Best Wine Bars in San Sebastián (2026): A Local's Guide

In San Sebastián the wine bar and the pintxo bar are usually the same room. The city’s best glasses are poured at crowded counters, often from shoulder height, for a few euros, next to the bite they were chosen for. A newer set of wine-first bars, mostly across the river in Gros, is where you go to sit down with a long list.

Quick answer: The best wine bars in San Sebastián come in two kinds. Classic pintxo bars with strong wine lists, such as Casa Urola, Atari, Antonio Bar and Bodega Donostiarra, pour txakoli alongside the city’s best bites. Dedicated wine bars, such as Curdelón, Gerald’s Bar, Arenales and Ardoa Basque, have long by-the-glass lists, natural wines and room to linger. For the classic experience, spend an evening in the Parte Vieja (Old Town). For a more local, wine-first night, cross the river to Gros. Expect to pay €2–4 for a glass of txakoli or Rioja at a pintxo bar and €5–12 for a serious pour at a dedicated wine bar.

Glasses of red wine raised at a bar in San Sebastián

How wine works in San Sebastián (read this first)

If you arrive expecting Paris-style wine bars with candles, flights and long tasting notes, San Sebastián will surprise you. Wine isn’t a separate evening activity here. It’s the other half of every bite.

The local ritual is called txikiteo (chee-kee-TAY-oh), also known as poteo. You meet friends at one bar, have one small glass of wine (a txikito) and one pintxo, then move on to the next bar. Then you do it again. The tradition took hold in the Basque Country during the industrial boom of the late 19th century, and it still runs the city’s social life. On any weekday evening in the Old Town you’ll see groups drifting from counter to counter with a glass in hand.

Three things make drinking wine here different:

Small glasses, many bars. A glass is a pause between bites, not a commitment. Locals rarely stay put for a second round.
Wine is cheap and local. Most pintxo bars pour Basque txakoli and Rioja (from just over the border in Rioja Alavesa, which is technically Basque). Glasses usually cost a few euros.
A new wave of wine-first bars. Over the past decade, bars with 200-bottle lists, natural wine and sommeliers have opened, mostly in Gros. They’re where you go when you want to sit with a bottle.

The best night combines both: a classic Old Town txikiteo early, then a proper glass at a wine bar later. If the vocabulary on the chalkboards is new to you, our guide to wine tasting for beginners in San Sebastián covers the words and the five-step method in a few minutes.

At a glance: the best wine bars by type

Bar	Neighbourhood	Best for	Wine focus	Vibe
Casa Urola	Parte Vieja	Serious Basque list with top pintxos	Txakoli on tap, deep Rioja Alavesa	Busy counter, restaurant upstairs
Atari Gastroteka	Parte Vieja	Terrace txakoli facing the basilica	Txakoli poured from height, sherry	Lively, standing room
La Viña	Parte Vieja	Cheesecake + Pedro Ximénez	Classic Spanish	Packed, iconic
Bar Txepetxa	Parte Vieja	Anchovies + crisp txakoli	Txakoli	Tiny, old-school
Ganbara	Parte Vieja	Mushroom season with a great bottle	Global list, rarities	Pintxo bar + restaurant
Akerbeltz	Parte Vieja (port)	Sunset glass by the harbour	Cider, natural wine	Small, local
Bodega Donostiarra	Gros	A 1928 tavern with a terrace	Txakoli, Rioja	Classic, neighbourhood
Curdelón	Gros (Zurriola)	Wine lovers: 200+ bottles, many by the glass	Spain, Champagne, Burgundy	Bright, modern, calm
Gerald’s Bar	Gros	Long dinner with wine and vinyl	Local + French, Italian, Australian	Cosy, late-night
Ardoa Basque	Gros	Natural Basque wines	Natural txakoli, Rioja Alavesa, Navarra	Modern, young
Arenales	Centro	Natural wine with excellent small plates	Low-intervention Spanish	Intimate, book ahead
Antonio Bar	Centro	Tortilla + small-grower txakoli	Txakoli, Spanish small growers	Local lunch crowd
Bar Ibai	Centro	Seasonal Basque cooking with a strong list	Spanish, Basque	Hidden basement, cult
El Almacén Wine Bar	El Antiguo	Sommelier-guided pairing away from crowds	160+ references, Basque + Spanish	Converted warehouse
Rekondo	Monte Igeldo	A bucket-list cellar with bay views	One of Spain’s great cellars	Restaurant, special occasion

Parte Vieja (Old Town): the classic wine-and-pintxo bars

The Old Town packs dozens of bars into a few narrow streets: 31 de Agosto, Fermín Calbetón, Calle Mayor, San Jerónimo and Calle del Puerto. This is where most visitors drink, so it’s busy, and it’s busy because it’s genuinely good.

Casa Urola — the best Basque wine list in the Old Town

Fermín Calbetón 20

Casa Urola is best known for its food, but its list is one of the most complete Basque selections in the Parte Vieja. It has txakoli on tap at the bar and a deep shelf of Rioja Alavesa if you head upstairs to the dining room. Order a glass of Itsasmendi txakoli and whatever hot pintxo is chalked up that day.

Go if: you want great wine and some of the best pintxos in the city in one stop.

Atari Gastroteka — the terrace txakoli moment

Calle Mayor 18

Atari faces the steps of the Santa María basilica. On a warm evening its terrace spills into the square, and bartenders pour txakoli from shoulder height into wide tumblers. It’s one of the most photographed glasses of wine in the city. The list leans towards txakoli, sherry and Spanish whites.

Come on a sunny evening, when the terrace gives you the postcard version of San Sebastián.

La Viña — cheesecake and Pedro Ximénez

31 de Agosto 3

La Viña is the home of the now world-famous burnt Basque cheesecake. The classic pairing is a wedge of the gooey, caramelised cheesecake with a glass of Pedro Ximénez, the raisiny sweet sherry. It’s crowded and not subtle, and you should do it anyway. It’s typically closed on Mondays.

It makes the natural last stop of a crawl: a sweet finish rather than another savoury bite.

Bar Txepetxa — anchovies’ best friend

Pescadería 5

Txepetxa is a small, old-fashioned bar devoted to cured Cantabrian anchovies, served on toast with toppings from fruit to sea urchin. A crisp, salty-edged txakoli is the natural partner. Expect to pay under €8 for two anchovy pintxos and a glass.

This is the most classic Basque food-and-wine pairing in the Old Town, in one small room.

Ganbara — mushrooms, and a cellar with surprises

San Jerónimo 21

Ganbara is a family affair: the founder runs the kitchen, and her son looks after the front of house and the wine. The list reaches well beyond Spain and includes rarities and older vintages. In autumn (roughly October to December), order the wild mushrooms with egg yolk and ask for a red to match.

It suits a visit in mushroom season, or a night when you want something off the usual txakoli-and-Rioja track.

Akerbeltz — a harbour-side pour

Calle Mari 19

Akerbeltz is a tiny bar by the fishing port, with a terrace looking over the water. It pours Basque cider from the barrel and keeps a short natural-wine list. It’s a local favourite for a quiet drink, and Gerald Diffey of Gerald’s Bar has named it among his own picks.

Go for a calm glass at sunset, before the Old Town crowds peak.

Also worth a stop in the Parte Vieja: Bar Martínez (31 de Agosto), a historic bar with a good Basque and Spanish selection, and Casa Vergara (Calle Mayor, since 1948), where a pintxo plus txakoli comes in under €6.

Gros: where the wine-first bars live

Cross the Kursaal bridge over the river Urumea and you’re in Gros, the surf neighbourhood behind Zurriola beach. It’s more residential, less touristy and has wider streets, and it’s where San Sebastián’s wine-focused bars have clustered. If the Old Town is the city’s stage, Gros is where many locals spend their evenings.

Curdelón — the city’s most serious dedicated wine bar

Paseo de Colón 35 (next to Zurriola beach)

Curdelón is the closest thing San Sebastián has to a classic European wine bar. It’s bright and modern, with a list of more than 200 wines, many available by the glass, and a particular soft spot for Champagne and Burgundy. Food is mostly cheese and charcuterie; the wine is the point. It also runs small-group tastings (typically five wines with artisan cheeses), and bottles can be bought to take away.

Go if: you want to explore beyond txakoli and Rioja, or need a calm escape from the Old Town crush.

Gerald’s Bar — a Melbourne wine bar, transplanted

Iparragirre 13

Gerald Diffey runs one of Melbourne’s best-loved wine bars. In 2014 he opened a second Gerald’s in Gros, inside an old Basque restaurant full of stone, copper and heavy beams. The list leans local with French, Italian and Australian detours, much of it by the glass. The food is Basque-leaning small plates, and the soundtrack is vinyl. It’s listed by The World’s 50 Best Discovery. Book, or try for a seat at the counter. It’s typically closed on Mondays.

This is the place for a long, unhurried dinner where the wine leads.

Bodega Donostiarra — the 1928 neighbourhood tavern

Peña y Goñi 13

This tiled corner bar has been pouring since 1928. It’s a block from Zurriola beach and has one of Gros’s best terraces. Order txakoli with the Indurain (bonito tuna, anchovy and pickled green pepper) or the “completo” tortilla. Mornings and early afternoons are calmer; Friday evenings are packed.

You come here for the history and the atmosphere as much as for the glass.

Ardoa Basque — natural Basque wine

Gros

Ardoa Basque is a modern bar pouring natural txakoli, Rioja Alavesa and Navarra wines with updated pintxos. It mostly opens in the evenings, plus afternoons at the weekend; check current hours.

If you’re curious about the low-intervention side of Basque wine, start here.

Also in Gros: Bar Bergara (founded in the 1950s and one of the bars that shaped the modern pintxo), Galerna Jan Edan (a tasting menu with a deep, natural-leaning Basque growers’ list), and El Lagar (a pintxo bar whose list was put together with the help of the sommelier behind Essencia, a respected local wine shop).

Centro, El Antiguo and up the mountain

Arenales — natural wine, outstanding food

Boulevard Zumardia 11 (Centro)

Arenales is small and intimate, with a natural-wine list (organic, native yeasts, minimal sulphites) and plenty by the glass. Its simple, inventive plates regularly get as much praise as the wine. Seats are limited, so book.

Antonio Bar — tortilla and small growers

Bergara 3 (Centro)

Antonio Bar is a local lunchtime institution famous for its tortilla and anchovy gildas. It pours a tight by-the-glass list of txakoli and Spanish small producers; try the Ameztoi Rubentis, a pink txakoli. The tortilla tends to run out by mid-afternoon.

Bar Ibai — the cult basement

Getaria 15 (Centro)

Bar Ibai is hidden below street level, cooks to the season and has a list good enough to earn a place on Star Wine List’s San Sebastián guide. It reopened after a period closed and is beloved by chefs. Hours are short and it’s mostly a lunchtime place, so check before you go.

El Almacén Wine Bar — sommelier-guided pairings

Matía 18 (El Antiguo)

El Almacén is set in a converted warehouse in the El Antiguo neighbourhood, west of La Concha. It has more than 160 wines with a Basque and Spanish focus, and a sommelier who will pair a glass to your pintxo.

Rekondo — the bucket-list cellar

Paseo de Igeldo 57 (Monte Igeldo)

Rekondo is a restaurant rather than a bar, but no guide to wine in San Sebastián is complete without it. It sits on the slopes of Monte Igeldo with views over the bay, and its cellar is widely counted among the most respected in the world. Founder Txomin Rekondo built the collection over decades, and the sommelier will often show guests around the cellar after the meal. Book well ahead.

For tastings rather than bars: Essencia (a wine shop with more than 700 international labels that runs exclusive tastings and sommelier courses) and Goñi Ardoteka (a family-run wine shop that has been a reference for decades) are the city’s two best-known addresses.

A self-guided Old Town wine crawl (2–3 hours)

This route covers five stops in about 800 metres of walking. Start around 19:30 on a weekday. Have one glass and one pintxo per stop, then move on. That’s the whole point.

Stop	Bar	Drink	Bite
1	Akerbeltz (Calle Mari)	Cider from the barrel or a natural white	Something salty: olives or anchovy
2	Bar Txepetxa (Pescadería)	Txakoli	Anchovy pintxo
3	Casa Urola (Fermín Calbetón)	Rioja Alavesa	Whatever hot pintxo is on the board
4	Atari Gastroteka (Calle Mayor)	Txakoli poured from height on the terrace	A seasonal plate
5	La Viña (31 de Agosto)	Pedro Ximénez	Burnt Basque cheesecake

Optional nightcap: walk 10 minutes over the Kursaal bridge to Curdelón or Gerald’s Bar in Gros for a proper glass to finish.

Budget: roughly €35–50 per person for the five stops.

Prefer someone else to plan it? On the San Sebastian food tour with pintxo tasting paired with wines, a local guide walks you through the Old Town for eight pintxos and five drinks: three wines from different Spanish Denominations of Origin, a Basque cider and a local liqueur. It runs three hours, starts at $121 per person and is rated 4.8/5 from more than 800 reviews (our breakdown).

What to drink: the local wines on every counter

Wine	What it is	Tastes like	Order it with
Txakoli (chah-koh-LEE)	The Basque white, mostly from the Getariako Txakolina area just west of the city. Main grape: Hondarrabi Zuri.	Bone-dry, high acid, low alcohol (around 10.5–11.5%), with a light spritz	Anchovies, seafood, gildas, anything fried
Txakoli rosé	Pink txakoli, often made with the red Hondarrabi Beltza grape	Crisp red berries, still zippy	Ham, tortilla
Rioja Alavesa	The Basque part of Rioja, mostly Tempranillo. Ask for a crianza (oak-aged) or joven (young).	Red fruit, gentle oak	Meat pintxos, croquetas, txistorra sausage
Navarra	The neighbouring region: reds, rosés and excellent Chardonnay	Varies; rosés are a local favourite	Grilled vegetables, cheeses
Sagardoa (cider)	Basque natural cider, still and tart, poured from height	Sour apple, dry, funky	Salt cod, steak, cheese
Pedro Ximénez (PX)	A sweet sherry from Andalusia	Raisins, figs, molasses	Cheesecake, blue cheese

Why is txakoli poured from a height? The bartender holds the bottle high above a wide, thin tumbler. The splash wakes up the wine’s natural spritz and aromas, and it’s fun to watch. Drink it fairly quickly while it’s lively, and order a small amount at a time. Our pintxos vs tapas guide covers the rest of the bar vocabulary, cider’s txotx included.

Prices: what a night of wine bars costs

Item	Typical price (2026)
Glass of house wine at a traditional pintxo bar	€1.50–3
Glass of txakoli at an Old Town bar	€2.50–4
Glass of good Rioja / crianza	€3–5
Glass at a dedicated wine bar (Curdelón, Gerald’s)	€5–12+
Cold pintxo	€2.50–4
Hot / made-to-order pintxo	€4–7
Two drinks + two pintxos (average)	about €15
Bottle of txakoli in a shop	€8–15

These are typical ranges, not quotes, and they move a little from bar to bar. San Sebastián is one of Spain’s most expensive cities, but wine is still a bargain. A local txakoli that costs €30 or more on a restaurant list abroad is often under €4 a glass here. For tastings, guided tours and winery days, see our guide to wine tour prices and booking times.

Wine bar etiquette and how to order

Stand at the bar. Most pintxo bars are standing-room only. Squeeze in politely and catch the bartender’s eye. Our guide to the best pintxos bars names the roomier ones if you need more space.
Order drinks first. Then point at cold pintxos on the counter, or order hot ones from the chalkboard. Hot pintxos are usually the best thing a bar makes.
Don’t fill a plate at one bar. Have one or two things, then move on. That’s txikiteo.
Pay at the end. Many bars run on trust: tell the bartender what you had when you’re ready to pay. Some use numbered order forms.
Tipping is small. Rounding up or leaving a coin or two is normal. Nobody expects 15–20%.
Useful phrases:
- Un txakoli, por favor (oon chah-koh-LEE) — a glass of txakoli
- Un crianza / un tinto / un blanco — an oak-aged red / a red / a white
- Un txikito — a small glass of wine (Basque usage)
- Un zurito — a small draught beer (the term is unique to the Basque Country)
- Kaixo (KAI-sho) and Eskerrik asko (es-KER-reek AHS-ko) — hello and thank you in Basque
- ¿Qué me recomiendas? — what do you recommend?

The full phrase card, pour sizes and 2026 bar prices are in our how to order wine guide.

When to go

Time of day

Lunch txikiteo: about 12:30–15:30
Evening txikiteo: about 19:30–23:00
Most kitchens close between lunch and dinner. Dedicated wine bars stay open later.
Weekday early evenings (19:00–20:00) are the sweet spot: everything’s open and you can still reach the bar. Friday and Saturday nights are elbow-to-elbow.

Day of the week

Many bars close one day a week, often Monday, sometimes Sunday evening or Tuesday. Check before planning your crawl around a single venue.

Season

Spring and autumn (April–June, September–November) are the most comfortable months for a crawl. October to December brings wild mushroom season and talk of the new txakoli vintage.
July and August are the busiest months.
Late September brings the San Sebastián Film Festival and big crowds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best wine bar in San Sebastián?

For a dedicated wine bar, Curdelón in Gros is widely considered the most serious, with 200+ wines and many by the glass. For the classic pintxo-and-wine experience, Casa Urola in the Old Town has one of the most complete Basque wine lists. For a long dinner where wine leads, go to Gerald’s Bar.

What wine is San Sebastián known for?

Txakoli, a dry, slightly sparkling, low-alcohol white wine. Most of what’s poured in the city comes from the Getariako Txakolina area just west of town. Rioja Alavesa, the Basque part of Rioja, supplies most of the reds.

How much does a glass of wine cost in San Sebastián?

Usually €2–4 for txakoli or Rioja at a pintxo bar, sometimes as little as €1.50 for house wine. Expect €5–12 at a dedicated wine bar.

What is txikiteo?

The Basque custom of moving from bar to bar with friends, having one small glass of wine (a txikito) and one pintxo at each stop. It’s also called poteo.

Which neighbourhood is best for wine bars in San Sebastián?

The Parte Vieja (Old Town) has the highest density of classic wine-and-pintxo bars. Gros, across the river, has most of the dedicated wine bars and natural-wine spots and a more local crowd.

Do I need to book wine bars in San Sebastián?

Not for traditional pintxo bars, which are walk-in and standing room. Book for sit-down wine bars and restaurants such as Gerald’s Bar, Arenales and Rekondo, especially at weekends.

Are there natural wine bars in San Sebastián?

Yes. Arenales, Ardoa Basque and Akerbeltz all focus on natural or low-intervention wines, and Galerna Jan Edan has a natural-leaning list.

Why do bartenders pour txakoli from so high?

Pouring from height into a wide glass releases the wine’s light natural spritz and aromas. It’s tradition as much as technique.

Can I do a wine tasting in San Sebastián?

Yes. Curdelón and Essencia run hosted tastings, and guided pintxos-and-wine tours such as the pintxo tasting paired with wines combine a tasting with the bar crawl. Our beginner’s guide to wine tasting in San Sebastián lists the shops, courses and winery visits.

Ready to raise a glass?

San Sebastián is a city best drunk slowly, one small glass at a time. Use this guide for a self-guided night, or let a local guide handle the route and the ordering. The pintxo tasting paired with wines pours three wines from different Spanish regions, a Basque cider and a local liqueur alongside eight pintxos, from $121. If you would rather start with the cider pour and finish on a dessert wine, Devour’s Pintxos and Wine Tour runs five Old Town bars with four drinks, from $120 and rated 4.8/5 from more than 640 reviews. Every option side by side is in which San Sebastián pintxos tour is right for you.

Related reading:

The Best Wine Bars in San Sebastián (and How to Drink Like a Donostiarra)