Situated on Spain’s northern coast, in the heart of Basque country, San Sebastián (or Donostia in the Basque language) lies just 20km from the French border, yet you won’t find much Gallic culture creeping in. The nearest major Spanish city is Bilbao, which is about an hour’s drive away should you find time to make it to the world-famous silver-plated Guggenheim museum. Not that you’ll be stuck for things to do in San Sebastián, though thankfully the pace is more genteel here than in Bilbao. Poet Gabriel Celaya once described it as “an open city” and the ease at which you can explore on foot is a major plus.

The main reason to come here is the food. A gastronome’s delight, San Sebastián famously has more Michelin stars per square metre than anywhere else in the world and, together with Paris, it’s the only city in the world boasting three restaurants with the maximum distinction of three Michelin stars. Of these, I’d have to recommend Restaurant Arzak (www.arzak.info). Featuring the Donostiarra cuisine of Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena, it’s probably the most luxurious family-run restaurant you’ll ever encounter. For years, Arzak was considered the finest chef in Spain, and to this day he continues his aim to “renew and modernise Basque cuisine without losing its traditional base.”

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