Restaurante Zelai Txiki
Elegant Basque cuisine with a farm-to-fork concept, set on a hill with breathtaking views over San Sebastián.
Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Best Time
Blue hour photography, calmer galleries
Restaurante Zelai Txiki
Highlights
Must-see attractions
Elegant Basque cuisine with a farm-to-fork concept, set on a hill with breathtaking views over San Sebastián.
"Amazing celebration lunch with the best prawns and hake I've ever tasted!"
Terrace Seating
Opt for terrace seating when weather permits for an even more enjoyable meal experience.
Transportation
Consider a taxi to reach the restaurant due to the steep final 200 meters.
Quick Facts
Cuisine
Basque
Price
$$$
Phone
+34 688 61 15 81
Address
Rodil kalea, 79, 20013 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences
Breathtaking Hillside Views
Dine with panoramic views of San Sebastián from a beautiful terrace, creating a magical ambiance for any meal.
Farm-to-Fork Basque Cuisine
Savor authentic Basque flavors with ingredients from their own garden, showcasing a commitment to freshness and quality.
Exceptional Wine Selection
Complement your meal with an extensive and well-curated wine list, featuring delicious local wines by the glass.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Menu
Most Popular Items
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Terrace Seating
Opt for terrace seating when weather permits for an even more enjoyable meal experience.
Transportation
Consider a taxi to reach the restaurant due to the steep final 200 meters.
Dessert Pre-ordering
Advance order house-made desserts like coulan, which are highly recommended.
Explore Wine by Glass
Explore their rich selection of wines sold by the glass alongside your meal.
Tips
from all over the internet
Terrace Seating
Opt for terrace seating when weather permits for an even more enjoyable meal experience.
Transportation
Consider a taxi to reach the restaurant due to the steep final 200 meters.
Dessert Pre-ordering
Advance order house-made desserts like coulan, which are highly recommended.
Explore Wine by Glass
Explore their rich selection of wines sold by the glass alongside your meal.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Zelai Txiki offers a fine dining experience with stunning views and a commitment to fresh, garden-sourced ingredients. While many praise the exceptional food, attentive service, and extensive wine selection, some reviewers noted inconsistencies in flavor and seasoning. The beautiful terrace and farm-to-fork concept are consistent highlights.
"On a quiet residential district, up on a hill. Quaint place but pretty good food!
Compared to our previous night of 3* Michelin, this one is actually even better.
My husband’s order of suckling pig is generous and really yummy. Overall a great satisfying meal."
Alice Ho
"We visited these restaurants because of the green star. A restaurant with a beautiful terrace and a view, plus bread with a wonderfully crispy crust, but the quality of the dishes is simply too ordinary, without proper seasoning, without depth of flavor. We poured wine and water ourselves, so the service didn't help either. We were a bit surprised by this lack of good taste, because from the outside it looked like a professional kitchen. Maybe it was a bad day and someone forgot to try the dishes served, but this is not a place I can recommend."
Iwona Niemczewska
"Great experience in this place. I came recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint us! Excellent tasting menu, the only contra at the very beginning they served dishes when we did not finish the previous ones. Then everything went smoothly.
Very recommendable!"
Rutas Afa
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the steep final 200 meters, it is recommended to take a taxi to reach the restaurant.
Yes, the restaurant features a beautiful terrace with stunning views, which is highly recommended when weather permits.
Yes, advance ordering for house-made desserts like coulan is highly recommended by reviewers.
Restaurante Zelai Txiki has been recognized with a Michelin Green Star in the 2023 Guide for its commitment to sustainability.
Yes, the restaurant prides itself on its self-sufficiency and sources vegetables from its own garden.
Dishes like perfectly cooked hare, suckling pig, and fresh seafood such as turbot and hake are frequently praised.
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The 25 Best Restaurants In San Sebastián - San Sebastián
Zelai Txiki up in the hills above the Gros neighborhood is one of the city’s local favorites. They’ve been open for two decades and continue to improve—adding a wood-fired oven (where they bake their own bread), expanding the wine cellar, and starting their own garden. All of these upgrades are exactly the reason why locals keep coming back, but the creamy rice with clams, grilled wild turbot kissed with garlic and olive oil, and whole suckling pig Segovia-style doesn’t hurt, either.
The best restaurants in San Sebastián
Zelai Txiki could skirt by on its superficial charm, located on the skirts of Mount Ulia, with an impossibly beautiful terrace and views. Chef Juan Carlos Caro, however, is not one to settle for easy – he plants and maintains the garden that supplies the kitchen and bakes bread daily from a sourdough starter that’s nearing a decade of life. One of the best seats in town.
Discover Excellent Value Wines And Great Restaurants In San Sebastian
The best turbot I had in my life was at Zelai Txiki – simply grilled with just a sprinkling of salt and lemon. At Kaia Kaipe in a picturesque neighboring town called Getaria, all the seafood is fresh and delicious. Wine markups for these casual restaurants are much more reasonable than at their fancier counterparts.
A Michelin-starred chef's restaurant recommendations in San Sebastián
This place, whose location and panoramic terrace are worth the visit in itself, has a green star in the Michelin Guide. À la carte menu focusing on organic produce, from its own vegetable garden. Adress: Restaurante Zelai Txiki,Rodil Kalea, 79
Best restaurants for a special dinner in San Sebastian
Monday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, Thursday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, 8:15 – 10:30 PM, Friday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, 8:15 – 10:30 PM, Saturday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, 8:15 – 10:30 PM, Sunday: 1:15 – 3:30 PM, 8:15 – 10:30 PM
Exploring San Sebastian's Best Michelin Star Restaurants
Zelai Txiki has even been recognized with a Michelin Green Star in the 2023 Guide for its commitment to sustainability and the circular economy.
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