DRIFT Travel Winter 2018

Pintxos are not as large as tapas, the
small plates of Spanish cuisine that
have become ubiquitous across the
U.S., and are designed to be just a
bite or two, often served on just a
napkin, not a plate.
And while visiting a pintxo bar can
be a casual outing, there’s a definite
style of pintxo dining that locals
practice and travelers would be wise
to observe, a kind of pintxo pub
crawl, if you will.
Here are two pieces of advice--
offered by Gabriella Ranalli of
Tenedor Tours, which takes tourists
on culinary excursions in San
Sebastian--that will help you have
the best experience and will keep
you from being labeled a tourist.
1. Eat only one pintxo at each bar as
each has its specialty. Savor it, along
with a glass of wine, and move on to
the next place.
2. Most pintxos are served on
napkins, and the way you dispose
of the napkins will mark you either
as a local or an outsider. When you
are finished, don’t leave the napkin
on the bar or look for a garbage
container. To demonstrate true
Basque style, raise the napkin into
the air and throw it to the ground
under the bar. Don’t just drop it like
a kid feeding vegetables to the dog.
True locals fling to the floor with
flair, take one last swig of wine, and
move on to the next place.
San Sebastian is about 60 miles from
Bilbao, the largest city in northern
Spain’s Basque Autonomous
Community, which is home to
the iconic Guggenheim Museum,
and where there is no shortage of
pintxos. A culinary excursion can
easily include both cities with easy
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