San Sebastian

We came to this wonderful seaside resort for a belated birthday weekend celebration of txikiteo (pintxos/tapas- crawling) alternated with leisurely strolls along the lively Cantabrian Sea. We were there in March, a relatively quiet time for this popular foodie, surfer and beach bum destination, and perfect for blending in with the locals.

The only item on our daily agenda was to hunt down ever more delicious bites and it was easy to explore this compact city on foot. Each pintxos bar we ducked into was like entering yet another Aladdin’s cave full of neatly presented platters of tasty morsels, from simple fresh anchovies on toast or shrimp brochettes to elaborate, innovative compositions of decadent ingredients such as sea urchin, baby eels and squid ink.

And while we came here for the pintxos, we did make time to try one of the city’s handful of Michelin-starred restaurants (in fact, San Seb boasts the most Michelin-starred restaurants of any city in Spain); but in the end, the adventure and boisterous experience of the pintxos crawl just couldn’t be beat.

Mouth watering yet? Find out what and where to eat in San Sebastian.

Classic casual at Bar Bergara, Barrio Gros

Refined creativity at Alona Berri, Barrio Gros