42 WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANTS SEPTEMBER 2019
bee pollen, which tastes of the essence
of springtime. Cuttlefish is shaved in a
pile so it resembles lardo and is served
with fried bread soaked in aspara-
gus “milk.” There is a playfulness to
this food that doesn’t detract from its
elegance, a lack of ego that allows plea-
sure to be the defining factor. You get
the feeling that Roš is interested in one
thing only—delight.
The restaurant’s beverage program
is a serious strong point, and select-
ing the wine pairing option will give
you a thrilling introduction to wines
from Slovenia and nearby northern
Italy, from small producers of wines
made on Rifnik Hill to large-format
bottles, including a seriously funky and
delicious orange Pinot Grigio I enjoyed
from Gravner in Friuli.
When Roš appears in the dining
room, you can tell where the staff gets
their friendly attitude. The chef stops
by tables, bantering with guests with
the relaxed humor of an old friend,
and leads a post-dinner tour of the
kitchen and cheese cave with the same
affability.
This round-the-world trip made me
a font of advice, but the advice I find
myself shouting the most to family
and friends is this: Go to Slovenia! It’s
magical. And while you’re at it, go eat at
Hiša Franko.
IF YOU’VE TRAVELED to this part of the world hoping to experi-
ence its unique dining culture, you’re here to drink wine and eat
pintxos, the bar snacks for which San Sebastián is famous. It’s hard
to go wrong when picking a pintxos bar in the narrow streets of
the city’s old town—a cab driver told me that the best way to judge
which place to visit was by the size of the crowd spilling out onto
the street. Often, the largest, happiest crowd is outside Ganbara.
Wade through the throng, make your way to the counter, and
marvel at the beauty: piles of vegetables and local mushrooms,
platters of tiny perfect crab tartlets, miniature sandwiches stuffed
with rosy jamón ibérico. The house specialty is wild mushrooms,
sautéed with garlic and served with an egg yolk. The mushrooms
are meaty and perfectly salted, the egg yolk rich and silken—it truly
is one of the most perfect dishes I ate during my travels.
Upstairs at Ganbara is a glorious party, but one of the things that
elevates the restaurant above all the other fantastic pintxos bars
in town is its lovely little basement dining room, where you can
have a full sit-down meal. That same mushroom dish is available
downstairs with the addition of seared foie gras (honestly, it’s kind
of overkill, but why not?), along with a menu of Basque specialties
like charcoal-grilled fish on skewers and hake cheek.
Ganbara encapsulates everything good about eating here: the
incredible local produce and seafood, the casual conviviality of a
crowded bar, and the joyous ease of the restaurant-as-party—one
that happens every day, because food is always worth celebrating.
GANBARA
SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN
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WHERE TO STAY
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The modern Nebesa Chalets are completely at one with the dramatic mountainous landscape, and they’re only 20 minutes from Hiša Franko.
(From $270; nebesa.si)
Dessert with cherries
and meadowsweet
at Hiša Franko.
PHOTOGRAPHY (FROM LEFT): CEDRIC ANGELES, SALVA LîPEZ
