The gilda is three ingredients on a toothpick: a green olive, a salted anchovy fillet and pickled guindilla peppers. It is often called the first pintxo, the starting point for the bar snacks of San Sebastián. Our gilda dish page has the short definition and variants. This post covers the story behind the name, why the three ingredients work together, and how to eat one.
San Sebastián, the 1940s and a film
The usual account places the gilda's invention in a San Sebastián bar in the 1940s. The name comes from Gilda, the 1946 Hollywood film with Rita Hayworth in the title role. As the story goes, the snack was green, salty and a little spicy, like the character.
Whether it was literally the first pintxo is hard to prove, but it is commonly given that title. For more on how pintxos differ from tapas, see our pintxos vs tapas guide.
What goes on the stick
- The olive. A pitted green olive, usually Manzanilla. More on table olives on our aceitunas aliñadas page.
- The anchovy. A salt-cured anchovy fillet kept in oil, the brown, intensely salty kind, not the white vinegar-cured boquerones (although some bars make a boquerón version).
- The guindilla. Long, thin green chillies pickled in vinegar, mild with a little bite. In the Basque Country they are called piparras, and the town of Ibarra in Gipuzkoa is known for them.
Each part does a job. The anchovy brings salt, the pickled pepper brings acid and a little heat, and the olive brings fat and a firm bite. Some bars finish it with a drizzle of olive oil.
How to eat one
A gilda is built for one bite. Hold the toothpick, put the whole thing in your mouth and pull the stick out, so you get all three flavours at once. Eaten piece by piece, you lose the balance between them.
In the Basque Country it is a drinking snack. A glass of txakoli, the local sharp white wine, or a small beer (a zurito) is a common partner.
Banderillas: the gilda's cousins
Across Spain, pickled vegetables threaded on a toothpick are called banderillas, after the decorated darts used in bullfighting. They can include pickled onions, gherkins, peppers and carrots. The gilda is often described as a banderilla with fish added. You will find both in jars in Spanish shops and on bar counters.
Gildas outside Spain
Three venues in our directory mention the gilda in their own listings:
- Besa, Bondi Beach, Sydney: a tapas restaurant and bar from Esca Group, opened in March 2026 and inspired by Madrid. Its menu includes gildas alongside pan con tomate, fideuà negra and tortilla.
- Txula Steak, New York: its Martina Hayworth martini is made with Spanish olive-oil-infused gin and has a Basque gilda on top.
- Pintxø, Milan: its logo is a stylised olive on a skewer, inspired by the gilda, and its cooking draws on Basque and Spanish recipes.
For the wider Basque menu, see our guide to Basque food beyond pintxos.
