Pintxo like a Local

Traditional Food & Wine Tour

Follow steps below for booking.

​The "Pintxo like a Local" tour, will leave our guests with a better understanding of the Basques, the "REAL" Pintxo" culture and how it came to be and how it is changing every year. You will know where to go, what to get, how to eat it and what drink to have with it for the rest of your time here. I pride myself on staying as true to TRADITION as possible. This tour targets the gastronomic culture that San Sebastian is famous for. To come to this Shangri-la of food and not know where or how to do the Pintxo crawl, would be a shame. We help you navigate through the over 180 Pintxo bars in the Old Town. The guide becomes your flavor guide and provides 5 different Pintxos at up to 5 different Pintxo bars and pairs those with a local wine or cider (non-alcoholic drinks also available).

This town is famous for Michelin Star restaurants and Pintxos, but for the Pintxo bars you really need someone on the inside who knows what to order and at what bar on that specific day, because it changes throughout the year, month by month, day to day. Think about it, if you have heard about a certain bar here, so has every other tourist, that is where we WILL NOT be going, you can find those places on your own. During our former visits (twice per year for 8 years) and from the time I moved here (2011), I have been observing and learning where the locals go and where the tourists normally go. I was taken by the hand to the Pintxo bars from the old days by family and friends, into the bars that they grew up going to during the evolution of the Pintxo to what has become today. It is not just knowing where to go, it is when to go, what to eat, how to it it, and what drink to pair it with in order to enhance the favor profile of the food and the drink.

After covering some very basic Basque history along with Pintxo and Tapas history and their differences while in our office, we take you to the most TRADITIONAL bars and recommend their house specialty. We pair those with a local wine or cider, keeping things as traditional and local as possible.  It is more about exploring the different flavors that come from combinations of ingredients and wine/cider pairings or breaking stereotypes of flavors. You don't come here often, so let me help you make it the best it can be! I know what info a visitor needs.

I am originally from the States, MARRIED INTO A LOCAL GASTRONOMIC FAMILY, and through my job working internationally, I have been exposed to various cultures and their related cuisines. I have taught adults in various environments for over 20 years. Once I married my wife who is from San Sebastian whose father just so happens to be a veteran of the culinary industry, I hit pay dirt of sorts. We used to visit here twice a year for about 8 years before we made the move in 2011.

We will start out at 12:30, contrary to popular belief, this is the traditional Pintxo time for locals.

If this is something you are interested in, please let us know as soon as possible, our tours are filling up fast and we would hate for you to miss out on this great offer. It will be best to do on your first day here, before you venture out on your own, starting at 12:30 pm.

The meeting location will be listed on your confirmation email. Please be on time as other people may be on the tour as well.

Because some children can be picky about what they eat, children 13 and under are free with paid adult price, (food and drink are NOT included) this way you can get them what looks good to them!  We will help you with the bar tender.

• Duration: 2.5-3 hours  12:30 pm start.
  
• Price: Ages 14 and over: 135 EURO per person (sales tax 21% included).
• Children: Ages 13 and under free (food & drink NOT included).
• Included: Food and Drinks.
  
• Excluded: Gratuities.
  
• Special rates available upon request for groups larger than 10 people.
  
• VEGETARIAN, PREGNANT & KID FRIENDLY TOUR