Searching for the Best Gilda Pintxos in Spain's Basque Country

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The salty little bar snack called La Gilda quickly became one of our favorite bites in the Basque region of Spain. After our first, we knew we’d need to try as many Gildas as we could!

Why Gildas? They’re salty. They’re vinegary. They are pure umami. The Gilda is essentially a flavor bomb that will wake up your taste buds before a good meal!

The Gilda is also touted as one of the very first pintxos, which are little bites of food served up on a stick or small plate in this region of Spain. Its origins date back to the 1940s when it was created at a little bar in San Sebastian called Casa Valles and named after Rita Hayworth from the movie Gilda – the character herself bold and a little spicy.

You can now find different versions of these sticks of salty, pickled delights sitting on nearly every bar top in the Basque region.

What’s makes a Gilda?

Not all Gildas are created equally. Sure, the base ingredients are essentially the same: green olives, pickled guindilla peppers, cured anchovies and a drizzle of olive oil – but composition varies. Will they have one or two olives? Will they provide you with the right pepper to olive to anchovy ratio? Can you get it all in your mouth in one bite? How quality is the olive oil?

Then, there are bars that change things up by adding special ingredients like octopus or other bits of seafood, and even cheese!

While I have my preferences, I don’t think there are any bad Gildas (at least not that I’ve had so far) and I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to make one. It just needs to taste good.

The Best Gildas in Basque Country

Our search for the best Gildas in Basque Country led us through the narrow alleys and streets of Bilbao and San Sebastian – two foodie cities in the heart of Basque Country. Of the 15 different Gildas we’ve devoured in Basque Country thus far, there are some clear winners that stand out just a little bit more than others.

In no particular order (but really, you’ll know which ones I like best), here are some of the best Gildas we’ve found in Spain’s Basque Country.

Cafe Bilba (Bilbao)

Uriortu Kalea, 10, 48007 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain

Just a block away from the Artxanda funicular in Bilbao is little Cafe Bilba. Not only do they have a delicious tortilla de patatas and torrija, they also happen to make one of the best Gildas we had in the Basque Country!

This one-bite delight was balanced with just enough peppers and olives, but the real kicker for me was the peppers had a bit of heat to them – something that seemed relatively uncommon among the Gildas we tried. Their olive oil was also top quality!

Cafe Bilba in Bilbao – one of our favorite Gildas!

Bar Desy (San Sebastian)

Local 19, Ronda Kalea, 4, local 4, 20001 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Bar Desy is a decades-old establishment in the Gros neighborhood of San Sebastian. Walking into this place gives the feels of an old school Spanish bar and they have solid Gildas waiting to kick off a pintxos crawl.

The Gildas here were among the larger of the ones we had, barely making it into our mouths in one bite due to the size of the peppers. For me, though, the more peppers you can fit on the stick, the better!

We washed down our Gildas with a glass of txakoli wine, but they also have an excellent tap list if you want a beer.

Antonio Bar (San Sebastian)

Bergara Kalea, 3, 20005 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

One of my loves of the San Sebastian food scene, Antonio Bar in the Centro neighborhood, comes in clutch with another perfectly-balanced Gilda. Two olives, extra peppers, and even two anchovies make the perfect bite here!

Don’t stop at just a Gilda at Antonio Bar though – everything they make is fantastic.

A well-balanced Gilda at Antonio Bar in San Sebastian

Cafe Bar Bilbao (Bilbao)

Pl. Nueva, 6, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Biscay, Spain

Cafe Bar Bilbao in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva holds the spot for my second favorite Gilda in the Basque region, particularly because their guindilla peppers also had a spicy kick to them! The ratio of ingredients on our little stick was also pretty perfect and everything easily fit in our mouths with one bite.

Cafe Bar Bilbao also has friendly bartenders, which helps keep the good vibes going on a pintxos crawl.

Casa Valles (San Sebastian)

Calle Los Reyes Católicos, 10, 20006 Donostia-San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Claiming to be the originator of the Gilda pintxo, there’s no way you can make a visit to San Sebastian and not stop here if you are seeking out the best Gildas in Basque Country!

WARNING: Their olives do come with a pit so spare your teeth and don’t bite down too hard! This was the only spot we encountered pits in our olives, which is supposedly the traditional way of how they are made. I prefer mine without for easier eating.

If I had to change anything on Casa Valles’ Gildas, I’d add an extra olive. All around, not a bad Gilda if just to try it for the novelty of having it from where they started.

Gure Toki (Bilbao)

Pl. Nueva, 12, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Biscay, Spain

Right behind my top two favorites (the ones that had spicier peppers) comes the Gilda at Gure Toki, located in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva. Gure Toki’s Gildas came with some sizable, high-quality green olives and the Gilda itself had added flavor from red onion and herbs.

This Gilda is a big one! It just barely fit in my mouth with one bite. Regardless of the size, I promise you, it will be a delicious mouthful.

One of the best from Gure Toki in Bilbao

Casa Urola (San Sebastian)

Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 20, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

One of my favorite restaurants that we visited in all of San Sebastian is Casa Urola, so it’s no surprise that they had a great Gilda to kick off an excellent meal.

Casa Urola’s Gildas had just the right amount of peppers with two olives and a tasty anchovy. What really stood out to me on this Gilda, however, was the quality olive oil. A good olive oil matters! After your Gilda, take the bread and soak up the last bits of oil.

A Gilda with quality olive oil at Casa Urola

Taska Beltz (Bilbao)

Pilota Kalea, 4, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain

Another solid Gilda we had was at a wine bar in Bilbao’s Casco Viejo neighborhood called Taska Beltz. Along with a fantastic selection of natural wines, you can get a well-balanced Gilda.

Start with a glass of Txakoli with the salty bite and then move onto another wine recommendation from the bartender here!

La Bodeguilla at Ribera Market (Bilbao)

Erribera Kalea, s/n, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain

La Bodeguilla at the Ribera Market is a bit of a wildcard because it included cheese, of all things. I am not sure what kind of cheese was on our little stick, but if I had to guess, it’s probably the local sheep’s cheese called Iziadabal. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually like it, but it surprisingly worked! The cube of cheese was nice and soft and helped balance out the saltiness of the olive and anchovy.

This Gilda stand also has a variety of different Gildas with all kinds of non-traditional ingredients. I recommend trying a few different ones!

Non-traditional Gildas from the Ribera Market in Bilbao

Hotel Tayko Bar (Bilbao)

Erribera Kalea, 13, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain

Last but not least, we have the octopus Gilda at the bar at Hotel Tayko in Bilbao. This Gilda takes a top spot for me when it comes to non-traditional ingredients with the addition of the octopus. Octopus in Spain is a delight as most places know how to cook it to have the perfect texture, i.e. not chewy.

Just a few light bites of octopus pair really well with the salty and pickled elements of a Gilda (along with a refreshing glass of cava too). It’s either the perfect way to start or end your night, especially if you are staying at Hotel Tayko or in the Casco Viejo area.

Another non-traditional Gilda from Ola at Hotel Tayko, Bilbao

And there you have it – my top picks for where to find the best Gilda in Basque Country! Will I be back for more? Absolutely! If you’ve had a good one at a place I didn’t mention above, please comment below and let me know what spots I need to add to my next itinerary.

Happy eating!