San Sebastián has more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any city in the world. The three main temples of Basque cuisine — Arzak, Akelarre, and Martín Berasategui — all hold three stars and are all within the city or a short drive away. Bookings for these need to be made months ahead. But the real discovery of San Sebastián is that extraordinary food is available at every price level — the pintxo bars of the old town produce miniature masterpieces for two or three euros a piece.
For the pintxo crawl, the streets around Calle Fermín Calbetón and the Plaza de la Constitución are the best hunting ground. Standout bars include La Cuchara de San Telmo (creative pintxos, no bar display — order from the chalkboard menu), Bar Txepetxa (anchovies in every possible combination), and Bar Sport (reliable classic pintxos, perpetually busy). The absolute classic pintxo — a gilda, consisting of a pickled guindilla pepper, an olive, and an anchovy on a toothpick — was invented in San Sebastián in the 1940s and named after Rita Hayworth's character in the film.