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    Txepetxa

    4.7 (33 reviews)
    InexpensiveTapas Bars

    Txepetxa Photos

    TXEPETXA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Touristy
    Casual
    Moderate noise

    Recommended Reviews - Txepetxa

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    Rob P.

    I'd say who knew this place was so good, except from Yelp and many other web sites, EVERYONE! Not sure how this place is so enjoyable but every pintxo we ordered was great. In an endless sea of pinxto's on my trip, this stands out as a fond memory. Can they open up an American outlet, please?

    Assortment
    Lillian Y.

    This pintxos bar is famous for good reason. If the awards don't convince you, the anchovies will. Txepetxa can change your mind about anchovies. They definitely changed mine. These anchovies are large, tender, and meaty, with none of the preserved fishiness I'm used to. We came the first time with a tour guide, and returned 2 more times. They are super friendly and speak English. All anchovies come on a slice of bread, just choose what you want on it. My favorite toppings were hairy crab cream, fish roe (eggs), and olive. Blueberry is an interesting one to try that's surprisingly good, and peppers are a nice refreshing vegetable option. They are also famous for their Gilda pintxo, and the pickliness really provides a nice nibble in between the anchovy pintxos. There are a few tables, and one in the back large enough to seat up to 6 (if you squeeze).

    Manny G.

    Best Sardines in the World, Yes they really are the best. The owners are willing to recommend what choice is best for the day. Super nice people and the food is amazing. If there is a line suck it and wait you wont be disappointed,

    With giardiniera and salmon
    Jared M.

    I'll admit I wasn't the biggest anchovy fan before coming here (and San Sebastian) and hadn't ever really eaten them on their own. This place will change that. They make all of their own anchovies fresh and is a must stop on your pintxo tour. They are very tasty and we came back multiple times to try half the menu. I preferred the one with giardiniera as it complemented the flavor of the anchovy well and it didn't overpower. The salmon one was also a highlight.

    Kristina S.

    Fabulous. As is probably obvious, get the anchovies - seriously delicious bites. I never knew that the anchovy could be such a star. Here, they're incredibly fresh and there are seemingly endless varieties topped with pretty much anything your heart desires. Our favorite was the giardiniera with pickled tomato, cucumber, onion. YUM.

    Lisa I.

    Stopped in here for a few quick bites upon arriving in San Sebastian and really enjoyed it! Service was friendly (with an English menu on hand), and really quick! We skipped on the fish items, but that was more personal preference than anything else. We instead opted for a sausage sandwiched between a mini baguette, some fried cheese, and two generous pours of cider (or sidre). Definitely a great stop and certainly seems popular with locals and tourists alike.

    Anchovy with centollo (crayfish) on top
    Carla D.

    OMG, we loved this place! If you're looking for quality anchovies then look no more, you've found the spot. We tried the one with black olives, sea urchin roe, centollo (crayfish) cream, and a simple traditional anchovy. All were great! The bread was warm, toasted and crunchy. The anchovies were salty and delicious. We didn't dare try them with any fruits but we did try the gilda which were excellent.

    Crab, olive, uni, and peppers from top to bottom
    Josh C.

    Hard to game plan your pintxo food path if you are in San Sebastian for a short trip. We were eating nonstop for a week in SS and still kept discovering new spots. However, as some have already noted, Txepetxa is a standout. We found it was best to come here first at 7 (opens pretty early relatively) and wet the palate with these anchovy pintxos paired with their selection of txakoli (super dry local sparkling white wine poured from a height). Unfortunately, you will have developed a new palate craving that can only be quenched here...

    Uni + Anchovy
    Dennis C.

    Cool bar specializing in anchovy pintxos. Bartenders speak English which is always nice. Had the uni + anchovy pintxo, nice and savory combo for sure. Not a fan of the bread it was on though, room temperature and bit hard.

    traditional pintxos
    Christine P.

    We popped in here for a couple of quick bites. We enjoyed the traditional pintxos fare. There is a decent amount of seating as well.

    Spider-crab and olive tapenade anchovies, with a glass of beer and txakoli (a basque white wine)

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    2 years ago

    The best, most delicious anchovies, with incredible additional flavours, that I've tasted.

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Helpful staff and delicious fresh food. This place is only a few places in SS that serve "genuinely warmth" sardine toast.

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    8 years ago

    Wow! Such anchovies! The anchoas con foie rocked our world. We liked the anchoas with garden peppers too.

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    Txepetxa Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Txepetxa

    I preferred the one with giardiniera as it complemented the flavor of the anchovy well and it didn't overpower.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Atari Gastroteka - Foie gras with sweet corn and white chocolate

    Atari Gastroteka

    4.5(156 reviews)
    0.2 km
    €€

    not too long to move from standing bar to a table. pintxos blood sausage and shrimp done so well…read more the texture and flavor is approachable for all palates. pork belly with amazing citrus hummus was unique, also the hake with pea emulsion was tasty, pulpo was a large portion and worth it, beef cheek and mashed potato perfect

    Service was good and restaurant was nice not too crowded and lots of options to choose from on the…read moremenu. They also had the menu in english which is helpful. We opted for a few pintxos for lunch while we were visiting town. We also had a couple of drinks my husband got whiskey with coke and I asked for a local cocktail since I'm not much of a wine drinker. I was handed a cup of pacharán which was a bit strong but was nice to try something different. The pintxos came out one at a time which was nice we were able to fully enjoy each on their own. The bao was the only one I didn't really like mostly the bun part. It didn't taste like it was cooked all the way and was a bit gummy and there was not a lot of meat filling. Next was the lamb which was really tender and flavorful. The couscous was ok nothing special and not much seasoning to it. Then the beef cheek and mashed potatoes came out which was the star of the pintxos that we had. It was also very tender and the mash was also cooked perfectly. All of this was shared between the two of us and was very filling. The waiter let us know that some of the pinxtos could also be ordered in a full size if we wanted. We enjoyed sampling the pinxtos and would definitely recommend coming here to get a taste of local cuisine.

    Photos
    Atari Gastroteka
    Atari Gastroteka
    Atari Gastroteka

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    Astelena - Sea bass special, scallops, and beef tenderloin were all good choices on our table

    Astelena

    4.5(14 reviews)
    0.1 km
    €€

    I wandered around old town for HOURS wth my pintxo guide in hand. Many places were either way too…read morecrowded to get to the bar, the food looked not great, or had a terrible atmosphere. Finally, exhausted and delirious I stumbled into this rezi. Thankfully so! The server was so friendly even though my Spanish sucks. I immediately ordered a red sangria (Delish!) to calm my pintxo nerves. I settled into the bar and finally ordered the classic jamón ibérico. I used to think the ibérico was the region of the country but as I learned at the market, it's the cut of ham. Ibérico is very popular but I find there are better less fatty cuts but many bars only carry this. I digress! It was good and came with fluffy fresh bread, plentiful at that! (See pic). Then on a recommendation I ordered the beef carpaccio off the regular non pintxo menu. It was the best dish of my trip so far. It had chopped beef, onion, pickles!, and I think some horseradish sauce. I would fly back to Spain just to have this again. Go here, and order this.

    Bar Astelena was the first stop on our pintxos crawl and I would've been happy to spend the whole…read morenight here. The pintxos were delicious and aesthetically pleasing, and the portions were generous compared to some of the other traditional bars. The space was modern, colorful, and inviting. The large platter of Jamon Iberico was pork perfection (16€). We could see them slicing the meat from the large pork leg. The foie a la plancha had a nice presentation with coarse sea salt and fruit reductions, such a great value at 4€. The house wines were 2€. This was one of the culinary highlights of my European trip... I'd definitely go back on my next trip.

    Photos
    Astelena - Plaza de la Constitution

    Plaza de la Constitution

    Astelena
    Astelena

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    Gorriti - Pintxos

    Gorriti

    4.6(17 reviews)
    0.1 km

    It was around 11 am and I was surprised this place was open and serving pintxos and coffee. Seems…read morelike my clock is just in line with Spain and this was my first name of the day. The coffee wasn't as good as I've had another places, and I asked for a Caliente pitxo, which is supposed to be made fresh. He however, folded from under the bar and it was barely lukewarm. Only good part was it had nice flavoring. It's a small space with standing room only, but has a WC.

    Simple, old-school, and delicious. This place excels at old-school pintxod. No elaborate…read moreMichelin-star touches. No 21st-century twists. Just beautiful peppers, amazing fresh bread, blood sausage, and other sausages. Made fresh in-house and served by a couple of older gentlemen who could not possibly have been sweeter to me and my wife. It's the sort of spot where, when you're finished with your pinchos, you toss the wrappers and napkins on the floor and head out. I absolutely loved the vibe in here. As low-key as it could possibly get. The pace is unhurried, but the food reaches you quickly, and you will be blown away by the quality of the sausages, the peppers, the olives, the cheeses, the anchovies and sardines, and all the other basics done so flawlessly that you'll want to come back again and again. A special request for blood sausage was happily honored despite it needing to be stuffed and cut fresh. A perfect place to begin your Donostia journey, because you'll get Basque food as it is, not a fusion or an elevated reinterpretation. Plenty of places in the Old Town do modern takes very well, but this is the fundamentals, executed with perfection.

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    Gorriti
    Gorriti
    Gorriti - Selection of pintxos.

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    Selection of pintxos.

    Bar Néstor - Spanish Tortilla de Patata

    Bar Néstor

    4.7(159 reviews)
    0.0 km
    €€

    One of the best steaks I've ever had! To get a reservation you must show up at a designated time…read morefor same day reservations. For lunch get there around 11am. I think the lunch reservations are 1,2,3pm. For dinner get there at 5:30 pm for 8,9,10 pm seatings. They don't come out until 6-6:15 to take your name. They only take about 20 people per seating. Fixed menu. Torta, tomatoes, peppers and steak. They bring out raw bone in ribeyes and let you choose your steak. The steak comes out seared and raw on the inside on a sizzling cast-iron skillet. You are able to cook it to your liking on the skillet as you eat this incredible steak. No frills not totally worth the experience.

    If you come to San Sebastián and don't stop at Bar Néstor, you've skipped one of the city's great…read moreculinary rituals. This tiny, high‑energy bar in the Parte Vieja is famous for doing just a few things -- and doing them with absolute conviction. The lineup is legendary: the txuleta steak, the tomato salad, the Padrón peppers, and of course, the tortilla that sells out instantly. They make only two tortillas a day, and getting your name on the list feels like joining a local rite of passage. Here's the twist: although the tortilla is the most famous item, it actually wasn't our favorite version in the city. It's still fun to chase, still a cool story to tell, but the real stars of the meal were the steak -- charred, juicy, perfectly salted -- and the tomatoes, which taste like they've been engineered for maximum summer. They only make 2 tortillas a day, so you have to stand in line before they open to get a reservation for a slice. Inside, it's tiny, loud, and joyful. The staff runs the place with precision and a wink, and even when it's packed shoulder‑to‑shoulder, it feels like you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Come early, come hungry, and come ready for a meal that feels like a Basque rite of passage -- tortilla hype and all.

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    Bar Néstor
    Bar Néstor - Fresh tomatoes with olive oil and salt

    Fresh tomatoes with olive oil and salt

    Bar Néstor - Outside Façade

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    Outside Façade

    Txepetxa - tapas - Updated May 2026

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