To tell the truth I'm happy that San Sebastian isn't a household name anywhere outside of Spain except with true, dedicated foodies and a few cultural types some of whom are also of that same race. They know that this quiet, stylish and charming little port city in the Basque region on Spain's northern coast is as in as you can get and don't want to see it overrun by the masses.

San Sebastian, with a population of around 180,000, has more Michelin stars per capita than any other city on earth. Twenty, to be precise, and no fewer than three with three stars.

Having visited this city seven or eight times over a long period I have yet to find any restaurant or bar that serves bad food. And here exists another kind of noble food establishment that should get Michelin stars galore but doesn't: Pintxo bars. San Sebastian is the pintxo capital of the world.

Pintxos are the Basque version of tapas. They have developed from being quite simple, tasty snacks called "banderillas" named after the toothpicks that held the ingredients together, to a mouthwatering art form. The variety is such that I could happily spend the rest of my life eating nothing else.

Affirmed San Sebastian's Juan Mari Arzak, one of the world's elite chefs, when I asked him about pintxos: "Super important ¿ pintxos are part of our heritage. Now you have both traditional and modern pintxos. It is haute cuisine in miniature. This for us is so important."

San Sebastian has it all. Sheltered by green hills and a bay with a long, pristine curved beach called La Concha, the city is of great beauty. An elegant, wide promenade lined with Parisian-inspired buildings is raised above La Concha.

With all the grace and splendour of the belle époque, the place to stay is the Hotel Maria Cristina, inaugurated by the Spanish queen mother by that same name in 1912. The old elegance along with some stuffiness has been preserved ¿ and modern necessities added. And the elite still comes here to the grand dame of the city's hotels.

Even older, at 140 years, is the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra. Bright and cheerful, not in any way creaky in spite of its age the hotel overlooks the promenade and La Concha beach. Mata Hari, the famous ¿ or infamous ¿ Dutch exotic dancer, lady of the night and possibly a spy, used to stay here while gambling hotly for large stakes in the San Sebastian casino.

Ever more cosmopolitan, major cultural attractions have brought international cultural tourism to the area. Bilbao's Guggenheim museum is an hour away and San Sebastian has the Chillida-Leku museum just outside the city. Dedicated exclusively to the massive, powerful sculptures of Antonio Chillida, a stroll around the spacious green lawns and trees where his creations are placed is guaranteed to be an unforgettable, probably emotional or even mystical experience.

In the heart of the city, dating back to 1870 is La Brecha market. A landmark worth a visit, the building has been restored and partly converted into a modern shopping mall. Downstairs, still with a feel of the past, are the fish, meat, fruit and vegetable stands that supply this gourmet city with the freshest and finest of ingredients. The brilliant morning displays of fish and seafood shine like jewellery. Exploring this market makes it crystal clear why things taste great in San Sebastian.

Today world famous, Juan Mari Arzak pioneered the new Basque cuisine in his restaurant ARZAK. Now, very much in tandem with his talented daughter Elena, they are developing it further to new heights. Some 30 years ago as a young photojournalist, I remember discussing food with Arzak at a little wooden table in their kitchen. Now between 25 and 30 chefs bustle here in a very organised manner.

Let me add that that the food they create now looks and tastes nothing like it used to. It was great then. Today it is a fabulous experience, an art form beyond my powers of description. Every item is a superb innovation that bursts with flavor as the "best elements from every ingredient is extracted", as they explained to me.

I asked Arzak why this little city has some of the world's finest food.

"I think that the Basque Country and especially San Sebastian, has a kind of adoration for gastronomy. It is a sort of cult dedicated to good eating." He reflects and adds: "You know, absolutely every event and happening here is accompanied by eating!"

At the other end of town up on a hill with a great ocean view Pedro Subijana, equally brilliant, and a friend of Arzak's, reigns at three-star Restaurante Akelarre. Subijana is a fellow creator of the avant-garde Basque cuisine. I asked him the same question.

"I think it is part historical tradition and part competition. Here for generations we have had men's gastronomical societies where men cook for men. These guys didn't go home to eat so women started to cook better to make them eat at home. Also, the city has always been a vacation destination for people of top level, people who want the very best."

The very best naturally cannot come cheap. No matter. As you slowly savor every morsel of every amazing new dish, in the end you just want to hug everyone in sight!