AKELARRE, SAN SEBASTIAN
A 3 Michelin Star experience. So we searched again for somewhere offering something other than the pintxos we’ve eaten for the past few days. We wandered from place to place, filling up on bread and cured meat, before heading to La Vina for its famous cheesecake.
27 DIFFERENT COURSES
Entering the restaurant, the sight of cheesecake prepared and ready to serve is incredible! None of us are huge fans of cheese cake, I’m all about the chocolate but it didn’t stop us getting stuck in. If anything it gave us a nice break from the Pintxos
WHERE IS AKELARRE?
We have a big night tonight in one of the nicer restaurants so that’ll be the last bite we have until around 21:00 when we go to Akelarre.
FINE DINING
My parents and I aren’t fine dining regulars. We usually ask to avoid Michelin star restaurants, especially three-star ones. We prefer relaxed, lively restaurants where we can drink, laugh, and chat without worrying about noise.
SAN SEBASTIAN….
- San Sebastian has the most Michelin Star restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world.
- The local mountaineer Edun Pasaban is the first person to climb all 14 8000m peaks in the world.
- Clothes designer Cristobal Balenciaga setup his first shop here
AKELARRE
Akelarre is 20 minutes outside town, set in a stunning location. Now a hotel with 22 rooms, you can enjoy a 9-course meal with uninterrupted Bay of Biscay views. It’s unique. Book 12 months ahead to guarantee a window seat. If not, arrive 30 minutes early and enjoy a drink in a booth with the same view (weather permitting).
THE MENU
I won’t detail each course, but between us, we had 27 courses and 16 different meals. There are 3 tasting menus to choose from, Aranori, Bekarki and the Classics of Akelare. I opted for the classic menu and my parents went for the Aranori.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
These dishes are unique and it was a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience. You couldn’t come every week, even if you could afford it. For me, nothing beats a good fillet steak or a pizza.
BILBAO….
- Bilbao has over 40 Michelin Star restaurants.
- It is home to the worlds first transporter bridge, Vizcaya Bridge, built in 1893
HOME
Flying home form Bilbao today so we have agreed to leave a few hours early and see what the city has to offer. Not sure there is a lot but always keen to make the most of a few free hours.
As like yesterday it was lashing so we were not for doing any walking so headed to the impressive looking Guggenheim Museum. Opened in 1997, The museum exhibits modern & contemporary art by Frank Gehry, an American/Canadian. Considering I’m not a huge lover of contemporary art it was definitely worth the visit.
Top tip for anyone flying out of Bilbao with no hotel. The museum can store your luggage, so we were able to go Coppola Bilbao for a pizza without the hassle of carrying our cases around!
FINAL THOUGHTS
An experience worth doing I think.
From a corner food stall in Burkina Faso to a 3 Michelin Star restaurant on the cliff in San Sebastian, its safe to say this trip had everything. Read the Reflection post here.
NEXT UP
Reflection post time and then off to France as part of my Algeria trip in June. Click here to read episode 1 of The Algeria Series.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
133/229
This post is part of the West Africa Series, pt1, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
Question Time
- Have you been to San Sebastian?
- Would you return?
- What was your highlight
Let me know in the comments below . . .
