Experience the best of San Sebastian's Old Town over lunch. Get off the beaten path and visit the pintxos bars you would go to every weekend if you lived here.
We’ve got good news: pintxos aren’t just for dinner! If you’re looking for the same classic bars and essential bites as our evening tour, but on a different schedule, you’re in the right place. Whether you’ve already got plans for dinner, prefer to explore the Old Town during a less-crowded time of day or are traveling with kids, we’ve got lunch covered.
We’ll start at a bar that’s been a local favorite since the 1970s. Here you’ll try a selection of the best mussels in town with dry Basque cider. Master pouring cider from a height straight into your glass and learn all about the cultural phenomenon of “TXOTX!” This traditional stop will be your first introduction into what going out for pintxos really means in San Sebastian.
Next, you’ll dive into the fascinating world of Spain’s most famous delicacy: cured Iberian ham. We’ll introduce you to a family-run gem stocked with Basque and Spanish gourmet products. Try two of the most-renowned (and most expensive) cured hams especially chosen by our friend Sylvain. By the time we leave, you’ll have an understanding of the differences between them—and a favorite!
Up next we’ll visit one of the city’s most famous pintxo bars, where the past meets the present. Here, the best local ingredients and innovative cooking techniques help the pintxos truly shine.
After this, it’s time for another local favorite: one of today’s hot spots for grilled steak. You’ll enjoy a pintxo of tender sirloin steak, washed down with a glass of barrel-aged Navarra wine.
Last but not least, we’ll finish with something sweet at a restaurant that has been open since the 1950s.
Once we finish dessert, you will have crossed the one thing you can’t leave San Sebastian without doing off your list: tried the best food and drink in the Old Town at the classic bars that do them best.