San Sebastián
Like the best tapas recipes, this great Basque port is made of simple ingredients: one part English-influenced seaside town, one part cultural hotspot and a large part foodie destination. With so many interesting things to see, do and taste here, it’s tempting to linger longer than planned.
You can ride the 1912 funicular to the top of Monte Igeldo and boat along the quirky “rio misterioso” at its old-fashioned amusement park; stroll along one of three soft-sand beaches, admire modern art and Belle Époque architecture; get carried away in upmarket boutiques; or take in one of the numerous music, film and arts festivals (this is European Capital of Culture for 2016, no less).
And when you’re done with all that, pop into one of the hundreds of tapas bars and restaurants that populate the Old Town and Gros districts. Not only is this the birthplace of pintxos (an elaborate form of tapas), San Sebastián has the second-highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants per square metre than anywhere in the world.
Tapas tours
In San Sebastián, go it alone or take a guided tour of the pintxos bars – worth doing for the fact your guide will pick out the best from a bewildering number of bars and order the best dishes. Either way, be sure to try a Gilda, the bar snack – named after the Rita Hayworth film – that started the pintxo tradition in the 1940s.
Hidden downstairs in the fish market, Bar Azkena (Mercado de la Bretxa, 36 – only open during market hours) is a welcome surprise serving gluten-free marvels. Ingredients are sourced from the market to create fantastic trampantojo (culinary trompe l’oeil) – food that is not what it seems. For example, breaking open what looks like a delicate “oyster” reveals meaty morcilla (blood pudding) inside.