Alfonso

Thank you Matthew for your reference about our site Todopintxos.com To update the original post from kathryn: Aloña Berri has closed since the owners have retired and nobody has continued with the bar. El Patio de Ramuntxo has been renewed and a new team manages the bar. It has lost its innovative character. Both bars are in the Gros area. Good substitutes are "El Lagar" and "Mil Catas". Both have also a good wine list served by the glass. You can also purchase the bottle. In Parte Vieja, the former chef from La Cuchara de San Telmo owns a bar named Borda Berri. Good pintxos as well.

Pintxos (basque writting of the word "Pinchos") is becoming day by day in a new Culinary Culture in the Basque Country in the north of Spain. Pintxos are similar to Tapas, but they are not the same, despite many similarities. The difference I like most, is that a Tapa is usually a portion of a larger dish, while the pintxo is a goal in itself. Both are eaten at bars while having a drink, often as an aperitif. Visitors to Spain and the basque country tend to go one day for a full pintxos crawl, something that many locals do as well. But, despite Pintxos crawling has extended to many cities all over Spain, and even you can find Tapas and Pinchos bars all over the world, to really taste the Pintxos Culture one must go to San Sebastian (in the Basque Country in Spain). 3 Michelin Star's Chefs like Arzak or Martin Berasategui, as well as other much renowned like Pedro Subijana or Aduriz, do their pintxo crawlings in this seaside city. For an overview of pintxos (pinchos) and tapas in San Sebastian, you can see www.todopintxos.com