La Cuchara de San Telmo

This was definitely one of our favorite pintxos bars on our 3 day trip to San Sebastian, and totally worth fighting the crowds and tourists to eat here. It was a bit of a zoo around 9 pm, and you had to fight your way to the bar to order your food and retrieve your food. Unlike the other traditional pintxos bars, this one doesn’t pre-​make food and have it all sitting on the counter — you have to order your food and every dish is freshly made. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything here.
The 2 dishes that we ordered here were pretty much some of our favorites of the 30+ pintxos dishes that we had on our trip. Each bite of both dishes was decadent, and it was definitely some of the best food we ate over our 2 weeks in Europe, which is saying a lot, because we ate a ton of good food. It was all super reasonably priced, spending around 12 euros for these 2 dishes plus a glass or red wine.
Seared Tuna — Perfectly seared, melt-​in-​your-​mouth fish, and it had some fried small pieces of onion on top. For 4 euros, this was better than most pieces of tuna I’ve had at fancy restaurants.
Foie Gras — Also perfectly seared, and with pieces of rock salt on top and some quince marmalade, it was the perfect pairing of sweet, salty, and fatty deliciousness.
We were so tempted to go back and order 2 more of these dishes if we had had more stomach space and it wasn’t as crowded in the bar to order and eat. If we were here for an additional night, we would have definitely come back here, but will return on another trip to San Sebastian. Do yourself (and your stomach) a favor and come here, and order these 2 things, if not more!

Definitely full of tourists but really delicious pintxos and my favourite of all I tried. Here we had four dishes: veal cheek braised in red wine, a risotto cremoso, roasted pork belly and (by accident) some kind of pig ear and iberico ham concoction. Difficult to pick the best one, truly.
The service is beyond fast. They take your name for your order and call out to you. It’s a lively, bustling place so be sure to keep your ears open. There are a few seats outside but don’t expect to get any. Inside is packed but turn over is high so you’ll find a spot against the bar or wall soon enough.

This is an order-​off-​the-​blackboard style tapas joint. Come early as plates sell out. We were lucky to get in 15 minutes before they closed, because one thing is for certain, these guys close on time.
We only ordered three items, because we were hoping to crawl more, but we got started late, so we only had the chance to hit one more after this. The three items alone were worth all the tapas bars around us closing on time. All three plates were the best pork dishes I had this entire trip.
We ordered cochinilla, manita and oreja. All pork, but different parts of the bod. If you don’t know what the last two are, don’t look it up. Just make like Andrew Zimmern, and try it.
A little off the beaten path, as the address is slightly misleading. They are off of the street their address says they are on. Look up towards the pedestrian alley. Once you see a sign for Museo San Telmo, they are right there on the corner.
I will definitely be back.

Cochinillo was great, risotto was good also. Service was awful. Everywhere else the hosts were friendly or at least cordial. Here they were gruff and rude. I said hello and made eye contact and was ignored. Then a few minutes later, the gentleman looked me in the eye and took the order of the guy behind me. Not sure why, not nice.

I felt super claustrophobic in this place. It’s always packed and it’s tiny! I tried the scallops, tuna, and fois gras here. All were really well done. I would definitely come back and try more if I come back to San Sebastian.

Para mi este es el mejor sitio de pinchos de todo Donosti. Hay que ir pronto porque a las 16 cierran la cocina y como te enrolles en otros lados no llegas. Era el fin de semana de la Behonia-​Donosti, por lo que todo estaba lleno. Este siempre está lleno… Lo cual dice algo. Todo está rico, pero el pincho de Foie es una maravilla. De verdad que no me puedo quedar con uno, pero este es de los mejores. Si vais muchos, pedir uno de cada!!! Es la mejor idea!!!

Lo que más me ha gustado es la gente que estaba atendiendo, los más simpáticos y buena gente que me he encontrado de pinchos. La comida estaba excelente. Probamos el risotto de sepia, y la carrillera. He intentado ir dos veces porque siempre estaba llenísimo y no me extraña. No te puedes perder este sitio!

This place served the most incredible pintxos of our entire trip. If service wasn’t a factor this would be a 5 star review for me. We visited two different times during our trip and had the calf cheeks in red wine, rock octopus, suckling pig, mushroom risotto, foie gras, and the bacalao. Each dish was cooked to order and rich with unique flavours.
Despite the place being jam packed the food comes out relatively quickly and the prices are so reasonable given the high quality of the food. As a tip, make sure you know exactly what you want to order once you get their attention. And if you are unsure, just ask them to bring you 3 – 4 of their most popular pintxos and you won’t be disappointed.

What an experience. It was my first experience in San Sebastián. My wife and I tried 3 pinxtos here and they were all hot and fresh. The place prides itself in having hot pinxtos only and a tremendous amount of passion was put into making those pintos the BEST. Order a beer or Txacoli to accompany your meal. Total bill was very affordable.

Judging from the mainly high ratings and recommendations on several food blogs and the hotel concierge we had high expectations for this place. To our surprise all 3 of the tapas we ordered proved to be such a disappointment. The grilled octopus stood out for being overcooked, chewy with a bitter taste from being burnt! See the photo for yourself, I am not exaggerating. The suckling pig and roasted scallop dishes were also poorly executed.
Perhaps there was a new chef that night as this place is definitely overrated if the standard of cooking we tasted is a true representation of the dishes that are normally served. I wished we had not ordered more than 1 dish to preserve an appetite for more satisfying pintxos at the numerous other tapas bars in San Sebastián! La Cuchara de San Telmo was the worst tapas bar we tried out of the 10 we dined at :(

My god, this place was great. We had a hard time finding it (it’s tucked away off a side street, not on the main street) and we showed up two nights in a row at opening time. Good thing. It was packed not more than 15 minutes later.
Most of the dishes we had have already been described elsewhere here. I’ll just say that I thought the folks behind the bar were doing an amazing job smashing out food and drinks, the food was AMAZEBALLS, and the atmosphere fantastic (as long as you don’t mind crowds).
A highlight of our visit to San Sebastian.

Lets start by giving information about pintxo which is a very traditional Basque food culture. Pintxo (in Basque language) is a small snack typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country. They are usually eaten in bars or taverns as a small snack while hanging out with friends or relatives; thus, they have a strong socializing component, and in the Basque country they are usually regarded as a cornerstone of local culture and society. They are related to tapas, the main difference being that pintxo are usually ‘spiked’ with a skewer or toothpick, often to a piece of bread. They are served in individual portions and always ordered and paid for independently from the drinks.
While I was visiting San Sebastian I had the chance of visiting many bar to taste and try different kinds of pintxo. La Cuchara de San Telmo was the best place serving different types of small dishes. However the most difficult thing was to order what since there are many types and all were in Spanish and moreover the place was very crowded with socializing Basque people as well as the tourists. We were very happy that we have a Spanish friend who knows what to order and take it from the counter.
We tried many dishes with octopus, pork, liver, beef, risotto, cheese and many more which are very difficult to remember all but I still remember the taste remain in my mouth and in my brain. The tastes of them were heavenly. It was a very interesting place where you can experience the Basque culture. Contrarily to the other bars, you can not see the food on the counter, you have to struggle to reach the waiter and order what you want, which was not very easy.
I was told that the socializing ritual in Basque country is to visit more than one bar, eat and drink at each bar. Previous day we performed this ritual but the food was so good and the place was so cosy that we stayed there and did not want to try other places.
This place is really good if you are looking for the best taste…

Hemos comido muy muy bien, los altos de lo que pedimos fueron las vieiras con bacon y el cochinillo. El risotto estaba bien sin embargo le falto sabor, el lomo tenía un sabor en la crosteza bueno sin embargo le faltaba sazonar ya que la parte de adentro estaba insípida. La ensalada de burrata estuvo genial!!!

This place is ridiculously cheap with really good food, but it’s also insanely packed.
There’s a chalkboard menu, and you just kind of have to shout to order your food. Food comes out really quickly, though.
We got almost one of everything:
— Foie gras: I usually don’t like foie because of the gaminess and veins, but this one was seared outside and melted in your mouth after. It was really rich with a hint of fruity flavor but without an actual compote like we get in the U.S. It was under € 4 for a generous piece. We had 2 of these.
— Scallops: wrapped in bacon
— Burrata: a huge plate, very creamy, served with tomato pulp, grilled asparagus, and salad. You get baguette pieces, but it probably would have been better with crostata for more crunch
— Risotto: more like orzo, super rich and creamy with baby scallops, only € 3
— Carrillera: beef cheek (from a castrated bull?) — fork tender and fatty like short rib, and it had larger salt crystals on top added a nice crush to a softer dish
— Lomo bajo de vaca: basically a sirloin steak, nice and medium rare in the center but not super special in flavor
— Ravioli: really rich, only € 3 each, filled with cheese and salt cod. This was one of my favorites. We got 2 for 4 people since it’s kind of hard to share
— Cochillo: crisped pig skin and pork over puréed potatoes, and we got some kidney as a bonus (we got 2 of these for 4 people)
— Pulpo: amazing texture on the octopus, probably the best dish we had
There were only two servers behind the bar serving a packed place, and we squeezed out way up to some standing bar space in the front. The crowd comes in waves, so spots will open up if you’re patient. A lot of non locals were there (I heard a lot of British English, Australian English,.)
Wine and beer pours aren’t as generous as I expected, but for all of this, 2 beers, 2 wines, and water, it was only € 54 for 4 people!

I can’t say much that the other reviewers haven’t commented on — we had some of our favorite pintxos in this bar. Great service and energy, the pulpo a la plancha and beef cheek (maybe it was veal?) were delicious. Make sure you stop by.

La Cuchara de San Telmo is my favorite pintxos bar in San Sebastian. Tucked away on a side street, you’ll find a cozy space with a little outdoor seating, and avant garde pintxos that are made fresh to order. I actually went here twice in 2 days it was that good.
The first day, we ordered the grilled octopus, which was cooked perfectly, and came with some stewed peppers. The second day, I was blown away with a tender brick of duck confit, which was augmented with a slab of quince on top. This is why San Sebastian cuisine is so fantastic: the chef took the traditional concept of «duck with fruit», and twisted it to be local to the Spanish/​Basque ingredient of quince.
It can definitely get a little crowded here, but you should really make it a high priority on any pintxos tour of San Sebastian.

This spot is virtually around the corner from where we are staying in the old town. We finally went — and are we glad. Each Pintchos is made to order so no sitting around waiting for someone to buy them. During the hour or so we were there, we had 5 or 6 pintchos — all great. Really should have written the descriptions of each but failed to do that — so, just have to provide some general descriptions: Grilled Foie, fantastic; Veal Cheeks that must have been marinated and slow cooked for days; grilled goat cheese with peppers; bacon wrapped around a scallop; suckling pig was FANTASTIC. There where other items but those were highlights. Naturally, some wine was had in addition. We arrived around 8:30 and by the time we left the place was jumping! Look for this place — not on the main drag of the Old Town you have to actually look for it to find it.

Uno de los imprescindibles en la parte vieja de Donosti, dentro formato pintxo y en su pequeña terraza medias raciones o raciones.
Para mi gusto sirven el mejor foie de Donosti pero todo está muy muy rico, siempre repetiré!

Se trata de un local estrecho y largo (con 2 entradas) que tiene mucha fama en San Sebastián. La barra ocupa todo el bar y enfrente hay otra para que de pie te tomes tus pintxos si no hay sitio en la propia barra. Es un poco agobiante porque es muy pequeño, pero está pensado para que te tomes un par de pintxos y ya. Los camareros son muy amables y recogen a menudo ambas barras con los restos de otros comensales. Son muy rápidos, y por lo que pude ver (había muchísima gente), tienen principalmente pintxos calientes, con un toque creativo y que te hacen en el momento en la cocina, que además se ve desde la barra. Todos los pintxos están especificados en una pizarra muy grande detrás de la barra, más que pintxos, son como raciones. Tienen un tamaño justo, diría que para compartir entre 2 la mayoría… Nuestros elegidos fueron: carrillera de ternera al vino tinto, atún con salsa ponzu (marcado a la perfección, se te deshacía en la boca), cochinilla asada, y «ravioli» relleno de pato y salsa de puerro, No recuerdo la cuenta a cuánto ascendió, pero sé que me llamó la atención por lo barato que resultó.

Los pintxos estan bien. Sin embargo encuentro los precios excesivos teniendo en cuenta que se toman de pie en la barra. (Ejemplo el «tinto del año» que se cobra 1 euro, lo cobran 1,50).

If you look at the lines, the food enthusiast crowd, the culinary energy that the place is buzzing with, and the smells and sights (and even sounds) of the food that are being dished out effortlessly by the cooks, you’ll know you’re in the right place. You just will.
But mind you, it will get crowded, uncomfortably claustrophobic almost. The quality of ingredients, the level of innovation, creativity and expertise that is built into that plate of pintxos is by far the best I’ve experienced in the 7 places we ate in, in our San Sebastian weekend.
The guy taking our orders spoke English, and was even helpful (and tolerant while we struggled to read the menus in Spanish/​Euskara) in the middle of the crowded space. Everything that came out of the kitchen was crafted to perfection.
The veal cheeks were sublime. The foie a la plancha is designed to kill. The octopus was not crispy, but yet it was. It’s hard to think back about the food without a mild orgasm. I would go back to San Sebastian, JUST to go back to this place.
But please do something about the space!

Of the ones we tried. the «risotto» was the best.
— Mushroom «risotto» — orzo in a rich but not too creamy sauce with intense mushroom flavor and al dente orzo. This was the stand out dish. ⁵⁄₅
— Beef cheeks — solid choice ⁴⁄₅
— Crispy pork — almost chewy stick to your teeth kind of skin, pork was ok but barely warm. ¹⁄₅
— Foie gras — nothing special 3.5÷5
Efficient staff but nowhere as friendly or hospitable as servers from other pintxo bars we’ve been to.
Might return for the «risotto» before our time is up in SS.

I often visit Donosti, its one city that has some of the best summers in Spain not that hot you know just the right temp to go into the sea and relax in the beach.
Not to long ago I was brought here by local friends and family. It is true that among so many places to pick it can be a hard place to find on your own but believe what I say; it is one of the places you just have to visit and eat. eat…eat while in town.
The «pintxos» are exquisite running from the foie to the cheese with vegetables it is just a symphony of tastes that gets you hooked for more. My favs: scallop, meat in red wine & foie.

Très sympathique bar à pinxtos. Très bon avec prix raisonnable. Beaucoup de monde pour par beaucoup de place, on est très à l’étroit. Mais c’est ce qui fait le charme du lieu.

Madre mía, menudo restaurante vasco de pinchos… de los que he podido probar en la parte vieja de Donosti, me quedo con este… Impresionantes su calamar plancha, el pulpo y el solomillo (he colgado fotos). El servicio es majísimo y se respira un ambiente muy auténtico, y además tiene una pequeña terraza. Conocí a un chico australiano en la barra que me comentó que llevaba unos días en San Sebastián y que no podía dejar de ir a La Cuchara de San Telmo… que este y el «A Fuego Negro» se llevaban la palma… desde luego si vuelvo a San Sebastián este lugar encabezará mi lista de sitios a los que volver. Puro disfrute.

La Cuchara de San Telmo is well known for their hot pintxos. Everything is made to order and everything is very very good. The only down side is that it gets crowded fast and it may take you awhile to get your order in but everything is worth the wait.
The Foie a la plancha, Cocinillo, and Risotto made w/​Orzo were the favorites out of everything we tried. The Foie is generous in size and meltingly soft inside with a crisp crust/​The Cocinillo is savory and juicy, and just the perfect bite. The Orzo has a great flavor and is unexpected in presentation but the flavors shine through and it’s a nice complement to a lot of the protein that’s on the menu.
Closed on Mondays

I can’t come to this town without stopping in here, at least once — for the foie a la plancha. Served with apple sauce, it is my favourite preparation thus far — and for a measly 3, 80 euros — life doesn’t get much better.
Granted I didn’t make it to Bar Iraeta to compare, but I definitely had my fair share of foie in these areas — foie with white bean purée, foie with mushrooms, foie with squid, foie with jamon.
Braised veal cheeks, meltingly soft. Risotto (orzo pasta) with squid ink — all good.
This is a must-​stop, be warned it is closed on Mondays and only open evenings.

No tiene ningún pintxo en la barra – todos son de cocina. El menú es amplio, y se trata de auténticos platos de cocina en miniatura. Suele estar llenísimo, y al ser pintxos de comer con cubiertos, suele ser un poco difícil encontrar sitio, sobre todo para grupos de gente, pero merece muchísimo la pena.

I was a bit disappointed as they ran out of the item they are most famous for… FOIE! I went with their next best item which was the creamy risotto with goat’s cheese and toasted vegetables. It tasted like orzo to me but delish nonetheless! I could have eaten giant a bowl.

It pains me to give such a low rating to this place because the food is certainly top quality. But there is one creepy, crawly reason that I simply cannot.
I ordered the mushroom risotto, octopus, beef cheek and hamburger pintxos all served with fresh bread and washed down with two vino tintos my total was 20.20 €. Not bad considering I tried many things.
The barman was very friendly, the food all hot and quickly served up. A small establishment tucked away in a corner but everything about my experience was great. Until I was getting ready to leave. The barman was rather quick at recovering the plates from the wooden counter I stood and ate at across from the bar and perhaps I understand why now. As I went to reach for my bag I noticed a small roach like creature that emerged from a crack in the counter. Startled and stunned I almost threw up instantly.
This doesn’t seem like the type of establishment with pest problems by the quality of the food, but I can’t say that I will return having seen this. What a disappointment.

This is a Must Stop on the search for fantastic Pinxtos in San Sebastian. I was lucky enough to dine here on a day they had suckling pig on the menu. Amazing! As well as the veal cheeks, stewed pigs ears from the iberico pig (the fanciest pigs on earth) and the foie gros is highly recommended here. I got the insider information on where to eat after the cooking class I took and those were the items they said you have to order at La Cuchara.
There are so many amazing pinxtos bars to try in this little neighborhood make sure u don’t order everything on the menu (hard not to do) and save some room for yummy deliciousness elsewhere. It’s the Spanish way they don’t mind if you grab a bite and run.

the favorite spot in san sebastian. everything was very good. nothing spectacular (veal cheek maybe?). people who work there are very nice and will give good recommendations. pig ear was also good and the foie with apple dish was also better than ok.
stand at the bar for the best experience here.

De los mejores sitios de pinchos de la ciudad. Un pelín caros pero es visita obligadisima

Sensational!!!
My favourite pinxtos bar in San Seb
Try the braised beef cheek — oh my goodness gracious!!!

Absolut tolle und manchmal auch aussergewöhnliche Pintxos, die erst nach der Bestellung frisch zubereitet werden. Diese Leckereien sollte man sich nicht entgehen lassen.
Me gusta !

los mejores pintxos, pequeños y deliciosos bocaditos, aunque bastante caros, el local es pequeño y siempre esta hasta arriba de gente, daros un paseito por ahi, ademas tienes un monton de bares para seguir comiendo

El mejor sitio de pintxos de donosti. Ademas no es del todo caro

Gracias por la reseña. La semana pasada fui con toda la familia y todos quedamos satisfechos con la comida. Nunca lo había visitado antes, ni lo conocia pero es fabuloso.

De todos es sabido que Donosti es uno de los paraísos gastronómicos de España y una de sus apuestas más seguras son sus bares de pintxos (sin desmerecer los estupendos restaurantes de mesa y mantel).
En esta ocasión os quiero recomendar encarecidísimamente uno de, en mi personal opinión, los mejores lugares donde degustar la cocina en miniatura: La Cuchara de San Telmo. Tras este largo y rimbombante nombre se escuda un bar pequeñito, demasiado pequeño para las cantidades de gente que nos amontonamos allí. Está situado en la parte vieja donostiarra y muy cerquita vais a encontrar otros buenos bares donde poder seguir tapeando y completar así una comida o una cena (parte de la gracia de tapear en Donosti consiste en visitar varios lugares, pero si queréis daros el atracón en uno solo nadie os lo va a impedir).
En La Cuchara se desmarcan de los típicos (anque exquisitos) pintxos y se dedican a una selección de tapas más elaborada que encontraréis escrita sobre una pizarra (van cambiando). Este no es uno de esos bares con la barra cuajada de tapas, nada que ver, la barra está vacía (es casi chocante por lo anormal). Si podéis no dejéis de probar la carrillera de ternera al vino tinto, el foie con compota de manzana, el canelón de morcilla, la oreja de cerdo asada, el rissoto o la tempura de bacalao a la cerveza aunque os aseguro que cualquier otro no os va a defraudar. Todo esto regado con un buen txacolí, una cerveza o un tinto pueden hacer vuestras delicias y os aseguro que repetiréis.
Sólo le encuentro una pega. El precio. No es barato. El precio por pintxo puede rondar y sobrepasar los 2,50 euros pero también os aseguro que está bien pagado y como además entre un bar y otro pasa un rato la comida va haciendo efecto y cuando llegas al 5o o 6o pintxo ya estás más que rebosante, así que por unos 30 – 35 euros puedes salir victorioso de esta batalla, os lo aseguro.
Si vais me contáis!