A Foodie Paradise City In Spain Is Home To The World's Most Famous Cheesecake And 20 Michelin Stars

Spanish cuisine is so much more than tapas — it's as visionary as it is delicious. The country ranks highly on the wishlists of traveling foodies seeking out the legendary (but now closed) El Bulli, a pioneering restaurant in molecular gastronomy, or the world's oldest restaurant in Madrid. However, San Sebastián is one city in particular that has stood out among the rest as a beacon of tastiness.

Nestled within Spain's Basque Country, San Sebastián has more Michelin stars per capita than any other city in the country. At the time of this writing, Michelin has awarded the city with 20 Michelin stars across 12 restaurants, but you don't need to spend a lot of money to eat well here. Along with having the loveliest stretch of golden sand in Europe, per Rick Steves, the city's glittering world-class food reputation also represents the Basque culture's culinary history.

Even if you don't have a Michelin-level food budget, San Sebastián is one of the best cities in the world for foodies. Between the famous creaminess of burnt Basque cheesecake and the delectable fun of hopping from one pintxo bar to another, here's what you need to know if you're going to San Sebastián.

With a unique culture, history, and language, the Basque Country is a fascinating and beautiful destination where fresh ingredients are plentiful, thanks to the region's location along the Bay of Biscay next to the Pyrenees Mountains. Basque cuisine has always emphasized freshness, and restaurants frequently change their menus based on which local products are in season. The region is also home to the pintxo, a type of bar food that is small enough to accompany each round of drinks. Unlike tapas, which are meant to be shared among many people, a pintxo is small enough to be finished in just a few bites.

The best example of this was the Gilda, which was the very first pintxo invented in the 1940s in the San Sebastián bar Casa Vallés. Consisting of an olive, a pickled pepper, and a salted anchovy pierced by a toothpick, the Gilda has a perfect balance of flavors. In an effort to push culinary boundaries, the New Basque Cuisine was developed in the 1970s, building the fine dining landscape that has earned the city of San Sebastián so many Michelin stars.

Secure your reservations far in advance if you want a table at one of the city's three-star restaurants — at the family-run Arzak, you can enjoy a tasting menu for about $300. Try dining at some of the other one- and two-starred eateries in town, like the modern fare at Kokotxa or the imaginative Amelia by Paulo Airaudo. You can often find more open tables if you book for lunch.

Getting a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant is doable, but if you want to eat the best pintxos in town, you will need to bring your game face. There are hundreds of bars in the city, each of which has its own specialties (like the creamy crab bake from Bar Sport), so knowing where to go and for what can be tricky. The best thing to do is to start your trip in San Sebastián with a pintxo tour from a company like Devour Tours (which also runs one of the best-rated food tours in Paris). The company employs local guides who can give you a crash course in what to eat and where, as well as how to push your way to the front of the line and stake out a table.

Because chefs are trying to outdo each other in this town, there's always something new to try in San Sebastián. Still, you can't beat a classic, which is why you should not leave without stopping by La Viña for their "burnt" cheesecake, a delectable slice of cream-cheesy heaven with a caramelized crust. There are a lot of cheesecake shops around town, but this is the original, and it's worth the wait.