It's all about the toothpicks! If you’ve never entered a pintxo bar before then your first trip could be a little disorientating. But stick with it, for this is a typical and tasty way to spend a couple of splendidly Spanish hours.
It’s definitely a restaurant - but maybe not as you know it! Pintxo bars hail from northern Spain and offer a distinctly different dining experience based around helping yourself to whatever you fancy. Simply put, pintxos are slices of fresh baguette topped with a variety of hot or cold meats, fish, vegetables and cheeses. They’re perfect if you’re feeling peckish but don’t want a full meal or they’re an enjoyable dinner if you like the idea of trying a bit of everything. Like the traditional Spanish tapas, pintxos are a very sociable way of eating and the perfect accompaniment to good friends, good conversation and a bottle of the house Rioja. Informal dining There are very few formalities on show at La Taberna del Pintxo. Just go in, choose your table and wait for the waiter or waitress to bring you an empty plate! As soon as you’re ready, you’re free to pick and choose whatever you like the look of. Most of the cold dishes are arranged in glass-fronted fridges on the top of the bar. Each dish has a label sticking out of it so you can see exactly what you’re getting. Choose from tasty walnut and Roquefort mouse, jamon Serrano, anchovies, cold tortilla, smoked salmon, stuffed peppers and plenty more to boot. Whenever something takes your fancy just open the cabinet and put it on your plate.  Absolutely delicious But remember to leave some room for what many consider to be the highlight of the pintxo experience – the hot dishes! Every few minutes waiters and waitresses circle the room with plates of tempting morsels. Fried quails egg and chorizo anyone? Or maybe you’d prefer the grilled bacon smothered in melting mozzarella, the baked chicken, or the tiny goats’ cheese tartlets with cranberry jelly. Absolutely delicious. Pintxos are priced in four categories ranging from 1€ for the cheapest options to 2€ for the more expensive meat dishes. Each pintxo comes with a toothpick or a plastic sword sticking out of it to signify its price. As a rule, the short wooden sticks are the cheapest and the fancy plastic swords the most expensive! Every time you finish a pintxo you must leave the stick or sword on your plate. The sticks are counted at the end of the meal and your bill is calculated from that. The biggest danger of this kind of eating is that it’s easy to get carried away. It takes a strong will to say no when the treats just keep on coming. Pleasant surprise If you can reign in your appetite and settle for a satisfying four, five or six pintxos then you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise when the bill comes too. Bottles of the house wine sell for around 10 – 12€ and you can eat well for around 20€ each (including wine). But beware; if the pile of toothpicks is getting bigger, the bill is too! Finish off with a milky café con leche or a strong cortado and you’ll have enjoyed your authentic Spanish meal like a true local. La Taberna del Pintxo: Marbella
Avd. Miguel Cano, N.7
29600, Marbella, Spain La Taberna del Pintxo: Puerto Banus C/RamonAreces (Opposite El Corte Ingles) Puerto Banús, 29660, Marbella, Spain
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