Centro

Centro is the Belle Époque grid laid out after the city walls came down, a district of broad avenues, banks and the grand cafés that once served San Sebastián's spa-resort aristocracy. Casa Vallés, birthplace of the gilda, still pours vermouth from the same corner it has held for over a century, while the elegant Casa Otaegui keeps the old-Donostia pastry tradition alive. The neighbourhood's modern edge belongs to Paulo Airaudo, whose two-star Amelia and Italian-leaning iBAi sit within its calm streets alongside the tight, ambitious cooking of Antonio Bar. Less frenetic than the old town, it rewards those who want their Basque eating with a little more room to breathe.