Pintxoa, ogitartekoa eta plater konbinatua
The great Basque bar culture revolves around three main formats: the pintxo (small, from the counter), the ogitarteko (sandwich), and the plater konbinatua (combination plate). Knowing how to order variations lets you eat anywhere.
The three formats
| Basque | English | Size |
|---|---|---|
| pintxoa | pintxo / tapa | small, from the counter |
| ogitartekoa | sandwich | medium, on bread |
| plater konbinatua | combination plate | full meal |
| razioa | portion | to share |
Ogitarteko literally means “the thing between breads”: ogi (bread) + arte (between) + -ko. It is the good old sandwich, but made with good Basque bread and generous fillings.
Typical fillings
These are the most common fillings you will see on a bar’s board:
| Basque | English |
|---|---|
| tortilla | tortilla (potato omelette) |
| txistorra | txistorra |
| txorizoa | chorizo |
| gazta | cheese |
| urdaiazpikoa | ham |
| antxoa | anchovy |
| atuna | tuna |
| gilda | gilda (anchovy + chilli pepper + olive) |
How to combine to order
The formula is: descriptor + format + bat (mesedez). The descriptor (what it contains) goes first.
- Tortilla pintxo bat, mesedez. — A tortilla pintxo, please.
- Gazta ogitartekoa, mesedez. — A cheese sandwich, please.
- Txistorra razio bat hartuko dugu. — We’ll have a portion of txistorra.
- Ogitarteko mistoa, mesedez. — A mixed sandwich, please.
When you order something to share, you use dugu (“we have / we take”) or hartuko dugu (“we’ll have”). In a group it is very common to order several portions for everyone.
Variations and nuances
- handia — big / txikia — small:
- Garagardo handia — a large beer
- Kafe txikia — a small coffee (small cup)
- hotza — cold / beroa — hot:
- Ogitarteko beroa — a hot sandwich (toasted on the griddle)
- eta… — and… (to add):
- Tortilla pintxoa eta ardo gorri bat — a tortilla pintxo and a red wine
A table of friends
— Zer hartuko dugu? — What are we having?
— Niretzat tortilla pintxoa eta zurito bat. — For me, a tortilla pintxo and a small beer.
— Eta zuretzat? — And for you?
— Nik gazta razio bat eta ardo gorri bat hartuko ditut. — I’ll have a portion of cheese and a red wine.
— Nik plater konbinatu bat: arrautzak, txorizoa eta patata frijituak. — For me, a combination plate: eggs, chorizo, and fries.
— Bale, hiru eskaera dira. — Okay, that’s three orders.
Paying
- Pagatzera! — Time to pay!
- Niri tokatzen zait. — It’s my turn.
- Nik gonbidatzen zaitut. — It’s on me.
- Erdibana. — Going halves, half each. (sharing)
Cultural note: pintxos are an especially strong tradition in Donostia, Bilbao, and Iruñea. Each bar usually has its own house specialty. The custom of the poteo consists of going from bar to bar having a pintxo and a drink at each one — a very social and very euskaldun tradition.
Ejercicios
"Ogitarteko" means…
You want a tortilla pintxo. How do you order it?
"Combination plate" in Basque = .
For me, a portion of cheese = Niretzat .