April 10, 2024
Calle 31 de Agosto (Tapas Street of San Sebastián)
Tapas or pintxos bar hopping in San Sebastián is an experience like no other, and it was the perfect way to celebrate my 50th birthday with my closest friends from Singapore, America, and Canada. Planning a kid-free retreat across different continents like this is like trying to herd cats, I am glad that we finally got everyone on the same page and it really happened!
As we made our way towards Calle 31 de Agosto (Tapas Street of San Sebastián) I couldn't help but felt excited and a little emotional. We were all ready to indulge in all the delicious pintxos we could get our hands on!
The first bar we went to was packed with locals queueing up in front of a glass counter filled with colourful and good-looking plates of pintxos. As we tried to order, we quickly realized that our Spanish was nowhere near as good as we thought. We ended up pointing at random plates, hoping for the best. But hey, that's the beauty of pintxo bar hopping – it's all about trying new things! It was a good start, but we were just warming up.
The next bar we went to was a hole in the wall at the end of a relatively quiet street, and we weren't sure if we had the right place. But as soon as we saw the locals crowded inside, we knew we were in for a treat and it turned out to be our favourite bar for the night. Much to our amusement, the kitchen would shout out customers’ last names across the crowded bar. “Lim! Lim! Lim!” and we knew our food was ready for collection. The Basque pintxos are a work of art, and we devoured them all like starving artists. As the night went on, we got more adventurous with our pintxo choices. We tried everything from their signature suckling pigs, grilled octopus to whole pig ears! Some of us were a little hesitant to try the more exotic dishes, but after a few glasses of Rioja, we were all in.
While waiting to enter the third bar, a local gal at the door thought we guys were Koreans and started doing these crazy horse-riding moves to the beat of the Korean "Gangnam Style" song and invited us to dance with her! We were quite well-behaved as the wives were around!
As we made our way towards Calle 31 de Agosto (Tapas Street of San Sebastián) I couldn't help but felt excited and a little emotional. We were all ready to indulge in all the delicious pintxos we could get our hands on!
The first bar we went to was packed with locals queueing up in front of a glass counter filled with colourful and good-looking plates of pintxos. As we tried to order, we quickly realized that our Spanish was nowhere near as good as we thought. We ended up pointing at random plates, hoping for the best. But hey, that's the beauty of pintxo bar hopping – it's all about trying new things! It was a good start, but we were just warming up.
The next bar we went to was a hole in the wall at the end of a relatively quiet street, and we weren't sure if we had the right place. But as soon as we saw the locals crowded inside, we knew we were in for a treat and it turned out to be our favourite bar for the night. Much to our amusement, the kitchen would shout out customers’ last names across the crowded bar. “Lim! Lim! Lim!” and we knew our food was ready for collection. The Basque pintxos are a work of art, and we devoured them all like starving artists. As the night went on, we got more adventurous with our pintxo choices. We tried everything from their signature suckling pigs, grilled octopus to whole pig ears! Some of us were a little hesitant to try the more exotic dishes, but after a few glasses of Rioja, we were all in.
While waiting to enter the third bar, a local gal at the door thought we guys were Koreans and started doing these crazy horse-riding moves to the beat of the Korean "Gangnam Style" song and invited us to dance with her! We were quite well-behaved as the wives were around!
As we hopped from bar to bar, we laughed, we ate, we drank and we celebrated. It was an unforgettable night and we left the Tapas Street of San Sebastián with full bellies and a deeper appreciation for the Basque culture. And who knows, maybe we'll come back for my 60th birthday to do it all over again. Cheers to friendship and pintxo bar hopping!
Lim! Lim! Lim!
Lim! Lim! Lim!
