San Sebastian

Jul 15, 2018
7 min read

Like every year, GC and I were planning to go away for her birthday. This year’s priorities were surfing and food, so the beautiful San Sebastian on the north coast of Spain (a well-established foodie haven, and a surfer’s dream) seemed like the perfect fit.

One thing worth noting is that London airports don’t fly direct to San Sebastian’s tiny airport (and I would heavily recommend against using San Sebastian airport even if your city does fly there: it is heavily prone to delays and cancellations for a never-ending list of reasons - and because of this the airlines can often get away with refusing compensation even when it’s due). Not to panic though, because you can fly either to Bilbao Airport and catch a coach for €17 that takes a little over an hour, or to Biarritz and do the same with a coach journey of an hour and a half. Easy as pie, with beautiful views to boot.

Gandarias Restaurant

Day One

Another Monday, another plane to catch. GC and I compromised about the time we wanted to get into the airport, since, as usual, I am the only mad-person amongst my friends who enjoys the thrill of pulling up to my gate half-hour before departure. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and it has caused me stress, tears, many sprints across the airport, and one missed flight. Yet somehow, I can’t help myself if I’m travelling alone. So under the watchful eye of my travel companion we arrived with the recommended two hours to spare, and got on the flight stress-free.

Our accommodation was the hostel Pension Ibai, and it's a place I'd definitely recommend: slap-bang in the middle of town, its could not be more central. The only downside to this is potentially the noise, but it’s towards the edge of the tiny San Sebastian heart, so although it’s not chirping grasshoppers at night, it’s not a too bad - take this from someone who is a very light, very anxious sleeper. In terms of cleanliness? Absolutely spotless. I have literally showered in friends’ places which have caused me much more ew-factor.

We had a little wander and the centre is a lovely, bustling place. I have to be honest: San Sebastian does get busy, but I also want to say it really wasn’t a horribly unpleasant kinda busy, like when you are pressed against your third sweaty armpit on the Victoria line at 7:30am. Everyone was chipper, chatting, enjoying food and wine, and I cannot emphasise enough how much this atmosphere permeates the entire the area. Even the youths (I seem to have become a judgemental 50 year-old real quick) were polite, and never, not once, intimidating. As a woman, let me tell you that this is unusual - particularly at night - so this was a massive plus on the San Sebastian excellence list.

In terms of food, if you're going to eat anywhere at all during your time in San Sebastian, go to Gandarias. We got insanely lucky being able to book this on the day for our first night: we tried, hard, to go back for a second helping but it was booked solid for the rest of the holiday. I guess I'll just have to come back. GC and I shared one of the best salads I have ever had, and I tend to find salads boring, over-dressed and generally a chore to eat. This one had warm seafood scattered over it, this beautiful balsamic glaze in perfect proportion to the food, not too many leaves and oh the most delicious tomatoes ever. We devoured it in minutes, and as we were mulling over whether to straight-up order another, the clams arrived, followed by a monster-steak with the best fries I have ever had (and I don’t usually like fries either). I can’t remember the desert, to be honest, I’m not even sure we had any (although that seems highly unlikely). To top it all, the price-tag? Wildly reasonable, to the point I don’t understand how they make a profit. It was so affordable that GC and I went to bed absolutely ecstatic knowing we could have meals of that caliber every night, and not have our accounts dip dangerously into the dreaded red numbers.

Cafe Alabama, Pasadia and Tedone

Day Two

On GC’s actual birthday we found the best brunch place I have ever been to which now has my absolute unwavering loyalty. Cafe Alabama. I miss it now even as I type. Bowls of coconut yoghurt topped with fruit and sprinkled with chia seeds and all other sorts of things I vaguely know exist but never really eat. Guys, it sounds so pretentious, but it is definitely not. It’s two absolutely down-to-earth guys running the place, and the cafe itself is unassuming, very quaint, and pleasant to sit at and the quality that far, far, exceeded what we paid. I had four or five other breakfast spots listed on my phone for the rest of our stay. We did not go to a single one of them, and I do not hesitate to knight Cafe Alabama my one-and-only breakfast spot for whenever I might be back in San Sebastian.

We then explored a place we’d been recommended by locals the day before: Pasadia. It was a little dead, and we didn’t love it, but through it we discovered a gorgeous coastal path which, asides from all the the food, was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

That evening we took a stroll along the eastern part of the city, and had a fantastic dinner at Tedone: an ethical, eco-friendly small and quiet restaurant which I'd recommend for a night away from the madness of the centre. We then popped into La Viña to have a much recommended cheesecake. If Tedone was a peaceful water-lily pond, La Viña was a NYC stock-market floor: the place was rammed, so if you want to visit, be prepared. Bar-service was speedy and friendly though, so GC and I soon had cheesecake in hand. It was good, but it felt more like a cheesecake-flan fusion rather than the NY-cheesecake that’s so popular in London. Still worth a try though, and despite it being so busy, the atmosphere, as ever in Sab Seb, was happy, friendly and absolutely comfortable to be amongst.

Urgull Mendina and Simiri

Day Three

Surfing day was upon us, and as is customary the stars aligned and GC had to bail on our adventure. The sickness took her, but the one-to-one classes where non-refundable, so off we went for my solo lesson (after breakfast at Cafe Alabama obviously). We then went on another little adventure-stroll and discovered Urgull Mendina. A little mountain on our doorstep which had a myriad of paths to explore, glorious views, and a small bar part-way up where it's worth having a sit-sit-down and a cold drink. It was dreamy: ocean all around, warm breeze in my hair, sun setting on the horizon… My soul restoration was complete.

Then dinner at Simiri, a lovely casual tapas-dining vibe. We ordered the most mouth-watering risotto I have ever tasted, and these little fish-croquets which were perfectly fried and perfectly tasty. I’d recommend the place as more of a tapas-based casual dinner as the sit-down area was small and more of a stools-and-tables vibe rather than a traditional sit-down restaurant vibe. Still absolutely enjoyable, still absolutely fun, still absolutely delicious. Dinner was followed by a beautiful wander along the beach which was lit-up and speckled with people enjoying the warm water (it was unnaturally warm). One thing to say about the people in San Sebastian: tourists and locals alike constantly exhibit absolute respect for their surroundings (zero littler anywhere) as well as for the people around them. This place is an absolute gem guys, and I plan on being back. A lot.

Isla de Santa Clara, Monte Igueldo and Txubillo

Day Four

It was the coldest day of the lot, and this is the day we decided we would go kayaking. We had a little paddle to the Isla de Santa Clara which would have been beautiful and lovely other than for the fact that the kayak-mooring area was a swim away from the island, and with only our bikinis to shield us from the grey skies and icy winds I have to say I didn’t fancy staying on the island for long. We swam, we saw, we swam back to the kayak, and the fact I am still alive and lost no extremity to frostbite is a testament to how far I have come in my battle with cold-management.

Back on the beach, towel wrapped around me, shivers rattling my bones, GC pointed to Monte Igueldo, another little spot we’d been recommended, and being obsessed with mountains and anything potentially panoramic, I was all for it. A little tram ride (a very affordable €8 return) and up we clattered to a small theme-park atop the mountain. By theme park think closer to a fair, small rides which look like they’re about to fall apart but hold strong year after year. Haunted houses, tiny roller-coasters, bumper-cars, and a gorgeous place to wander, observe, and enjoy.

The absolute piece de resistance on this mountain though was the Marriot Hotel. I know, I know, it’s not a name that is instantly associated with that bougie lifestyle. But the bar at this place? Floor-to-ceiling glass walls. And all around? Endless, endless ocean, blue, and beautiful, and nothing else. The image of the place is absolutely seared into my mind, it is the epitome of the reading room I dream to have some day, where I can curl up in a chair with a book, look up, and see nothing but an endless expanse of ocean and an infinite horizon. That’s the dream.

And then to Txubillo, a Basque-Japanese fusion restaurant we had been recommended by a Japanese couple we met at La Viña, (two of the kindest and loveliest people I ever met btw). The venue is small, and it did get loud (although we happened to be there on a night were there were two 10-person-parties having a fabulous but loud night). Still we didn’t struggle to hear each other, and the food was delicious. It wasn’t the cheapest we’d had, but it was hardly expensive either, and it was definitely, definitely, worth it. The portions were also a little smaller, but the quality was absolutely spectacular, and despite the waitress and owner being the only two people there there (I died) they were always flawlessly polite, friendly and helpful. Guys, I really can’t praise this place enough. and, as always, out minds (and palettes) were wowed.