Donostia Restaurant in City of London, Westminster

Without a doubt it is one of my favorite Spanish in the city. Dinner for four in which we were all delighted. The dishes are tapas so you have to take this into account when ordering. In our case we ordered almost the entire menu and some special ones. You can't miss the cheesecake, quite a spectacle. Wonderful staff and atmosphere.

The food is delicious, there’s no doubt about it! The ambiance is nice, loud and cosy - just as you’d find in the streets of San Sebastián. The prawn rice was probably the best dish of the night, along with the croquetas! The Iberico pork was perfectly cooked, just thought that for the price, we were expecting a few more pieces. I do think it’s very authentic Spanish food, and the cheesecake is delicious - but it is slightly overpriced for the portion you get.

Great place to eat Spanish Tapas

We have arrived on time to our reservation with our 6 year old children. We ordered and wait 45 minutes for our food. The server realised there was a problem with our order in the system. We then wait 15 minutes more and not a single food (appetizers or bread) were brought to our table. We had to leave after 1 hour. They said they are sorry, they did not know system was not working properly. The servers and the manager has no ability to the initiative. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

I've been Sansebastian before, I felt exactly same wind! Totally we enjoyed a lot in your restaurant! All foods were perfect, especially PULPO(octopus grill), Iberico stake, basque cheesecake were soooo delicious. Thanks a lot!

Food quality: 5/5 Food taste: 5/5 Restaurant atmosphere: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Price: 3/5 Menu: 4/5 Overall: 4.5 (50% food, 50% the rest) A great restaurant if you are looking for good quality food. The food tasted good, all dishes had great flavor, they were all colorful and creative. We ordered three main dishes (one fish, two meat) and some vegetables, including a salad. The salad (HOSTO ENTSALADA) was amazing with some fruits and nuts. It had a lot of flavor with a great sauce. However some of the salad leaves were quite big, so it was a bit awkward to eat. The cod fish (ARROZA) was absolutely brilliant . The fish it self was quite small, but was cooked perfectly. It came with some black rice, which tasted fantastic as well. For meat, we ordered the PLUMA and SOLOMILLO, which were again both excellent cooked with great sauces. The one was the Romesco sauce and the other was with chestnut. The vegetables were fine, nothing too special. For example the PATATAK was just with some potatoes and a little bit of spicy sauce. But the vegetables were necessary since the portions of the main dishes are quite small, so you end up ordering 5-7 dishes with 4 people. The atmosphere of the restaurant was good. Good lighting with some music. However the kitchen was an open type, so it was also a bit noisy. There was also a counter in front of the kitchen, so if you are with friends, the bar counter will be the best seat for you. They were also enough tables for families. We went there at 9.15pm and it was still full, so it is necessary to have a reservation. The staffs were all great. They were all smiling and had good experience. The prices were ok, not too expensive but also not too cheap, so I would consider it as normal, so I gave 3 points. The menu was good, 4 choices for fish, 4 choices for meat. They were not a lot of vegetarian meals (especially for the main). Overall, a great restaurant with excellent food quality, perfect to come with friends or family!

A disappointing, overpriced taste of the Basque. Only one dish, the Squid main, was tasty, though the portion was small for a main. The rest of the food was unmemorable. I was hoping that the famous Basque cheesecake would save the meal, but it left me disenchanted. The staff are lovely, but obviously inedible, so do not offer a reason to return.

Early reservation and the meal was top notch. We shared starters and mains and had to indulge in the cheesecake. No disappointments here! Personable staff too. We will be back!

Great option for Spanish food in London.

One of my favourite restaurants in London! Amazing Basque tapas, everything on the menu is delicious, never disappoints. Don’t skip the cheesecake!!

First time I come and very happy with this discovery, very good service and spectacular food Thanks you so much team Almudena

great atmosphere. nice dishes. nothing exciting. the staff is lovely, welcoming and sweet. we enjoyed our time there. the paellas are ok and I’d actually skip both of them. the meat was great and well seasoned, but thats the specialty of Lurra, so whats the point of going to Donostia? I had a great time, but won’t go again. the only dish that we loved, was the Tortilla. Also, had eggshell pieces in the cheesecake.. and it was too sweet.

Fantastic meal. Best tapas. Excellent night out just north of Marble Arch. Some of the best Basque food I've ever had. Thoroughly recommend

After I booked the restaurant, the system did not send any confirmation email, causing me to miss my meal. The restaurant and the reservation company pushed each other's responsibilities and were unwilling to provide solutions. The service attitude was extremely poor and they kept repeating the same content.

Just wanted to write this review to say thank you to all staff at Donostia for the lovely evening that my wife and I had, and for honestly making it a great experience overall. We ordered a few dishes from the specials, and some from the main menu. The one that was absolutely impeccable was the langoustine arrozo!! OMG - we could have had two plates each of this. It was unreal. The Cheesecake is what prompted us to book, and it very much lived up to expectation. Unfortunately the restaurant was fully booked and we were told we couldn't order more to take home... but we will be back for sure!! :) The waitress that explained the menus to us was very friendly and did a great job, but we were also served by another gentleman who unfortunately I didn't catch the name of. He was on top, always smiling, and happy to give advice on the wine too. We had a great evening! I highly recommend visiting. Make sure you book, and just enjoy the atmospehere and time you're there. You're not rushed, the food will arrive when it is ready, just... take the time, and enjoy!! 5/5

Just fabulous. Mood. Food. Service. Going back soon.

Perfection from start to finish. Definitely come

Got the black cod, tiny, full of bones. Waitor didn't even ask how my meal was. Total rip off.

Had a dinner in Lurra and they recommended their sister restaurant so I couldn't miss it. Went there and that was the best tapas I've ever had also the lamb and the rice where outstanding 😋😋 Love them both and recommend to everyone

Excelent service and the freshest and well cooked food in the city

The waitress slipped herself over me with a tray of wine glasses with leftover wine liquid inside poured to my back and broken glasses fell all over the place. None of the staff showed any initiatives to help me, I had to ask for wipes myself to clean my clothes. At the end, they didn't provide anything to compensate, on the contrary, kept the service charge on the bill. Ridiculous.

Wow. Only basque restaurant I’ve been to in london and tasted pretty legit. Gildas and basque cheesecake was just spot on. The wagyu with foie gras was also v yum. Tortilla was also super yum. I would not order turbot - it was not the only fish and two tiny bits. 4 stars because portion sizes too small and expensive for what it is.

The portions are tiny, but they don't give you advice on how many to order. I don't think the menu was varied or diverse enough to have allowed us to order more dishes to feel full. Rather, I think they expect you to order multiple of the same thing to eat your fill. The ambiance and service felt just slightly better than a Pret. We indicated on the reservation that it was a birthday but they did not do anything special for us. The food itself is good, but I could have achieved the same quality at home, at a much better cost.

Sonora flavors and staff give star rating and a total 10!

Sadly the quality and taste didn’t match the price of the dishes. Also please clean the restaurant floor properly, it was so slippery…

I had an absolutely stunning meal. Not.a place I would normally thinking going, but was recommended. The staff were warm and welcoming. I had the croquettes, lobster rice and a tomato salad. The food was hot and tasty. The lobster rice was stunning. The wine was chilled and my hubby had the cheesecake, which I knew was tasty by the sounds he was making...lol. Will definitely return

Great food and service but overpriced. The service was good and friendly. The portions for the tapas are reasonable but on the small side given the pricing. The food was very well prepared and tasty - except for the turrón dessert which looked and tasted like straight out of a box from a supermarket.

Trato excepcional. Calidad en la comida aunque no es totalmente fiel a la comida española. En concreto, en la tortilla de patata. Muy buen servicio, aunque nos han servido vino y cava sin indicarnos el precio de las bebidas y ha encarecido mucho la comida.

My family live in gijon in the north of Spain, I took them here because I know it wouldn’t disappoint and I have to say the food the chef creates and serves is so authentic and even more tasty. patatas brava sauce, sauce exceptional, potatoes too hard need to be more creamy and fluffy inside potatoes.Jamon Iberico personally prefere it cut in front of people on the bar by hand 8.5/10. The staff was friendly although the only thing I can say is that it was a bit cold at the table where we were but the staff moved us to another table. We really enjoyed the food because it was spectacular

Un lugar estupendo para ir a comer o cenar y degustar platos delicioso. Todo esta bien limpio, personal y cheff amables, cordiales y atentos. Muy recomendado.

My favorite spot in London. Great team here.

Good foods. The cep and truffle croquettes were good, and the basque cake was so delicious. They have some wines that are not very popular but from Basque area.

Food is good but very overpriced and the portions are tiny. The basque cheesecake is amazing!! Service is good. Overall pleasant experience but not worth the price.

Very nice food in a central location. I enjoyed all my choices, including the tasty croquetas de jamón, the tender steak and the creamy basque cheesecake, which was the absolute peak of that dinner.

If you describe your pintxoak as Basque inspired tapas, you are not a Basque restaurant, as simple as that

Incredible place! I almost don’t want to give it such a good review so people don’t discover it so I can still get a table when I want. Ignore the unsatisfied American below this review. Sorry folks in Europe we don’t like huge portions! There’s a KFC or Lebanese on Edgeware road if you want a BIG meal.

Love this place, been quite a few times now and I can recommend them unreservedly.

The service, quality of the food, and quantity of food is absolutely embarrassing for the prices that you pay. None of the food was anything special or particularly delicious. All tasted like dishes you could get for very cheap in America, and I found the tomato salad very salty. We ordered 6 tapas in total to find that they were all composed of simple parts and tiny portions. You pay for the presentation and the fancy names on the menu. The other reviews mention outstanding service -- we did not experience that at all. We had to interrupt a waitress to get seated after waiting for 5 minutes, even though the entrance is in a busy pathway for waiters and the restaurant was clearly half-empty. Our table was ignored even during an evening where the restaurant clearly was not busy. They forgot to take our order for the longest time. They did not check in on how the food was, which I usually wouldn't deduct points for, but at this price point and with the quality of the food they were serving, you have to wonder what exactly you're paying for. The person taking our bill was visibly annoyed at things like us wanting to keep the receipt. This did not feel like a fine dining experience, unless you consider a fine dining experience to be paying ridiculous prices to be sneered at and ignored in favor of European patrons. If your tasting palette prefers less flavorful dishes, this is the place for you as well.

Have been to this restaurant a few times and it’s difficult to get a table without reservation. Very delicious food and good wine! Highly recommend!

Awesome place. Good food and service 👍

If you’re going to call yourself Donostia, then you’re giving yourself a lot to live up to. This does. The food and service were exceptional. Apparently they have a new chef who started just a few days ago, which ordinarily could cause some issues but everything was excellent. The service sat at the bar was excellent and really friendly and helpful. We don’t live anywhere nearby, but we’ll definitely be back.

Stumbled across the little hidden gem while my daughter was at an event. I wondered around and came across this amazing gem. I was greeted by Alex, who kindly offered me a seat at the bar or outside as was busy. Opted for the bar where Bartek kindly offered me to try some wines, very knowledgeable, and I tried the rose, then a white wine. The care and passion from him was evident and shown through. I had the crab and caviar followed by the octpus Both are full of flavour and fresh. I had to collect my daughter, and on our return, she tried the croquet smoky and full of flavour..then she had the octpus.then the brunt cheesecake, sweet and tasty.. Thanks to Bartek and Alex, not only world-class food but staff, you should be proud of I am looking forward to a return visit

The sourdough was so-so; olive oil didn’t have many layers of taste. The seafood croquetas was quite good; it had balance between the sauce on too and the croquetas itself. Beef was okay. The service was excellent. We went there on last Saturday and the waiter was very kind and always had a smile on his face. The atmosphere was okay… the floor downstairs was very slippery; that’s a hit dangerous. Even the staffs needed to walk slowly so that they don’t slip.

We were there for a birthday dinner and everyone went above and beyond to make everyone and especially the birthday boy feel extra special. We took staff’s recommendation as to what to order and we end up having a delicious dinner with variety of tapas and mains and everything was delicious. Wine was great, recommended by Ina who was incredibly kind and knowledgeable and looked after us the whole evening. Overall, amazing staff and fantastic food.

[A Disheartening Dining Experience］ Date & Time: 20 October (Friday), 18:15 - 21:00 Party Size: 3 guests (Japanese) Order: Salted peppers, omelette, crab and caviar pinchos, squid ink risotto, beefsteak, cheesecake, among others. Having dined across various countries – from Japan, China, the USA, to several European nations – I can confidently say that this restaurant offered the poorest customer service I've ever encountered. Here are some specifics: [Neglect]: Our waiter consistently avoided our table. Despite trying to get his attention multiple times, we were left with no choice but to summon a different waiter. [Miscommunication]: We were told each plate of crab and caviar pintxos had two Plates with four pintxos. We ordered accordingly but received one plate with three pieces instead. The man tried to interrupt us many times and said, 'Do you understand?' several times grumpily. [Unnecessary Delays]: After requesting three coffees, we waited for 30 minutes. This delay disrupted our dessert experience, as we hoped to enjoy the coffee with our cheesecake. [Discrimination]: The stark difference in how our table was treated compared to others was evident. While other tables received attentive service and warm smiles, we were consistently ignored. [Food Review]: While the majority of our dishes were satisfactory, the beef was notably subpar. Unfortunately, the appalling service overshadowed any positive aspects of our meal. It's essential to point out that, as Asians, we've faced our share of challenges in this country. We've learned to tolerate minor inconveniences. However, this experience bordered on what felt like racial discrimination. While I hesitate to use such a strong term, the service was so egregiously wrong that it's hard not to view it as such. [Recommendation]: Given our experience, I cannot recommend this establishment.

We were a party of 5 and seated in the rear of the restaurant on a table with a great deal of privacy. Great start to a wonderful evening as the food, wine and service exceeded our expectations. First visit but will certainly return.

Always a wonderful evening, the food is fantastic and the atmosphere wonderful!

This place was perfect. The food was great. The service was great The atmosphere was perfect for a business lunch or quiet conversation The cheesecake was amazing

We were celebrating and had a wonderful lunch served by lovely people. Thank you everyone. Highly recommended😁

Nice restaurant near Hyde park, we order prawns, beef, tomatoes and other small dishes, all of them taste just right. Service is excellent as well, we take a seat before the chef, and can see they prepare our dishes with every detail cared. Recommend this restaurant to everybody, remember to book in advance, we come without booking only to get a seat with time limit.

Many Thanks to Anya, Bartek and Chef Danielle for making my Birthday special. we really enjoyed our celebration meal. Looking forward for next occasion to see this amazing people again.

Another favorite Spanish tapas in London! Everything on the menu is delicious

A little noisy, but great food and service.

I found this restaurant on Michelin website 20min before arriving, and confirmed there were every 15min slot available for reservations. But when I walked in, the waitress said they can’t serve, the restaurant is at capacity, which I knew it was not true. I said the website shows there are available on website, but still the waitress rejected me. I opened the website on street side and booked the reservation within literally 1 min, then walked in the door, now another waiter served me. If the restaurant is mentioned by Michelin guide, I would expect more hospitality. As a service industry, it’s better to let customer feel you are helping, rather than you are rejecting. If the waitress said “Yes, would you mind booking a reservation online now, I will prep a table for you.”, I would feel much better. Feedback aside, the 5J Jamon Iberico de Bellota is pretty good! It is fatty, nutty, rich, and flavorful. The flavor stay in the mouth for a while after chewing. The Pan Con Tomato is really juicy and refreshing. Good pairing with the Jamon. The octopus is soft, easy to chew. Last but not least, the Burnt Cheesecake is a must try, the cheese melted, creamy, but not heavily nor direct sweet.

We’ve been coming to this restaurant for years. We ordered the same dishes. The omelette was raw, it used to be slightly underdone to the correct texture and that’s why we used to love it so much. But this time it was just raw egg. The quantity of the food has changed so much. For the same dish we got a thin piece of meat that was half the thickness of what we used to get a year ago. It is a shame and disappointment.

I tried the octopus and it was very chewy and tough. The patatas bravas very salty. Starters were ok.

The experience was awesome. We sat at the counter and watched the chef work his magic. All of the dishes were excellent (we had the daily specials). The cheesecake alone is worth the trip

Really good food if a little overpriced for the portion sizes

The wines are a bit poor. They serve all the wines on the wrong temperature. No common knowledge of wines. It might be unlucky but most of the dishes were sold out.

its a nice little place in Marylebone for those who are into Spanish food. The food was really good, but considering that this is not a fine dinning place, the prices are quite high. for the main course, which consist of just two small lamb chops and a very small amount of jus, its £26.00 pound. I would have understood if it was fine dinning or Michelin star, but its not, its just a small , cafeteria like place. If you go there, I would recommend croquets, they are lovely. And the menu is very limited, even for fine dinning ...

Good spot for Basque fare - the appetisers (pan con tomate and crab + caviar pintxo) were delicious, and the mains (sirloin w patatas bravas and octopus) were good. The basque cheesecake was really yummy, though a bit firmer than expected. Excellent service and very nice, chill vibe. Will be back!

I have been twice now with both occasions exceeding expectations. The food is great, the service engaging and friendly and the wine very enjoyable including the theatrics of the Txakoli.

EXCEPTIONAL! Despite the staff struggling with technical issues, they remained calm and so friendly. Literally EVERYTHING we had tasted phenomenal. Absolutely recommend

I would recommend this tapas restaurant 100%. My friend and I went there last Thursday and we had such a great time. The food was very good, the service provided by Francesca was flawless. We really enjoyed. Thank you so much for the Donostia team. You're a good egg guys! Cheers!

Incredibile esperienza. Cibo particolare e squisito.i camerieri gentilissimi.

Delightful cheesecake! Pluma was also surprisingly good!

Great Basque food! Would strongly recommend the octopus and ibérico pork shoulder.

LOVED everything about Donostia. The staff are simply wonderful - they do more than serve you - they genuinely look after you. The food is SPECTACULAR … we ordered the pulpo, black rice with monkfish, tomato salad, salted peppers, and the all the little tasters we could … and every single dish was just mouth watering. I could eat there weekly with ease and never tire of it. Wines are beautiful and so reasonable for the quality. This gets 10/10 from someone who’s lived in Spain and is a major foodie! You’ll regret not coming here if you’re thinking about Donastia versus XYZ someplace else 🍷😊👏

The highlight was definitely the basque cheesecake!

I could not fault the place. Excellent food, attentive staff and a great atmosphere. We had the peppers, boquerones, txipiro, secreto, tortilla and by accident the solomillo. The chef was friendly and had the odd word to say which was nice. But best of all, apologised for making a mistake on giving us the wrong pork to begin. And I must say, the solomillo was the stand out dish. The cheesecake to finish was so good I could have eaten 12.

Our first three dishes were delicious: tomato bread, the special with octopus(the octopus was extremely chewy), and the jamon. However, the next two dishes were so bad they ruined the whole meal. They served the worst steak I’ve ever had. It was chewy and completely unseasoned. It didn’t even have enough salt. The patatas bravas, my favorite Spanish tapa, tasted worse than McDonald’s fries. Zero salt and no flavor at all! It was shocking and so bad we couldn’t wait to leave. Extremely disappointed!

I went to this restaurant this Friday and the service was horrible. The staff who handled and oversaw the order displayed a discourteous demeanor. He was adorned with a gold bracelet. On my inaugural visit to the restaurant, I inquired about the availability of any house wines, such as Sangria. In response, he contorted his face in an unusual manner, his eyes swelling, and retorted, "What? No!" I was taken aback by his response to my simple question regarding Sangria. It became evident that he likely hailed from a Spanish-speaking background or was not a native English speaker. His attitude conveyed a sense of superiority due to language differences, making me feel somewhat embarrassed for not sharing his linguistic proficiency. Despite his behavior, I maintained a composed demeanor, as I did not wish to spoil the evening with my friends. However, his actions lacked professionalism and exuded an air of arrogance.

Had a nice work celebration lunch, croquettes, Prawns, steak, monkfish with squid ink rice, lovely warm freshly baked bread. Great attentive service

Small, busy and lively atmosphere. The food was very nice, we had been to Lurra before as I love basque food. Ordered pretty much the whole menu and everything was spot on, the highlights were the Seafood croquettas, scallop pincho, the steak and the patatas bravas. The only let down was the prawns, they were tiny! Wine selection was good but could be slightly better with some more star Rioja’s to complement the amazing food. Definitely will be back!

気取らず、普段使いできる感じがとてもくつろげます。お料理も何を食べても美味しかったです！

Food was very mediocre, unimaginative, plain, very small portions. I did not feel that the chef made any effort. This is probably one of the least tapas places in London I would recommend.

The food was really delicious, they have the best cheesecake in town!

Pretty damn good . Really enjoyed the bread sourdough, the seafood croquettes, the ham, and the lamb shoulder . The olives were as big as golf balls. Excellent friendly service .

Genial, maravilloso!!!!!!! Un oasis, en mitad del desierto. El cocinero, tenía que estar en un altar. No sé si me explico

It tasted great on my previous visit, why did it change so much on this one😭

Great selection of Tapas, friendly service and chill vibe. Good for casual dinners.

Amazing!!!!! Great food and made us so welcome and stunning food.

Booked for 6pm, turned up at 6.01pm and were told to wait outside while they briefed staff. Really rude, no explanation, no excuses, no apology. Wouldn’t recommend.

My wife and I just happened to come across this lovely tapas bar and we were delighted to do so. Very tasty food and friendly helpful staff helped make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We made the mistake of ordering too much, but that was entirely on us. We should have ordered at intervals instead of all at once. We sat up at the counter and watched the chefs do there work. Washed down the food with some Spanish beer. Happy to recommend this tapas bar.

100 % recommended ! Perfect little spot to experience Spain treats. Basque cheesecake is a must !

Terrible service. Good thing the food makes up for it. Staff absolutely horrific. Particularly the pink-red haired one. Forgot half our food, didn't apologise, just gave sass. Interior is cheap looking.

Food was alright specially the jamon, but too expensive. A little bowl of Salad for 14 pounds and 4 slices of bread for 7 pounds.

I absolutely love this place. The food is something else! I recommend sitting at the bar stools as it makes it for a more live experience as you watch the chefs prepare the tapas for you. My recommendation is always get 2 portions of the pan con tomate per person, try the black rice with monkfish and the sirloin as some of your tapas and absolutely always finish with the burnt basque cheesecake. Highly recommend giving it a try. Do make sure you book a table ahead.

Delicious Spanish food! We tried the prawns which were delicious saunteed, the tomatoes which were plump and bursting in juices and flavour, as well as the pork which were absolutely delicious. We were also tempted with Basque style cheesecake for dessert, which was rich and creamy and definitely satisfied our souls. I highly recommend the cheesecake. The service was also excellent. Will be back again!

Great food, a little steep on the prices.

Sin lugar a duda, es uno de los mejores sitios donde comer bien en Londres. Comida del norte. Un acierto. Los chicos muy agradables y la comida.... Sin pega alguna. Ahhhhh los vinos exquisitos.

Brilliant. Food exceptional. Service superb. Win

One the best tapas restaurants I've been to. Subtle but delicious flavours. Delightful staff. A great North Spanish wine list (for the whites - didn't look at the reds)

Visited on a busy Friday evening. We sat at the bar which was fun as we could watch kitchen at work. Whilst the food was expensive, the pork dishes we had were absolutely delicious. Service was attentive and polite. Only negative was that there was some disharmony within the staff group which was unfortunately played out in front of us due to where we were sitting. In spite of this would definitely return.

Exceptional food and wine, and attentive service. I have an intolerance to gluten and dairy and the staff brought an allergen sheet out to determine what I could safely eat. Would absolutely recommend and will be going back.

Good food and wine, small seating area outside is nice when it's sunny but not very comfortable.

Hands down my favourite Spanish restaurant in London. High quality ingredients, delicious food, friendly service in an unassuming, easygoing environment. Great for a casual date and for small groups. Cheese cake is unmissable. Lurra across the road is great too but altogether a different vibe.

Simple and perfectly executed. Loved it!

Why this place doesn't have a queue out the door I don't know. Way better than Sabor.

Service was pretty terrible. We had to ask for the same simple things several times, there was confusion about whether we have or haven't ordered already. We were categorically told we could only order all food at once or none at all. Ordering a few dishes first and then ordering a few more when our last friend arrived apparently wasn't possible as they were 'fully booked' - although the place is tiny. We got judge-y remarks about us being late to order and our friend being late. That's absolutely not the attitude or the service that warrants the price tag. A little respect - to our all female group from the male waiters – at the very least - would go a long way.