Best Food in Spain...SAN SEBASTIAN

Everywhere in Spain has mouthwatering food! From the paella in Valencia, to the markets of Madrid you will have a full stomach and a smile on your face no matter where you are! I recently did a trip around the whole country of Spain, eating my way through it and I think the best place for nibbles is…SAN SEBASTIAN!

This gorgeous little beach town is on the Bay of Bisquay in the Basque Country. When it comes to food, you pretty much have your pick from Michelen star restaurants, pinxtos bars, open air markets, really cool little gourmet shops and more. In fact the city has the highest number of Michelen stars per square metre! Thats higher than Paris or London or NYC! For me though, its the food that only cost me a euro that had me coming back for more.

When you think of Spanish food, tapas is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. Well the Basque region has its own style called pintxos. Its pretty much the same idea in terms of small portion sizes so you can try a bunch of things, but with its own twist. Most pintxos come on a little slice of bread and are topped or skewered with a ton of different ingredients. Literally I tried just about everything from ham, croquettes, mushrooms, eggs, chorizo, little sandwiches, fruits & cheeses, squids, I could really go on and on.

The real experience is to go pintxos bar hopping! When you walk in the counter top is piled with food! You grab a plate and load up with whatever you want and enjoy! At older establishments when you are done they count up the amount of skewers on your plate to figure out how much you owe, at newer and more touristy places you will pay before you go off to eat. Pintxos are usually €1-3 each. My favourite, and probably the most unique one I had was one that had Idiazabal cheese on it. Its made from latxa sheep’s milk and has a really smoky, buttery flavour. Its definitely a proud signature of the region with the principals in making this type of cheese being virtually the same for 800 years! I had mine with a little fruit and it was amazing.

You can of course order drinks at the bar to go along with your food. When in San Sebastian I would skip the sangria and go right for the sagardoa and txakoli! Sagardoa is Basque cider that literally translates to ‘apple wine’ because it is just as highly regarded in the area as any fine wine. It is non carbonated, cloudy and, honestly, it can be a bit of an acquired taste, this isn’t the cider you are used to. Its mellow and kind of funky, but after a few glasses I got used to it and actually really liked it! It pairs amazingly with the local food. If cider isn’t your thing, try txakoli, which is a very dry sparkling white wine from the nearby village of Getaria. It was actually the first wine in the Basque region to receive designation of origin status which is really cool! I love a dry wine so this was right up my alley, it has a really pleasant taste but it can hit harder than you think.

Eating for most Spaniards is a way of socializing and spending time with people, and I saw this the most in San Sebastian, the vibe was just slow paced, enjoyable, and happy. Don’t be in a rush just enjoy being out. As for how to spot the best places to stop in to, well I always try to look for locals first, and then see who’s floor is the dirtiest. Yes you read that right! The dirtiest! In San Sebastian if a restaurant is amazing the floor will be littered with napkins, this is a local custom and sign that the food is amazing! It can be odd to see at first, and I kept getting flashes of my mom yelling at me for dropping a napkin on the floor, but its a sign of all the great food you are about to have!