The Pintxo Culture of Bilbao

Why visit Basque Country in northern Spain?

If you haven’t visited Basque Country in Northern Spain, you might be asking yourself, what is a pintxo? Pronounced “pincho”, these are bite size snacks that are typically eaten at the bar. Be prepared to wait for a bit if standing is a deal breaker. Trust me, it’s a lot less awkward than it sounds, and these pintxo joints usually have jovial atmospheres. Plus, tons of people stand around and eat outside. Since most of the dishes are basically finger food, this is actually really fun when it’s sunny.

When visiting Bilbao, it’s typical to pintxo hop around town as a daily activity. It’s almost like eating is a sport, but you do so much walking that it’s easy to burn off excess calories. Translation, there’s no need to feel guilty! Plus, this style of eating might initially seem like a ton of food (it did to me), but the bites are incredibly small. So, you don’t really feel it. Additionally, nightime ‘pintxo crawls’ are ridiculously fun, because the focus is as much on the food as the booze.

Artistic Basque Country.

Food is showcased on newspapers, colorful plates, and clever attention grabbers that are akin to walking through an art gallery in say, Brooklyn. For me, just taking in the endless slew of awesome eateries was an experience in itself. Everything was kind of beautiful in a different way, and I found that the good pintxo places were just a little bit offbeat, in the best way possible. Some were more traditional, while others were stark white with insanely modern touches. I found everything in between, but the best places made a real effort to stand out.

When you finally settle on where you want to eat, grab a plate from the bar and pick up whatever looks good. Don’t worry, sticks are attached to the food, so fingers are not involved. Note, some of the upscale places plate the food for you, but this is by no means an indication of the food quality. My favorite meal was at Victor Montes (click here for more information), and I just served myself at the bar. To be fair, they have a full restaurant, but I didn’t feel like sitting down for a proper meal. Additionally, there is usually a menu with more high-end dishes, but you have to ask for it.

Northern Spain’s honor code.

Just be sure to keep a mental note of everything you eat. In Basque Country, you usually don’t receive a bill, and you are on the honor system when you pay.