Where to Eat on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day in San Sebastian

Make your winter holidays unforgettable with these options for delicious Christmas Day and Christmas Eve dinners in San Sebastian.

The town slows down during the Christmas holidays when local shops and restaurants close up and donostiarras get ready to spend the holidays with their families. But no worries––there are still plenty of excellent restaurants for Christmas in San Sebastian that will keep their doors open. 

There’s a good variety to choose your holiday celebration menu from––there’s even a Christmas Day brunch available! Here’s a list of places that will guarantee a magical holiday experience––and full stomachs.

If you're looking for the best restaurants serving Christmas meals in San Sebastian, you've come to the right place! This guide has some of our top picks for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Where to eat in San Sebastian on Christmas Eve

La Fábrica

Located right in the heart of the Old Town of San Sebastian, La Fábrica serves some of the best flavors of this Northern Spanish city: typical Basque dishes with a modern touch. 

Besides the impeccable good quality food, La Fábrica is also known for its great value for money. This is without a doubt a fantastic option for your Christmas Eve dinner, especially if you’re traveling with family.

Carrillera, or Iberian pork cheek, is one of our favorite dishes at La Fábrica.
Among the dishes in La Fábrica’s repertoire: a pretty fantastic carrillera (Iberian pork cheek).

Dry Bar at Hotel Maria Cristina

If you want to celebrate the special evening with style, this iconic hotel is a classy choice for Christmas Eve dinner. 

The quality is always guaranteed at Hotel Maria Cristina’s Dry Bar, and the celebration menu won’t disappoint, either. It’s a luxurious combination of fine flavors from the first bite of your appetizer to the last sip of dessert champagne. 

Dry Bar is also one of the few places in town to offer a Christmas Day brunch—make sure to make a reservation in advance!

Insider’s Tip: Hotel Maria Cristina is located right by the Urumea river, so you can start with a pre-dinner walk to wake up your appetite. Stop by the beautiful local Gabonetako Azoka Christmas market to do some last-minute gift shopping: the stands offer everything from local crafts to gourmet products. 

The Dry Bar at the Hotel Maria Cristina, pictured here, is one of our favorite restaurants for Christmas in San Sebastian.
The elegant Hotel María Cristina is the perfect place for a classy holiday meal.

Where to eat in San Sebastian on Christmas Day

Kaskazuri

Kaskazuri is already a local classic in town. It’s the place to go when, instead of our beloved pintxos, we prefer to sit down and enjoy a full three-course meal of excellent quality. Naturally, this is also our top recommendation for a Christmas Day dinner in San Sebastian!

The big windows open up to a beautiful view of the sea and Paseo Nuevo, which makes Kaskazuri one of the most romantic venues for your Christmas Day celebration. 

Kaskazuri is known for having gluten free and vegetarian friendly menus, which is not always easy to find due to the local love of meat and seafood—especially on Christmas Day! 

Vegetarian salad
Kaskazuri is one of the best restaurants for vegetarians that’s open on Christmas Day in San Sebastian.

Restaurante La Brasserie Mari Galant

Why not celebrate Christmas with a hint of elegance? The Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra is one of the oldest hotels and most emblematic buildings in San Sebastian, and with spectacular views of La Concha Beach, it’s a gorgeous choice for a Christmas Day lunch. 

The hotel’s restaurant, La Brasserie Mari Galant, offers a beautiful Christmas menu with the best of the best local delicacies, such as Iberian ham and white tuna belly. The festive meal comes complete with an excellent selection of Spanish wines, and finishes up with the hotel’s own petit-fours—need we say more?  

Both locals and visitors keep going back to La Brasserie Mari Galant Christmas even after Christmas, so if you want to make sure to get a table, booking ahead is a good idea.

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