With some of the world's top restaurants and Spain's best beaches, a break in San Sebastián means fine dining in a beautiful setting, writes Peter Cluskey
AMONG a multitude of great things about San Sebastián, two stand out. Firstly, it's right on the border with France and so, even in a short break, you can get a flavour of both countries. Secondly, there are more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita in the San Sebastián-Bilbao-Pamplona triangle than anywhere else in Europe. That should be enough to have most right-thinking people hunting for an atlas, which will pinpoint the port of San Sebastián on the north coast of Spain, 20km from the French border, where the snow-topped Pyrenees plunge into the Bay of Biscay.
But what you also need to know is that this is the Basque Country, where the local language is Euskadi, where the Spanish city of San Sebastián is interchangeable with the Basque city of Donostia, and where signposts often settle on the compromise combination Donostia-San Sebastián.
The Spanish royal family chose San Sebastián as the official summer residence of the Spanish court in the second-half of the 19th century, and it's still known as "the summer capital of Spain". That's why property prices here are famously high, on a par with Barcelona and Madrid, and why it's absolutely packed in July and August.
If you've been here before, you'll know that San Sebastián is famous for its beaches, particularly for the long, golden crescent of La Concha, with its elegant wrap-around promenade and procession of beautiful Edwardian lamp posts. This is rightly regarded as one of the prettiest beaches in Spain, dominated by the dramatic statue of Christ on the hilltop of Monte Urgull.
But that's just one beach. San Sebastián has three. The second most popular is Ondarreta Beach, below the Hotel Costa Vasca, where you can rent a deckchair and while away the hours people-watching. And the third is Zurriola Beach, increasingly popular with surfers.
One of the nicest things you can do here in the evening is to take the funicular railway from Ondarreta Beach to the top of Monte Igueldo and watch the sun set over the bay.
One of the other things you can do is sample the speciality for which San Sebastián is most famous, pintxos, the local version of tapas. This is the one must-do about which there can be no negotiation in San Sebastián. The local tourist office even produces its own pintxos guide.
Follow the crowd in early evening to the Parte Vieja - the Old Quarter - which has the largest concentration of bars in all of Europe. Pick the most crowded and there begin your tapas and wine stroll, which even has its own word, chiquiteo in Spanish and txikiteo in Basque. San Sebastián and Bilbao have the most refined gourmet tapas in Spain.
The custom is to have one drink and one pintxo in each bar, before moving on. You simply keep track of what you eat and tell the barman when you pay. And it works . . .
The next night go for the Michelin-starred option.
The most famous restaurant in San Sebastián is Arzak, run by one of Spain's gastronomic pioneers, Juan Mari Arzak, and his daughter, Elena, who secured its third star.
In his best-selling book A Cook's Tour, the New York chef Anthony Bourdain describes a pilgrimage to eat at Arzak . . . and later "when I raved about the meal I had at Arzak to a tableful of multi-starred New York chefs they wanted to know only one thing: 'Was Elena there?'"
Happily, Elena was there during my one long-planned visit with my wife.
She has the habit of visiting each table and, when she found out we were Irish, immediately wanted to know if we knew Richard Corrigan and if we'd eaten his food.
We replied that, unfortunately, we didn't and hadn't.
"Still, you'll find plenty to eat in San Sebastián," she replied encouragingly. And she was right.
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go if you're planning a weekend in San Sebastián
5 places to stay
Hotel Maria Cristina. 4 Paseo Republica Argentina, 00-34-94-3437600, www.starwoodhotels.com. Located between the beaches of La Concha and La Zurriola, this five-star is San Sebastián's most luxurious hotel. Rates from €190 for a standard double to €650 for a suite.
Hotel de Londres y de Ingleterra. 2 Zubieta, 00-34-94-3440770, www.hlondres.com. A Belle Époque building right on the La Concha seafront. The VIP suites are particularly good value. Ask for the Mata Hari suite, which has balconies with views over the water. Rooms start at €102.
Villa Soro. 16 Avenida Ategorrieta, 00-34-94-3297970, www.villasoro.com. This boutique hotel five minutes from the beach features on Condé Nast's Hot List. Rates from €125 for a single in low season to €285 for a double in summer.
Tryp Orly Hotel. 4 Plaza De Zaragoza, 00-34-94-3463200, http://fr.solmelia.com/hotel/tryp-orly.htm. A modern hotel overlooking La Concha beach. Rooms from €105 for a standard to about €250 for a family room with breakfast.
Hotel Codina. 21 Aveneda Zumalacárregui, 00-34-94-3212200, www.hotelcodina.es. About 500m from Ondarreta Beach, the Codina was completely renovated in 2006. A single starts at about €80 with superior doubles and triples costing about €150.
5 places to eat
Arzak. 273 Avenida Alcalde Elosegui, 00-34-94-3278465, www.arzak.es. This three-star Michelin restaurant is one of the most famous in Spain. It's consistently rated one of the top 10 restaurants in the world.
Akelare. 56 Paseo del Padre Orcolaga, 00-34-94-3311209, www.akelarre.net. Along with Juan Mari Arzak, the chef-proprietor here, Pedro Subijana, is a champion of modern Basque cooking. Two Michelin stars and lovely sea views.
Urepel. 3 Paseo de Salamanca, 00-34-94-3424040. A charming, unfussy restaurant in the Old Quarter. The chef, Tero Almandoz, has two Michelin stars.
Bodegón Alejandro. 4 Fermin Calbetón, 00-34-94-3427158, www.bodegonalejandro.com. Of the six restaurants now being supervised by three-star chef Martín Berasategui, this is his favourite, because it's his family restaurant.
La Rampa. 26-27 Paseo Muelle/Kaiko Pasaelekua, 00-34-94-3421652. A hidden treasure of San Sebastián, this informal little mainly outdoor seafood restaurant was recently given a rave review by Spain's premier restaurant critic.
5 places to go
Museo de San Telmo, 1 Plaza Zuloaga/Zuloaga Enparantza, 00-34-94-3481580, www.museosantelmo.com. You don't go to San Sebastián to see rare works by the old masters, but that's what you'll find here - minor works by the likes of El Greco, Rubens, Goya and Ribera. This museum is currently being expanded and renovated and is closed to the public. If you plan to visit San Sebastián, check the museum website to see if it has reopened.
Mercado de la Brecha. Aldamar, Parte Vieja. This is San Sebastián's famous fish market, which rivals Barcelona's La Boquería. Believe it or not, foodies from all over the world come here to witness super-chefs Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana and Martín Berasategui buying their own fish. Honest.
The Aquarium. Palacio Del Mar (in the Fishermen's Quarter), Plaza Carlos Blasco de Imaz, 00-34-94-3440099, www.aquariumss.com. The kids will love this, particularly the feeding of the sharks twice daily, at 11am and 4pm.
El Peine de los Vientos (The Comb of the Winds). Paseo de Eduardo Chillida. This is the most famous sculpture by Eduardo Chillida. Near Ondarreta Beach, it changes with the sea and produces extraordinary musical notes.
Miramar Palace. Parque Miramar. Located between the La Concha and Ondarreta beaches, this English-style palace was built for Queen Maria Cristina. It is now open to the public. The gardens and the views are a treat.
Shopping
It may have food - and fish in particular - on the brain, but San Sebastián is also a fashion-conscious city. The Old Town has the higher-end high-street shops, including Mango, Zara and Benetton. Try Silverfield on Avenida de la Libertad (00-34-94-3426682) for gifts in silver.
Hot spot
Zebibo Bar. 8 Plaza Sarriegi. If you need to shed a few calories after eating, this is the place to take to the dancefloor. It has a good atmosphere, with hip-hop and dancehall reggae.
Coffee break
Casa del Café. 19 San Marcial, 00-34-94-3424512. A family business since 1926, this cafe has a great array of coffees.
A good night out
Undoubtedly the best night out is a pintxos crawl, if your stomach and liver can stand it. Head for the Parta Vieja and any of the old streets: Aldamar, San Jerónimo, 31 de Agosto, Pescadería or Fermin Kalbetón.
What to avoid
A huge hangover after your first night out. Pace yourself. If you do follow the local custom and have a drink with every pintxo, you'll regret it.
Get in the mood
First read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, and then his A Cook's Tour.
For more
See www.donostia.org. There is an English-language button in the top right-hand corner, though it's difficult to see.
Go there
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Dublin and Shannon to Biarritz, in France, about 50km from San Sebastián.