'Trip of a lifetime': Chefs explore San Sebastián on TSC tour

From salty pintxos bars to the hushed temples of Michelin stars, last week The Staff Canteen took eight chefs and four suppliers on an exclusive pilgrimage of San Sebastián and the wider region.

There they uncovered the ancient fire-grilling traditions and avant-garde techniques that define one of the world’s most decorated culinary capitals, Amanda Afiya and Mark Morris report.

San Sebastián is more than just a coastal city in Spain’s beguiling Basque Country; for those who live and breathe hospitality, it is a spiritual home. It’s a place where the air smells of charcoal smoke and cider, and where the boundary between a casual snack and a culinary masterpiece simply doesn't exist.

Last week, a hand-picked group of some of the UK’s most talented chefs traded their whites for walking shoes, embarking on a bespoke educational odyssey through the cobblestone streets of the Parte Vieja - San Sebastián’s Old Town - and beyond.

But this wasn't your average food tour. Leading the charge for The Staff Canteen’s inaugural European Chefs Tour were two undisputed titans of the industry: Ashley Palmer-Watts, the precision-driven visionary behind the global success of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and now chef-director of The Devonshire, London, recently crowned number one in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs; and Basque-born Nieves Barragán Mohacho, the woman who brought the soul of Spanish cooking to London at Barrafina before opening her first solo venture, Sabor, in 2018, and sister restaurant Legado, which opened in Shoreditch seven months ago, virtually securing a Michelin star from the get-go.

On the menu

The itinerary was designed to be as energetic as the kitchens themselves, focusing on the region’s unique "high-low" dining culture. From the meticulousness of Michelin-starred temples to the controlled chaos of world-renowned pintxos bars, the trip offered an unfiltered look at one of the world’s most spectacular food scenes.

Under the mentorship of Ashley and Nieves, six chefs - who travelled with and were sponsored by supplier heavyweights Mitch Mitchell of TRUEfoods, Michael Eyre of Jestic Foodservice Solutions, Stephen Kinkead of Winterhalter UK and Gareth Sefton of SHW Design - weren't just eating, they were dissecting the techniques, the heritage, and the relentless passion that keeps San Sebastián at the centre of the culinary map.

After arriving on an early-morning flight, first stop on the tour was a lunchtime trip to Daniel’s Focacceria in the heart of the city. Since its inception in June 2023, Daniel’s has emerged as a specialised workshop that elevates humble dough into a high-art form. For a chef, the appeal lies in the technical accuracy of their high-hydration dough and the unapologetic focus on a singular product executed with obsessive quality.

The shop reflects a modern shift in San Sebastián’s food scene, moving away from traditional pintxos toward specialised, single-concept excellence that utilises local Basque ingredients with Mediterranean techniques, an approach not lost on James Prout, senior sous chef, the one-Michelin-starred Angel at Hetton.

He said: “The focaccia was some of the best I've ever had - the love and the dedication they put into cooking the focaccias is incredible.”

While many bakeries use a same-day or 24-hour rise, Daniel’s often utilises a two-day long, cold fermentation that allows the enzymes to break down gluten more thoroughly, making the bread significantly easier to digest and creating a more complex, nutty flavour profile.

“Beyond the fermentation process, they work with really interesting flavours and textures that go so well together, and they use outstanding ingredients,” says James, highlighting a courgette focaccia which delivered on acidity and freshness.

“I think this one stood out because we weren’t expecting it to be as nice as it was! But it was so fresh and the flavours were powerful. Visiting Daniel’s was such a great experience.”

An evening spent touring the pintxos bars of the city was tweaked slightly with Nieves managing to get the 14-strong group into Ganbara followed by a visit to Gandarias – both legendary institutions in the Old Town.

Robert Taylor, head chef and owner of Tallow in Tunbridge Wells in Kent, was excited to experience the pintxos style of food having never been to the city before.

"The pintxos bars were everything I expected - absolutely great!"

A highlight for Robert at Ganbara was the spider crab tart (tartaleta de txangurro) widely considered as one of the most iconic pintxos in San Sebastián. This delicate bite is a masterclass in Basque seafood preparation, focusing on the natural sweetness of the local spider crab against the buttery texture of the pastry.

“It was just packed full of flavour. I love this style of eating and seeing everybody out enjoying themselves. It's so good. But everything we ate during the pintxos tour was just fantastic. And I like that people going from bar to bar, each bar with its own special things that it focuses on, even though at some place the variety was extensive. The mini burger at Gandarias [the “hamburguesita"] was so full of flavour, so tasty.”

The wild west

The first formal restaurant visit of the trip saw the contingent take a short, scenic drive to the west of San Sebastián, to the charming coastal village of Getaria. A culinary temple and pioneer of the wood-fired grilling tradition, Elkano is regarded by leading chefs as the global authority on seafood preparation, founded on a philosophy of extreme minimalism and a deep respect for the Cantabrian Sea.

Founded in 1964 by the late Pedro Arregui, Elkano revolutionised Basque cuisine by being the first to grill whole fish in their skin and to value "scraps" like hake neck (“cogote”), turning them into high-value treats. Current owner Aitor Arregui, Pedro’s son, who has held a Michelin star at the restaurant since 2014, emphasises "terroir of the sea" - sourcing fish based on their life cycle, diet (such as those that feed on anchovies in late spring), and exactly when they were landed by Getaria's fishing fleet.

“Elkano has been on my list of restaurants to visit for many, many years,” says Spencer Metzger, executive chef of recently promoted two-Michelin-starred Row on 5 on London’s Savile Row, who enjoyed a pescatarian’s delight of seabass, baby shrimps, spider crab, marinated lobster, kokotxas (pronounced koh-koh-chas), one of the most prized delicacies in Basque cuisine and the fleshy, triangular "throats" or "chins" of the fish, followed by grouper, red mullet and turbot.

“It was the most remarkable lunch - the sheer simplicity and cooking technique was astounding; the technicality and produce was mind-blowing. And it's just amazing to have shared this experience with so many passionate people.”

Sarah Frankland, executive chef at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Surrey, was stunned by the beauty of Getaria. “It’s the most amazing fishing village. Initially, we walked around, seeing the way the anchovies are cleaned and prepared by hand, and then followed up with a sensational lunch at Elkano.

“All the fish was cooked over coals out the back, and the flavours of the fish were so pure. But one fish had us all talking - two different types of grouper, one that had lived in shallow areas in the rocks, and one that had swam in the open sea. The textures were extraordinary, and yet it was the same species of fish. The environments the fish had been living in had completely altered the texture and flavour of the fish.”

Also based at a coastal restaurant with a great reputation for the quality of its fish-based dishes, Ben Drake, head chef at the one-Michelin-starred The Elephant in Torquay, Devon, says the fish cookery at Elkano went way beyond anything he’d seen before.

He said: “We source extremely carefully and work hard on wastage, but the level of care and attention that went into each part of that fish, and the exhaustive sourcing of it, is something that, as a restaurant by the sea, I will take home.”

Back in San Sebastián that evening, in the old town, and the group enjoyed dinner at traditional, rustic restaurant, Egosari, where dishes included mi-cuit foie gras with apple jam, Iberic pork cheek with potato puree, and vanilla flan. “Some of us started with a beautiful tomato salad with tuna belly and green piparras peppers,” said Sarah, “followed by pig's cheek or monkfish. And I've just indulged in the most amazing Basque cheesecake – I may go back and have another nibble.”

Raising the steaks

After a chilled breakfast and a chance to sample San Sebastián’s great array of coffees, the group headed south of the city to Casa Julián, the celebrated steakhouse in the town of Tolosa.

Consistently ranked among the top steak restaurants globally, the restaurant, founded by Julián Rivas, started life in 1951 as a fruit and vegetable shop. But legend has it that a friend challenged Julián to cook a steak as well as he handled his fresh produce; Julián eventually pivoted the business, creating a dedicated asador (steakhouse) that has remained virtually unchanged since.

Today, Casa Julián is run by the Gorrotxategi family after the restaurant transitioned from Julián to Matías Gorrotxategi, a local with a deep passion for meat, in 1980. The transaction was seen at the time as “the passing of the torch”.

The star of the show is the txuleta (bone-in ribeye steak), typically from retired dairy cows. The steaks are dry-aged and grilled over the restaurant’s iconic, inclined charcoal grill. The meat is heavily salted and cooked to a “rare” temperature to ensure a caramelised, crispy exterior and a tender, ruby-red core. “Today I probably had one of the best steaks of my life,” enthuses Nieves, “and I’ve eaten a lot of steaks! Casa Julian was unbelievable.”

The final meal of the tour was something uniquely created for the group – a pop-up of fêted Argentinian-born chef Paulo Airaudo’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Amelia, currently in the process of being located from Hotel Villa Favorita to the historic Hotel Maria Cristina, but on this occasion housed in the small, exclusive city basement location of his fine-dining restaurant iBAi.

The tasting menu included: an amuse of leek consommé, snacks incorporating wild trout, kama toro tuna, Palamós prawns, caviar, scallops and langoustines with a Champagne sauce; mains including lobster and pumpkin; wagyu, onion and teardrop peas; and potato, sea urchin and vin jaune; and a lemon tart dessert.
Commenting on the experience of Amelia, Ben Harrison, chef and owner of Good Food Guide South West Best Local Restaurant of the Year 2025, Counter Culture in Newquay, says: “I think the balance of flavour and textures throughout the meal was incredible - the sourcing and the quality of the ingredients was so evident. There's some outstanding dishes, technically perfect. And, as an experience, it was amazing.”

But how had the trip influenced Ben, a frequent visitor of San Sebastian, whose own restaurant in Cornwall is Basque-inspired? “I haven't been in San Sebastian for a long time. I think returning to the place that I fell in love with is unbelievable. The value in the knowledge of the other chefs on the trip, and the wider group, to have the time and space with all these fantastic people was great. When do you ever get the chance to do these things? It's honestly been the trip of a lifetime.

“But I think the biggest things for me to take away is the simplicity of the dishes we have eaten - from the pintxos bars and the tours to Elkano, which, for me, was one of the top 10 meals of my life. The simpleness of it, the knowledge of the ingredient, the knowledge of fish, the different textures from where the fish is caught and where it spends its time – that was astounding. I think it's very easy to get caught up into thinking I need to add this to a dish, or lift it with acidity etc. And what really took me by surprise was the lack of acidity throughout our meal, which just actually showcases the fish for its true beauty.” 

SPONSORS

With thanks to Winterhalter UK, TRUEfoods, SHW Design and Jestic Foodservice Solutions for their kind support of The Staff Canteen’s European Chefs Tour to San Sebastian.

Stephen Kinkead, managing director, Winterhalter UK: “This trip has been so important for relationship building and the opportunity to be with the crew that we've had and getting access to restaurants that I couldn't necessarily get access to.

"We've had three amazing days in San Sebastián with lots of great conversations. My outstanding moment was Elkano and eating parts of a fish I didn't think were possible!”

Mitch Mitchell, managing director, TRUEfoods: “We had the most beautiful lunch at Elkano, fresh fish, which was great for me with the sea just 100 yards away, and dining with the most amazing people. And that's what's great about our industry - a group of culinarians coming on a study tour with The Staff Canteen. It’s been a belter of a trip.”

Gareth Sefton, managing director, SHW Design: “For me the trip has been about trying to help some of the new chefs that are coming through the industry currently, offering them advice and point them in the right direction with regards to design.

"Visiting Getaria was super, having a little walk around the town and seeing some of the things going down at the harbour with the fishmonger, and then going to Elkano. It’s been great.”

Michael Eyre, product director, Jestic Foodservice Solutions: “I’ve felt lucky to be invited on this chef's tour to San Sebastián.

"One of my favourite parts of the trip was heading out of town on the train to Casa Julián in Tolosa. This was the one I was looking forward to the most - steak, fire, it was amazing, and I want to come back.”

(Photos: Gareth Sefton and Ashley Palmer-Watts)