20/08/2026
Pintxo-pote is how locals in San Sebastián spend their Thursday evening, and if you’re around, you should too.
Pintxos date back to the 1930s, when bars here first started serving small bites on bread, held together with a toothpick (pintxo means “spike” in Basque).
Pintxo-pote came later, introduced during the 2008 financial crisis as an affordable way to get people out for the evening. Back then, a pintxo and a drink cost about 2 euros. Today it’s closer to 3 or 3.50, on select weeknights, at bars that opt in.
The tradition lives mostly outside the Old Town. Some spots to stop by:
- Gros, just over the river, is where surfers end their day.
- Egia is quieter still, and largely locals only.
- Amara close to the center with its own more old fashioned bars.
Have fun hopping from bar to bar the way a Donostiarra would (like our guide Ylena is doing here): one pintxo, one drink, on to the next place.
And make time to join us on a food tour here, too, for the real way of the land.
Details and booking on our site.
See you on tour: www.devourtours.com
