Located at Hotel Akelarre, Akelarre is a three-Michelin star restaurant by Pedro Subijana serving innovative Basque cuisine with a focus on seafood. At Hotel Akelarre you will also find a cocktail bar by the renowned Patxi Troitino serving unbelievable cocktails, and Oteiza, a casual offshoot of Akelarre also by Chef Pedro. If Akelarre feels like too much of a splurge, head to Oteiza for a chance to try Pedro’s renowned dishes. At Oteiza, be sure to order the sea bass with green pepper and vegetable bolognese, but Hotel Akelarre is worth a visit just for sunset cocktails; the views are jaw-dropping from the property. The restaurant is located 15 minutes from the center of San Sebastián.

The most famous of San Sebastián’s Michelin-starred establishments is Arzak, owned by renowned chef Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena, who can often be seen greeting guests at their table in the dining room. The three-star restaurant, one of the area’s first to feature the experimental nouveau cuisine that made the Basque Country famous, continues to be the most difficult reservation to secure. Stick to the classics, because while the luscious foie gras in a crispy wrap dusted with coffee and tea is exquisite, it is an Arzak staple, and newer plates can be less inspiring. Book at least two months ahead of time if traveling during high season.

Azurmendi isn’t found in the shadows of the gleaming titanium-clad Guggenheim, but instead in a rather dull commercial district outside town. Don’t let this, or the somewhat institutional dining room, put you off, however, since Michelin-starred chef Eneko Atxa is very much the standard-bearer of the new generation of Basque chefs. Atxa’s short menu changes regularly, but such dishes as his oysters with caviar in seawater mousse and griddled scallops topped with flying-fish roe and bathed in squid bouillon are spectacular. And the dessert not to miss is his heavenly “textures of chocolate” trilogy of ice cream, soft cake and airy mousse.

Locals cherish the opulent neo-Moorish décor of this 1903 vintage café as much as the legendary pinchos morunos de carne de cordero, or grilled lamb brochettes, which are prepared at a special counter in the main dining room. Waiters in black aprons and bowties give it an alluringly old-fashioned atmosphere, and it is a lively place that is ideal for a time-out snack or a drink before or after dinner.

Tourists and locals alike make a pilgrimage to the one-Michelin star Elkano in Getaria—about 30 minutes from San Sebastián—for its world famous turbot, which is grilled and served simply with few ingredients. Chef Aitor Arregui inherited the restaurant (which is now No. 30 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list) from his father, who first created the dish.

Los Parajes is located in a small boutique hotel in the center of the town of Laguardia. It makes for a lovely, casual lunch stop during a day of wine tasting. When you first arrive, you are whisked down to the cave for a glass of wine before choosing the table where you will dine—either in the cave or outside. Don’t miss the patatas a La Riojana (Rioja-style potatoes simmered in a stew with sweet paprika, Spanish chorizo and caramelized onions). 

Mugaritz is an innovative and experimental restaurant in a beautiful hilltop setting, approximately 15 to 20 minutes by car from San Sebastian. The restaurant has held two Michelin stars for years and is led by Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, who has helmed the restaurant since 1998. Chef Aduriz is lauded as one of the most influential chefs of the time, and his work is paired with the brilliance of the restaurant’s research and development team. In dining here, travelers may feel as if they are participating in a science experiment (in a good way), so one should come ready to have fun and experience food in mind-altering ways! Note: the restaurant is not for everyone. Again, it is very experimental, and the menu changes yearly.

This beautiful rustic restaurant with big wood beams overhead and terra cotta tiles underfoot is run by the charming Ortega Añorga family. Talented chef Jon Ortega runs the kitchen, while his brother Gorka looks after the dining room. The house specialty is locally caught spider crab, which arestored live in tanks in the basement, explaining why the crab salad here is so stunningly fresh and good. The croquetas—breaded deep-fried beignets of béchamel and crabmeat—are homemade, and like many Basque chefs, Jon Ortega is a talented grill chef. Splurge on dishes like Galician lobster a la plancha or grilled just-out-of-the-water turbot for two.