Petit Futé

"What makes La Viña famous is its excellent tarta de queso (cheesecake), simply the best in Spain!"

Ali Martin

"Chef Rivera tweaked all of the proportions to create his own new style of Basque cheesecake that is uniquely airy and creamy, baked crustless in crisp parchment paper, rippling around the edges with beautiful cracks, and — famously — made with a deliciously “burnt” (more like caramelized) exterior."

The Splendid Table

"When I was living in Basque country, just outside San Sebastian, I became obsessed with several Spanish sweets. Basque cheesecake, especially. There is a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastian called La Vina, where they specialise in one thing: tarta de queso, or cheesecake. This is literally the only thing I would go there to eat."

Daniela Galarza

"La Viña, a restaurant that opened in San Sebastián—the Basque region’s capital city—60 years ago, serves an improbable tarta de queso. Its blackened top, surrounded by a flutter of burnt parchment paper, hides a center the texture of soft custard."

Patrick Hanlon

"Here’s the deal. These take over 24 hours to make, and are not in plentiful supply, so if you manage to get a slice of this edible heaven, be pleased with yourself. You need to be patient for this deliciousness."

Sarah Leung

"There’s one restaurant called La Vina. You walk in and will see a full wall of cake tins with Basque cheesecake ready to go and that’s where I got hooked! If you ever visit San Sebastian, I highly recommend you pay them a visit."

Food And Drink Destinations

"No dessert brings me greater joy than cheesecake. And La Vina’s cheesecake has nearly brought me to tears."

Tita Neittamo

"The expressions on people’s faces when they try this piece of heaven for the first time tell more than any words can describe. But let’s try it anyway: happiness, lust and sometimes (no kidding!) tears of joy."

Lucy Rennick

"The tried-and-true, decades-old recipe was invented and made famous by Santiago Rivera, owner of San Sebastian pintxos café La Viña. The whole world wants a piece."