A good post on how to do it right with pintxos in Basque Country
 

After a long absence from Fodor´s, but continuing with my gastronomy and tourist passion, I´d like to post what is a very good post about Basques´ love for real (being myself a local, I think he´s got the point), fresh food, and how to deal with it. And how to behave like a local...taking into account that San Sebastián-Donostia is becoming increasingly popular and therefore "too touristy" for my liking...

http://www.civilianglobal.com/food-a...#ixzz2lw0WDdI6

Thanks for this, we live just over two hours away and try to get down a few times a year. Have never tried one of the "name" restaurants, bit out of our budget. Still an interesting read.

My experience in Arzak was not good at all...contradictory to what the article says, but I was really disappointed. I´m planning Mugaritz for next year.

Fine pintxos/food page, mikelg.

Cathinjoetown,
Need not to be totally over the top expensive to go to the best restaurants in San Sebastián. Had a memory for life lunch at three star Akelarre some weeks ago for about 100€ pp. We had the "Sea garden" appetizers, the traditional and local fish and shellfish soup "a la Donostiarra", Hake and its Kokotxa with Oyster and Oyster Leaf, Grilled Iberic “Secreto” with Pepper seeds and Garlic in three different versions (we had two half main dishes on their suggestion), chocolates and a couple of glasses of wine.

I will especially remember the Akelarre version of the fabulous San Sebastián fish and shellfish soup (which usually is excellent also in "normal" restaurants up here, highly recommended!), and the Hake and Kokotxa is perhaps the best thing I've ever eaten. This page gives you an idea: http://driftingepicure.com/2013/03/28/akelarre-review/

Thanks, kimhe.

Welcome back Mikel great post! By the way when is Anchovy season?

How To Eat Pintxos Like a Local in the Basque Country, a new post on this wonderful culture, a piece of advice must needed for most visitors...

http://mugalari.wordpress.com/2014/0...asque-country/

Well, I've "violated" at least 6 or 7 of your recommendations.

Why are there seats in many bars if not for sitting?

Yes, there are pinxto bars in Donostia with seats.

Yes, we did it all wrong too and as far as I know did not even get any disapproving glances. I was concerned before we got there about doing it right but once there, just ate what we wanted, where we wanted - usually at a table. The only negative feedback was from my scale when I got home :)

Well, the post is "how to eat pintxos like a local" and it does not pretend to teach any lessons to those that disbehave :), you rarely see any native having pintxos and drinks on a seat...it´s mostly for coffee time, off the normal pintxos hours. And of course you don´t get any disapproving glances...San Sebastián has learned how to get money off tourism and bar owners love it when visitors stuff their plates with pintxos!! By the way...pintxos are available all over the Basque Country, it´s just that SS gets most of the credit.

My wife does not like it when I throw the napkin on the floor-in our house.

Thanks for the article. I was puzzled by the comment about not accepting a plate from the waiter. Do you mean not to accept a plate of pintxos that the waiter has picked out for you but, rather, choose your own? Or do you mean that if you choose pintxos from the selection at the bar, do not use a plate?

(I usually order the items from the blackboard that are cooked to order)

eks, definitely the last, a local would not use a plate when picking a pintxo from the bar. A pintxo in hand, a glass in the other, standing, that's all. And everything on trust. A group of friends of 6 or 8 easily sums up a decent number of pintxos picked without even having a look at a waiter, but people very rarely fail to pay a single pintxo even at the fourt or fifth place of the night. But of course this system is under pressure with so many tourists. I nevertheless think it's important to know how it used to be and still is practiced by most local people.

Wow, we have been eating pinxtos wrong all these years. In the United States pintxos (tapas) have become bastardized to mean small plates by just about any cuisine. And, of course, it is eaten as meal, rather than like the Spanish tradition. Also they have gotten very expensive as some of the better bars are importing their provisions from Spain.

IMDonehere,
Came to think of it. The same thing apply for a pintxo crawl as for when you want a flamenco singer to come into the mood. Keep standing at the bar, and don't ever never let anyone sit down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swEAy2jAB7E

Nothing helps the voice of flamenco singer better than cigarettes and vino.

Thanks, Kimhe!!

Thanks Kimhe...always surprised at your great knowledge of my homeland traditions...Eks, we hate being handed plates to fill them up with pintxos, that´s for foreigners that will stuff their plate as if it were a meal. And it isn´t. But I reckon it´s good for the business...

Regarding the difference between pintxos and tapas...http://www.blogseitb.us/basquetouris...-not-a-racion/, this blog is mine too, hope it´s well explained...it´s a 2010 post.