How to order food in a San Sebastian bar
A common sight in this neck of the woods is tourists with mildly shocked and confused expressions on their faces as they enter a pintxo bar for the first time. It can be a little overwhelming, particularly when it's busy, so here's a brief guide to ordering food like a local.
Related:
How (not) to eat out in San Sebastian
Where to eat in San Sebastian while avoiding tourists
There's more to pintxos than what you see on the bar
Most bars will hit you with a barrage of delicious-looking morsels right on the counter, which, thanks to Covid, are now hygienically kept underneath perspex covers. And they are delicious. But there’s so much more than what’s in front of you.
Most bars also run a kitchen, where they make hot dishes to order. You’ll usually find menus for pintxos calientes (hot) around the bar or on a blackboard. Lots of places these days have an Instagram account so check that out for off-menu hidden gems.
You'll also find a list of raciones, which are larger dishes and priced accordingly. My advice is to stick to pintxos, otherwise you’ll fill up quickly and miss out on the amazing variety.
Mind where you sit (or stand)
If you’re lucky you’ll spot somewhere to sit – but bear in mind that some bars have one areas for pintxos (at or near the bar) and another for a full sit-down meal. Don’t occupy a table if it’s obviously part of the main restaurant and you’re planning to eat only pintxos. Commonly, however, there will be an assortment of bar stools, benches and tables all mixed up in the one area so everything is fair game.
Check the table for a reservado sign. If the sign says ‘Pedro 20:30’ you’re welcome to occupy the table up until that time.
Decide what you want to order before you engage the server. A good trick is to take a photo of the display or the blackboard menu so you can do some translating if necessary while keeping your spot. I won't give you a Spanish lesson right now – but you can read a brief glossary of typical Basque dishes here.
Look for the prizewinners
After we’d lived here for a while we realised that the way to think about food in San Sebastian is not to ask which is the best bar, but rather to ask which place has the best anchovies, or the best prawn skewer, or the best pork cheeks.
Keep an eye out for certificates on the wall. Many places have a dish that won a culinary award of some kind. A tiny diner near us called Bar Ciaboga won a national award for a simple dish of confit potatoes doused with a garlic and herb sauce. In that bar you'd be mad to order anything else.
It's usual to order pinxtos at the bar, though some places have table service even for small dishes. When it’s your turn, the server might say, ‘Dime.’ (Di-meh). It means ‘tell me’.
Begin with one pintxo and a drink each, just like the locals do. The idea is that you finish those then order the next round or – if you’re on a pintxo crawl – move on to the next bar.*
If you're sticking to cold dishes they'll get them for you on the spot, sometimes along with a small basket of cut-up baguette and your cutlery. Unlike many other places in Spain, the bread is free. If you're ordering off the menu, keep an eye out for your order to arrive. In some bars they'll just plonk it on the bar and yell out 'carrilleras, bacalao!', and in others they'll bring it to you.
When you've got a couple of clean plates in front of you it's polite to return them to the bar (usually on top of the glass pintxo covers) – but only if it's not packed with people. If it's busy, let the staff do the cleaning up.
If you're having more than one dish, keep your cutlery. Just place it on a napkin.
Don't order patatas bravas
Seriously, don't. It's merely a bowl of boiled potatoes with a weakly spiced red sauce and some mayo on top. And for some reason it's usually the most expensive pintxo on the list.
Pay as you order, or at the end?
The rule of thumb is that in pintxo bars you pay at the end. That's fine if you have a place to sit or stand and the staff can see where you are (and chalk up each purchase on their touch-screen) but when it's really busy it makes sense to pay as you order, mainly so you don’t have to queue up again. Offer up your card or cash – the server will quickly make it known if it's okay to pay later. In locals bars where the focus is drinking, pay as you order.
To ask for your bill/check: La cuenta, por favor (pronounced 'la kwenta').
Thanks to Covid, 99 per cent of bars have card machines now. But if you’re only having a couple of drinks, pay with cash. It’s appreciated here just like it is everywhere else.
Tipping
Spanish people don't expect a tip on any service. That said, rounding-up when you pay in cash or leaving a Euro or two in the tray after you've paid by card is a nice touch.
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* The notion of a pintxo crawl isn’t as widespread as you might have been led to believe. Many locals are happy settling in at one place and getting their fill over several hours.
