Weekender

Neven’s San Sebastian

I fell in love with San Sebastian nearly 10 years ago.

I trained in three-Michelin-star Restaurante Arzak, and loved the city so much that I return regularly with Amelda and the twins, Connor and Lucia (both 5).See arzak.es We stay at the Hotel de Londres.

It’s minutes from the beach, the port, and the Old Town, and it’s so friendly and relaxed. It’s pricey, but we get one room for four of us. See hlondres.com On Saturday morning, we go to the market. Old Town Coffee is run by two Brazilian brothers, and they have the best coffee in San Sebastian.

La Concha beach is

fantastic.

The sea is safe for the kids, and they have a great outdoor play area. It’s a very active place, with people running and cycling. We have rented bikes with the twins, which was great fun.

Lunch is in the port.

We go to Marinela, where we always have the same thing: monkfish on the bone with sliced potatoes, roast garlic and salad. The last time we visited my friends in Arzak, they specially made fish and chips for the twins, while we had the tasting menu. See marinela-igeldo.com

Later, we might go up the mountain in the funicular

to one of the oldest roller coasters in the world. It works manually, a man drives it and the view of the bay is amazing.

Evenings are about pintxos in the Old Town.

It’s a great way to eat with kids — small plates of tasty food. Atari Gastroteka is a favourite. The twins love beef cheek with mashed potato. Then it’s an early night, with the four of us piled into the extra-large double bed. Neven is brand ambassador for Dunnes Stores’s Simply Better food collection. See nevenmaguire.com In conversation with Sarah Caden