The Basque Country in the northern part of Spain is famous for it’s pintxos. And you should travel there now !
What is a pintxo ? A pintxos is like tapas in other areas of Spain but they’re served with a small piece of bread.
In a lot of bars in San Sebastián, you’ll see people order a glass of wine or beer, a pintxo, then it’s on to the next bar. This is very different from the style of eating in the United States, but that’s the great thing about traveling. Embracing and discovering new ways of doing things.
At first, this may seem overwhelming to newcomers to the area. Not sitting and eating. But you’ll learn to love it. The lack of seats discourages people from lingering too long.
Pintxos can be your full meal, or an appetizer to your formal, sit-down meal.
Here are some of my favorite places in San Sebastián for pintxos :
La Viña
This bar is in the Old Town. I wrote another blog about some of the best restaurants in San Sebastian, including place like La Viña here.
Most famous for it’s cheesecake, as you’ll see in my other blog, but you can also order pintxos here. My favorite is their chorizo. The chorizo is soaked and cooked in cider, giving it a rich, delicious flavor.
La Cepa
This bar is also in the Old Town, just next door to La Viña.
My favorite pintxo here is their croqueta. A traditional croqueta is small and fried with bechemel and Spanish ham as the filling.
One thing about croquetas, make sure it is made fresh and not just being heated up for you. It makes a huge difference in the quality. Here, they make them fresh and you should definitely try them !
Amuitz
This bar is located in Gros.
Here, you can find a large selection of beers. You’ll hear people order una caña, this is the size of beer that is smaller than a pint.
I enjoy my caña with calamares at this bar, this isn’t really a pintxos, more a small appetizer, but delicious !
The daughter of one of my local friends here says this bar has the best croqueta. I think the best croqueta can be found at La Cepa. Try both and decide for yourself.
Ramuntxo Berri Jaletxea
This bar is also located in Gros.
Here the pinxtos are under the label Tapas on the menu (if you get an English menu).
I love carrillera, which is beef cheek. It might not sound appetizing, but the meat is so tender it almost melts in your mouth.
Pintxos
One thing about trying pintxos, don’t be afraid ! It’s a culinary adventure.
Thursday nights is something called Pintxo Poté, where if you order a glass of wine or beer, you get a free pintxo. This originated during the recession of 2008 to get people into restaurants during a hard time financially. And it was so popular, it stuck. This is not a thing in the Old Town, which is mostly crowded with tourists, but in local neighborhoods like Gros.
Must- Try Pintxos
- Gilda
This pintxos was originally made for the actress Rita Hayworth, named after a film she starred in, Gilda. I’m not sure about the film, but the pintxo is pronounced with a soft g, so hilda.
This pintxo can be found in almost every bar and typically has an olive, a pepper called a guindilla, and an anchovy.
- Tortilla
Some of these Spanish names are tricky and should not be confused with what we call a tortilla in the United States. A tortilla is traditionally egg, potato, and onion.
The most famous bar to get tortilla is a bar called Nestor’s in the Old Town. In order to be lucky enough to get a piece, you have to show up at the bar early in the morning and put your name on a list. You can only order for as many people as are there, so if you want two servings, two people HAVE to be there.
- Croqueta
Like the gilda, this pintxo can be found in most bars. My favorite is La Cepa, but as I stated earlier, our friends’ daughter loves the croquetas at Amuitz. Try both and you decide !
- Patata Alioli
If you love garlic, like I do, you have to try ali-oli on potatoes. My favorite bar to get these recently closed and I haven’t found a new favorite bar. Yet !
- Brocheta de Txuleta
Txuleta is steak. It is so simple and delicious. The meat is so good, the only seasoning on it is salt. There are some great places to get a whole txuleta, but if you just want to try it, get a brocheta, which is a small skewer of txuleta. This is typically served with fries.
- Pimientos Rellenos de Bacalao
Bacalao is cod fish and pimientos are sweet red peppers stuffed with the cod. Delicious !
So, don’t be afraid to try new things ! You can’t go wrong with the pintxos when you travel to the Basque Country in Spain !
Take a private tour to try all (not literally) the pintxos ! Find it here. Or a pintxos and wine tour here.
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