restaurants not just in the Basque Country but in the entire world: Arzak. This three-Michelin star institution was one of the pioneering restaurants of the modern gastronomical culture that is now commonplace here. And the rest of San Sebastián, renowned for its seemingly endless number of amazing pintxo bars and award-winning restaurants, is also within easy striking distance of the villa.

The rich Bella Époque style that makes San Sebasti&aa Read More

Why it made the list

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to pintxo heaven. The theme of this boutique inn, perfectly situated in the heart of San Sebastián, is dedicated to the epicurean delight that is Basque cooking. The prints and pictures adorning the walls do well to prepare you for the imminent pintxo crawl waiting just outside its doors. The Parte Vieja of San Sebastián contains the best places in the region to try out these unique snack-sized dishes, including A Fuego Negro, La Cuchara de San Telmo, Gandarias, and Ganbara; all within blocks of the designer hotel.

This unassuming boutique hotel that overlooks Plaza Gipuzkoa Read More

Why it made the list

San Sebastián gets all the press but the picturesque seaside town of Hondarribia just 30 minutes up the coast has slowly but surely become the new hot spot for contemporary Basque cuisine. The grand Parador de Hondarribia hotel is just a short walk away from the pintxo bars of San Pedro Street, including Gran Sol, as well as the Michelin-starred fine-dining delight that is Alameda.

You can live like a medieval lord in this 10th-century basti Read More

Why it made the list

While technically not the Basque Country, the little city of Logroño just across the border in the province of La Rioja is known for having some of the best tapas bars in all of Spain; yes, even better than Madrid and Barcelona. Its location has created a delicious fusion of Basque and Spanish styles that is unlike anything else. The Hotel Marqués de Vallejo contains an excellent La Rioja restaurant but the real allure is Calle Laurel just outside. Dozens upon dozens of tapas and pintxo bars await the hungry traveler on this busy street.

The beautiful old city of Logroño is in the heart of Read More

Why it made the list

The elegant and very excellent café restaurant on the ground floor of the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao has enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the Guggenheim museum and Jeff Koons emblematic Puppy in front of it, making the space one of the most aesthetically pleasing dining experiences around. But what’s even better than eating with a view of the Guggenheim is eating inside the museum itself, at the award-winning Nerua or the equally good Bistró that boasts its own private museum terrace.

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Why it made the list

Frank Gehry’s masterpiece of a hotel fuses visionary post-modern architecture with an ode to the surrounding wine region’s history, and the restaurant inside strives for the same accomplishment. With a menu by award-winning Basque chef Francis Paniego (you are going to see his name a lot) and a Michelin-star under its belt, this hotel restaurant lives up to its ambition. And, being in the heart of wine country, guests can expect provocative wine pairings with every dish.

The only hotel ever designed by visionary architect Frank Ge Read More

Why it made the list

On the ground floor of this five star architectural marvel of a hotel is Aizian, a cutting edge Basque restaurant that won its first Michelin-star in 2014 and has been considered one of the best hotel restaurants in the city ever since. Within walking distance are Nerua, Zortziko, and Etxanobe, and in less than fifteen minutes guests can find themselves in Bilbao’s Old Quarter where the city’s best pintxo bars await.

Designed by famed architect Ricardo Legorreta as a tribute t Read More

Why it made the list

The Restaurante Hotel Europa in Pamplona is more famous today for the restaurant found on the ground floor inside. Restaurante Europa was the first venue in all of Pamplona to ever win a Michelin-star and it has been the perennial favorite ever since. The restaurant consistently delivers on its inventive takes of Navarre cuisine and comes with a privileged location along the very street the bull-run takes place on during the Festival de San Fermín.

As the name suggests, this comfortable hotel in the historic Read More

Why it made the list

The crown jewel hotel of the Basque Country is just steps away from the culinary epicenter of San Sebastián’s Parte Vieja and its endless selection of sensational pintxo bars. The hotel also houses one of the best cooking schools in the region, which offers guests the chance to learn how to cook local dishes from renowned chefs. But this ranking becomes especially true during the peak months of July-October, when the hotel opens its much-anticipated seasonal summer restaurant. Every year spotlights a new menu and residency by an award-winning chef, which has included the likes of Francis Paniego and Hélène Darroze.

This Spanish colonial–style gem is a Mexico City classic. Im Read More

Why it made the list

If the name didn’t give it away, Echaurren is nothing short of a mecca for foodies. This tiny hotel in the mountain town of Ezcaray, run by the Paniego family for five generations (yes, as in Francis Paniego, arguably the most famous chef in the Basque Country), contains not just one but two world-class restaurants. Francis’s two-Michelin star passion project, El Portal de Echaurren, is here in all of its 22-course tasting menu greatness. And on the other side of the lodge is Echaurren Tradición, an elegant traditional restaurant run by Francis’s mother, who Francis credits for his skills in the kitchen. Her homemade cooking here is a tantalizing balance to the avant-garde works of art being served next door.

This modern gastrohotel in the idyllic mountain town of Ezca Read More