Three Pintxos Recipes
No visit to San Sebastián is complete without diving headfirst into the city's most famous tradition: Pintxos.
Small in size but full of flavour, pintxos are at the heart of Basque food culture and have helped make San Sebastián one of the world's most celebrated food destinations.
Pintxos in San Sebastian
The word pintxo, pronounced PEEN-Cho, comes from the Basque verb pinchar, meaning "to pierce" or "to skewer". They’re a small bite-sized bar snack, often served on a bread, that are held together with a cocktail stick.
They’re particularly synonymous with San Sebastian and often enjoyed as an appetizer with a drink before dinner (our kind of snack!).
What began as a simple accompaniment to a glass of local wine or cider has evolved into an art form, with bars across the city competing to create the most inventive and delicious combinations.
Pintxos are closely linked to the Basque tradition of txikiteo, a wonderfully sociable custom where friends move from bar to bar, enjoying a drink and a small bite at each stop. It's less about sitting down for a meal and more about sharing great food, great conversation and discovering something new around every corner.
“La Gilda” Pintxos
Legend has it that the very first pintxo was created entirely by accident in 1946 at Casa Vallés, one of San Sebastián's most iconic bars. A customer named Joaquín Aranburu skewered together an olive, a pickled guindilla pepper and a salted anchovy. The combination was salty, spicy and a little daring, prompting locals to nickname it "La Gilda" after Rita Hayworth's famously seductive character in the film Gilda. Today, it's still considered the original pintxo and remains a staple in bars throughout the city.
Inspired by San Sebastián's close relationship with the sea, I’ve created three seafood-focused pintxos that celebrate the flavours of the Basque coastline. Each one showcases premium ingredients paired with vibrant accompaniments that balance richness, freshness and texture. They’re a perfect partner for a glass of Txakoli, the lightly sparkling Basque white wine we’re featuring this month. Its bright acidity, citrus notes and refreshing minerality make it a natural match for seafood and one of the region’s most beloved wines.
One of the best things about pintxos is that they’re designed for sharing, grazing and enjoying at your own pace. Whether you're preparing all three for a summer gathering or simply trying one recipe at a time, they're guaranteed to spark conversation around the table.
I can’t wait for you to try them,
Johnny
Pintxos and Txakoli
Pintxos Recipes
Our full recipes are below, so you can bring a little taste of the Basque Country into your own kitchen. But if you'd rather leave the cooking to us, you can enjoy them in our restaurants throughout July as part of our Discover Spain series. Book your Table here
Boquerones & Cantabrian Anchovies with Cauliflower Hummus & Pul Biber
A perfect introduction to the world of pintxos. Delicate white anchovies and rich Cantabrian anchovies sit atop silky cauliflower hummus, finished with a sprinkle of pul biber for gentle warmth and depth. Salty, creamy and incredibly moreish.
Makes 10 Pintxos
Prep: 15 mins + Cooling
Cook: 30 mins
See our Chef’s Notes below for recipe tips
Ingredients
10 Boquerones
10 Cantabrian Anchovies
180g Cauliflower, cut into florets
15ml Olive Oil
2g Salt
1g Pepper
1g Pimento (Paprika)
Tahini Mix
15g Tahini
1 Garlic Clove, roughly chopped
30ml Olive Oil
Juice of ½ Lemon
30g Water
To Serve
Pul Biber (Aleppo Pepper)
Olive oil
10 Slices of Crusty Baguette
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Add to a bowl along with 15ml of the olive oil, pimento, salt and pepper. Mix to coat and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until lightly coloured and soft.
For the Tahini Mix, add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir together.
Add the cooked cauliflower to a food processor and slowly add the tahini mix until you have a smooth paste. Pop it in the fridge to cool down.
When you’re ready to serve, top your crusy baguette pieces with generous portions of the Hummus mixture, a Boquerones and Cantabrian Anchovy per slice, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Pul Biber.
To Make Vegan:
Replace the Anchovies with a couple of extra slices of Olives
Bacalao Carpaccio with Roast Pepper Purée & Olive
Salt cod has long been a cornerstone of Basque cuisine. Here, thin slices of bacalao are paired with sweet roasted pepper purée and a punchy olive garnish, creating a pintxo that's elegant, fresh and packed with Mediterranean flavour.
Makes 10 Pintxos
Prep: 15 mins + cooling
Cook: 30 mins
See our Chef’s Notes below for recipe tips
Ingredients
10 Slices Bacalao Carpaccio
1 Large Red Pepper
4g Garlic, finely chopped or crushed
35ml Olive Oil
1g Pepper
2g Salt
80g Piquillo Pepper (tinned)
5g Sugar
7ml Sherry Vinegar
10 Gordel Olives, Sliced
10 Slices of Crusty Baguette
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C. Deseed and slice the red pepper and add to a bowl along with the crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together and place on a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for half an hour.
Meanwhile, mix together the Piquillo Pepper, sugar and sherry vinegar. After the peppers have been in the oven for half an hour, add the piquillo pepper mixture and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add to a food processor, blitzing to a smooth paste. Place in the fridge for later.
When you’re ready to serve, thinly slice the olives. Top your crusty baguette pieces with a generous spread of the Roast Red Pepper Purée, top with a slice of Bacalao Carpaccio and a couple of slices of olives.
To make Vegan:
Replace the Bacalao Carpaccio and slices of olives with 1/3rd Piquillo Pepper
Mojama with Pistachio Guacamole & Raspberry
Perhaps the most unexpected of the three, this pintxo combines intensely savoury mojama (air-cured tuna) with creamy pistachio guacamole and bursts of fresh raspberry. The result is a beautifully balanced pintxo that's sweet, salty, nutty and utterly unforgettable.
Makes 10 Pintxos
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
See our Chef’s Notes below for recipe tips
Ingredients
10 Slices of Mojama
50g Shelled Pistachio
1 Garlic clove, finely diced
1 Red Chilli, deseeded & finely diced
30g White Onion, finely diced
½ Cucumber, deseeded & finely diced
2g Fresh Mint, finely diced2g
Juice of ½ Lemon
40ml Olive Oil
2g Maldon Sea Salt
To Serve
10 Fresh raspberry
Maldon Sea Salt
10 Slices of Crusty Baguette
Method
Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until you get a fine crumb. Be careful as it can quickly turn into a paste!
Deseed the chilli and cucumber and finely dice them along with the onion, garlic and mint. Add them to a bowl with the pistachio and mix together. Pop in the fridge for later.
When you’re ready to serve, slice the raspberries in half. Top your crusty baguette pieces with a generous spread of Pistachio Guacamole, a slice of Mojama and two halves of raspberries. Sprink with Sea Salt to taste.
To Make Vegan:
Replace the Mojama with an extra half or two of raspberries.
Chef’s Notes
You can find the ingredients in most specialist Spanish shops online. Many of the ingredients can be adapted if they're difficult to source, and ingredients that would work well are smoked salmon, premium tinned tuna and cooked prawns.
But we'd encourage you to seek out the originals where possible. The unique character of each seafood element is what makes these pintxos such a true reflection of San Sebastián's coastal food culture.
Make Ahead
You can make the Hummus, Red Pepper Purée and Pistachio Guacamole up to a two ahead. Keep them in the fridge until ready to serve.
July Special; Pintxos
Our July Specials; Pintxos with Txakoli
If you’d rather leave the cooking to us, you can find our pintxos, both standard and vegan pintxos, as specials in our restaurants throughout July. A perfect pairing with our Txakoli, a lightly sparkling Basque White Wine.
Book your table to experience San Sebastian today!