Bar Martínez is located in the lively Casco Viejo but manages to stand out among the abundance of restaurants in this street. Its ambiance serves as a perfect finish or stop on a pintxos tour through the city. It offers a wide selection of cold as well as hot pintxos.

Located on Calle 31 de Agosto, one of the most popular pintxo streets in the Old Part of San Sebastian, Bar Martínez is a classic with more than 79 years of history. It was inaugurated on May 13, 1942, by Manuel Martínez and Juliana Gil, who were pioneers in the creation of many of the bars in Donostia. From the classic "Gilda" that began to be served in the 1940s, to the recently incorporated tuna with onions and marmitako puree, Bar Martínez is a clear example of the fusion between tradition and renovation, with an offer of pintxos and specialties for for all tastes.

Tinned bonito del norte (albacore) is a pantry staple in the Basque Country, where it’s line-caught and canned in seaside villages. At Bar Martínez, this high-quality tuna gets flaked and folded into a thick tartar sauce, then stuffed into a sweet, roasted, ruby-red piquillo pepper. Perched on a baguette slice and drizzled generously with sharp sherry vinegar and olive oil, the pimiento relleno is a San Sebastián classic, and the poster child of the oldest family-run bar in the Parte Vieja.

We enjoyed the more traditional side of San Sebastian pintxos in Bar Martinez, a quaint, rustic place with a cozy atmosphere. Per the advice of our pintxos expert tour guide, we ordered Pimiento de Piquillo, Salmon with Anchovy and Onions, and Fried Artichoke with Ham. I especially enjoyed my helping of Pimiento de Piquillo, which burst with the flavors of the sweetness of red pepper, the mild saltiness of tuna, and the tang of onion, gherkin, and mustard.

Bar Martinez serves a very traditional take, an airy version made with eggs and potatoes and lightly fried in oil. In the Gros neighborhood by Zurriola surfing beach La Guinda, a cute cafe and bakery where waitstaff wear sailor shirts, serves a slightly more hearty, sweet version with the addition of perfectly caramelized onions. When it comes to the table it’s still the slightest bit runny inside, just how I like it.

Bar Martinez has a very nice selection of warm pintxos, and we had a plate of ham croquetas, which I can’t resist. The tortilla patata (potato tortilla) was very good, and we also had some deep-fried shrimp, whose batter masked the taste of the shrimp a little too much for me. But the platter of jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham, which you should also eat when you’re in Spain) was excellent with glasses of txakoli wine.

Other notable stops along the way include Bar Martínez (C/31 de Agosto 9) for a sleek spread of cold pintxos, and La Cuchara de San Telmo (C/31 de Agosto 28 – set back from the street next to the church) this is my favourite pintxos bar in town serving made-to-order haute pintxos. Another favourite pintxo bar on the strip is Casa Gandarias (C/31 de Agosto 23) serving up an array of classic and creative pintxos.

Enjoy traditional pintxos snacks, sandwiches and a long wine list at this lively bar in San Sebastian’s old town originally established in 1942. While the bar is just 9 metres long, it’s the hot made-to-order pintxos and parade of artistically crafted tapas that make Bar Martinez stand out. I ordered the speciality, Red Pepper Stuffed with Tuna Salad alongside a glass of white wine for 5.50 EUR.

It is a bar that began its journey of the pintxos in San Sebastian in 1942 and today is still at full capacity. In the “Martinez” you can find traditional pintxos, highlighting especially the cold pintxos of the bar as its famous gilda, the pintxos with egg or the traditional fish cake. As you can see, all pintxos of bar but that nowadays continue triumphing.

Located on the iconic Calle 31 de Agosto, Bar Martínez is a staple among the best tapas bars in San Sebastian. Its bar is always lined with a tempting selection of pintxos, offering something for everyone. A must-try here is the gilda, a skewer of anchovy, pickled pepper, and olive, as well as their hake roe in vinaigrette.

Set on Calle 31 de Agosto, Bar Martínez has a long standing presence on this famous street in Donostia. Having first opened its doors in May 1942, it still remains one of the most popular spots in the Old Town. Despite its history, the bar fuses tradition with modern gastronomy, bursting with quality and flavour.

At Bar Martinez, located on one of San Sebastian's most popular pintxos streets, you will find a selection of Basque and Spanish wines. Enjoy a glass of Basque white wine, such as txakolí, while you imagine Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald chatting in this bar about their latest literary works.

Located in the heart of the old town, Bar Martinez has a nine-metre long counter that’s packed with pintxos. Its house specialities include fillet of cod with poached onion, stuffed pepper with tartar sauce, cod with clam chowder, crab ‘charlota’ (tart) and breaded artichoke stuffed with Iberian ham.

La Cuchara de San Telmo, La Vina and Bar Nestor are well-known must-visits; the glazed ham croqueta from Muxumartin and the tuna-stuffed pepper at Bar Martinez were new-to-me highlights (£146; discoversansebastian.com).

Bar Martínez (Calle 31 Agosto, 13) Their ‘Brocheta de Pulpo’ & ‘Mejillones Rebozados’ (like a mussel croquette served in it’s shell) are worth having. So are the two mushroom dishes ‘Champi’ & ‘Revuelto de Hongos’.

An institution in the city, I love coming here on every visit. The owner, his family, and the staff are just generous and very friendly. The quality of the pintxos is outstanding, fresh and delicious.

One lunchtime and back the same evening as we had to have another one of the exquisite little parcels of courgette stuffed with crab. The waiter teased us about coming back so soon.