Casa Julián

We took a bus here from San Sebastián (~35 min) based on recommendations we saw online. This place was definitely worth its hype. The meal started with some complimentary beef broth, which was delicious. They brought out two cuts of meat so we could choose the size we wanted. Since there were only two of us we opted for the smaller cut. We ordered charcuterie and mushrooms to start, then salad and peppers as sides for the steak. Everything was amazing. I didnt expect that we’d be able to finish everything we ordered, but nothing felt heavy at all. You can tell it’s all the highest quality and the staff seem very knowledgeable about the product and region. We would definitely be back

We came here as a birthday present for my husband and we just loved it. The meat was perfect. I don’t usually eat meat that colour but this was super buttery and delicious. The servers were always friendly and attentive. I cannot recommend this place enough.

It’s an amazing place with great atmosphere and uniquely tasty food. The meat was one of the best ones I have ever tried. They cook it in a traditional way, there’s only two choices of cuts, I would recommend trying both since they both are great in their own way. Unexpectedly, the peppers are fabulous. Together with meat they make an unforgettable combination. The restaurant also offers a great choice of wine. All in all, this place is definitely worth visiting.

It’s all about the meat! The mushrooms are some of the best I’ve ever had. The peppers were fine. The steak was perfectly cooked and tasty. Reservations are required as it gets packed. Highly recommended.

Great experience. We didn’t have a booking but this incredible waitress manage to slot us in if we manage to eat our meal in an hour (which we did!). We didn’t manage to get her name but she was incredible and made our meal so fun. Steak was done so well and cheesecake was the best we had so far! (We’ve had a lot!). 10/10 all around! ❤️

Truly an amazing steakhouse and slow food advocate. While hyped up by so called social media influencer, Casa Julian stands on its own. We received top tier recommendations on the wine to pair with our steak, the local wild mushrooms were incredible and the roasted peppers are a must. Our server provided excellent recommendations on the Scotch and even provided a small sip to compare two varieties of the same distillery

Had an amazing time here on my birthday. From the moment you walk in, you know it's all about meat. Even service reflects the pride they take in what they do. The atmosphere was warm and very welcoming. We were lucky to meet Matias. Definitely going back.

Grilled mushrooms were delicious and the steak was juicy. Not an expert on steaks though. Salad was a good addition because it’s very refreshing! Parking was difficult to find, need to plan ahead.

This place was great! You definitely need reservations to get here and it books up fast. Great looking space with large fridge of meats hanging as soon as you walk in. The owner was there sitting on the table in front. You come here for their meat. It's hand cut and brought to your table before cooking on the fire. There's a large fat cap, which adds to the flavor. It's the perfect combination of beefy flavor and tenderness and they cook it to perfection, almost rare. It's a flavor of meat you won't find anywhere except this area. Their chanterelle mushrooms with egg yolk was delicious, as well as their asparagus with cheese sauce. I don't know how they got the asparagus to taste so good and sweet, we had to order another one. They also have a selection of wine and make delicious cocktails too. If you are in San Sebastián, this place is definitely a must try. Service was outstanding as well.

Even though this place is known for its steak (which was very good) we were particularly impressed by its tomato salad, sweetbreads and piquillo peppers.

Found this Basque steakhouse via reviews and decided to try it to see if it lived up to its hype. Rated as World's 101 Best steak restaurant in 2023. You can book a reservation online to secure a spot. We did this about a month in advance and received confirmation. Established in 1954 by Matías Gorrotxategi and was mentioned as the best steak in the world by Forbes magazine. Xabi Gorrotxategi, following in his father's footsteps, is in charge of grilling meat and peppers. Hours are 1300-1800 Tuesday to Sunday and 2030-2400 Fridays and Saturdays. Tolosa is a gorgeous city to visit, so you can definitely make it into a daytrip. We hiked up the Elosegi Parkea for a gorgeous view of Tolosa after our meal and later came back to a parking ticket for parking past 1900 in the lot with lots of trees and no parking demarcations 2 mins walking distance to the restaurant, so make sure to read / translate all signs. We ordered their tomato salad, leeks, beef tartare, piquillo peppers and beef txuleta. We finished off with the cheesecake, custard, and tiles and cigarettes. They forgot to bring out our piquillo peppers so we ended up trying it right before dessert when we were pretty much wrapped up. Our server said that the beef is aged for 28-30 days and they choose 6-8 yo cows. Usually the cows are from Germany, however once in a while they have local cown instead. The time we visited, she said our beef was from local cows. The server sees how many people are present and gauges how much beef to order. They can either pre slice it or give you a whole piece to slice on your own. The steak is beautiful and delicious. Melts in your mouth. You can feel the meat is high quality. It was not fatty, but tasted amazing and delicious. Definitely worth trying and the hype. The decoration is nice but low key. Not a lot of seats so it fills up quickly. As you walk in, you'll see the display of meat hanging and another by the kitchen ready to be sliced. The leek, tomatoes and beef tartare were top notch. The peppers were ok, not sure if it was due to the fact that we received them late and we were full by then but definitely worth trying.

Amazing meal here, one of our favorites on a trip full of Michelins. It's simple, but done very, very well. Service is great. Wine list is great and well priced. We ate and drank like kings for a wonderful price. Ulysse Collin paired perfectly with our food. The meal starts with aperitifs and sausages. We ordered a handful of sides/apps in addition to our txuleton (they had the option of basque or I believe german cow that day - we opted for basque). The jamon iberico was magical. The grilled leeks were amazing. The meatball with pepper ice cream had us in tears, so delicious. The white asparagus are amazing and huge, priced by the spear - I wish I had ordered more. The steak was huge (we didn't finish), and so flavorful. The fat was so delicious, the steak perfectly seasoned and cooked, just one of the best meat experiences in the world. We skipped dessert as we were super full, but this will be a guaranteed restaurant stop on every trip to San Sebastian going forward.

If you love steak then you should give this restaurant a try when you're in this area. The appetizers (grilled peppers, tomatoes, asparagus) were all tasty too.

The food and service was great. Be ready to eat and order some veggies with your steak because the peppers and leeks were especially yummy but the salad was also good. It was difficult to decide on our favorite dish. The steak was just so good.

Amazing experience! Great service and delicious food. Steaks are unbelievably flavorful. Highly recommend!!!

I saw a video on VICE about this steak that triggered a MAJOR pregnancy craving. I booked a flight to Spain and traveled 7 hrs by train from Madrid to Tolosa, just to eat this steak and realized they were closed. However, the owner was there. He gave me a tour of the placed, told me some of their story and about his wife and newborn baby. I rescheduled my train the next day to pop in for lunch and gosh am I glad I did. The chef sat me next to grill so I could watch him cook my meal. It was the best steak I've had in my life and worth every minute spent traveling there. I broke every manner my mother ever taught me and had the steak bone in my hands eating from the bone, it was that delicious. The roasted red peppers were probably the best I've ever had too. What a great experience. Loved trying the food, satisfying my intense craving and learning a bit about this amazing family.

What can I say that hasn't already been said, AMAZING EXPERIENCE ! I have eaten in 3 Michelin star restaurants in SAN SEBASTION, but this was my best experience so far! Julian the nicest person, Marcus gave us a excellent recommendation for wine, Iruna best service ever,if I lived here would be here a couple of times each month, very simple menu but extraordinary food, love the whole staff, Julian has created the perfect scenario for a successful restaurant, thanks for such a wonderful time. Will always return when I come to San Sebastion!!

I was told this is where you go for "the best steak in Europe". A tall order, for someone that comes from Chicago, with kids who have been to Texas. You can't fool us. Now that we are home, and I ask the kids, what was their favorite thing about their vacation, they unanimously answer "Casa Julian". I loved that they make their steaks only one way (rare). I loved that it didn't cost an arm and a leg. I loved the foie gras appetizer, as well as the several other sides we ordered. The wine was great! I am already planning my trip so San Sebastian next year, and Casa Julian is on my hot list. Note, make reservations.

Listen: I'm going to be very brief. This is one of the easiest restaurants on earth to visit and to love. Just follow these instructions: 1. Go there. 2. Order the "chuleta," which is why you came. It's a giant steak and one of the best you'll ever taste. They will tell you one steak can feed three and it can. Get one for yourself and go wild. Trust me. 3. Order a whole bunch of other stuff, like asparagus (giant white ones, ordered by the stalk--get 2/per person); salad; roasted red peppers; cheese; bread; lots of wine. Then get more wine. If there's room for desert order another chuleta. 4. Say hi to and take a selfie with the grill man and the owner 5. Find somewhere nice to siesta, preferably with somebody you really love. You will probably dream about more chuleta. That's normal.

I'm not a huge meat person but by gosh, this place will make you one!! Such a wonderful experience.

This place is fantastic! Set in atmospheric rooms next to the river in Tolosa, Casa Julian pretty much does one thing: chuleta (massive steaks). But, it does that one thing outstandingly well. Eat here, you will not regret it. Also, the associated bar a few doors down is great. They make their own vermút and have a wide selection of interesting gins.