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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.
Designed by the world-renowned Spanish architect Rafael Moneo and located at the mouth of the Urumea River, the Kursaal is a multipurpose performance venue that's home to the Basque Country's symphony orchestra. Its translucent cubelike buildings aim to bridge the natural and artificial worlds and to create a visual stepping-stone between Monte Urgull and Monte Ulia. The market-driven ground-floor restaurant, Muka ( see separate entry), is exceptional.
