One of the cornerstones of Basque cuisine is the famous txuleta. We gathered up a list of the best places to try this famous local T-bone steak in San Sebastian.
When traveling in Spain, many foodies have the world-famous Iberian ham and pork at the top of their list, and in the north of Spain the amazing seafood that the Bay of Biscay has to offer. But did you know that the Basque Country is also famous for its delicious T-bone steak—or either chuletón or txuleta, as we call it here? No less than five centimeters thick, normally served rare or at most medium-rare, it’s every steak lover’s dream come true. Here’s a list of our favorite spots to try txuleta in San Sebastian.
Photo Credit: Ania Wielechowska, Text Overlay: Devour San Sebastian Food Tours
Want to see how to make the perfect steak from a Basque grill master? Check out the video below!
Where to Find the Best Steak in San Sebastian
Iraeta
Iraeta, located in the Gros neighborhood, is one of the most classic places to try Basque T-bone steak. Their menu is pure tradition, from the starters to the selection of desserts, so this is the perfect option if a typical Basque menu is what you’re looking for.
Order some green padrón peppers or a traditional tomato salad to accompany your txuleta, and pair the food with local Basque cider, or red wine from the nearby La Rioja wine region.
Bar Nestor
You’ll find another must-try T-bone steak in the Old Part of San Sebastian, in a small place called Bar Nestor. A part from their fantastic txuleta, Bar Nestor is also famous for having the best tortilla de patatas, the Spanish potato omelette, in San Sebastian.
This bar is really tiny—and very popular—so make sure to reserve a table or to be on the spot early enough. They only prepare a limited amount of the famous tortilla every day and it tends to sell out during the first minutes. A lot of times there’s a queue behind the door already 30 minutes before the actual opening time––but the food (especially the tortilla and the txuleta) is completely worth the wait!
Txuleta & Bar Sport
Not fond of the idea of ordering a big steak but would still like to know what all the txuleta-fuss is about? Problem solved—there are also small pintxo-sized versions of txuletas available in San Sebastian.
At one of the most typical and local bars of the Old Town of San Sebastian—which, of course, is also called Txuleta—there’s probably the best mini T-bone steak in town. Another one of our favorites is Bar Sport, where they prepare a mouthwatering mini hamburger of txuleta. This one can’t be missed if you’re doing a pintxos crawl in the Old Town.
Cider Houses
There’s probably no more authentic place to try the Basque T-bone steak than a traditional cider house. Txuleta is an inseparable part of the typical Basque cider house menu, the main course that will be brought to the table after trying other local delicacies, such as cod omelette or txistorra, a local spicy sausage. Without forgetting the local cider, of course.
The cider season starts at the end of January and continues all the way until the end of April, so that’s the ideal period to visit cider houses such as Gurutzeta or Rezola, both located in the nearby town of Astigarraga. You can easily arrive there and back by taxi or by bus from San Sebastian. If your trip to the Basque Country doesn’t hit cider season, no worries! There are cider houses like Petritegi that’ll never close their doors, and they’ll make sure there’s the best quality T-bone steak available all year long!
Want to try your hand at cooking local dishes? Join our Authentic Basque Cooking Class in San Sebastian! You’ll step into a restaurant kitchen and get hands-on with the Basque Country’s iconic cuisine in a small-group cooking experience.