Bar Nestor

I love this place so much. The gentleman enforcing the line was amazing--kept everything orderly while being jovial. He made sure everyone had drinks too. The wait was long but thankfully we met very friendly German and Dutch travelers to chat with in line so the time passed quickly. The steak was one of the best I've ever had, as well as the tomato salad. Everyone ordered steak, tomato salad, and peppers. 6 drinks + steak + tomato salad + peppers + bread+ friendly and efficient service= 76€. Worth the wait!

ℹ Arrive at 12:00pm to pre-order tortilla for lunch or 7:00pm for dinner! They will open a small side window to take your order, and let you know when to come back. When they officially open upon your return, they will call your name when they are ready for you. Don’t be late!

What a gem! This place is authentic and makes their food with soul. The tortilla is really good, and their tomato salad is the best we’ve had across our Barcelona and San Sebastián trip. The tomatoes tasted SO FRESH and were actually sweet!!

Peppers are good too, but more typical like what you can get elsewhere. The steak is good. They will bring out different cuts for you to select and even the smallest cut can be really big.

If you are a tourist coming here as 1 or 2 people and want to get the steak, then you either have to accept that you will get mostly full here or choose to not get the steak. It is very good, but if you can typically get access to good steaks where you are from then then getting a lot of different pinxtos during your trip might be more unique.

By the way, ANTONIO is the best. He is soooo nice and cheerful. It’s hectic and stressful serving that many people throughout the day, but he does it with a smile and sometimes even sings. He brings good energy and spirit to the job, making it a great experience for every guest. Thank you so much Antonio. :)

Don't walk. RUN to this place. The absolute best pintxos bar in SS. I loved it here. Meat, meat, meat, tomatoes salad, Peppers ans great atmosphere. The meat is a must. They know their stuff. Let them guide you. Just come right in. Seriously best atmosphere. My fav was the tomatoe salad.

We missed the wait list for the tortilla however had a brilliant txuleta, pardon peppers and tomato salad with loads.of bread and wine. The steak was a little rare for our liking but thankfully it's served on a hot platter so if you leave the meat to rest for a little longer it took it to med-rare which was perfect. Great value and super tasty. The tomato salad was to die for. A must try

Excellent experience! I got here at 11am on a Friday and was first in the queue for tortilla. As others have said, they take your name at midday and you come back c.12.45 before they open at one! The staff were super friendly, and as I was sat next to another solo diner, they even suggested we share dishes so we could try more things! Tortilla was great but the steak, tomatoes and peppers were really the stars in my opinion 😊

Bar Nestor is a MUST visit in San Sebastian. We initially weren't sure about having to queue but it is 100% worth it. We arrived around 11:10 and there was already a line ahead of us for tortilla pre-ordering at 12. Thankfully our queueing wasn't in vain and we managed to reserve a portion. The tortilla was incredible - definitely the best I've had!

The steak, pimientos and tomatoes were also unbelievable - I can't rave about the tomatoes enough! The atmosphere is great and the guy at the front of house was super friendly and welcoming.

We were first in line on a Saturday. Arrived at 11:15 so that we would get the tortilla, and by 12:00 (when they put your name down for the tortilla), there were about 15 people in line. We put our name down and then came back at 12:45 to eat. We ordered the tortilla, peppers, steak, and tomatoes (half portion is more than enough). This was one of my favorite meals in San Sebastian. The staff were super nice as well. The tortilla was unique and delicious. It tasted more caramelized than some of the others I've had. The steak was bomb - cooked to perfection with a nice char. It was cool being able to pick our raw steak before it was cooked too. The peppers have a flake salt and were delicious. Now for the tomatoes, how are they so good? Just olive oil and salt seem to be added, but they were perfect. The half order was still big and perfect for two people. You should go here.

Best tortilla I’ve ever had. I will dream of this tortilla after we leave. It’s that good. The steak and tomatoes are also out of this world. We went back three days in a row. Don’t miss the sangria either.

Fantastic service (made us and our infant feel so welcome) Do not miss this!!!

It’s the perfect meal. It lives up to the hype. I would happily eat lunch here every day for the rest of my life. Also, every employee is friendly, helpful, and so welcoming. I will send everyone to Bar Nestor when they visit San Sebastián

Wow this place was SO good! The tortilla runs out super early, so we went early to put our name down and it was totally worth the effort. Hands down the best tortilla we’ve ever had, and the other dishes (tomato salad, pimientos and steak) were all incredible. Just know the steak is a lot of food! Antonio the server is on top of his game and was also very friendly! Definitely will be back.

The tortilla is delicious and definitely worth the investment in time to reserve your spot. As mentioned in all the guide books and reviews of this establishment get yourself there early. We opted for the lunch slot and arrived just before 11am to queue and weren’t the first in-line. Once midday arrived we gave our name and order then returned at 12:45pm. We accepted the choice to stand at the bar, this lends itself to a great insight into the pace and work the team do.
First course was the tortilla which was by far the best we’d ever tasted. During this time one of the team members walked around the tables presenting the uncooked meat to the diners to choose their preferred cut. Tomatoes covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt followed shortly after then padron peppers appeared. Our chosen cut of meat arrived sizzling on a hot plate, pre-cut and seasoned to perfection.
The whole experience is quite a theatre and being inside the property meant we weren’t overlooked by people queuing outside to grab a seat once the first set of diners had finished.
Listen out for the shout of ‘bottle’ from behind the bar as a staff member throws the cork from an empty bottle into a set of scales high up above the drinks shelving. On one side of the scales there’s a football which I assume the weight of corks tries to balance. No idea what happens when it does and not speaking Spanish at all I didn’t have the confidence to ask.
A must place to visit if you want the tortilla and don’t mind waiting to book your seat(s).

Friendly and lively waiters, highlt recommend the t bone, peppers, tomato salad and spanish tortilla. You must be one of the first 10+ to arrive to get the spanish tortilla as they only make one as far as we saw for lunch. You can go 15-30 minutes before to put your name on the walk in list.

Bring at least 2 others to share the tbone steak as it is big and you must get a min of 1kg!

Tomatoes are super big and fresh!

This place is worth the hype and wait. We had the peppers, tomatoes, omelette, steak and coffee. Every item was delicious, particular the juicy ripe tomatoes and the meticulously special omelette. Definitely worth the effort and a must try in San Sebastian. Customers have to line up to make an order and return when the restaurant officially opens. Definitely a must visit for tourists.

The tortilla is worth the hype and the wait. Like others say, you should aim to queue up an hour beforehand to get your name on the tortilla list.

The tortilla is warm, gooey, and packed full of flavour. There's caramelised onion and pepper in there that really add a difference. While it's the best tortilla I've had, it is a touch salty.

The tomatoes and padron peppers are really good but overly salted. Service is excellent, the staff are wonderful.

Overall a great spot in San Sebastian, I went twice!

It’s worth the wait! We started queuing there an hour and 20 minutes before opening, the guy promptly open the window at 7 pm, so we can put our name down and come back later. We were second in line and we got 2 slices of the famous potato tortilla. The restaurant only has 3 tables and rest are standing room. They only serve Tomato, pepper and Steak (one size only), order everything and you won’t be disappointed. There isn’t much of service there, but we absolutely loved it.

Highly recommend getting there at 11 so you can put your name down at 12. We only had 1 person in front of us when we got there. The food & atmosphere is great. We had 2 tortillas, 2 ciders, 4 glasses of red, peppers, tomatoes (unbelievable) & the steak for €98.

I had heard all the hype about Bar Nestor: the best tortilla de patata, or potato omelette, in Donostia. So after three nights of trying unsuccessfully to get into this tiny place in the heart of this seaside city’s historic old town, my wife and I got there an hour before the place opened and we got on our name on the list—one of 16 coveted spots that entitled us to enter the bar first and get a slice of the famed tortilla. We were not disappointed! The tortilla was amazing, freshly cooked in a style with the eggs soft and warm, which was out of this world! Then we were asked if we wanted the chuleta, or prime cut of steak. Of course, we said. Why not? We also ordered the tomatoes garnished in olive oil and salt and the Guernica green peppers sautéed in olive oil and covered with copious amounts of salt. We munched on these tasty entrees and washed them down with Basque sagardoa, or cider. Both dishes were fantastic. While enjoying these starters, we were entertained by the head bartender, who barked out orders to his underlings and enjoyed entertaining the diners with his theatrics and answering questions anyone had about the place. The chuleta came sizzling on a hot skillet, very rare, which I like. But my wife, who prefers her meat more cooked, was able to turn the pieces of steak around on the hot skillet and cook them some more. The entire experience was absolutely first rate! Make sure you get to this place 45 minutes to an hour early to get your name on the list, then when you come back they will call you in the order you are listed. As we enjoyed our meal, a crowd formed outside, all of them hoping to land a spot inside. I felt satisfied and lucky as I ate while the crowds peered inside.

What a great, authentic place! We have been there 3 times in 4 years and loved it every time. We didn't get a tortilla this time, but we already tried ir previously. It was perfectly cooked. And definitely the next best dish is the t-bone steak with padron peppers and tomatoes. Overall, everything was wonderful: the atmosphere, the food and the service. By the way, the prices were surprisingly low, especially the champagne prices. We will definitely be back.

Only drawback is the size of the place. We got there on a drizzly day, waited 45 minutes while served drinks outside under our umbrella. Got to a standing bar and served by an older gentleman who was very nice. Drinks were great.

The place is very established and has an old feel to it. It's tucked away in a narrow street that can be missed if you don't know what to look for. But it's a gem of a place.

Unbelievable service, atmosphere and food. 10/10 they serve tomatoes, pardon peppers and steak - get the lot! If you queue an hour or so before opening you can order the tortillas which are very limited but worth the wait.