San Sebastián is especially famous for pintxos bars in its Old Town.
San Sebastián, called Donostia in Basque, lies in Spain’s Basque Country on the Bay of Biscay. Its Parte Vieja, or Old Town, contains a dense concentration of bars where small portions of food are displayed on counters or ordered from the kitchen. These bites are generally called pintxos rather than tapas.
Pintxos may be mounted on bread with a cocktail stick, but modern examples include elaborate hot dishes and miniature plates. The style reflects Basque bar culture, where visitors often move from one establishment to another while sampling different specialties.
Other Spanish cities have outstanding tapas scenes, including Madrid, Seville, and Granada. San Sebastián is singled out here because its Old Town is internationally identified with pintxos culture, not because it is the only Spanish city serving small plates.