Amelia: Basque Country culinary treasure

On the seafront of San Sebastián, facing La Concha bay, Amelia has become one of the most quietly assured addresses in the Basque Country. The restaurant is the first solo venture of chef Paulo Airaudo, the Argentine-born cook who trained at houses such as Arzak and The Fat Duck before settling in Donostia, and who named the project after his daughter.

Amelia holds two Michelin stars, the second awarded in December 2021. Its single seasonal tasting menu builds on the produce of the Cantabrian coast, drawing Italian roots and Asian accents into a precise, understated whole. The cellar matches the kitchen: its list was rated number one in Spain by Star Wine List for 2026.

Within a city long regarded as one of the world's great culinary capitals, Amelia has earned its place among Euskadi's finest — an intimate room where technique, restraint and the sea remain the constant guiding elements.