RESTAURANTE ELKANO One Michelin Star Getaria is the picture-postcard Basque Country fishing village that produced designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, Plácido Domingo’s mother, and Juan Sebastián Elcano, the first mariner to circumnavigate the globe. Getaria is a fishing port. You can wander down the old streets to the harbour. Walking past various shops selling their wares. There are a couple of lovely beaches in and around the town. Set on a crossroads above the harbour of G

BAR PACO BUENO This is a very traditional, social club-style, old-school-style Pintxo bar. Many local families mix with tourists, from the young to the very old. The bar is big on boxing, rugby, and Basque rowing, and the surrounding walls are covered with old memorabilia. It is run by owner Paco Bueno (who was a boxer in his younger days ) and his sons. It's lively, entertaining and has a friendly atmosphere. The specialities are deep-fried seafood, such as calamares, but t

BAR TXEPETXA We returned to another favourite. You may have second thoughts when you walk into this traditional bar and see all the retro ceramic anchovy pintos displayed there. Don't…………….. nothing here is false. All the anchovy/boquerone pintxos here are made to order and appear within a few minutes. You pick from the variety of toppings shown on the fish-shaped menu boards at the back of the bar. One has the antxoas (anchovies), and the other board shows the excellent hot

ZAZPI GASTROBAR SAN TELMO MUSEOA Plaza Zuloaga, 1, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain +34 943 50 67 67 www.zazpistm.com UPDATED JULY 2024 On our last visit to Zazpi, we found it had a new home. Not all great cooking happens in a hushed room with linen tablecloths and servers in waistcoats. Zazpi is proof. This restaurant sits in the avant-garde wing of the Museo San Telmo, and the food by new-generation chef Paul Arrillaga is stunning. Zazpi started by serving upscale pintxos

HOTEL NIZA What Eastbourne hotels could learn from Hotel Niza would fill a telephone directory. It's got the seafront location you want and the period facade that every kiss-me-quick hotel needs. The bedrooms are fresh, airy, and stylish in an untrendy way The front rooms overlook the promenade and the stunning Playa de la Concha The view to the right takes you to Parte Vieja (old town) and the harbour. It is a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by while enjoying a gl

ANTONIO BAR This is one of the top, more modern pintxo bars with a Restaurant in San Sebastián. It's in a not-so-busy area, a couple of blocks from the Parte Vieja (old town), but it's well worth the detour. It's a great place to visit, whether alone or with friends, to socialise in a casual atmosphere. Many locals stop by to grab a bite and chat with friends before going home. They also serve one of the town's best tortillas (Spanish omelettes). They have ultra-caramelised o

RESTAURANTE SALTXIPI Chef Jon Ortega is at the stove grilling sensational-looking gambas, hake, monkfish, turbot and T-bone steaks. Famous for its spider crabs, which it keeps in the basement, this has become a place for trendy thirty-somethings. Look out for the Ibiza-style chill-out to be added soon. The food is traditional, so if you order turbot or red sea bream, you get that —no extras, expertly cooked. The menu is quite spider crab-based, so it should be with such a g

BAR RESTAURANT TOKI-ALAI Heading east along the coast road from Mundaka, you will find this lovely restaurant, which is situated on a beautiful little surfers’ beach. It is a reasonably large stone restaurant/bar. One glass wall provides a fantastic view of the beach. It is an excellent spot for a nice, relaxing lunch, trying a few delicious pintxos at the bar, or having a more leisurely meal in the evening. There is a very good menu del dia for €25 (weekdays) and €30 (weeke

RESTAURANTE KAIA-KAIPE Michelin Plate IIO In December 2019, we returned to the fishing port of Getaria and the excellent Restaurante Kaia-Kaipe. Getaria is the typical picture postcard Basque Country fishing village. The village was home to Plácido Domingo’s mother and the famous fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. You can now visit the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa (€7 entry fee) Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa It was also home to the explorer, navigator, and mariner Juan

CASA JULIAN This is an unremarkable, easy-to-miss little restaurant in the little-known Tolosa, 28 km inland from San Sebastián. Once you find it and walk in, you will think you are in the wrong place. You will see an area containing several fridges and a load of crates, and you are likely to turn around and walk out again until you are greeted warmly and seated in the old-fashioned dining room, which doesn’t look like it’s changed much in a century. The steaks are cooked to