Bar Txepetxa San Sebastian Review 2026: Anchovy Pintxos

San Sebastián Pintxos Hotspot

Anchovy Pintxo Specialist TXEPETXA

San Sebastián is a beautiful coastal city in northern Spain

and a true culinary capital, boasting the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants

per square mile in the entire world.

Trying to check off every single must-eat spot here?

Even if you eat three meals a day, it’ll take you well over a week.

There were so many places I wanted to try,

but with limited time and only so much room in my stomach,

I was genuinely devastated...

Although my list of "best-ever, life-changing restaurants" seems to keep growing,

this is a spot I miss dearly because it's a flavor you simply cannot find back home.

Let me introduce you to this absolute gem.

1. San Sebastián Pintxos Hotspot: TXEPETXA

The opening hours can be a bit tricky,

so make sure to double-check before you go!

I didn't even know how to pronounce

the name of the place in Basque.

Anyway, Bar Txepetxa!

While other pintxos bars are definitely crowded,

this place is absolutely packed to the brim.

Premios – bar txepetxabartxepetxa.es

They don't take reservations, but

their website is actually incredibly well-designed.

It lists all the awards they've won over the years,

including sweeping 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place

at the very first pintxo competition in San Sebastián. Impressive, right?

But the funny thing is, you won't find the menu on their website...

2. Bar Txepetxa Pintxo Menu

No worries, I snapped some photos of the menu for you!

As you can see, this place is a dedicated anchovy pintxo specialist.

Now, when you hear "anchovy," you might think of tiny, salty fish.

But these aren't the super salty, canned varieties you find at the supermarket.

They are lightly cured in vinegar first, then marinated in smooth olive oil.

They're also quite plump and large,

and the marinated fish themselves are often eaten just as they are as a tapa.

Honestly, since I absolutely cannot stand anything overly fishy,

I did have a bit of hesitation at first.

But since it’s such a legendary spot in San Sebastián,

and I love trying new culinary creations,

my curiosity won over my fear. And I went for it!

I am so incredibly proud of my past self for making that choice!!

After finally squeezing in to secure a spot, we placed our order.

We first ordered a glass of Sidra (the Basque apple cider loved in the north) and a draft beer, then picked out four pintxos to start.

From left to right:

Black olive tapenade / Bell pepper & onion /

Apple compote & foie gras / Crab cream sauce

Honestly, they were all mind-blowingly delicious.

It's so hard to pick just one to recommend,

but the apple compote + foie gras sauce was just... OMG...

If you're still a bit hesitant, try the one topped with bell peppers first.

The tangy, seasoned peppers balance the anchovy flavor perfectly,

making it the perfect introductory bite!

My husband and I split each one in half, and they vanished in a flash!

So, of course, we had to order round two.

We got our absolute favorite again, plus the one topped with coconut flakes.

The coconut one was also seriously amazing...

3. How to Order and Pay at Txepetxa

Now, while this place is absolutely out-of-this-world delicious...

out of all the pintxos bars we visited in San Sebastián,

this one definitely had the highest level of difficulty for ordering and paying.

First of all, just securing a spot was a major challenge.

The bar is so tiny, but there are so many people... T_T

Our tiny, precious standing spot

right up against the bar counter...

To snag even a standing spot, I hovered around the back of the crowd

and finally managed to squeeze in the second someone left.

Then, the real mission began: making eye contact with the staff.

I tried so hard. Menu, please! Pretty please!

Behind me, there were a few tables

where you could actually sit down and eat.

But I didn't even aim for those...

Since everything was new to me, I figured being at the bar

where I could communicate directly with the staff was a better bet.

In Spain, you usually order drinks before food,

so the moment you make eye contact and grab a menu, order your drink first!

Ideally, you'd order your pintxos right when you get your drinks,

but the staff are literally the busiest people on earth.

They serve a drink, immediately rush off to make something else, take another order...

It's beautiful, absolute chaos.

So, I made eye contact again, smiled, worked my magic(?),

pointed at the menu, and finally ordered: "one of this, one of that."

If you look at the showcase, there are other items besides

the anchovy pintxos, but honestly, I didn't see anyone ordering them.

Getting the bill was another hurdle I had to overcome.

Attempt #N at making eye contact...

And once I aggressively mimed the "can I pay, please" gesture

with maximum enthusiasm,

success! I paid(?).

Even though pintxos are originally from the Basque Country,

you can easily find them all over Spain.

But I don't think I've seen anchovy pintxos quite like these anywhere else.

Even if they exist, I doubt any place offers this much variety.

I'm planning to head back to Spain next month,

and I'm so bummed that I won't be visiting the north this time.

I'll definitely have to hunt down something similar wherever I go!

Are you worried the fish might taste too fishy?

Trust me, it's not fishy at all—it's incredibly delicious.

Seriously, you have to try it... please! T_T

To be honest, the ordering process is much harder

than actually enjoying the food at Pintxo Bar Txepetxa.

But I highly recommend taking on the challenge!

To everyone reading this,

have an amazing trip to Spain!

BUEN VIAJE!