El Bistro Ondarreta — Restaurant in San Sebastián

Travelling in the Basque Country with the hopes of getting so much as possible from the culinary highlights of ‘the’ area of the world with the highest density of Michelin-stars on a rather poorly-planned trip might lead to the disappointment that you find yourself strolling in and around the old town, stopping once in a while at the entrance of a restaurant with a well-deserved fame, for getting the same answer over and over again: ‘we are booked out’. That was also how it went out in our trip, how fortunate a coincidence those fruitless efforts would lead us to, was unbeknownst to us at the time, until we came across this place in close vicinity of our hotel:

It is an almost brand new restaurant, located a bit off the old town in a quieter neighborhood, whose chef -and co-owner- has a substantial amount of culinary experience acquired throughout a brilliant career after switching to gastronomy from a totally different path professionally: it instantly becomes clear that he is not just taking a shy at something, but knows very well how to create a perfectly nuanced entrée: take, for instance, caviar de berenjena or eggplant caviar which does not leave even the slightest bitterness, the recipe is flawlessly balanced, allowing the taste of eggplant to dominate the flavour. Or the burrata toast: combining this with some fried capers presents itself as more than being just a trivial detail as its taste lingers on your palate.

Without getting into more details and revealing the culinary secrets of his cuisine, we wish to thank David & Mayte for the wonderful dinners during our short stay in San Sebastian and apart from that, making us feel like part of a close-knit community as if we were ‘habitués du restaurant’. At the end of the day, it wasn’t that bad not being able to take a closer glimpse at the other places listed in the Michelin-Catalog, your place will always bring back fond memories and remain a reason to always come back to Donostia. (Next spring, perhaps?)

All the best and till next time,

Gül & Arda

ps: the pictures below were shot on three...

My wife and I dined here two times during our vacation in San Sebastián. Each visit left me thoroughly impressed. For context, we also visited several Michelin star restaurants, and several more casual restaurants. We enjoy wide range of dining experiences.

Dishes we had:

Hake with Lemongrass Eggplant caviar with hazelnuts Pork Tomahawk Iberico pork with mojo Burrata Tart Lobster Spaghetti White tuna crudo Green beans

All were amazing. Here are some favorites:

The Pork Tomahawk was a standout. Perfectly seared, the pork was incredibly tender and juicy. Served with two different mojo sauces on the side. Each bite was a delight. Also, huge serving, definitely come with a big appetite.

The Grilled Octopus was another highlight. Cooked to perfection, it was tender, with a nice char. Tasted very fresh.

The Iberico Pork with Mojo was equally impressive. I was tempted to order the pork tomahawk again but the chef suggested I try something else. This was delicious. The pork felt like a tender marbled steak. It was a beautiful piece of meat.

I loved the Grilled Hake with Lemongrass Sauce. The hake was perfectly grilled, with a moist, flaky texture that melted in your mouth. The lemongrass sauce was a really fragrant, creamy, and citrusy. Very pronounced lemongrass flavor without being too overpowering.

Tuna Crudo was fresh, light, and well balanced. Highly recommend.

This is a small bistro run by a French couple. They were very friendly and attentive. Food came out quickly and the service was excellent. Try the wine too!

10/10 Hidden Gem in...

Excellent food with French-style drama? The restaurant a few minutes away from the other side of the promenade, away from the old town. So you can have a nice walk after your meal to discuss your food and observations. We went there on our first night in San Sebastian because it was 4.9 on the Google reviews and was relatively close to us. We were lucky to get a table because we arrived early and thankfully they gave us a seat for 90 minutes. When we booked (as we had to go back again before we left) there was only 2 stools at the bar available but the food was just as good and we got a different perspective on the drama (as we imagined it). So, we think they're a couple. He looks after the bar, greets the guests and is very charming. We think he and the waitress might be a couple and they work well together. It's probably better off not asking or not knowing and maybe it'll add something to your evening. But, it's all about the food, yea? And don't go here if you want quantity over quality. The spaghetti with lobster was excellent, as was the confit lamb shoulder. Sorry, we didn't take pictures as we couldn't wait to eat when it arrived. Bottom line, book before you go so you get a table if you like French style food with...