SAN SEBASTIAN: GOURMET FOOD HEAVEN
Plates of mouthwatering Pintxos arranged on the counters of almost every bar in San Sebastian’s old town. Each plate looks like it has been created by an artist and every morsel looks sensational; anchovies, cod, red peppers, mussels, ham, mushroom wrapped in bacon and an array of cheeses straight from the Gods. San Sebastian is known as food heaven and you’ll soon discover why.
San Sebastian is a small city in the Basque country that rivals Rio de Janeiro for its beaches, mountainous panoramic views and statue of Jesus on the hill top that looks across the bay.
In the evening San Sebastian and the Basque people really start to come alive, they love to eat and every social act is complimented with food.
The Pintxos bars may seem a little daunting to the San Sebastian virgin; they are busy, loud and the people are bashful. Any concerns of how to get served in this chaotic and electrifying environment will soon be eliminated by the Pintxos Galore tour guide Eli Susperregui from the San Sebastian Food Company.
Small groups of no more than ten are taken around the old city by guides and you’ll blend in well as the Basque people like to venture out in groups.
The tour is designed to teach you as much about the local culture as it is the Pintxos. The rules are very different to what you may be used to, polite waiting and queuing is unnecessary here. Eli’s advise roll up your sleeves and get stuck in and that’s exactly what we did.
The Pintxos Bars
The tour starts at Goiz Argi (Fermin Calbeton Road) for superb prawns, guindilla and padron peppers, roasted in oil and salt, washed down with Txakoli wine, a slightly sparkling and dry wine. Its low alcohol content makes it the perfect start to the night ahead.
All seafood lovers I can’t hide their excitement as they arrive at La Mejillonera (Puerto Road). Packed with hungry locals and a noise level to rival a football stadium the crowds add to the excitement when eating delicious mussels in a spicy sauce, salted calamari to die for and Patatas Bravas. The seafood is great, and bottles of Basque cider even better. It’s flatter than what you’ll find back home and tastes of apples, locals drink gallons of it and people travel from all over the globe to try it. Far better than the cider on offer at your local off license or supermarket.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the type of Pintxos the world renowned culinary expert Heston Blumenthal would deliver and that’s exactly what you’ll get delivered to your table at Zeruko (Pescaderia Road). “La Hoguera” raw salted cod served over burning charcoal with a chaser of intensely flavoured liquefied lettuce, left a feeling of delight in the palate that I’ll be surprised if you’ve experienced before. A new type of Pintxos bar has opened taking the culture firmly into the 21st century. I was half expecting to see Heston peer around the open door to the kitchen clutching a bottle of fresh and fruity dry Rueda white wine.
Without a doubt the bar offering the most variety to try is Borda Berri (Fermin Calbeton Road), think about leaving room in your stomach for this place, because you are going to eat and eat some more. The sheep’s cheese risotto is an acquired taste, but the veal cheeks taste like succulent slow cooked brisket and pork ribs are divine. One thing you may not be familiar with is pig’s ear. It’s a local specialty and a part from the copious amount of oil that it’s cooked in the taste is not all that dissimilar to bacon. Octopus also features and ‘Salmorejo’ a cold tomoto soup that assists with digestion. This feast comes complimented with a good bottle of La Rioja made with soft fruit and smooth oak taste.
On to Gandarias (31 Agosto Road) you’ll be awarded with a gorgeous piece of sirloin steak and a delicious good quality bottle of Ribera del Duero red wine (Krel) that must have been created to compliment steak.
To finish the tour be sure to try the cheesecake, not New York style and Pedro Ximenez sweet sherry at La Viña (31 Agosto Road). If you’re not a sherry drinker Eli will get you a nice glass of rioja instead.
This tour comes highly recommended to food lovers a round the world. You’ll finish this tour at the end of the evening with great memories, laughs, and a full belly and be a little tipsy for your wander home. Stay in the lively old city and you won’t have far to go.
The best €90 you’ll spend. If you find yourself wanting to try more food pop down to the new San Sebastian food space located at the Salón Easo in Hotel Maria Cristina (the Luxury Collection Hotel) in Paseo República Argentina 4. You’ll get the pleasure of meeting the proprietor Jon Warren and discover a host of other tours and culinary experiences created with you in mind.
