Vegetarian in San Sebastian: Our Survival Guide
San Sebastian’s Old Town is a mythical destination for foodies, spoken of in hushed, reverent tones. On every cobblestone street, there’s a welcoming bar with small plates of “pinchos” already piled high to the delight of customers.
In fact, it’s a typical Basque activity to pleasantly wander from bar to bar, enjoying a small plate of food in each, washed down with a local wine. It’s no wonder this Basque city is renowned for having the most Michelin star restaurants per capita in the world.
However, if you wander into the famous Old Town as someone who doesn’t eat fish or meat, you will struggle to find a satisfying meal. That’s why we’ve put together this guide of the best places to eat and drink as a vegetarian or vegan in San Sebastian. With a little planning, you can not only eat well, but brilliantly, even in this seafood heavy destination.
Our favourite vegetarian and vegan restaurant in San Sebastian: Orburu Taberna
Not only one of the vegetarian meals that I’ve had in San Sebastian, but one of the best vegetarian meals I’ve had in Spain full stop. Orburu Taberna serves up wonderfully creative vegetarian dishes, such as roasted carrots with a white bean sauces and a beetroot-tamarind combo to die for. Extensive vegan options available too.
Whilst the quality is exceptional, the prices are also very reasonable and a meal here certainly won’t break the bank. The wine is great here too: we went with a local txakolí (slightly sparkling white wine, pronounced ‘jacoli’) and enjoyed it immensely. Plus, the waiter was very friendly and full of life.
Note: As we found with many of the better restaurants in San Sebastian, this restaurant was tucked away in a little basement, so don’t come expecting sea views.
Our favourite wine bar with vegetarian options in San Sebastian: Bar Arenales
Bar Arenales is a cute wine bar just outside of San Sebastian’s Old Town. While the bar is especially focused on wines, they also serve food and I had a fantastic gnocchi dish as well as a stunning tomato with blue cheese salad. Prices are a little on the high side, but it’s worth paying an extra penny for food and drink of this quality.
The staff are very welcoming and it’s frankly amazing how well they’re able to cook in such a small space. Vegan options here might be more limited.
Our favourite courtyard restaurant with veg options in San Sebastian: Kafe Botanika
Courtyard eating is what we all know and love Spain for. Kafe Botanika is the perfect spot for international vegetarian fare like tofu curry and Thai salad. Their veg curry was a plentiful portion of fresh veggies, tofu and tempeh in a deliciously aromatic spicy sauce, served with steaming brown rice. I’m salivating just thinking about it.
Whilst Kafe Botanika isn’t exclusively vegetarian, there are plenty of veg and vegan options on their menu. Their front of restaurant courtyard is perfect for a slow brunch or romantic evening meal, and they also have trendy inside seating.
Our favourite vegetarian restaurant in San Sebastian’s Old Town: Maiatza
On my very first night in San Sebastian, tired and hungry after an unsuccessful foray into the Old Town, I was very pleased to eventually find Maiatza. Maiatza styles itself as a coffee shop, but it stays open late and serves both evening meals and a substantial brunch menu.
This is a good option if you’re in the Old Town with a meat-eating group and need some standard veggie and vegan fare — think veggie burgers and falafel.
What about Spanish omelette?
If you’re out and about and just need something to eat right that second, your best bet is to try a local bar and ask if they have “tortilla de patatas” (Spanish omelette). This egg and potato staple, normally served with bread, is a good option in an emergency and fairly common. Watch out though, as there is a cod (bacalao) version that’s not suitable for vegetarians.
What about if you’re vegan?
If you’re vegan, you can try asking for “patatas bravas”, which is fried potatoes served with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli. Aioli is traditionally made from just olive oil and garlic, but you should ask to confirm that you won’t be getting one made from mayonnaise instead.
You can also try asking for “pimientos de padrón” (fried green peppers) or simply bread and olives (though even olives often come stuffed with anchovies, so always check with the waiter before ordering).
Our favourite Asian restaurant with vegetarian options in San Sebastian: Ama Elur
Ama Elur is a wonderful Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall that serves a variety of popular Asian dishes, such as pad Thai, pho and bao buns. It was truly amazing to see the chef in action: she made each dish from scratch in a tiny kitchen at an impressive pace to cater for all the hungry customers.
This is not a vegetarian restaurant, but both veggie and vegan options are plentiful. The prices are good, but the portions are a little on the smaller side, so order sides if you’re hungry or top up with some pinchos at a bar afterwards!
Our favourite plant-based coffee shop in San Sebastian: OhBaba
OhBaba is a trendy, plant-based coffee shop in San Sebastian that’s popular with a hipster student crowd. We didn’t eat here, but the specialty coffee was fantastic and the plant-based baked goods that we saw being served looked very popular. As you’d expect from a plant-based cafe, plant-based milks are available for your hot drinks!
Prices are a little on the high side, but the decor is very modern and it’s a great little place to get caffeinated before a day on the beach.
Our favourite Basque cheesecake in San Sebastian: Oiartzun
One thing that vegetarians don’t have to miss out on is an authentic Basque cheesecake. Unlike a regular cheesecake, Basque-style cheesecake is slightly burnt on top to give a caramelised finish, with a slightly gooey interior.
Whilst the most famous cheesecake place in town is La Viña, we very much enjoyed eating cheesecake at Pastelería Oiartzun. This confectionary shop on the way into the Old Town is the perfect place to stop for an authentically Spanish “merienda” (afternoon snack). Sadly, Basque cheesecake is not suitable for vegans.
Our favourite acai bowl in San Sebastian: Fam Kafe
We hit the gym a few times in San Sebastian and were pleased to find hole-in-the-wall Fam Kafe serving protein shakes, smoothies and vegan acai bowls. This little place is run solo by a local mama, so expect the pace of service to be slow.
Our favourite bakery in San Sebastian: Ekafetegia
Fortunately, the Spanish love their bread and San Sebastian has plenty of bakeries. We liked the local Ekafetegia where we grabbed a baguette most days to eat with olive oil and tomatoes. They have both a takeaway bakery and a sit-in cafe.
If you’re visiting San Sebastian as a vegetarian, we’d love to hear from you! Have you eaten at any of the places mentioned above? Was there anywhere that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
Alasdair
Just to say thanks for the recommendation of Orburu , which was absolutely fantastic. The chef/owner, Eneko, told us he’d previously had to go to London, Brighton & Cork to find work as a specifically vegetarian chef, before returning to San Sebastián to open his place a couple of years ago. He said there are now 3-4 vegetarian places in the city, so it’s getting there! For non-veggie places with good veggie options, there’s the wonderful Gerald’s Bar in Gros, or Aitana on c/ Easo, both with limited but well thought-out & prepared options.