Pinchos in San Sebastián

Pinchos in San Sebastián

Over the last few years, San Sebastián in northern Spain has become a Mecca for food-lovers. And pinchos – a Basque version of tapas – have a lot to do with it.

San Sebastián, a city of 150,000 residents on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, boasts over 200 pinchos bars and it feels as if new ones are opening daily. It is not an easy choice to make. Unlike Spanish tapas, the preparation of pinchos (or pintxos in Basque) can be very elaborate – that’s why they are also known as “cocina en miniatura” (miniature cuisine). Although they’re also served with drinks such as wine, sherry or beer, pinchos are cold or warm dishes in their own right – just in miniature. And they are the expression of an attitude to life that combines sociability and a passion for excellent cuisine.

The word “pinchos” means skewer and is a reference to the fact that the individual elements of the dish are usually held together, or fixed onto a slice of bread, by a wooden or plastic skewer. Every bar in San Sebastián prepares their pinchos in a slightly different way, even the classic, traditional dishes such as “tortilla de patatas” (potato omelette), salted cod, and meatballs in tomato sauce. When you add these to the countless specialities, you soon arrive at a total of a few thousand pinchos.

Here are a few examples:
The “Bernardo Etxea” in San Sebastián’s Old Town is famous for its pincho named “Gilda”. It consists of three chili peppers and one olive on a skewer, wrapped in very mild anchovies from Getaria, a town that lies only 20 kilometres away. Slightly hot, slightly salty and very refreshing. The owner of the bar named his creation after the night-club singer Gilda from the 1946 film of the same name by Charles Vidor. The little skewer is just as appetising, bewildering and heart-warming as the lead actress Rita Hayworth.

In “Munto”, small plates of roast duck breast with apricot sauce stand on the counter. The combination of tender, juicy, strongly seasoned meat with sweet and sour fruit sauce and dry sherry is a dream!

“Brocheta de riñones” in the “Gandarias”: a skewer of tender lamb’s kidneys, subtly seasoned with a hint of garlic. And a glass of red “Tintilla de Rota” wine to go with it. Delicious!

Text: Rainer Meier

Selected pinchos bars

Bernardo Etxea, Calle Puerto, 7, Tel. +34 943 42 20 55
www.bernardoetxea.com

Munto, Fermín Calbetón, 17, Tel. +34 943 42 60 88
www.muntobar-restaurante.com

Gandarias, Calle 31 de Agosto, 23, Tel. +34 943 42 63 62
www.restaurantegandarias.com

Bar Txepetxa, Calle Pescadería, 5, Tel. +34 943 42 22 27
www.bartxepetxa.com

Bergara, Calle General Artetxe, 8, Tel. +34 943 27 50 26
http://pinchosbergara.es

Casa Vergara, Calle Mayor 21, Tel. +34 943 43 10 73
​www.restaurantecasavergara.com

La Viña, Calle 31 de Agosto, 3, Tel. +34 943 42 74 95
http://lavinarestaurante.com

Zeruko, Calle Pescadería, 10, Tel. +34 943 42 34 51
www.barzeruko.com