Tapas and pintxos get used interchangeably outside Spain, but in the Basque Country the difference is a point of pride. Knowing it makes you a sharper diner anywhere.
The difference in one line
A tapa is a small plate you order from the kitchen. A pintxo is a bite-sized composition, often skewered on bread, laid out on the bar for you to grab yourself.
How to eat a pintxos bar
- Grab a plate and take what looks good from the counter, or order the hot ones off a small menu.
- Keep your skewers — the bill is often counted by the sticks on your plate.
- Move on. Basque tradition is a crawl: one or two pintxos and a small glass per bar, then the next.
Pintxos bars outside the Basque Country
- Pintxito in Covent Garden serves Basque pintxos, with seating in its historic arches.
- Sagardi Amsterdam has a seasonal pintxo bar and a cellar where it dry-ages txuleton steaks.
- Imanol by Aitor Ansorena in Lisbon goes from traditional pintxos to grilled dishes, with Basque cider.
- Ernesto's on East Broadway in Manhattan mixes traditional Basque pintxos with tapas and modern dishes.
The classic first bite
Start with a gilda — olive, anchovy and guindilla pepper on a stick, the original pintxo. Find Basque-leaning kitchens abroad in our directory.
