Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos off a tight blackboard menu, with a Txakoli pour and a single house red as the drinks list.
Food program: Hot made-to-order pintxos
Tip: No counter display; read the blackboard. Closed Sundays.
Address: Fermin Calbeton Kalea 12, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, San Sebastián
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 pintxo as its house plate.
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.
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 in the Old Town.
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.
Topa Sukalderia in San Sebastian's Gros runs a Latin spirits bar inside the Aduriz-helmed restaurant, with mezcal, pisco and tequila programmes alongside the Basque kitchen.
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.
Bar Txepetxa on Pescaderia in San Sebastian, since 1972, pours Txakoli alongside the vinegar-cured anchovy pintxos for which the city queues, the canonical seafood-counter stop.
Signature drink: Txakoli with the anchoa a la jardinera
Food: Vinegar-cured anchovy pintxos
Tip: Two anchoas with a glass of Txakoli; closed Mondays.
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, the Martinez-Ortuzar mushroom institution.
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.
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 and a tight Txakoli pour.
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.
