MAUN Grill Bar — Restaurant in San Sebastián

This is exactly the kind of place Anthony Bourdain would have championed. Maun is a truly special experience, set up right in the aisles of the San Martín Market after the stalls close for the day. The atmosphere is electric—a vibe of pure innovation with active music, centered around a passionate love for the product. The philosophy is "market-to-table" in its most honest form, and the flavours are incredibly punchy and direct. We started with the tomatoes, and they were a revelation, simply bursting with flavour. From there, every dish was a standout. The grilled prawns, scallops, and clams were cooked with masterful precision on the charcoal grill, letting the supreme quality of the seafood shine through. It's clear the chef is an award-winning master of his craft. This is skillful, unpretentious cooking that celebrates its ingredients. For anyone who loves vibrant food with no fuss, this is your spot. An absolute gem in San Sebastián that I cannot recommend...

Based on a positive review from some friends who recently ate here, we booked this place for a family dinner on our first evening of our short stay in San Sebastián. We booked by phone and had the reservation confirmed. When we turned up we were not initially welcomed. When the waiter eventually deemed to speak to us he told us we had no booking (even though it had been expressly confirmed over the phone). This was at 2100 on a Saturday evening and it was then impossible to find anywhere else to eat because the town is very busy in the summer. No word of apology or empathy for our situation from the staff here, even though they caused us a really difficult situation. Very disappointing. Seems like a restaurant which is successful but seems to have forgotten how to serve customers. Shame because we had been looking forward to it all day and deliberately not eaten much in anticipation...

It is a phenomenally good experience. We had spent a lot of time trying to decide where to experience our first Txuleta, and happily, this didn't disappoint. By far the best steak I've ever eaten. It was cooked perfectly and carved expertly for ease of eating.

The rest of the menu was beautiful too, especially the specials which they create from whatever looks good in the market that day. We tried micro peas that were like the caviar of vegetables, served with an egg yoke, which I think had been confited in the rendered txuleta fat.

The service and atmosphere were great too. The chefs had great energy, visible via the open kitchen. When they came to the table, they brimmed with enthusiasm and passion for their craft!

Yes, it's more expensive than some of the old-town bars. But it's 100% worth it for the finesse and skill of the cooking, the atmosphere and...