San Sebastian

Tell us why San Sebastian was on your must-visit list?

San Sebastian is famous for its pintxos (small snacks eaten in northern Spain) and the long, winding streets of the old town with never-ending opportunities for overindulging, but there is actually a lot more to it than that. You will find old school fish restaurants that only have one type of fish on the menu, modern restaurants with Michelin accolades, a selection of up-and-coming bakeries and stylish coffee shops, plus really great hotels. For this reason, it felt like the perfect place to take some time out and visit as we embarked upon this new adventure at Rockliffe Hall.

You said San Sebastian is famous for its pintxos – where would you recommend?

Ganbara is a restaurant on the streets of charming old town, famous for its ceps with egg yolk and pan seared foie gras. It is a definite must-visit but you will need to get in the queue early as it gets very busy! Ganbara also has an excellent choice of wines by the glass, so you can try lots of different wines with your dishes.

What about for a celebratory meal?

For the Michelin affair, I would recommend Amelia. Amelia is a two Michelin-starred restaurant by Paulo Airaudo, part of the Hotel Villa Favorita with stunning views of La Concha bay. The dining experience comes with plenty of surprises and fan pop-culture references on the way in, but gets more serious when it comes to food and drink. They are serving dishes created from the highest quality ingredients, using clever techniques, serving with beautiful presentation and just delivering the perfect pace of the meal in a very relaxing environment.

You mentioned the old-school fish restaurants, did you have a favourite?

It has to be Elkano. Only a short drive away from San Sebastian and open since 1964, Elkano has elevated its food offering to a Michelin star level using the freshest ingredients for their seafood-based menu. Ultimately though, it is a cathedral of turbot. Cooked slowly over charcoal, it is an event of its own not to be missed.

What else did you enjoy eating while you were there?

You can’t go anywhere without trying the steak, so we embarked upon a steak pilgrimage to Casa Julian. Even older than Elkano, Casa Julian opened its doors in 1954 and just has a fantastic atmosphere. Enjoy a glass of old rioja whilst watching salt-crusted thick cut txuletas being cooked on an open fire pit right in the middle of it all and get a side of heavy roasted red peppers…heaven!

And lastly, what about the wine?

For the place with the best wine list (or if you’re on a date) it’s Rekondo. A romantic restaurant serving upscale Basque cuisine with a terrace and a beautiful sea view. Rekondo is very well known for its tremendous wine cellar offering thousands of bottles of wine from more than 20 different countries.

So it’s safe to say all that eating and drinking provided plenty of inspiration for what would later become TERRA?

Absolutely, I couldn't think of a better place to visit before opening TERRA. Pintxos, tapas, large steaks or big fish to share, we wanted to take that theme right through the menu and enjoyed creating a more laid back, food-centred experience with a wide selection of wines by the glass. It’s different from what we were serving at the Raby Hunt and offers a much more approachable dining experience with a menu we hope you would want to enjoy more than once.

Before we go, where is the next restaurant on your to-visit list?

Atrio, Spain. It's one of the newest three-star restaurants in Spain, a bit tricky to get to, but I am hoping to make my way there soon!