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Spain’s Basque Country has long been famed for its gastronomy, and its epicenter is the beach side town of San Sebastian on Biscay Bay. Start from its city hall and, within a ten-minute drive, you’ll be able to find eighteen Michelin stars, including a trio with three Michelin-stars. Only Kyoto in Japan, has a higher concentration of stars per square kilometer. But it’s not just these fine diners that draw in the food lovers, it’s the pintxos. An evening of bar-hopping your way through the Old Town, sampling different bite-sized courses as you go, is gastronomic bucket-list territory, arguably at the very top too.
A pintxo can come in many forms, often involving a stick (hence the name), and depending on the bar, the season, the chef, the time of day, it could vary from veal cheeks in red wine sauce to flash-fried, brandy-soaked foie gras to sheeps’ cheese and white chocolate to rich pig trotters or garlicky fried prawns. It’s the travel equivalent of a gourmet food festival that happens all year round, and to top it off, you then combine this with golf at some classic Spanish golf courses, including a course designed by a Ryder Cup legend.
Departure airport: London Heathrow
Destination Airport: Bilbao Airport
3 Hours Before Flight Time
One of the nicest things about San Sebastián is the feeling of space once you get away from the big cities. In general, this part of Spain is much less frequented and much quieter than the more southern parts of Spain, where courses are crowded together, side by side with high-rise hotels. Around San Sebastian, you are more likely to be disturbed by wildlife than by wild parties.
For this Golf & Gastronomy break, we have selected the guarantee of being able to play on the city’s two emblematic sites and of having access to the best restaurants in Europe.
Follow the program
Showing the town& Start at Real San Sebastian golf course
The North of Spain is surprisingly little-known for golfing holidays. We believe this is a great pity as it is so easy to get to and has a lot to offer the travelling golfer – particularly if those golfers like good food and quiet courses. The town sits on the northern Spanish coast, close to the Pyrenées and the French border in the Basque region of Spain/France. The original town occupied just a tiny piece of land at the mouth of the Urumea river between the two sandy beaches of Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta. During the 19th Century the town spread upriver to occupy more terrain inland from the coast so it now has attractive wide boulevards in the modern part of town yet retains all the charm of the narrow streets and open plazas of the old part of town (Parte Vieja).
To begin this break and after discovering the first route and this wonderful city, we will introduce you to one of the best restaurants in the world, access to which is reserved for several years.
Akelarre
Located on the slopes of Mount Igueldo in San Sebastián and led by Pedro Subijana—trained under the tutelage of Luis Irizar in Zarautz—continues to be a reference point of national gastronomy thanks to its chef, a key figure in the development of the New Basque Cuisine in the 1970s. Opened in 1975, Akelarre obtained its first Michelin star in 1978, the second in 1982 and the third in 2006. Its cuisine, recognized for its creativity and excellence, continues to fascinate diners, offering unforgettable experiences that perfectly combine tradition and innovation. In addition, it has established itself as a complete destination that includes accommodation offers thanks to the complex’s 5-star hotel. Subijana put aside becoming a doctor to enroll in a hotel school, first in Madrid and then with Luis Irizar in Zarautz and won the National Gastronomy Award in 1982.
For this second day in town we offer you a second Golf course and access to another magnificent place of world catering
Arzak
The Arzak surname maintains its shine on the culinary scene, retaining its three Michelin stars for another year despite many predictions. Elena Arzak has taken over the management of the restaurant after her father, Juan Mari Arzak and continues to offer refined cuisine that consolidates its position as one of the most emblematic establishments in Spain. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 1972, the second in 1978, and the third in 1989, demonstrating the essential role it played in the rise of New Basque Cuisine alongside chefs of the caliber of Pedro Subijana and Karlos Arguiñano.
Last day in San Sebastian, last swing and discovery of the new rising star of Spanish catering.
Amelia by Paulo Airaudo
The Argentine chef Paulo Airaudo and his restaurant Amelia, located in the Hotel Villa Favorita, near Playa de la Concha in San Sebastián, will continue to maintain their two Michelin stars, a recognition that reflects the quality of the innovative cuisine of Italian-Argentine influence that they offer. Airaudo also has other starred restaurants. This 2023, his NOI restaurant in Hong Kong was awarded its first Michelin star, just six months after its opening, which adds to the brilliance of the Aleia restaurant in Barcelona, managed by Paulo Airaudo and chef Rafa de Bedoya.
