A Day in San Sebastián

Tapas, Drinks, Beach and more!

My good friend asked me a few weeks ago “hey, I’m going home for 8 days to SW France to see my family and friends during Fete le Madeleine; you should come with me”

Sold!

I’ve never been to SW France or Basque country. My friend is a sommelier who moved to HK early this year and our love of all things culinary made for becoming fast friends.

So I lined up a way to sneak out to SW France for 8 days and headed out with him.

When people hear “Basque country” Spain 🇪🇸 is usually the first thought, but Basque country also extends into SW France so there’s this very interesting culture of Basque that blends between 2 different countries. (see picture below, red shading denoting the Basque country)

Day 1 my friends father picked us up in Bordeaux and drove us straight to San Sebastián. A leisurely ~2 hour drive that allowed me to see the landscapes and scenery going through SW France and across the border into Spain, parking in San Sebastián.

I was told most people end their trips in San Seb but my friend recommended us starting there and spending a full day which turned out to be solid advice.

If you’re unfamiliar, San Seb is a beautiful town that sits right on the atlantic coast. The historic architecture, great weather, delicious food and chill vibes have made this a favorite destination for tourists.

There’s plenty of shops, architecture and beaches to enjoy but I was there for primarily one thing.

Tapas

This is the national food of Spain 🇪🇸. Small bite(s) of food that are known for vibrant, local, fresh ingredients and bold flavors.

It’s safe to say that before this visit I didn’t really “get” all the hype around tapas. That changed quickly.

We spent the next ~10 hours hopping from tapas bar to tapas bar eating, drinking, relaxing and midway through we went to San Seb Bay and jumped into the Atlantic for a cool off that was heavenly.

If you love fresh seafood, anchovies, jamon and piquillo peppers then you’re going to be in heaven here.

Bite after bite was a vibrant and punchy delight to the palate weather it be jamon and cheese on spanish bread, tortilla espanola, marinated zucchini stuffed with truffled cheese, piquillo peppers with shrimp salad and sea urchin (aka Uni) smeared on fresh bread that was perfectly sweet; the first two stops set a good tone for the day which only got better.

I never got tired of walking into the tapas bars and seein grows of freshly made tapas just waiting to be served up and crushed.

This spot was a must try since the Octopus 🐙 was part of the logo. Pulpo aka octopus is a very big thing in Spain; even the beer taps at this joint were shaped like octopus tentacles 😂

Here there was a fried cod tapa, Basque sausage, and pulpo croquettes (breaded and fried spheres) and Bacalao.

Bacalao is cod that is salted until dried to preserve it from spoiling. What started as a method of preservation is now a cornerstone of Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. This bacalao was braised with chickpeas and was tasty af.

In France you’ll see bacalao whipped with mashed potatoes and EVOO then put under a broiler until golden brown. This is called Brandade and it’s addicting when spread on a good toasted baguette.

You’ll also bacalao croquettes, braised in sauces as well as used in stews.

After this stop we hit the streets of Old San Seb and took in more of the breathtaking architecture.

The locals in Basque country are avid about preserving their history, traditions and culture; you’ll see many Basque flags being displayed proudly.

As my friend explained to me, “people in Basque consider themselves Basque-first, and French or Spanish second.”

We stopped in to what would be one of my favorite spots of the day. Walking in and seeing a ceiling full of Jamon legs just waiting to be sliced up and served.

Note the cones under each jamon leg that serve as drip-catches for any fat that may render out of the jamon in warmer weather.

The gentleman behind the counter was especially friendly and proud of his selection; one patron came in to select a jamon and he spent at least 15 mins with the patron showing him multiple Jamons before he decided on one that was just right for him.

The tapas here were extremely memorable.

The Jamon was served on barely toasted bread. This caused the fat in the jamon to slightly render and soak into the bread.

Next level delicious and simple.

While Jamon Serrano is the famous Spanish ham I was advised to seek out and try Jamon Salamanque which comes from a town, Teruel, more eastern from the Serrano origin. It is… fantastique!

Next tapa was the Gilda. Possibly my favorite bite of the day. Named after Rita Heyworth’s iconic role in 1946 for its’ “spicy” and piquant flavors 😂

Good Spanish olives, quality anchovies with pickled guindilla peppers make for a mouthwatering bite that I couldn’t get enough of.

In Basque country when eating tapas you drink beer, hard cider or Txakoli; a delicious light bodied white with bracing acidity that cuts through the tapas perfectly. A special cap is put on the bottle and the waiter or bartender will raise the bottle high in the air to pour so that as the wine hits the glass, small bubbles form making a small effervescent effect.

When early evening arrived the sun had been out all day, it was warm but not hot but since we had been walking quite a bit it was decided to go to San Seb Bay which was just a 5 minute walk from the Old Town

This is supposed to be one of the nicest bay/beaches with an incredible view and it didn’t disappoint.

Took a 45 minute cool off in the Atlantic and it felt amazing.

Weather was perfect for a dip in the ocean and after all the food, walking, etc it felt like ultimate relaxation to float in the ocean and cool off.

After a rinse and dry off we headed back for more tapas. Atari is a must visit tapas bar right next to the magnificent church in Old Town.

Here the stars were the pulpo with potatoes, peppers and spicy aioli followed by braised bacalao swimming in a sauce made from piquillo peppers.

Two of my favorite dishes of the day by far.

I also learned that a particular Spanish gin, Nordes, is a favorite with locals and the garnish is simply dried apple chips (can add a pinch of juniper berries if you like). The aromatics of the apple chips blended perfectly with the gin; give this a try if you can get Nordes gin!

The day carried on well into the night and when it was time to go I fully understood why San Sebastián, its beautiful architecture, relaxing vibes, delicious food and drinks and wonderful weather make for a place people travel the world to come experience.

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To make your own Gilda’s at home get your hands on:

• 16 pitted green olives

• 16 pickled guindilla peppers

• 8 oil-packed anchovies

• 8 marinated anchovies

• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Simply skewer an olive followed by 2 pickled guindilla peppers, both anchovies and cap with another olive. Drizzle with EVOO and serve. (makes 8)

Stay tuned for summer gazpacho recipes, more from my travels in Basque France including wine country, Fete de Madeleine and what it’s like cooking in a typical SW French home.

Enjoy!