# How do you order pintxos in San Sebastián? > To order pintxos in San Sebastián, ask for a drink first, take cold pintxos from the bar or order hot ones off the board, and pay when you leave. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/san-sebastian-pintxos-how-to-order-etiquette-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from a 526-day trip across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-10-13 To order pintxos in San Sebastián, catch the bartender's eye, **order your drink first**, then either take cold pintxos from the counter or order hot ones from the blackboard, and **pay at the end** before you leave. Locals eat one or two pintxos per bar with a small drink and move on. Here is how the counter-vs-kitchen split works, what to drink, when bars are busy, and how paying and tipping work in the Parte Vieja and Gros. ## Counter pintxos vs hot pintxos from the kitchen Most bars have two kinds of pintxos. **Cold pintxos** sit on platters along the counter: in many bars you can ask for a plate and help yourself, or point and let the bartender serve you. **Hot pintxos** are cooked to order and listed on a blackboard or paper menu behind the bar. These are usually each bar's specialty and often the best thing it makes. Some of the best-known bars put little or nothing on the counter and cook everything to order, so an empty counter is often a good sign. Ask what the house specialty is. Hot pintxos at well-known bars cost roughly €3-8 each; simpler counter pintxos are often €2-5 (prices vary by bar and year). ## Step by step: how to order at a busy pintxo bar 1) Squeeze up to the counter and greet the bartender (*kaixo* is hello in Basque, *hola* is fine). 2) Order your drink first. 3) Order hot pintxos while the drink is poured; some bars take your name and call it when your food is ready. 4) Eat standing at the counter or at a ledge, and order more if you like. 5) Flag the bartender down to pay before you leave. *Eskerrik asko* means thank you, and *agur* is goodbye. Don't wait for table service at the bar, and don't hover politely at the back: the system rewards a confident (but friendly) approach to the counter. ## How to pay for pintxos: the running tab and honor system You normally **pay at the end**, not per item. Bartenders keep track of what you ordered, sometimes on a slip of paper, sometimes from memory, and for counter pintxos they may simply ask you how many you had. Be honest: the system relies on it. A few bars ask for payment when you order, so follow the bartender's lead. Tipping is not expected in Spanish bars. Rounding up or leaving small change is a courteous extra, and many bars pool tips in a shared jar. Cards are widely accepted, but small cash is handy at busy counters. ## What to drink: zurito, txikito and txakoli A standard *caña* of beer in San Sebastián can be a large glass, so locals order a **zurito**, a small beer that is the right size for one pintxo. For wine, a **txikito** is a small glass, and going bar to bar with small wines and pintxos is called *txikiteo*. The local white is **txakoli**: young, fresh, slightly sparkling and relatively low in alcohol, with acidity that suits seafood. Bartenders often pour it from a height into a flat tumbler to lift its natural spritz. Basque cider (*sagardoa*) is another local option, and noticeably dry and sharp. ## When to go: pintxo hours and Spanish mealtimes Pintxos follow Spanish mealtimes. The lunch round starts around noon to 1pm, and the evening round from about 8pm. Many bars close their kitchens in the afternoon, and some open only for lunch and evening service, so a 5pm visit can mean a thin counter and no hot food. Opening days and hours vary by bar, so check before making a special trip. Some bars run **pintxo-pote** on set weeknights: a pintxo plus a drink for a fixed price, often around €3-3.50. The participating bars and nights change, so ask locally. ## Parte Vieja vs Gros, and bar-hopping norms The **Parte Vieja** (Old Town) has the highest concentration of pintxo bars and the biggest crowds; this is where you find famous names such as La Cuchara de San Telmo and Ganbara. Across the river, **Gros** is younger and more local, with plenty of inventive bars and a slightly calmer evening crowd. Small bars full of people standing at the counter are usually a better bet than big places with multilingual photo menus. The local rhythm is four or five bars in an evening, one or two pintxos and one small drink at each. Order water between rounds if you plan to keep going. For the wider region, read our [Basque Country guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/the-basque-country), see [our Spain food guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/food-spain), and add a wine stop in [Laguardia](https://clevertourists.com/guides/laguardia) in Rioja Alavesa. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you pay for pintxos before or after eating? Usually after. The bartender keeps a running tab, or asks how many counter pintxos you had, and you pay before leaving. A few bars ask for payment when you order. ### Can you just take pintxos from the bar in San Sebastián? In many bars, yes: ask for a plate and help yourself to the cold pintxos on the counter. Hot pintxos are ordered from the blackboard and cooked to order. ### What is a zurito? A zurito is a small glass of beer, the size locals order with a pintxo instead of a larger caña. ### How much are pintxos in San Sebastián? Roughly €2-5 for simpler counter pintxos and about €3-8 for hot pintxos at well-known bars, depending on the bar. ### Do you tip at pintxo bars? Tipping is not expected in Spanish bars. Rounding up or leaving small change is a courteous extra. ### What time do pintxo bars open in San Sebastián? The lunch round starts around noon to 1pm and the evening round from about 8pm. Many kitchens close in the afternoon, and hours vary by bar. ## Official sources - [San Sebastián Turismo (official tourism office)](https://sansebastianturismoa.eus/en/) - [Basque Country Tourism: Pintxos and txikiteo](https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/pintxos-and-txikiteo/)