Foodie Spain itinerary

I think the Prado and Royal Palace in Madrid are must-sees. Unlike most people, I was not a fan of Seville

I rarely go anywhere thinking I'll never be back, but if I thought that, I'd still plan what I want and not worry about FOMO.
There are Michelin starred restaurants all over Spain. SS is just one of the more renowned. I loved the town (Bilbao less so), but most posters here recently seem to feel like it has lost its luster with its popularity (and seem to be opposite of me regarding Bilbao). We mostly did outdoors stuff in Basque country--hiking primarily. I still find being in a place culturally enriching even if I don't do a lot of museum visits, etc.
I think flipping through a guide book and looking at pictures might help--see where the group falls on what is pulling them. The sights of Andalucia are no doubt spectacular, but they are no more "Spanish" than anywhere else.
Also, Madrid is so easy to fly into, that I would not worry if you skipped it as you may very well have another opportunity--it would take a lifetime to see all of Spain.
Sorry for the rambling but hope it helps you organize your thoughts!
The Repsol Sun is another source for dining in Spain:
https://www.santpol.edu.es/en/blog/which-restaurants-awarded-soles-repsol-2023/
https://www.gastromasa.com/these-are-the-best-restaurants-in-spain-according-to-the-repsol-guide-2022/
Also, seek out Maribel, who posts on the food forum Hungry Onion as well as Fodor's forum.
Rest assured you will eat well where ever you go, so you may want to shift the focus to what places you most want to experience in other ways.

How did Barcelona get on your list?
Stick to Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastián

San Sebastian is great for food, the Pintxos culture there is a real highlight, and while other parts of Spain try to imitate it, it is really best in San Sebastian. Beyond that, there are 8 Michelin starred restaurants, though I'll be honest, while I love food, I really do not go for those places, just me.

Madrid has a really good food scene for "typical" Spanish food (not really such a thing) since you get a mix of food from different regions, restaurants that specialize in food of a region, and maybe a couple dozen Michelin starred places. Madrid has a Tapas culture, though really it is based on the Racione, an appetizer sized portion good for sharing.

Seville and Granada also have a genuine Tapas culture, meaning a small snack with your drink, or raciones, and Granada a distinctive North African flavor.

Barcelona is heavy on seafood and bacalao, some good markets, though the town has really suffered under heavy tourism since I have been there, so can't really recommend much

If it were me? I would try to fit in Madrid and San Sebastian, maybe a third place, Barcelona might work, Seville could, Maybe Cadiz is an option, that is on my next trip and looks to have a host of food options.

Maybe if you narrow it down, I have some advice for a couple places.

I went to Spain for 3 1/2 weeks total last year and spent time in in Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville and the Dordogne region of France before joining the RS Basque tour. We stayed 2 nights each in Bilbao and San Sebastián on the tour and I feel there’s enough to do for 2 days each in both cities. SS is all about the pintxos and going from one pintxos bar to the next and trying their specialties. Bilbao has great architecture and of course one can easily spend a day at the Guggenheim. We actually spent an extra day in Bilbao and hired a private guide to drive us around to check out more Basque towns.
We did not have the budget for Michelin star restaurants but SS has plenty of them.

If I were you, I would fly in to Madrid spend 4 nights, train to Sevilla for 3 nights then make your way to SS or Bilbao by plane or train and then fly home from Bilbao so you don’t have to backtrack to Madrid. That will save you a day right there.

We consider ourselves foodies as well, and put a major focus on dining when we travel. We've traveled to all these areas and here's my take. Basque Country is amazing and has an amazing food scene, especially in San Sebastian but also Bilbao. By contrast, we were very lukewarm about the food in Barcelona. The best meals we had were at a pizzeria! Others might disagree, but that was our experience. So to me it would be a choice of Madrid-Seville-Granada OR Madrid-Bilbao-San Sebastian.

Between those two, I would pick the Basque Country i.e. Madrid - Bilbao - San Sebastian. There are PLENTY of things to do and see when it comes to historical sites and museums. Also, Basque Country has incredibly rugged, beautiful rocky coastlines -- don't think of it is being lost on you because it isn't beach season. Go and see the dramatic waves and rocks. Here's my trip report from our visit to the region last year with lots of food focus.

Having said that, if you decided to head south and do Andalusia instead, that would make for an amazing choice too.

Thank you, everyone! Lots of great advice and ideas that I really appreciate. You're making the San Sebastian/Bilbao food scene extra tempting. I'll have to run it by the birthday boy but it sounds as if there will be plenty to do exploring the area around San Sebastian with some hiking and day trips. That combined with some time in Madrid should keep us happily occupied when we aren't stuffing ourselves silly.

History Traveler, your trip reports look amazing! That's definitely swaying me in the direction of exploring the Basque region and hoping we can take a return trip to Spain to explore Andalusia another time.

And, about going to the beach in the Basque Country...well, this is the Atlantic, rugged coasts and lots of mountains and green scenery almost everywhere. Weather tends to be rainy so come prepared. You´re going to love the food both in Bilbao and in Donostia-San Sebastian...it´s not only pintxos (which, by the way, should not be mistaken to what people call nowadays "tapas").

Yes know that the Basque region of Spain, as well as most of Northern Spain will be quite rainy in November. It's not what one typically thinks of Spain think more along the lines of Ireland in terms of climate and weather.

That being said, San Sebastian does have quite the reputation among international foodie circles, especially those very instagrammable pinchos. For my money I think it is overhyped and overpriced, a bit of good marketing on the part of the Basque tourism board.

In terms of other regional cuisine of Spain, I think Galicia is the best and probably pretty unknown outside of Spain, though it'll probably be rainy there too. The Valencia community may be a good option this is where Paella and Horchata was born, and you can probably expect better weather there in November, compared to the Basque country. Valencia is well connected to Madrid via high speed rail, unlike the Basque country.

Wherever you go, you are sure to eat well in Spain!