Bar Charly ★ 4.2
Bar Charly on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao since 1973 keeps a traditional Casco Viejo pintxo counter with bacalao croquettes, bonito and the gilda.
Try: Pintxo gilda, bacalao croquette
History
The gilda was invented in 1946 at Bar Casa Vallés in San Sebastian, when a customer named the skewer after the Rita Hayworth film 'Gilda' (1946). The pintxo migrated across the Basque country and Bilbao adopted it as a counter staple. The classic gilda combines anchoa de Cantabrico, Manzanilla olive and Ibarra guindilla pepper on a single toothpick. Bar Charly, Bar El Globo and every Bilbao pintxo counter runs a version, with debates about whether to swap a salted anchovy for a fresher Cantabrian boquerón.
Common allergens: Fish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 12 anchoas del Cantabrico in olive oil
- 24 pitted Manzanilla olives
- 24 pickled Ibarra guindilla peppers
- 12 wooden cocktail skewers
- Olive oil for finishing
Method
- Drain the anchovies on kitchen paper.
- On each skewer, thread: one olive, one guindilla folded in half, one anchovy folded in three, another guindilla folded in half, another olive.
- Repeat for all 12 skewers.
- Arrange on a plate, drizzle with the best olive oil you have, serve immediately with a cold beer or txakoli.
Tip from the editors. Use Ibarra guindillas if you can find them; their thin skin and mild heat are right for the dish. Standard pickled chilies are too aggressive.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat pintxo gilda
Pintxo Gilda in Bilbao
Bar El Globo ★ 4.5
Bar El Globo on Calle Diputacion in Bilbao since 1997 anchors the Indautxu pintxo crawl with the canonical txangurro (spider crab) gratin counter.
Try: Txangurro gratin pintxo
Sorginzulo ★ 4.4
Sorginzulo on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao makes a 2023 Spanish Tortilla Championship finalist with Euskaber eggs, plus traditional Basque pintxos.
Try: Tortilla de patata pintxo
Gure Toki ★ 4.6
Gure Toki on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao won the Euskal Herria pintxo championship 2016 with Idiazabal cheese soup, oxtail croquettes and cheesecake.
Signature drink: Txakoli, by the glass
Food: Idiazabal cheese soup, oxtail croquettes, Basque cheesecake
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