Five pintxo bars to hit in San Sebastián's Old Town

San Sebastián's Old Town is a maze of narrow streets where every doorway seems to lead to a counter stacked with pintxos. You could wander in blind and eat well — but with a little strategy, you'll eat unforgettably.

The golden rule of the pintxo crawl: one drink and one or two pintxos per bar, then move on. Each bar has a speciality, and the locals order it by name. Ask for the house special, eat it standing at the bar, and keep your napkin — you'll need it.

Start around Calle 31 de Agosto and work outward. Go early — by 13:30 the counters are three deep — and don't skip the grilled options hiding on the chalkboard menus. The best bites in the city are cooked to order, not sitting on the bar.

However you plot your route, log every stop. Six months from now, when someone asks you where to get the best txuleta pintxo in the Old Town, you'll have the receipts.