San Sebastian is the capital of the Gipuzkoa province of the Basque Country in Spain. Located on the coast, the picturesque city is a great place for visitors from around the world to come and enjoy some typical Basque food.
Simple and unpretentious, Basque food is healthy as well as great-tasting; partly because the locals take food very seriously! As the region is by the sea, fish, eels, and shellfish understandably shape much of the cuisine.
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Pintxo Bars
Locals enjoy bar-hopping before lunch or dinner and generally fill up on snacks until their main meals and there are sure to be some bars near San Sebastian hostels where travelers can try the local specialty known as pintxos.
A Basque version of tapas, pintxos (or pinchos) is generally served cold on a slice of bread, or occasionally hot. Favorites include smoked fish and fruit pintxos, which are generally salmon and fresh fruit mixed together, as well as prawn and bacon pintxos - both of which can be found in the majority of traditional bars.
The latter is also a popular dish at banquets, parties and receptions and travelers may well find it offered as a snack in the bar or restaurants at their San Sebastian hostel.
How to Order
Interestingly, at most cheap bars you cannot just sit down at a table and order your pintxos from your menu. In San Sebastian, there are a number of up-market places that let you do that but the traditional method is arguably more fun.
Just sit down at the bar, order a drink and eat what is in front of you; when you are ready for the bill, just let the barman know how much you have had and he will charge you accordingly.
However, in some places barmen can be quite possessive about their pintxos. If you are too embarrassed to ask him whether you can eat them or not, one tip is to just ask for a plate. If he gives it to you, the pintxos are yours.
Where to Go
Although there are dozens of bars around the Old Town, the best place to enjoy pinxtos on a budget is the less crowded Centro area. Try Meson Martin on Calle Elcano or San Marcial on Calle San Marcial.
Pintxos in San Sebastian SEBASTIAN
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