San Sebastián pintxos crawl — from the Parte Vieja to Gros

The art of the pintxo, explained in three minutes

A pintxo (pronounced ‘peen-cho’) is not just any tapa. It is often a small slice of bread with a topping, held together by a cocktail stick (pintxo is the Basque spelling of the Spanish pincho, ‘spike, thorn’). In San Sebastián (Donostia), it is a way of life: you go from bar to bar, order two or three pintxos and a glass of txakoli or cider, then move on to the next place.

The route

Parte Vieja (Old Town) — unmissable

1. La Cuchara de San Telmo — known in particular for its veal cheek (carrillera)
2. Ganbara — specialises in seasonal mushrooms
3. Borda Berri — known for its risotto-style orzo with sheep’s cheese
4. Bar Néstor — the potato tortilla (only two a day, at 13:00 and 20:00: get there well ahead to put your name on the list)

Gros — the other pintxos neighbourhood

5. Bergara — a neighbourhood pintxos bar, listed in the Michelin Guide
6. Casa Senra — traditional Basque cooking and pintxos

What to know before you go

• Pay in each bar before moving on to the next one
• The bars get very busy in the evening: go early if you want some elbow room

Where to sleep afterwards?

The Parte Vieja is charming but noisy. Choose somewhere to stay in the Gros neighbourhood or near La Concha beach.