Cocktail barPintxo bar€€€
Bar Tamboril on Arrandegi next to Plaza de la Constitucion in San Sebastian's Old Town, run by the same family as Ganbara, keeps the mushroom-in-olive-oil.
Signature drink: Txakoli with the champinon pintxo
Food: Mushrooms in olive oil, gamba a la gabardina
Tip: Listed in the Michelin Guide as a Bib-recognised pintxo room. Counter standing only.
Cocktail barPintxo and sherry bar€€€
La Vina's front counter on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian pours sherry and Pedro Ximenez alongside the burnt cheesecake wedge, the canonical pairing.
Signature drink: Pedro Ximenez with the tarta de queso
Food: Tarta de queso and classic pintxos
Tip: Closed Mondays. The wedge plus PX is the proper Old Town stop.
Cocktail barCocktail bar€€€
Topa Sukalderia in San Sebastian's Gros runs a Latin spirits bar inside the Aduriz-helmed restaurant, with mezcal, pisco and tequila programmes alongside.
Signature drink: Pisco sour and mezcal flights
Food: Basque-Latin American small plates
Tip: Pisco sour is the entry-level pour; the mezcal flight comes with the cochinita pibil.
Cocktail barAnchovy and Txakoli bar€€€
Bar Txepetxa on Pescaderia in San Sebastian, since 1972, pours Txakoli alongside the vinegar-cured anchovy pintxos for which the city queues.
Signature drink: Txakoli with the anchoa a la jardinera
Food: Vinegar-cured anchovy pintxos
Tip: Two anchoas with a glass of Txakoli; closed Mondays.
Cocktail barPintxo and mushroom counter€€€
Ganbara's ground-floor counter on San Jeronimo in San Sebastian's Old Town pours Txakoli alongside the autumn setas pintxo and the spider-crab plate.
Signature drink: Txakoli with the autumn setas
Food: Mushrooms, spider crab, pintxos
Tip: October to December for peak mushroom season; the counter is busy from 13:00.
Cocktail barModern pintxo counter€€€
La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, open since 1999, pairs the made-to-order pintxos with a Rioja-leaning by-the-glass list.
Signature drink: Half-bottle of Rioja with the carrillera
Food: Modern Basque made-to-order pintxos
Tip: The carrillera with a Rioja red is the canonical Cuchara order. Queue early.