DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN - PARTE VIEJA - LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO
LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO
We visited La Cuchara de San Telmo, San Sebastián, one of our favourite pintxo bars in the old town, tucked away in a side alley off 31 de Agosto Kalea, at the back of the historic city. It’s definitely worth seeking out, so don’t hesitate to go in, even if it’s busy.
La Cuchara de San Telmo is known for its traditional Basque spoon dishes, which differ from pintxos — small portions of food often served on a slice of bread and sometimes held together with a cocktail stick. The name pintxo comes from the Spanish word “pinchar,” meaning “to pierce.”
La Cuchara de San Telmo offers miniature spoon portions in the heart of Spain’s renowned food destination, and they do not accept reservations.
The list of spoon dishes looked inviting.
The small kitchen staff were hard at work, as usual.
We made our way to the bar and indulged in our favourite dish: cochinillo (suckling pig). The dish met the usual high standards, featuring wonderfully crispy skin and juicy meat.
Next up: foie con compote de manzana (foie gras with apple compote).
Oreja de cerdo ibérico (Iberian pig’s ear).
Morcilla (a stunning black pudding).
Carrilleras de ternera (veal cheeks).
Risotto cremoso de txipiron en salsa de tinta de calamar con alioli de ajo (creamy baby squid “risotto” (orzo pasta, not rice) with squid ink and garlic alioli sauce).
A few glasses of Rioja helped us enjoy the delicious food even more. Seeing the place so busy again was wonderful, with the bar area bursting at the seams.
In October 2021, COVID-19 restrictions were still in effect, meaning no standing at the bar, with seating only available on the outside terrace. While this somewhat spoiled the ambience, it was understandable given the circumstances.
Even though we were first in line, we waited 20 minutes. Finally, we were seated on the terrace, where we began with very tender veal cheeks.
Wonderful cochinillo (suckling pig).
Foie (a little too big; it would have been better cut into four pieces and then grilled).
We had a bottle of 12 Tablas Crianza, which was decent for €13.
The food was as good as ever, but we missed the bar interaction.
The following are from a 2019 visit, when things were normal.
Unlike most pintxos bars, you won’t find any cold pintxos on bread displayed here. All the pintxos are served hot and made to order. You can order from the blackboard menu behind the bar. Weekends and special events, such as the San Sebastián Film Festival, can be very busy.
A few excellent pintxos to try include: Foie gras salteado con compota de manzana (foie gras sauteed with apple sauce).
Risotto de sepia con queso de cabra (cuttlefish risotto with goat’s cheese). It’s not made with rice; it uses orzo pasta.
Cochinillo (suckling pig) (not always advertised, so you need to ask for it).
Everything is cooked in the open kitchen at one end of the bar.
This is a place you shouldn’t overlook; it’s well worth seeking out.
LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO
Calle 31 de Augusto, 28, 20003 Corredor de San Telmo, Parte Vieja de Donostia
+34 943 435 446
View other SAN SEBASTIÁN reviews HERE.
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