Trading fork and knife for toothpicks in San Sebastián

The ‘pintxos' hop is the best way to eat in the beautiful Spanish city, where a pub crawl is a delicious social ritual

- Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

(Above) 'Pintxos' displayed at a bar in San Sebastián; (right) the 'gilda' is a must-try.

(PHOTO: COURTESY DONOSTIA SAN SEBASTIÁN TURISMO)

It seems deceptively simple: a single salt-cured anchovy, a pickled olive, anda bright green chilli, all threaded onto a toothpick. But this tiny, briny powerhouse is the perfect opening act to the San Sebastian experience. It’s a rush of salt, acid and spice. As I take a bite, I realise the rules of eating in this Spanish coastal town are different. The only way to truly experience it is to dive into the frantic, elbow-to-elbow chaos of the pintxo crawl (locally called txikiteo).