Bilbao Photo Gallery - Pintxos

No, there don't call them tapas here. Pintxos are small bites eaten in the Basque country. After the Spanish Civil War, the practice of moving from bar to bar with a group of friends became popular. In addition to selling beer and local wine, these bars sold small bits of food on their bartops in toothpicks that go with a piece of bread. While there are some standard pintxo types that feature olives, cod, anchovies, or mushrooms, each bar seems to have its own specialty, and there are some interesting twists. The unwritten rule is not to fill up at a single place, but to hop from bar to bar to try a few each. Plaza Nueva in the heart of the old town is the place to go with several bars fronting this square being quite busy at night. But you will find plenty of these bars on surrounding streets as well. These are available for both lunch and dinner. You go right up to the bartender to order, pointing to the items you'd like on the bartop. Add a small beer or local wine, and you can enjoy them right there standing at the bar. For a more familiar food court experience, you can check out the pintxos bars on the ground floor of the Mercado de la Ribera, where there is a large amount of seating with proper tables for you to enjoy your selection.