A glossary of pintxos in San Sebastian

Google Translate often won't help you identify menu items. While lots of bars in Basque Country have an English menu, they've often been written by someone local who himself has used Google Translate. So we find ourselves in a kind of weird language loop. One of our favourite bars in Gros proudly promotes their Iberian lizard. 

A glossary of pintxos in San Sebastian 

Carrilleras. Beef or pork cheeks usually served on a bed of liquidy mashed potato and gravy. 

Solomio. A Tiny piece of fillet steak, usually served rare to medium rare, with a smidgeon of creamy mashed potato and a tasty pepper on top. It would be hard to find a better steak anywhere in the world. 

Chuletta. Usually refers to a very big hunk of T-bone or tomahawk steak. It’s for sharing – it’s not a pintxo. Like solomios, chuletas are usually served quite bloody. 

Croquetas. Beautifully deep-fried balls of goodness, typically filled with bechamel plus either ham, cheese, cod, or even pistachio sauce. Don’t order too many! They’re filling and there’s so much more to try.  

Arroz/risotto. Rice, usually in a soft/moist form. If you see paella on the menu, walk away. 

Ravioli. A perfect little taste of Italy. 

Chorizo or txistorra con sidra. A famous spicy sausage cooked in cider and served simply on a bit of bread. It’s not the most complex pintxo around, but it’s a famous morsel in these parts so please give it a go. 

Magret/pato. Duck. Buy it. 

Secreto Iberico. Pork neck. Buy it. 

Txangurro. Famous local spider crab, usually served minced up in a light tomato sauce. Even canned, txangurro is a delicacy. Some bars will proudly display tins of the stuff they serve. 

Bruchetta de langostinos/gambas. Skewer of prawns, often cooked over flame.

Txipiron plancha. Lightly cooked fried squid (not battered nor deep fried). Truly a magnificent experience if you like ‘real’ seafood. 

Pulpo. Octopus. Often cooked sous vide then finished off on the plancha. Pulpo is commonly available only as a racion (larger serve). I haven’t met many people who can eat a whole one on their own. 

Bacalao. Salted cod steamed and topped with whatever sauce is good today. It doesn't taste salty, by the way. I love it. 

Hongos/champiñones/setas. Mushrooms. Gotta try em, in whatever form they’re offered, particularly in autumn.

Alcachofas. Artichokes. Unbelievably good when in season in spring. 

Pimientos rellenos. Peppers with stuffiing, often meat. Everyone likes a good stuffing. 

Paloma. Pigeon. It’s only available for a few weeks of the year, in hunting season in December. Good luck. 

Vieiras/zamburiñas. Scallops. 

Mejillónes. Mussels. 

Merluza. Hake.

Rape. 'Rah-peh'. Monkfish. 

And of course, jamón. Ham. The more you pay for it the better it will taste so don’t skimp. Better idea: buy a vac-packed sliced jamón from a charcuterie and eat it in your hotel room. It will be far better value – but if you want the good stuff you’ll need to cough up €20 or €30 for a 100 g pack. It’ll be worth it. 

What the locals love

Tortilla. I don’t think there’s a bar in the city who doesn’t offer tortilla. You can get it con patatas (simply potato with no extra flavouring), con cebolla (with onions), con bacalao (with cod) …

Albondigas. Meatballs in gravy that goes back a few generations (the dish, not the actual gravy). It’ll likely be the cheapest thing on the menu. 

Pochas. A casserole made of a special type of local bean, served with a single piece of chorizo or black pudding for garnish. Astonishingly tasty. 

Bola de carne. Literally a ball of meat, battered and deep fried. Ubiquitous in ‘old man’ bars. Why not?

Empanadas. Little pastry- or dough-wrapped parcels of spiced meat, deep fried.

Bocadillos. Sandwiches in a bread roll usually with a piece of cerdo (pork), ternera (veal) or pollo (po-yo, chicken) – and little else. It’ll blow you away, thanks to the quality of the meat here. One bocadillo is usually enough to share. 

Must-try cold pintxos

Try the anchoas (anchovies) served on a slice of baguette; a matrimonio is two fishies of different types on the same bit of bread. Extra points for downing a gilda in one go – they’re the skewers of a mix of pickled green peppers, olives, anchovy and sometimes cheese that you seen in nearly every bar. Try not to stab yourself in the throat with the skewer. 

Drinks

Beer. The common term for a glass of beer is caña (can-ya), not cerveza. A caña is about 330 mL, the size of a standard can or a little smaller. If you want a beer about half the size, ask for a zurrito. There are a few boutique beer houses in town but in most places you’ll have a choice of one type. 

Red wine. If you ask simply for vino tinto you’ll be fine, but some bar staff take this to mean ‘the expensive stuff for tourists’. ‘Real’ drinkers in Spain will ask for a tinto del año (tinto del an-yo). It’s the young stuff, usually fine, and cheap, but most likely will still be from the Rioja wine region, so perfectly drinkable. Most of the time. If you’re more discerning with your wine than we are, ask for a crianza (cri-un-tha). Of course, lots of bars have extensive wine menus on a blackboard to play with. 

White wine. Again, asking for vino blanco will be fine, but if you want to explore the options try the verdejo (ber-de-kho). Godello (god-e-yo) is a little more upmarket, and easier to pronounce. 

Txakoli. You really must try txakoli (cha-ko-lee). It’s made just along the coast and is the most refreshing and delightful dry white wine you’ll find anywhere. Regrettably these days it’s not as cheap as it once was but try some anyway. Watch the barman pour it from a height to give it bubbles. (Hint: Getaria is the home of txakoli and well worth the 40-minute bus ride. Txakoli is still cheap there.)

Sidra. Like txakoli, Basque cider is poured from a height to give it some fizz. Drink it fast, before it goes flat. 

Vermout. A must-try traditional drink here (ver-moo). Some bars take great pride in the way they assemble your drink’s ingredients, while others chug it out of a tap. 

Clara con limón. Shandy. 

Cocktails. Anything goes. Watch out though – they are two or three times bigger than in many other countries!