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To live in San Sebastian is, in fact, to end up a bit spoiled: to eat seasonal food cooked from scratch and with such culinary craft behind it becomes normal (if you know where to go, of course). Even the daily lunch specials common around town show what great food can be all about: seasonal ingredients, subtle intervention, mastery in little details, great flavor, love for the perfect texture, and a little joy.
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Tour San Sebastian with Culinary Backstreets®
Beyond Pintxos: Neighborhood by Neighborhood, Bite by Bite
Our Backstreets Envoys, Always Searching for the Next Hidden Gem
Sasha, Correspondent and Tour Leader
Sasha was born and grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. The daughter of a Venezuelan father and Brazilian mother, she grew up between two cultures, enjoying both arepas and coxhinas, salsa brava and samba. After studying communications at Caracas’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, she started working as a political reporter, before finding her way into culinary journalism. She first came to San Sebastian in 2007, lured by the city’s gastronomy, and then came back to live here full-time some nine years ago. As a writer and now as a guide, she hopes to convey to others the special spark that San Sebastian and Basque culture have, especially when it comes to gastronomy. As Sasha puts it, food and culinary culture are contagious in San Sebastian and have taken over her life.
Blanca, Tour Leader
Born in Sevilla, Blanca came to San Sebastian to study at the Basque Culinary Institute, where she received a degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. Her interests have led her to work as the co-author of Silvestre, a book about edible wild plants, and Descartes, which tackles the subject of food waste. Blanca has also been involved in projects related to regional development for international agents and is currently in the process of starting her own business producing miso and ingredients from wild edible plant.
Mikel, Tour Leader
Mikel was born in the Basque region’s Donostia (San Sebastian), where he studied Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at the Basque Culinary Center (BCC). His work as a chef and researcher of gastronomic heritage has led him to live in countries such as Japan, Greece, Colombia, Denmark and Italy. Mikel has, over the years, worked as a cook in both traditional and Michelin-starred restaurants. He has also been a professor at BCC and coordinator of its master’s program, along with having an extensive career as a gastronomic researcher. He has worked in R&D at San Sebastian’s Arzak restaurant and at Copenhagen’s Alchemist. Now, Mikel wants to explore and showcase the culinary heritage of his country from less academic perspectives by working as a guide. Through this work, Mikel hopes to showcase Spain’s culinary heritage and create unique experiences and moments for his guests.
Magda, Photographer
Born and raised in Argentina, Magda now calls San Sebastian home. Along with working as a photographer, she’s also involved in a number of culinary projects in the city.
Estefania, Tour Leader
Estefania is a Michelin-trained chef with a passion for transformation. She has led kitchens across Asia, South America and Europe, but her desire to make a broader impact led her to become a food innovation and foresight practitioner. She’s collaborated with organizations like the WTO and IDB, tackling critical issues such as health, sustainability and regional economic development. She has also worked in product development, bringing new ideas to the market. She holds a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management from HEC Paris. She’s been a Donosti (San Sebastian) resident for the past eight years, working on public and private projects that bring together global and local food ecosystems.
Astrid, Tour Leader
Born and raised in Mexico City, Astrid moved to San Sebastian in 2019 to study film curation at the city’s Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola. While living in San Sebastian, Astrid developed an interest in the Basque region’s kitchens and vineyards and started to search for ways to tell local stories through film, food and wine. This interest led Astrid to study to become a wine specialist and also work as a guide. As she puts it, food and the people who create it produce knowledge, so guiding culinary tours provides her with an opportunity to see her city and it gastronomy in a new way and share what she learns with others.
Selena, Tour Leader
Born and raised in Zurich, Selena was finishing her degree in Computational Linguistics & Philosophy in Switzerland when she first came to San Sebastián, where it was love at first bite. She decided to hone her culinary skills and gastronomic understanding with a degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at the Basque Culinary Center and moved here five years ago. She wants to interpret her gastronomic knowledge through the most universal language, food, the same way she came to understand the region: bite by bite and sip by sip.
Gonzalo, Tour Leader
Born and raised in Getxo (Bizkaia), a coastal town near Bilbao, Gonzalo moved to San Sebastian in 2020 to get his master’s degree in gastronomic tourism at the Basque Culinary Center. As a tour guide focusing on food and wine, he loves to help his guests come to love the Basque country and its gastronomy. In San Sebastian, Gonzalo loves to walk along the seaside promenade and catch the view from the city’s Igeldo area. As a self-described “craft beer geek and wine lover,” he also loves to show visitors the unique way Sen Sebastian relates to its culinary culture and the city’s historical richness.
Alaia, Tour Leader
Alaia is a Basque-American, born in Texas and raised in Mexico and New York City. As a child, she spent summers with her grandparents in the Gros neighborhood of San Sebastian. In 2011, Alaia attended the culinary school Escuela de Luis Irizar in San Sebastián’s port, where she nurtured her burgeoning interest in food and sustainable agriculture. Her passions and work led Alaia to discover natural wine and since 2015 she has worked in this field, first making wine in Catalonia. Her strong family connection to San Sebastián drew Alaia back north after the 2019 harvest and she been living here since, running a small-scale distributor of natural wines produced in Spain and a storefront showcasing sustainable, eco-friendly, and ethical wines, beers, and spirits produced on the Iberian Peninsula.
CB’s work was started in 2009 by Ansel Mullins and Yigal Schleifer as a humble food blog called Istanbul Eats. The following year we published a book of our reviews, now in its tenth edition. That year we also launched our first culinary walk in Istanbul, a route we are still using today. In 2012, we realized that what we built in Istanbul was needed in other cities we knew and loved. We started CB that year with Athens, Barcelona, Mexico City and Shanghai as pioneering members of our network. Since then, we’ve been regularly adding worthy destinations – culinary capitals where the food tells an even bigger story – to our network. Today, we work in over 20 different locations on four continents.
Where is San Sebastian?
San Sebastian, Donostia in Basque (the official city name is Donostia-San Sebastián), is the capital of Spain’s Gipuzkoa province in Basque Country. Founded in 1180, it’s situated on the southeastern coast of the Bay of Biscay, where the Urumea River flows into the sea. Just 12 miles from the French border, the city is home to about 187,000 people and is renowned for its rich culinary scene. It boasts one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants per square meter globally.
What are the best things to do in San Sebastian?
Bar hop through the city center or have a drink by the sea, there are a million ways to experience pintxos (small finger foods) – from gildas to gabardinas to anchovies dishes and the famous txuleta. It’s known for its seasonal ingredients and the unique Txacoli wine, as well as its bevy of Michelin stars. One of the best things to do in San Sebastian is stroll through the charming city, bisected by the Urumea River, taking in landmarks like the Kursaal Palace, Victoria Eugenia Theatre and Museo San Telmo, which showcases the city’s cultural heritage. Art is everywhere here, embodied in sculptures by local artists like Chillida’s Peine de Los Vientos, Oteyza’s Empty Construction and Cristina Iglesias’s Hondalea. Donostia also hosts major cultural events, such as the San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Jazzaldia, the longest continuously running jazz festival in Europe, held every summer) or the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September.
When is the best time of year to visit San Sebastian?
The best time to visit San Sebastian is March through November, when the weather is consistently pleasant. Summer is packed and sunny, but the city makes up for that with its vibrant energy and a ton of cultural events. Expect higher rates at hotels, however.
What is the weather like in San Sebastian?
The weather in San Sebastian is moody. Rain and wind are a part of Basque Country. But summers are hot and humid, with temperatures hitting the high 90s. Cooler evenings prevail, and the city doesn’t become stifling. Winters are mildly chilly, though often rainy, with temperatures rarely dropping below 32 ºF.
Is San Sebastian expensive?
In San Sebastian, prices vary with the season and during major events like Zinemaldi or Jazzaldi. Generally, it’s not as budget-friendly as other Spanish cities, but cheaper than big cities in the United States. Expect to pay around €1.75 for a coffee and between €2.5-4 for a glass of wine. Pintxos range from €2.5-6, while a normal dinner averages €15-20. Accommodation costs also vary. A room for two in a 3-star hotel can be anywhere from €60-120, but the price can soar to €200 during peak times, like in August.
Is San Sebastian safe?
San Sebastian is a safe and welcoming city. It’s a great place for walking around or biking at any time of day and in any location, and public transportation is safe as well.
What is the best food in San Sebastian?
San Sebastian is known for its wide variety of pintxos, which are small dishes crafted with a few ingredients. It’s common to find pintxos made from olives, anchovies and pickled peppers (gilda), as well as bites featuring grilled shrimp or meat, charcuterie and seasonal vegetables. Grilled foods are an important part of the local cuisine, like the popular (and mouthwatering) txuleta chops and fish like hake cod. When it comes to dessert, San Sebastian cheesecake has taken the world by storm for good reason, it’s utterly decadent and creamy.
Where is the best place to stay in San Sebastian?
San Sebastian is a small city. Staying in the center makes everything more practical, as many of its main attractions are within walking distance. If you base yourself downtown, you get to see the best of what the city has to offer, but it can also be crowded, loud and busy. The best place to stay in San Sebastian for first-timers and families is around La Concha Beach or the cathedral, though prices here are higher. A neighborhood like Gros is also a good alternative.
What is the COVID-19 situation in San Sebastian?
Basque Country’s vaccination rate is around 86.69%. Masks are only required to enter clinics and hospitals.
Can Americans travel to San Sebastian?
Spain is a part of the Schengen Area. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourism or business without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay.
Can I fly directly to San Sebastián?
San Sebastian is well connected, and has a small airport about 12 miles from the city center easy to reach by bus or taxi. There are no direct flights from the United States to San Sebastian, but you can easily transfer from cities like Madrid or Barcelona. Another option is to fly in and out of Bilbao, which is just over an hour from San Sebastian’s city center. The airport in Biarritz (France) is also only a 40-minute bus ride.
What is the best restaurant in San Sebastian?
San Sebastian has a very diverse and dynamic culinary scene, with options that go from traditional to trendy. They are all typically discreet, small establishments, focused on what they each have best to offer. In the city center we recommend Casa Urola, Borda Berri or Gambara; Bodega Donostiarra or Bar Ricardo in Gros; as well as Muka, Geralds and Manojo, and asadores (grill houses) like Portuetxe.
Are there beaches in San Sebastian?
San Sebastian offers visitors three beaches, all within walking distance of each other. There is Zurreola, ideal for surfing; La Concha, which has calm waters for swimming and sunbathing, and mainly frequented by families; and Hondarreta Beach, where all kinds of folks go for swimming or rowing.
Is San Sebastian suitable for children?
San Sebastian is a fun city with much to do – and eat – for children of any age. Walking around with a stroller or with kids is not a problem. You can find kid-friendly parks dotted all over the city, as well as attractions specifically for kids. These include the ferris wheel, carousel, aquarium and Monte Igueldo amusement park.
