Dinner starts at 9 closer to 10, and in most places tapas are eaten usually 7-9 PM, but a variety are available all day in Donostia.

Usually the big meal is lunch.

Been looking at some menus.

What is "Ud" abbreviation, something charged by the piece?

OK, apparently the abbreviation is for "unités."

What exactly is the custom, you help yourself to whatever is on the bar but show it to a waiter so they know to track what you take?

The same waiter from whom you'd order drinks or order pintxos which aren't pre-made?

At one time people dined later in the evening because of the weather, but with the advent of A/C, most restaurants are now open for dinner at 8:00 pm, a few even by 7:30 pm. In Donostia, most restaurants are closed by midnight, some, like Casa Urola, a little earlier.

Pintxos time in the evening typically begins around 7:00, but some places will start serving a little earlier, especially those catering to the tourist trade, promoted in great part by the tour companies (expat and otherwise) that seem to be blooming like wildflowers in Donostia.

Ud is the abbreviation of Usted. In the case of a menu, it would stand for "each or per unit", as in "Brillante (Carabinero) gigante a la parrilla - 15,00 €/Ud", instead of by the kilo.

At one time people dined later in the evening because of the weather, but with the advent of A/C, most restaurants are now open for dinner at 8:00 pm, a few even by 7:30 pm.>

Yes years ago in Madrid in a family-run hotel the family started cooking around 10pm for an hour or so before they ate.

In my somewhat limited experience you simply go up to the bar and ask for what you'd like (no, you don't just help yourself, at least I didn't) and they hand it to you or bring it to your table if you have one. You pay, you eat. It's pretty simple. And yes, Ud is short for Usted, not unités. Just watch what other people are doing. Stuff that's not just sitting out at the bar is listed on a menu above the bar normally.

UD is short for usted but I do not think it means that on a menu.

On a menu I thought it referred to unidad, as in one item, or one piece of croquetas, etc.

This is kind of fun, the tourism office has put out a map showing the restaurants and the bars as well as 3 different pintxo bar routes.

For each bar, they have a picture and description of the "star pintxo" (pintxo estrella) for that bar.

Unfortunately it's only in Spanish. Don't know how current the information is though:

https://www.sansebastianturismo.com/...stronomica.pdf

Also found in one of the links kimhe posted a rating and pictures of pintxos at different bars:

http://www.todopintxos.com/pintxos/p...p?pageActual=1

The Tourist Office info is a little dated.

"Ud" is not short for "usted" on a Spanish language menu. It has nothing to do with "usted" in this context, anymore than "oz" on a menu refers to the wizard. "Ud" in this context is short for "unidad' (which means unit), as ekscrunchy correctly posted.

I wouldn´t worry too much. Some simple rules, if you want to have pintxos the way locals do:

- We never sit down for pintxos. Always at the counter, with a glass of wine, zurito (small beer), beer, cider,...
- You may order them from the kitchen (written on a wall), made on order, and more expensive, usually eaten with fork and knife. Or you may just take them from the counter. Some you may just pick by yourself, some may some reheating.
- Local custom is one, maybe maximum two, per bar.
- Never a meal, just an appetizer before lunch or dinner.
- Pintxos vary from bar to bar.
- Credit card is not customary for pintxos, although they may accept it in some bars.
- Just peek at the bar counter and see if there´s something that appeals to your senses...then enter and enjoy!
- You can have pintxos all over the Basque Country, practically in any town.

And "pintxos menus" are an oddity, except for those that are made on order.

Enjoy, there are hundreds of bars where you´ll love their pintxos (and many off the beaten path...)

What exactly is the custom, you help yourself to whatever is on the bar but show it to a waiter so they know to track what you take?

Very simple: You help yourself to whatever is on the bar and order drinks from anyone behind the counter. All is based on trust, you tell them how much you and your group have had, and they allways also keep track of it ;-)

But you must ask for the warm house specialities.

"And "pintxos menus" are an oddity, except for those that are made on order."

I saw some references to Pintxos Box. They even used to have a website.

I guess it was some promotion they did in the past but it never took off or it's no longer a thing.

Temperatures are hitting the mid '90s. Though I won't be there until mid July, I hope there's a lot of salmorejo to be found.

Mmm, salmorejo is not typical from the Basque Country and it´d be very rare to be found. And it´s not a pintxo, either. I don´t really think you´ll find it anywhere, except maybe in some menus as a (very)special thing.

Pintxos are part of the idiosincrasy of each bar...the best way is just to wander around and discover them by yourselves, there are hundreds of different pintxos and bars.

I saw one bar had it according to this page:

http://www.todopintxos.com/pintxos/p...p?pageActual=1


Yes I know it's Andalusian but it would be perfect for hot weather.

Well, I don´t think you´ll find it as a pintxo in many places...maybe in one if any, sorry about that!, but it´s not typical from here and we are not used to it.

Those pintxos are those made on order, it´s a good web!

It's hot over here in CA too.

May have to find a recipe on my own.

Found another place with salmorejo, though pretty far from the Old Town:

http://narru.es/en/menu/#bar