Spilling the beans

San Sebastian is world-renowned as a perfect gastronomic destination. This reputation has been built very slowly and thanks to the hard work of its different proponents. Locals and visitors have the chance to enjoy a wide and diverse selection that can satisfy all kinds of foodies.

One of the most rewarding experiences is to go out for pintxos in San Sebastian, visiting the different districts (barrios), even if the most renowned are located in the Old Town.

A “pintxo” or “brochette” (banderilla, in Spanish) is defined by a balanced combination of flavours and aesthetics.  Several titbits of food, either on a slice of bread, on a brochette or in some other presentation, can be sampled in two or three mouthfuls. It is normally picked up with your fingers. The brochette is a more traditional concept.

All donostiarras, (locals from San Sebastian, in their Basque name), have our own pintxos crawl. When we visit our local bars, or the Old Town, we know exactly which bars to visit and which pintxo to order in each one. Our choice depends on what the bars have on offer and on our taste. Even if locals agree on the top five bars, it is easy for you to make your own pintxos crawl, you only need to visit the guide published by the “Instituto del Pintxo de San Sebastian” (Institute of the San Sebastian pintxo), click on (English version available):

https://www.institutodelpintxodess.com/en/instituto-del-pintxo

The Institute was created in December 2018 to preserve our pintxo tradition, beginning with our traditional way of going for pintxos. We eat one or two pintxos in each bar and carry on in the bar crawl. We enjoy pintxos before lunch or dinner or as a substitute for them. 

The Institute has defined the ten-steps that define the perfect pintxo and our traditional way of going for pintxos. The ten-steps are:

1.- Just the right size and maximum flavour

2.- Homemade

3.- Cutting-edge

4.- Has personality

5.- Freshly made

6.- Commitment to the product

7.- Professional service

8.- Clear and visible information (ingredients + price)

9.- Eaten in typical San Sebastián fashion: at the bar

10.- Something to enjoy in a group.

For more information you can visit the web site of the Institute of the San Sebastian pintxo, click here: https://www.institutodelpintxodess.com/en/instituto-del-pintxo

Enjoy our city eating some good pintxos.