Restaurante Akelare | Pedro Subijana

What an amazing experience at Akelare. From the moment you walk in you are facing incredible views. The way to the restaurant seems daunting but it's not bad at all — we were able to find it very easily. They have several terraces that you are welcome to check out even if your table is not located in that area. The staff service is excellent, they are all so nice and welcoming. And the food... Definitely worth the experience. There are two menus to pick from, each one with ~9 dishes. There were two of us and we wanted to try everything so each of us picked a different menu. We are so very glad to have been to Akelare and we'll never forget this experience.

They provided two different tasting menus - Bekarki and Aranori with different wine pairing, so we tried both options. There were no overlapping dishes between us. It was beyond amazing. Even the desert was a too sweet for me, I won't complain. The whole experience was easily the best chef tasting menus and wine pairing compared to any other three Michelin stars restaurants we have tried over 20 some years. We had never imagined having dinner like this. This was out of the world special.

Beautiful views from the modern restaurant/hotel with comfortable interior and exterior seating. The staff were all friendly and informative. The dress was casual and the service impeccable. The tasting menu was stellar with local foods elevated in creative dishes. Our meal was several hours long, a lovely and super relaxed pace.

When planning for our Honeymoon, I wanted to go to a 3 star Michelin restaurant, every online article had Restaurante Akelarre on it. So I had to make the reservation 4 months in advance. I walked in with a drink and immediately someone grabbed from me and delivered on a silver platter as we were sat down. I knew we were in for the best service. We received a table next to the window which has insane views of the ocean.

They had 2 experience menus, both had seafood but one was more filled with meat. You could also swap out items from each menu. There was roughly 8 courses but we received 13 total platters each ranging from veggies, seafood, pastries, meat, and a few rounds of dessert.

We never had our glasses empty either, they had a fair selection of wines.

A very expensive experience, but you need to know what you are getting yourself into. It was well worth the experience for me, but I could see it not being so for some.

I highly recommend going here, a great experience for me.

One word: perfection. It’s hard to describe just how good the food was and each dish was better than the last. Service was immaculate and location is second to none. I don’t think I could say anything that hasn’t been said countless times before. Experience of a lifetime.

The service and atmosphere were above the clouds. One of the best Michelin experiences that I’ve ever had. The food was super fishy which is also local and I know it is super personal as well. We’ve been there in March, I cannot imagine how lovely it would be during June/July where you can sit outside and sip your champagne during sunset!

All-around excellent! Food and wine are all perfect. But above all, the service is what really makes this place stand out. The service is exceptional, and this is where Akelarre achieves the outstanding. Yes, it's expensive, but as many others state, it's an experience. There's always their second restaurant, Oteiza (downstairs), for a more 'economical' return visit.

Got the second of the two menus (started with a B) and it was absolutely amazing. Also went to another 3-star restaurant in Donostia during my trip but this was miles ahead in terms of flavor and inventiveness - deserves a 4th star honestly. Service was flawless. Wine list had fewer by-cup and non-alcoholic options vs other fancy places; but different from competitors, all the wines I tried were phenomenal. Can’t recommend this place enough.

We had a great time! The food was delicious, beautiful views, great service, and a very pleasant ambience.

Akelarre was an experience we will never forget! The views were stunning, the service was exceptional, and the food was tremendous. My absolute favorite was the coconut iced mousse, which had the texture of a mix between freshly packed snow and light yet moist pound cake. The mousse disintegrates slightly in your mouth, and you’re left chewing a light coconut texture. It was the most exciting thing I’ve ever eaten and was a perfect cold treat to end the meal. Another favorite was the squid as risotto and butter flower. The dish looks like black risotto, but is actually squid bits in its own ink. You mix the butter flower into the dish to make it the consistency of risotto. This was really fun to watch evolve in front of you and even better to eat. A third favorite was the rice with red prawns. A red prawn sauce is mixed table side into the rice. Flavor-wise, this may have been my favorite. Last, I’ll mention the gin and tonic on a plate, which had all the flavors of the classic drink deconstructed into ways that were individually easily identifiably, and delicious by themselves or mixed together. I hope to be back!

Probably most of the reviews say, it is an experience that you need to have - because it is! The view I could watch for days, the service is impeccable and the food is amazing. The foie gras with the salt flakes and the black pepper was my absolute favourite 🥰 And the wine selection is really interesting as well. I loved every single minute that I spent at the restaurant 😊

My partner and I went here as part of her birthday present. We were not let down, the food was delightful and well made, the staff were friendly, courteous and couldn't do enough for you and the restaurant is beautifully situated.

The 3 Michelin stars rating is fully deserved. That’s all you need to know, but if you want to go into more detail, the sheer amount of effort they’ve put into culinary excellence and an unforgettable dining experience is clear and apparent. While I liked some dishes more than others, every dish was perfectly cooked, and the intent of the chef for every dish came through clearly. Service was excellent, the wine recommendations were spot on, and they get their bread from the best bakery in San Sebastián, and it was the best bread I’ve ever had.

If you’re more on the adventurous side when it comes to drinks, try to raspberry eau-de-vie as a digestive after the meal. You won’t regret it.

And if you can get a seat with a view of the sea, it's breathtaking!

Tick the box and go here; it’s an experience. Every category you can think of exceeds expectation: service, presentation, location, decor… even the change out of table settings throughout the courses is in alignment with the dish. And the food - just look at the pictures; like the famed Diabolic butter (goat’s milk) 👌🏼

Get the tasting menu.

My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday.

There were many course items and they were all very creative.

Of course, in addition to the location, the service was excellent and it was a very enjoyable birthday.

Beautiful restaurants overlooking the sea and outdoor balcony. Friendly and quick service, it does seem a little bit rushed as explanation per dish is light, they however allows exchange of any item in a menu set into another item in the other set. This gives you flexibility to customise your tasting menu and create a menu of your own. I highly appreciate it. While it didn’t give you the WOW feeling for many of its dishes as the classic menu stayed traditional and nothing overly innovative, it is better than some 3 star I had attempted in the UK. I would recommend to go with classic menu, as the innovative ones need some further improvement.

Perfect location overlooking the ocean. The restaurant has a180* view of the Cantabrico Sea in all it's splendor. The decor was subtle as was the service. The tasting menu started slowly building into a magnificent stride of amazing flavor as well as presentation. A great experience.

Best cocktails I’ve ever had. Besides, their barman, Inaki Altrian, has this amazing ability to read minds and come up with exactly what you need. Please try their Diplomisu, it’s actually better than most of the tiramisus I’ve had. Smoky old fashioned is also a must. If you’re coming for the absolute gourgeus views, be prepared for their cocktails! Mind blowing

I recently celebrated my 40th birthday here. Very memorable, great food and service.
Definitely one to remember. Although, there was slight concern that I wouldn’t remember the meal or at least get through all the tasting menu with the generous wine pairing.

Blown away by an impeccable dining experience. Beautiful setting, amazing food and really warm and lovely staff who added to the entire event. It is expensive but worth every single penny.