A San Sebastian pintxos tour is one of the best ways to experience the food of this city! When you first stroll through old town, you will be overwhelmed by the hundreds of restaurants and bars. That’s why getting an introduction with a guide is such a great idea before exploring the incredible food scene on your own. Read all about our night with Devour Tours, as we take you through some of the best pintxos in San Sebastian!
Our Visit to San Sebastian Spain
After our recent move to Spain, we were so excited to plan a trip to the culinary capital of of the country. It’s no secret that San Sebastian has become world-renowned for its Michelin Star restaurants.
However, it’s not all about fine dining in this city! San Sebastian is also known for its thriving pintxos scene, which is their very own version of tapas. The name comes from the word “spike” as many of the small snacks are held in place with a toothpick.
Basque Country itself had been on our list for a long time, and we spent over a week discovering the gems of the coastline. While we ate so many delicious meals during our time in northern Spain, some of the very best dishes we had were on our San Sebastian pintxos tour!
Quick San Sebastian Travel Tips
- ✈️ San Sebastián Airport is around 25 minutes from the city centre. We used this website and found flights for just $30 each from southern Spain.
- 🛌 Some of the highest rated hotels are Hotel Boutique Villa Favorita (lux), Pensión Sarriegi (mid-range), and Surf Hostel (budget).
- 🚗 After this we took an epic road trip through Spain! Check out the cheapest car rental prices from San Sabastian here.
- ⛵️ Besides jumping on an awesome food tour, you can find hundreds of activities using Get Your Guide.
- ☀️ Never travel abroad without insurance like SafetyWing.
- 🎒 Scan through our Amazon packing lists, electronics and camera gear & long flight essentials.
- 🇪🇸 Read all our Spain articles to help plan your next trip to Europe.
San Sebastian Pintxos Tour
We should tell you we’ve already taken a few Devour tours now, from Seville to the capital of Madrid. The local guides are so knowledgable and do a great job of combining the sights of the cities with the food.
On this trip, we chose to join their San Sebastian Ultimate Pintxos & Wine Tour. It was particularly exciting as it’s concentrated in the heart of San Sebastian’s old town.
Over three hours, we would weave our way through the colorful architecture and in and out of the pintxos bars of the historic center.
Not only do you get to taste the destinations food specialties, but they’re always paired perfectly with local spirits. It was amazing to try the wines of Basque Country along with their famous cider!
So do you actually need to take a San Sebastian food tour? Well, that all depends on your own personal travel style and the time you have.
Just keep in mind that it’s not just about the food! A tour with Devour includes learning about the area, understanding the different cultures, and trying things you might have never thought to on your own.
Hopefully, our experience gives you a better understanding of what to expect. At the end, we think you won’t hesitate to jump on your own San Sebastian pintxos tour!
→ Book the Exact Tour We Did in San Sebastian!
Jamon & Queso
Our first stop was outside a small shop where a table outside was set up with a massive jamon leg. If you’ve never tried jamon iberico in Spain, then get ready for a treat!
Before we could blink, plates came out with the delicious meat and two types of local unpasteurized cheeses. This was the perfect beginning to our San Sebastian food tour and a great way to get ready for what was to come!
As we mentioned, the Devour tour leaders are all local experts with years of experience. Our guide grew up in the Basque country and definitely knew his way around a pintxos bar!
The tours are also very social, so you can expect to get to know the other people in your group. After some appetizers and a glass of wine we were off to the next spot!
Mussels & Basque Cider
The 2nd stop on our San Sebastian pintxos tour was when things interesting. As soon as we walked into the next establishment, we immediately felt the authentic basque vibe.
Here their specialty is mussels, which was easy to see right away. That’s because you actually throw your mussel shells on the floor in front of the bar when you’re done with them!
The unique feature of the mussels here were that they are served very saucy. We’ve had them plenty of times in curry or red sauce over the years.
Still, we’ve never tasted anything quite like this. One came with an orange tangy sauce, while the other was topped with chopped white onions and vinegar.
This was also the first taste we had of the famous and refreshing Basque cider. You can order it all around the region at cider houses and pintxos bars.
Pouring the cider is an experience in itself, as you tip the glass bottle up and raise it in the air above the glass. Most of our first pour may have ended up on the floor with our mussel shells, but we eventually got the hang of it!
Spider Crab & Beef Cheeks
The next stop of our San Sebastian food tour would get a little heartier. Bar Sport is one of the more legendary bars in old town and known for having some of the best pintxos in San Sebastian.
The only issue you may find here is that it’s always packed! We actually had some friends say that they skipped it all together because it was too busy.
That’s another great thing about taking San Sebastian food tours. Our tables were reserved outside for Devour, which would be impossible to do on your own at a pintxos bar. This meant we got to enjoy our drinks as our guide squeezed his way through the bar.
Here we had the option of a few different dishes. So naturally, we went for the ones that we’d never tried before! When we first heard “spider crab” we had no idea what to expect. What came out was an unreal crab meat mixture which was so delicious.
The beef cheeks were also amazing and we practically licked our plates clean. It was paired with another fantastic wine from the region at our tables outside.
A Spanish Fusion to Remember
Once we finished up at Bar Sport, we took a long stroll through the old town. Our guide made sure to point out all the important landmarks, especially the 18th century Basilica of Saint Mary of the Chorus.
The tour is obviously geared around the cuisine, but know that you do learn about the city’s history between stops. When we reached our next pintxos bar it gave us a chance to sit down inside.
You will likely be standing while eating many of the best pintxos in San Sebastian, as the bars can be packed to the brim! We switched up from the traditional dishes here and tried a unique Spanish/Asian fusion.
The duck was incredible and reminded us some of our favorite eating experiences in Asia. Our Devour tour guide told us that many of the pintxos bars are starting to include more modern culinary twists like this.
Dessert & Sherry
Last but not least, we had to get some dessert to end our San Sebastian food tour! If you’re planning your trip to the city you’ve likely heard that basque burnt cheesecake is a must-try.
While this may be true, you should know that it’s not the most traditional of the desserts in San Sebastian. It’s actually a more recent fad stemming from a 2021 New York Times review that went viral.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t try the famous cheesecake at La Vina. Just make sure to sink your tastebuds into some other sweet treats during your visit!
We had the chance to do so just next door to the popular cheesecake hotspot. Our dessert was a warm baked custard pie with a Spanish twist. Funny enough, our guide said this is what his grandmother would make him when he was growing up.
It came with a shot of local sherry which you can find different variations of all around Spain.This was an epic end to our San Sebastian pintxos tour and we were more than full heading to bed!
→ Check Out More Amazing Devour Tours
Should You Take a San Sebastian Pintxos Tour?
Absolutely! We highly recommend jumping on a food tour on your visit to the city.
If possible, take a San Sebastian pintxos tour on your first night to get a feel for the area. You could honestly take one every day and not get bored. After all, there are over 200 pintxos bars in the old town alone!
After our introduction with Devour Tours, we spent the next few days exploring on our own. I think we may have stopped into over 15 bars which all had their own local flavor.
San Sebastian has so many historic sites and outdoor activities to enjoy in addition to the food. Be sure to hike up to the amazing Monte Urgull, hit La Concha Beach, and take a boat ride around the harbor. If you have time, you should also rent a car (check prices) to discover more of the Basque Coast.
Have any questions on this article or want to share your own favorite San Sebastian pintxos tour? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
This experience was made possible in partnership with Devour Tours. As always, any opinions and recommendations remain our own.
PIN FOR LATER ↓
We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
