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Every corner of Spain champions its culinary identity, but San Sebastián's refined fare is in a league of its own. Many of the city's restaurants and pintxos spots are in the parte vieja, on the east end of the bay beyond the elegant casa consistorial (city hall) and formal Alderdi Eder gardens. The building that now houses city hall opened as a casino in 1887; after gambling was outlawed early in the 20th century, the town council moved here from the Plaza de la Constitución, the parte vieja's main square.
On the western side of the bay, this promontory is a must-visit. You can walk, drive up, or take the funicular (around €5 round-trip), with departures every 15 minutes. From the top, you get a bird's-eye view of San Sebastián's gardens, beaches, parks, tree-lined boulevards, and Belle Époque buildings. There's also a small amusement park.
In Hernani, a 10-minute drive south of San Sebastián (close to both Martín Berasategui's restaurant in nearby Lasarte and the cider houses of the Astigarraga neighborhood, like Sidrería Petritegi), the Eduardo Chillida Sculpture Garden and Museum, in a 16th-century farmhouse, got a face-lift after years of neglect and reopened in 2019. It is a treat for anyone interested in contemporary art. The indoor-outdoor restaurant on the premises punches above its weight.
