Pintxoa, ogitartekoa eta plater konbinatua
The great Basque bar culture revolves around three main formats: the pintxo (small, served at the bar), the ogitarteko (sandwich), and the plater konbinatua (combo plate). Knowing how to order variations allows you to eat anywhere.
The three formats
| Basque | English | Size |
|---|---|---|
| pintxoa | pintxo / small tapa | small, served at the bar |
| ogitartekoa | sandwich | medium, on bread |
| plater konbinatua | combo plate | full meal |
| razioa | portion / serving | to share |
Ogitarteko literally means “the thing between breads”: ogi (bread) + arte (between) + -ko. It’s the classic sandwich, but made with good Basque bread and generous fillings.
Typical fillings
These are the most common fillings you’ll see on a bar’s blackboard:
| Basque | English |
|---|---|
| tortilla | Spanish omelette |
| txistorra | txistorra |
| txorizoa | chorizo |
| gazta | cheese |
| urdaiazpikoa | ham |
| antxoa | anchovy |
| atuna | tuna |
| gilda | gilda (anchovy + chili pepper + olive) |
How to combine to order
The formula is: descriptor + format + bat (mesedez). The descriptor (the filling) 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 ham and cheese sandwich, please.
When you order to share, you use dugu (“we have / we’re having”) or hartuko dugu (“we will have”). In a group, it’s very common to order several portions for everyone.
Variations and nuances
- handia — large / txikia — small:
- Garagardo handia — large beer
- Kafe txikia — small coffee (small cup)
- hotza — cold / beroa — hot:
- Ogitarteko beroa — hot sandwich (grilled)
- eta… — and… (to add something):
- 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. — I’ll have a combo plate: eggs, chorizo, and french fries.
— Bale, hiru eskaera dira. — OK, that’s three orders.
Paying
- Pagatzera! — Time to pay!
- Niri tokatzen zait. — It’s my turn.
- Nik gonbidatzen zaitut. — I’m treating you.
- Erdibana. — Let’s go halves / fifty-fifty. (to share)
Cultural note: pintxos are an especially strong tradition in San Sebastián, Bilbao, and Pamplona. Each bar usually has a house specialty. The custom of poteo consists of going from bar to bar having a pintxo and a drink in each one — a very social and very Basque tradition.
Ejercicios
"Ogitarteko" means…
You want a tortilla pintxo. How do you order it?
"Plato combinado" in Basque = .
For me, a portion of cheese = Niretzat .