Founded in 1929, Casa Tiburcio has a long history of serving San Sebastian an assortment of pintxos and traditional seafood dishes. Like many of the pintxos bars along the bustling Fermin Calbeton, Casa Tiburcio is crowded, but not uncomfortably so - you can actually carry on a conversation. The typical patrons are families sitting down to eat dinner or an older crowd looking for a drink and a small bite at the bar.
Once I sidled up close enough to the bar area, I asked for a tinto de verano. The drink was mixed quite well if you like your tinto de verano strong - there was lots of red wine and very little La Casera. The selection of wine is also very good; most of the wine is from Rioja, but there are a few txakoli wines available if you're looking for a more local white wine.
After getting a closer look at the pintxos available, I did not find anything overly appetizing or appealing. The selection of pintxos is quite small; there is a lot more of the way in portions or half portions of octopus, shrimp, or ensalada rusa. I did need to eat something on one of these marathon bar hops though, so I asked to a bocadillo pintxo, which was simply a jamon serrano montadito.
In addition to the bar area that serves pintxos, there are tables and chairs where you can make a reservation and eat a more substantial dinner (or if it's lunch, partake in the menu al dia). This being a very touristy area of San Sebastian, the menu prices reflect such and most dishes are upward of 17 euro. I did see percebes at the bar counter, however, at a much more reasonable price than you can find them in some places in Galicia (go figure)! read more