Pintxos Crawl in San Sebastian
So, here I am on a Monday night is San Sebastian, gastronomic centre of Spain and possibly the world, with no reservations…and it is restaurant week! What’s a girl to do? But of course – a pintxos tour – the Basque answer to a pub crawl!
The pintxos bars were packed as I wandered the streets of old town San Sebastian. No matter where you turned, people were everywhere – it was standing room only! Locals and tourists alike were bumping elbows as they ate, drank and moved on through the various offerings of pintxos and bars.
Pintxos are a snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country. They are usually eaten in bars or pubs as a small snack while hanging out with friends or relatives, having a strong socializing component. In Basque country they are usually regarded as a cornerstone of local culture and society. While they are related to tapas, the main difference between the two are that pintxos are usually ‘spiked’ with a skewer or toothpick, often to a piece of bread. They are served in individual portions and always ordered and paid for independently from the drinks.
Clearly uninitiated, I made my way through 4 pintxos bars before I had to call it a night. I pointed, nodded and used sign language to make my way through the various tastes of Spain, washing these bite sized morsels down with a glass or two of rose wine (I had read that rose, along with txikito – a young white wine, were the traditional wines to have with pintxos and I have to agree – they both went well with the huge variety of flavours that I sampled along the way).
A visit to the tourist information office showed that you can even sign up for an organized pintxos crawl. Perhaps this is the way to go as the people that I met on the Basque Culinary Experience told me that the guide gave them the inside track on what to eat and more importantly, where to eat it! San Sebastian Foods also offers Pintxos cooking classes for those who want to master this Basque tradition!
A pintxos crawl in San Sebastian – a great night out and the best part – no reservations required!
Related Links:
San Sebastian Pintxos Crawl – A Basque Culinary Adventure – Foodie International
Oh how delicious! I could just eat that one with goat’s cheese and balsamic on it. I love the cuisine from the Basque country. Did you do the cooking class? I had problems finding one that didn’t require a minimum of two to book. I am determined to do one one day!
Posted by miramiandmog | November 16, 2012, 9:03 amThe goat’s cheese was one of my favourites. They had a few different variations. I did do a cooking class, although I missed out on the Pinxtos class. The one at San Sebastian Food was amazing and I would highly recommend it. There was no problem with me being alone, in fact, it was a great way to spend an evening, especially as I was alone as I made so many friends on the night! Check out http://http://traveldestinationbucketlist.com/2012/11/14/a-basque-culinary-experience-with-san-sebastian-food/ for some photos from the cooking class!
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:08 pmLooks really good!
Posted by dutchgoesitalian | November 16, 2012, 9:25 amIt was amazing! Fascinating people watching too!
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:09 pmOoohh! Those look delicious, especially the mushroom one. I don’t think I had one with mushrooms when I was in Spain
Posted by Annette | November 16, 2012, 9:27 amLoved the mushrooms and the goat cheese. The bar around the corner from my hotel had yummy bananas wrapped in ham too! I think I had pintxos nearly every afternoon! They were just so yum.
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:17 pmWhat a Cool Experience – thanks for sharing – your photos are making me want to get out and go eat something! Happy Weekend:)
Posted by cravesadventure | November 16, 2012, 12:01 pmThanks – San Sebastian was so awesome. Loved all the flavours….could go back and eat some more! If only it wasn’t so far.
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:23 pmI had no idea I was so close to some place so cool. Thanks for the post, I will have to put this destination on my never ending bucket list.
Posted by davecutherell | November 16, 2012, 3:32 pmIt really was pretty close to the Camino – great spot to recover too! San Sebastian is worthing of adding to your bucket list! At least, as you cross one thing off, you never run out of new places to add! Love how that works.
Posted by Anita Mac | November 22, 2012, 1:45 pmI spent a day in San Sebastian a few years ago and had an amazing lunch (soup, freshly caught fish, dessert and 1/2 bottle of rose per person!) for €10 – such good value. Didn’t stay long enough for the pintxos that time though!
Posted by Lucy Dodsworth | November 16, 2012, 3:47 pmI love the daily menu in Spain. You are so right Lucy – it is awesome value for money. I found many of the pintxos were around €2 plus or minus a little so it added up quickly! One night, I only had pintxos for dinner so I put €20 in my pocket and went into a few places. When I ran out of money, I was full and headed back to my room! A great night out and fun people watching….it was all I needed.
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:26 pmsimply yummy
Posted by joshi daniel | November 19, 2012, 1:51 amTotally!
Posted by Anita Mac | November 19, 2012, 10:26 pm