The Cantabrian Anchovy, Twelve Ways
Txepetxa on Calle Pescadería is the Parte Vieja's most specialised pintxos bar — the room that decided, decades ago, to focus almost entirely on the Cantabrian anchovy and to build a menu of a dozen-plus preparations of the same fish. The decision turned out to be the right one. Txepetxa is now one of the most internationally-recognised pintxos bars in San Sebastián.
The format is the cold-pintxos counter at its most disciplined. Behind the bar, twelve trays of the same fish — boquerones, salt-cured and oil-marinated — each topped with a different combination of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and condiments. You point, the bartender plates, the bread holds the pintxo. The wine and vermouth selection is short and well-priced.
What to Order
The original — anchovy with red onion, anchovy with sea urchin paste, anchovy with mango — is the right starting point. The fruit preparations (apple, kiwi, mango) are the variants that have made Txepetxa famous internationally. The classic preparations (red pepper, capers, hard-boiled egg) are the ones a Donostia local would default to. Order four or five between two diners; pair with txakoli or a glass of Rioja.
The Format
Txepetxa is small, narrow, and almost always crowded. The format moves the diners through quickly — point, plate, eat, move — but the staff will let you linger if you want. The walls are covered in international press; the bar regulars are unfazed by it.
Best Occasion: First Date
Txepetxa is one of San Sebastián's quiet first-date wins. The format provides natural conversation — choosing pintxos together, deciding which preparation to try next, discussing what each one tastes like. The bill is honest; the energy is alive without being overwhelming; the experience is unmistakeably Donostia rather than generic. From here, the rest of the Old Town is fifteen pintxos bars in walking distance.