A cornerstone of the Parte Vieja pintxos circuit that does both the bar and restaurant formats with equal conviction. The counter is classic — jamón, croquetas, bacalao — but the real draw is the grilled meats, particularly the chuletón that rivals Bar Nestor's across the old town.
Location
Parte Vieja, San Sebastián
Map
Insider Intel
The solomillo (sirloin) pintxo on bread is the house calling card — a thick slice of grilled beef that defines what a meat pintxo should be. The croquetas are impeccable. For a bigger commitment, the chuletón at the restaurant in back is a serious piece of Galician beef. Jamón carved from the bar is always excellent.
Lunch from 1pm for the full counter experience, or dinner from 8pm when the bar gets its best energy. The restaurant in back takes reservations if you want the sit-down chuletón experience.
Gandarias operates as both pintxos bar (front) and full restaurant (back). You can eat extraordinarily well standing at the bar for a fraction of the restaurant prices. Located on Calle 31 de Agosto, the most pintxos-dense street in the old town. The quality is consistent in a way that many neighboring bars struggle to maintain — this is a professional operation.