Best Pintxos in San Sebastian

One of the best things to do in San Sebastian is to taste its delicious gastronomy. In Donostia is very typical the pintxo culture, which are nothing more than typical tapas of the Basque Country.

So that you don't leave San Sebastian without trying the best ones, I leave you a list of the star pintxos of Donosti. You will find from typical recipes of the Spanish scene, such as tortilla de patatas, to specific creations of the area, such as the txalupa.

One of the best pintxos in San Sebastian is the risotto at the Borda Berri bar. The recipe changes depending on the season, but the best known versions are mushroom and Idiazabal. The former is the most common risotto recipe, but the latter has a very special flavor that will surely surprise you. In addition, octopus with quince jelly, ears and pork ribs are also famous.

If you want to try the best pintxos in San Sebastian and soak up the gastronomic culture of Donostia, I recommend you to book a pintxo tour in San Sebastian There are some specialized precisely in pintxos and there are both day and night, although, for me, the best is a gastronomic tour for small groups in the old town of San Sebastian at night.

These tours have a special charm, they go through the best taverns in the historic center of San Sebastian and, thanks to the size of the group, allow a personalized treatment. In addition, they usually include a wine tasting in the different places you visit.

• Where to find it... This small pintxo bar is located at Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, in the center of San Sebastian.

The cuisine of La Bodega Donostiarra focuses on Basque gastronomy, highlighting its sandwiches, skewers and rice-based dishes. Among all these pintxos, the mini completo, based on canned tuna, stands out. In addition, I also recommend the Indurain, one of the most typical pintxos of Donostia, which is made from a piece of tuna, an anchovy fillet, a stuffed olive and a couple of chilli peppers. It is a cold pintxo, very nutritious and with a mixture of flavors of the most special.

Beyond the above, if you have the opportunity, I also advise you to try the salted anchovies, marinated salmon, octopus in vinaigrette and homemade hake pie. In case you want to try the most typical pintxos of San Sebastian, I suggest you to book a pintxos tour in San Sebastian.

One of them is the pintxos tour with a visit to the San Sebastian market. You will walk through the 'Parte Vieja' of San Sebastian, pour cider in the purest Basque style and drink the best local wine. With this tour, you could try up to four pintxos in different bars of the city.

• Where to find it... It is a restaurant located in Peña y Goñi street, at number 13, in the center of San Sebastian.

I'm going to the center of San Sebastian to take you to one of the most typical pintxo bars in the city, the Ciaboga bar is famous throughout Donostia for its garlic potatoes. Although it may seem a simple dish, no one has been able to perfectly imitate the delicious sauce that covers the potatoes, made with parsley, garlic, olive oil and cayenne.

This irresistible dish is one of my favorite pintxos in San Sebastian, but the Ciaboga bar also has other delicious dishes, such as octopus brochette, potato omelette or stuffed mushrooms.

• Where to find it... The Ciaboga bar is located at number 9 Easo Street.

If you are looking for the best pintxos in San Sebastian, you can't miss El Bombín bar. It has a nice open terrace, ideal for the few sunny days in the city.

In case you are a beer lover, I recommend you to accompany your pintxo with a good beer of the many that are in the bar. As a tapa, you have to try the very famous corned beef pastrami sandwich. If you like Japanese food, you will be happy to know that there is a sushi menu.

• Where to find it... This bar is located in the neighborhood of Gros, at 53 Zabaleta street.

Bergara bar is one of the most famous bars in the city, due to its pintxos, both hot and cold, and its homemade desserts. A classic if you book a pintxo tour in San Sebastian.

Among the wide variety of pintxos to choose from, I recommend the Txalupa. This pintxo is a creation of the cuisine of Bergara and its name refers to a type of boat very common in the area. Thus, the Txalupa is a small boat of mushrooms and prawns with cream and cheese au gratin. I assure you that the combination of flavors is spectacular, not to mention its soft texture.

In addition to this pintxo, I also recommend the cod ajoarriero, the scallop au gratin, the duck delights and the Itxaso, which is nothing more than a monkfish medallion accompanied by a seafood cream.

• Where to find it... This bar is located in the famous neighborhood of Gros, specifically in the street of General Artetxe number 8.

This small bar is famous for its potato omelette pintxo, and when I say famous, I don't just mean in San Sebastian. The tortilla de patatas at the Nestor bar is famous all over Spain, which is one of the reasons for its long waiting lists. So, if you want to taste one of the best tortilla de patatas according to the rankings, go early so you don't miss it.

Keep in mind that they make two omelets all day, one at 13:00 and the other at 20:00. From each of them, only 16 servings are made, so make sure you are there first. In addition to the tortilla de patata, the Nestor bar is also famous for its steaks and fried peppers.

• Where to find it... This famous bar is located in the Old Part of San Sebastian, at 11 Arrandegi Street.

I'm moving to the Old Part of San Sebastian to show you one of the best foie pintxos you'll try in San Sebastian. The Sport bar specializes in both hot and cold pintxos. One of the most outstanding is the foie pintxo, the great specialty of the house. You have to include it in your pintxo tour in San Sebastian.

I also recommend you to try the different sandwiches on the menu, as well as the txangurro, the calamari and the delicious octopus. As if that were not enough, it has very good prices and an excellent quality-price ratio.

• Where to find it... This bar is located at Fermin Calbeton street number 10.

This is a very simple pintxo, although it stands out for its secret sauce. The rest of the recipe has no more mystery: a slice of bread with a skewer of grilled prawns.

Although their star pintxo is the shrimp skewers, this small bar decorated with watercolors also has other specialties. I recommend you try the Marijuli, one of the bar's most typical recipes, which is nothing more than smoked salmon with green bell pepper and salted anchovies.

At the Goiz-Argi bar you can also try the txangurro, the fried piparras, the pitufos, the txipirones or the stuffed mushrooms. Whatever you order, you are sure to love it.

• Where to find it... The bar is located in Fermin Calbeton Kalea street number 4, in the Old Part of San Sebastian.

Gavilla is a kind of croquette, except that it is filled with Serrano ham and cheese, a layer of bechamel sauce and finally breadcrumbs. It is a very typical recipe of San Sebastian and you can see it in many bars if you book a pintxo tour in San Sebastian.

However, the Gavilla par excellence is the one from the San Marcial bar, which has been making the locals' lives happy with its wonderful Gavilla for more than 30 years.

• Where to find it... The bar is located at 50 San Marcial street, just 50 meters from La Concha beach.

I continue in the center of San Sebastian to show you a bar with a special charm located in San Martzial street. It is a very modern bar with a very striking decoration based on murals. La Espiga serves both pintxos and raciones and its dishes are specialized in Basque and Spanish cuisine.

Among all its pintxos, one of the favorites of the locals is the 'Delicia'. It is a piece of bread with salted anchovies, vinaigrette, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and Worcester sauce. In addition, stuffed peppers, milanesa, ropa vieja de bonito and morro en salsa are also a delight.

Of course, there are also more common tapas from the Spanish scene, such as albondigas (meatballs) or croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes). However, my recommendation is to try pintxos typical of Basque cuisine.

• Where to find it... The bar is in the center of San Sebastian, specifically in San Martzial Kalea number 48.

Another of the best bars to go for pintxos in San Sebastian is the Ezkurra bar, a family business that for generations has earned a good place in the culinary scene of Donostia thanks to its Russian salad.

It is not that it is a different salad from the traditional one in terms of recipe, as it has the typical ingredients of this dish: potatoes, egg, tuna and mayonnaise. However, the locals know that if they want a good pintxo of ensaladilla rusa, this is where they have to go.

In fact, you can even order it to go. If you book a pintxo tour in San Sebastian, you have to try this tapa.

• Where to find it... In the neighborhood of Gros, at 17 Mirakruz street.

This brewery is a San Sebastian classic that you have to include in your pintxo tour in San Sebastian. Although its name might lead you to believe that its star pintxo is the mussels, the truth is that the gold goes to the patatas bravas.

With that spicy touch, the patatas bravas recipe of La Mejillonera attracts many locals every day, especially on weekends. Pair this pintxo with a good craft beer from the local brewery.

• Where to find it... It is located in the downtown area, in the street of the Port number 15.

Simple and humble in appearance, the Paco Bueno bar is an establishment without great pretensions, but with its gambas a la gabardina it needs nothing more.

Every day, at hamaiketako time, locals flock to Paco Bueno to savor this delicious pintxo. In case you haven't tried gambas a la gabardina before, it is a shrimp wrapped in a dough based on flour and cornstarch and fried in plenty of olive oil.

To try this and other renowned pintxos in San Sebastian, I recommend you take a tapas-pintxos tour with a local expert.

• Where to find it... This tavern is located at Calle Mayor number 6, in the Old Part of San Sebastian.

The Atari bar is an establishment that tries to combine traditional and avant-garde cuisine, achieving a unique touch. One of the great advantages of Atari is that it has a terrace, which is great if you are lucky enough to go on a sunny day.

One of the best pintxos of Atari is one of the star recipes of Spanish cuisine: croquettes. The ham croquettes at this Donostia bar will knock anyone's socks off. If you still have room, try the sirloin steak in red wine sauce with seasonal garnish.

• Where to find it... This bar is located at 18 Mayor Street, in front of the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Coro.

The Txuleta restaurant, as its name suggests, prepares a large number of dishes on its menu with the delicious meat of the T-bone steak. This is how its spectacular and incredibly tasty T-bone steak croquettes are born, with a soft texture and a crunchy exterior. It has a covered terrace, perfect for rainy days, which are not few in Donostia.

• Where to find it... This bar is located in the Old Part of San Sebastian, in the Plaza de la Trinidad, very close to the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Coro.

The Narru restaurant is a sophisticated establishment with modern aromas. Its dishes are very elaborate, although they never stray too far from the roots of Basque cuisine.

There are many pintxos, both hot and cold, that make Narru restaurant a renowned place in Donostia. However, my favorite pintxo is the torreznos, which are made just right so that they are crispy, yet juicy.

• Where to find it... The restaurant is located at 22 San Martin, next to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in San Sebastian.

The Ganbara restaurant has been making the mouths of the people of San Sebastian water for more than 25 years. It is one of the great references of the Old Part of Donostia.

Its pintxos and its wine list are exquisite. Among all its dishes, the famous chistorra puff pastry stands out. In addition, other specialties of this restaurant of Donostia are the battered asparagus and the tartlet of txangurro.

• Where to find it... The restaurant is located at 21 San Jerónimo Street, very close to the Plaza de la Constitución.

Finally, I suggest you to give this pintxo tour in San Sebastian a sweet touch with the delicious cheesecake of La Viña. This cheesecake is not only famous in Donostia, but internationally. In fact, even in Turkey and Japan they try to imitate the recipe of this cheesecake.

La Viña is an informal bar that is also very popular for its famous wines.

• Where is it located... The bar is located on 31 de Agosto Street, next to the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Coro.