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.
Food program: Tarta de queso and classic pintxos
Tip: Closed Mondays. The wedge plus PX is the proper Old Town stop.
Address: Calle 31 de Agosto 3, 20003 Donostia-San Sebastian, San Sebastián
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.
Museo del Whisky on the Boulevard in San Sebastian's Old Town displays 3,400 whisky bottles across two floors, including the world's smallest, with 200 available to drink by the glass.
Signature drink: Whisky from the 3,400-bottle display
Food: Snacks
Tip: Owner Paul Bordonaba mixes cocktails at the upstairs bar; the basement is the piano room.
Bataplan on Paseo de la Concha in San Sebastian is the city's iconic 1990s house-music nightclub, with spectacular night views over La Concha bay and a terrace open in summer.
Signature drink: Cocktails over La Concha bay
Food: None
Tip: Opens 00:30 Thursday to Saturday in summer. Dress smart; the door is selective.
