Amelia by Paulo Airaudo — Restaurant in San Sebastián

Don't order the wine pairing.

We had a good time at Amelia, with some great courses and a staff that was really attentive and service minded. However, there are a few issues here, mostly with the wine pairing.

We were five people paying 83 euros each for 9 servings of wine with our meal. So we payed 415 euros and I would estimate that we drank about 80 euros worth of wine considering what was served and the amount poured. We had about half of each of the nine bottles that were served and they were mostly really underwhelming and all well under 40 euros each. Most of them were 10 euro bottles and the only bottle to impress me was a nice ribolla from Dario Princic. Really disappointing at this level and I feel robbed.

Other than that we had a pretty enjoyable experience. Upon arrival, we were shown downstairs into the kitchen to meet the team. A cool idea, but sometimes it is better to keep the customers and kitchen separate. It was really warm and humid and needs better ventilation. They also had a table in the kitchen with what appeared to be customers eating there. If you are considering doing this, know that you will be having a 12 course meal in a sauna.

Back in the restaurant the meal started off with a fresh and toned down dish of scallops, fennel and apple. It was OK. The next mackerel dish increased the intensity a little with burned leeks, before the first highlight of the evening was brought out. A tremendous chicken dish, with an amazing broth. The dishes were served with decent, but reasonably priced Italian white wines.

We then got some nice bread with a tasty bone marrow on the side. Then, parsley risotto with shrimps was another highlight with tremendous flavour and risotto cooked al dente for increased texture. This was served with a bourgogne blanc.

Two nice fish dishes with mullet and sea bass followed. Good food, paired with a pretty intense orange wine from Dario Princic. A great wine, but maybe not the best pairing.

Pigeon with beetroot and a tremendous jus was another highlight and the beetroot and cardemum tarte was a nice step into the desserts.

After some awesome goats cheese with passion fruit, we got the highlight of the evening. Rhum ice cream with caviar and avocado cream, one of the best desserts I've had. Just amazing. The following dessert of white chocolate and Jerusalem artichoke was a strange and bland finish to the meal and left us with a strange artichoke flavour. The two dessert wines, a moscato and menade sauvignon dulce, lacked concentration and disappeared completely. They were also a really disappointing end to a really poor wine pairing session. Amelia needs to work hard on what wines they offer their customers and as I previously mentioned, I feel robbed for choosing the wine pairing.

So, some great food, wines that are seriously overpriced, but otherwise perfect service. I would have loved to see some more playfuness from the kitchen as some dishes were a bit on the safe side. But four/five dishes will stay with me for a long time and the food was generally very impressive and absolutely worthy of their newly acquired...

Let me be crystal clear: the food at Amelia is the main reason for this glowing review. It is, without question, one of the most sublime and technically perfect meals I have ever had, and the culinary genius on display transcends any minor issues with the overall experience. The tasting menu was a journey of pure art, and Chef Airaudo's creations are easily worthy of a third Michelin star. It was, simply put, magnificent. That said, for an experience so close to perfection, there were a few dissonant notes in the service choreography that, if polished, would make this restaurant truly unstoppable.

First, the arrival experience was confusing. Entering from the beautiful La Concha promenade leads you to the hotel's casual bar. The welcome there felt disconnected from the two-star temple of gastronomy I was about to enter. I had to wait for a while before being attended to, which felt jarring. A clearer, more dedicated entrance or welcome for restaurant guests would make the first impression as flawless as the food.

Second, the service at the chef's counter. While every single member of the team was polite and professional, the overall effect was overwhelming. Perhaps the intention is to create an immersive 'omakase' style experience, but in practice, it felt more like a chaotic beehive than an intimate ballet. This was especially noticeable when a dish was presented by a passionate chef, but the request for feedback came moments later from a different staff member who wasn't involved in its creation. This made the inquiry feel more like a procedural checklist than a genuine dialogue, and the connection to the kitchen was lost. As someone who truly enjoys attentive service, even I found the energy a bit too 'voldsomt,' as we might say in Norwegian.

Third, a note on the main course selection. When the raw ingredients were presented, I was asked to choose between pigeon and a beautiful piece of wagyu. I chose the wagyu, only to be informed after my choice that it came with a significant surcharge. While supplements are normal, the lack of transparency in this process was disappointing. It creates an awkward moment for the guest and turns a beautiful presentation into a sales tactic. A high-level experience should be built on trust and clarity, without such uncomfortable surprises.

However, I want to emphasize that these are points about the service in an otherwise spectacular evening. The food is the hero here, and it is a hero that deserves all the accolades. I left in absolute awe of the chef's talent. This is a must-visit for the food alone — you...

The entrance can easily be missed, but the place is actually called Villa Favorita and has an entrance on both the beach side and the road side. Hands down the best restaurant experience I've ever had. Every single dish and detail done to perfection. It's hard to decribe in a review, but you will not be disappointed. There are no meaningless "fillers" between dishes - here they leave you wanting more of EVERYTHING. Even the white bread and butter is to die for! Portions are good, not leaving you too full to walk afterwards :P A few things I want to highlight: Stylish interior, but not too fancy - you won't feel underdressed if you show up without a blazer. It's an intimate dining area by the bar, where you can see how they prepare all the food. There's also a few tables for groups of people. You are always taken care of, but it never feels intrusive. Even the music is perfect - this isn't some meaningless background jazz, no, every song makes you want to either sing along, go watch that particular movie or play that game that the current song reminds you of! Speaking of games, the chef in charge is obviously a gamer, and has taken some inspiration from that into his workplace, from interior, to music, and even the food! A whiskey flavoured jello shaped as Darth Vader, you say? Of course! Or Super Mario characters on the beer can? Sure. Donkey Kong letting you into the kitchen? Naturally =) They accomodated my nut allergy without a problem. Just let them know in advance when you're booking. A minor detail: We decided to go for the "short" wine pairing, which is 5 drinks/wines afaik, but we ended getting served the full "Amelia" package which is 8 drinks. This was a pleasant mistake, as the servings were not too large (as they tend to be in some restaurants), and the drinks were sooo good. Sure, there's a price difference, but it's not a big deal. Finishing off the meals they took us to the terrace outside, where we got liqeurs and petit fours in the sunset, with a view of the beach. What a night. What a meal. I'm coming back to San Sebastian...