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One of the things we were most looking forward to while visiting Basque Country Spain was eating the amazing food…and we were especially interested in bar pintxos. The culinary treasures are a Basque region specialty and we heard you could find the absolute best in San Sebastian pintxos bars!
Understanding San Sebastian Pintxos
If you are wondering, “What are pintxos?“, you are not alone. Basically, pintxos are tapas – hand-crafted, bite-sized mini-meals. The correct pronunciation is PEEN-chos.
In the Basque language, Euskara, the letter combination ‘tx’ is pronounced like ‘ch’ in English. However, in Spanish, the spelling is pinchos, a word that means ‘to pierce’ (as in, the food is pierced with a toothpick).
As simple as it all sounds, when it came to Basque pintxos, we were slow learners. We got an introduction to the delectable Spanish pinchos in Hondarribia, but San Sebastian tapas bars take the experience to a different level…and we were struggling to keep up.
Between our lack of Spanish and Basque food research, we ate way too many mediocre dishes. However, when we finally caught on, we found some of the best pintxos in San Sebastian. We hope this story of our San Sebastian pintxos bar crawl helps you avoid some of our mistakes.
See the map below for locations of our favorite San Sebastian Pintxos Bars!
Beginners Guide To Basque Pintxos
Walking down the streets of San Sebastian’s Old Town, we found one pintxo bar after another, all displaying the appetizing bites on platters that covered the counters. Without heeding recommendations, we shuffled into any San Sebastian pintxos bar that caught our eye.
Still a little timid about the whole process, we found that most of the bartenders were quite helpful. Our first round of San Sebastian pintxos included a selection of tortilla-wrapped chorizo, sausage links baked in a croissant and a skewer of shrimp.
The bartender asked, “Would you like it heated up?” Why, yes. Yes, I would. I had heard about Pintxos Caliente (hot pintxos) and I thought I was on to it now.
However, he simply heated up our selected pintxos in a microwave, and – we still had to admit – they tasted better than the Hondarribia Pintxos we had tried the day before.
Wandering from place to place, we mostly found the San Sebastian tapas to be similar, with a special flair here and there and a twist on this or that. We also carefully selected Basque Pintxos that weren’t topped with anchovies or sardines.
We recognized some of the San Sebastian food we ate. Such as baked prosciutto with cheese, lightly fried zucchini with peppers and a colorful combination of a date topped with melted brie, dried tomato bits and a slice of yellow pepper.
It was beautiful…and scrumptious. The more we perused the San Sebastian bar-top treats, the more interesting Basque food items we found.
We also veered away from the typical Basque pintxos and tried a hearty serving of a lasagna-type dish and even tried pintxos smothered in mayonnaise (not my favorite condiment) and topped with bacon and shrimp (yes, please!). After an entire evening of grazing on splendid San Sebastian food, we couldn’t eat another bite.
Save, Pin or Bookmark our San Sebastian Food Guide for your trip to Spain!
5 Best Pintxo Bars in San Sebastian, Spain
We resumed our search for the best tapas in San Sebastian the following evening, stopping at the first place that caught our eye and piling our plates with creamy cheese and seafood goodies.
My opening Basque pintxos choice was a Bleu cheese and walnut creation and some sort of sea creature tentacle; followed by a creamy, dill spread with a pickle and a croquette (in case I couldn’t handle the tentacle). Every. Bite. Delicious.
As we chomped on pre-made San Sebastian bar pintxos, I couldn’t help but feel like we were missing something and that we hadn’t caught on to the entire Pintxos Caliente concept.
After our first round of San Sebastian tapas on our second night, we deviated from our list of recommendations and followed the crowds to Bar La Cepa. A good choice if there ever was one and it’s where our list of the best San Sebastian tapas bars begins!
#1 La Cepa San Sebastian
When we entered La Cepa, the place was hopping. Patrons filled the seats and the bartender expertly poured txakoli, the regions white wine, from high above the glass.
When it was our turn to order, the bartender easily read my “I’m still not confident about this” face and handed me a pintxos menu.
I quickly pointed at a few items I recognized and then my eyes slipped to the bottom of the menu: Pintxos Caliente. (Hmmm, I thought, maybe there’s more than a microwave back there.)
So I seriously broke the “one per place” rule (I think this was pintxo #5) and added an item from the Pintxos Caliente list: txampis and jamon (mushrooms and bacon).
The wheels in my brain started turning like a train gaining momentum as it is leaving the station and I was getting more excited by the moment: My previous conception about the ‘heated’ pintxos being ‘Pintxo Calientes’ was WRONG. And we had just ordered our first real Pintxo Caliente!
A memory was triggered and I grabbed the Basque Country travel guide from my day bag to carefully re-read the section on finding the best tapas in San Sebastian.
While we were not doing it wrong, we were certainly not getting the full experience. The book had recommended bars and with each bar there was a recommended, made-to-order Pintxo Caliente!
After consuming our first La Cepa pintxos (oh my, were the mushrooms and bacon delicious), we order yet another two pintxos caliente.
Despite being weighted down with all the amazing goodness, I wanted to sprint through the streets in search of all the best pintxos bars in San Sebastian!
Read La Cepa San Sebastian TripAdvisor reviews
#2 Bar Goiz-Argi San Sebastian
We had passed Bar Goiz-Argi several times, but unlike many of the other San Sebastian tapas bars, we couldn’t see a bar full of pintxos through the door (which is why we never went inside).
This time, we pushed open the door and followed a short hallway to the bar. It was packed. I squeezed up to the bar, caught the bartender’s attention and ordered the recommended shrimp kebab like I was a pro.
He grabbed a stick with 6 raw shrimp on it, put it on a plate and hollered to a woman who stood at the grill. She took them, tossed them on the grill, covered them in a sauce and hollered back to the bartender. Finally, my first made-to-order pintxos…and they were incredible!
Read Bar Goiz-Argi San Sebastian TripAdvisor reviews
#3 Bar Borda-Berri San Sebastian
Bar Borda-Berri was next San Sebastian Pintxos bar on the list and just down the street. Inside, we found a small, cheerful space filled with boisterous patrons.
Again, I squirmed my way up to the bar and ordered the recommended made-to-order pintxos: Carrillera de tenera (beef cheeks) and risotto. I was highly suspect, as I can’t recall ever eating beef cheeks before (and, quite frankly, it just sounds weird), but – WOW – both dishes surpassed our expectations!
We were on a roll, eating some of the best pintxos in San Sebastian – and were not ready to stop! However, our stomachs were full…and satisfied. Our San Sebastian pintxos experience had been elevated – and we still had one day left to savor the local Basque tapas.
Read Bar Borda-Berri San Sebastian TripAdvisor reviews
#4 Bar Astelena San Sebastian
On our last day in San Sebastian we picked up our pintxo bar crawl in the Plaza de la Constitucion at Bar Astelena.
Since we were the only ones there (we often seem to be doing things at the “wrong” time!), we had full view of the bar-top goodies, including unique pintxos like raw frog legs, waiting to be ordered and fried.
We also had the full attention of the bartender, who made some Basque made-to-order pintxos recommendations of his own.
We settled on the solomillo a la planche (sirloin steak with fried veggies) and the rabo de buey (oxtail). It is difficult to describe the spectacular taste, as I have never before had anything so good. The sauce and seasonings only enhanced what could have been served without either.
The meat was so tender I cut it with a spoon. Hands down, these were the best pintxos in San Sebastian that we tasted!
Even though we felt we had reached the pinnacle of our self-guided San Sebastian Food Tour, we couldn’t resist ordering a second round of pintxos.
We tried the foie gras and pasta wrapped shrimp. Both were excellent choices, but nothing was going to beat our first pintxos at Bar Astelena.
Read Bar Astelena San Sebastian TripAdvisor reviews
#5 Bar Tamboril San Sebastian
For our final pintxos of the night (and of our trip to Basque Country), we wandered across the square to Bar Tamboril for a taste of their famous mushrooms, champis tamboril.
We savored every last bite of the perfectly-cooked mushrooms in the cozy bar. The food in San Sebastian had completely blown us away!
Read Bar Tamboril San Sebastian TripAdvisor reviews
San Sebastian Restaurants Map
Follow our path to the Best San Sebastian Pintxos Restaurants with this route on Google Maps.
Plan Your Complete Basque Country Itinerary!
Looking for a local guide to lead you to the Best Pintxos in San Sebastian? Book a top-rated San Sebastian Pintxos Tour!
Getting To Basque Country, Spain
We arrived to Basque via plane from Madrid. The main Basque Country airport is the San Sebastian Airport (which is actually located in Hondarribia).
There are two other Basque Country airports: Bilbao Airport and Vitoria Airport. You can search for the best prices for flights to San Sebastian on SkyScanner.
We relied on public transportation (and a few taxis) to get around Basque Country. However, renting a car would allow for greater exploration and an epic Basque Country road trip!
Where To Stay in Basque Country
There are many Basque Country hotels to stay in during your vacation to Spain. With such short amount of time in our 3-Day Basque Country Itinerary, we recommend staying in the heart of the old town in both Hondarribia and San Sebastian.
Before you begin looking for your accommodation, check out all our advice on Finding Great Hotels at the Best Price!
Hondarribia Hotels
In Hondarribia, we stayed at the charming Hotel San Nikolas in the Old Town. Looking for somthing different? No stress, there’s many other properties to choose from! Start your search for other Hondarribia hotels on Booking.com.
San Sebastian Hotels
We didn’t book a hotel ahead of time in San Sebastian (something we would NOT recommend) – and when we arrived, our preferred accommodations predictably had no vacancy.
We ended up staying in the Gros neighborhood (east of the San Sebastian Old Town) at Hotel Arrizul Congress, which turned out to be a great (lucky) choice, as it was an entire, modern apartment. You can search for other San Sebastian hotels on Booking.com.
What To Pack For Your Spain Basque Itinerary
Our final tips for your Spain trip planning covers some practical advice along with our best packing hacks!
Walking Shoes for Spain
We cover a lot of ground in our Basque Spain vacation planner! Be sure to pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes for your trip to San Sebastian.
I like to explore cities on foot in these shoe by Columbia and Kris prefers wearing Merrell trail shoes. Read all of our reviews in our best Travel Shoes article!
Spain Weather Appropriate Gear
What you will need to pack for your trip to Spain will depend on the season. Summers in Basque are hot and sunny – so bring sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat and a refillable water bottle.
In San Sebastian during the wintertime, you will likely want to wear layers, temperatures can vary drastically throughout the day. On the chance of rain, make sure you are prepared with a packable raincoat and travel umbrella.
Travel Camera
Spain is an absolutely gorgeous country! Capture that beauty properly with a real camera, rather than using your phone. We shoot with a DSLR Canon Rebel (which is a great budget camera for beginners) with a 18-135mm lens (so that we only have to carry one with us).
Anti-Theft Travel Bag
Unfortunately, tourists are prime targets for pick pockets. We keep our valuables tucked away in a zippered bag. Travelon makes a full line of anti-theft bags, and you can read this article for our reviews of The Best Day Packs for Travel.
Spain Travel Insurance
Travel insurance may protect against cancelled trips and lost luggage, but could come in handy if you get ill or injured abroad, too. If you haven’t already obtained travel insurance for your trip, consider traveling protected with World Nomads.
Start planning your trip to Spain! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing! Want more travel advice? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!
Travel Guides for Spain
- An Amazing 7 Days in Spain
- Madrid Itinerary
- What To See in Seville
- Top Tapas in Santander
- Christmas in Madrid
- 3 Days in Barcelona
- Best Barcelona Tapas
- Barcelona at Christmas
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