Like many of the best pintxos, simplicity is the key to a stellar brocheta de gambas, or prawn brochette, and San Sebastián’s Goiz Argi knows how to keep it simple. Skewers of lightly grilled prawns served on a round of crusty bread and drizzled in the secret house sauce make for a crispy yet succulent mouthful, often taken with a side of pimientos del padrón, green peppers with sea salt. The quality of their pintxos has earned Goiz Argi an international reputation but you’ll still find it packed with San Sebastián locals in the evening, crowding round the tiny, brightly lit bar and spilling out onto the street.

There are a handful of San Sebastián “musts,” like booking a surf lesson, realizing surfing is not for you, and heading to Goiz Argi afterward for a grand consolation prize: grilled seafood. The tender baby octopus is a fan favorite here, with its smoky char marks and garlic lemon sauce we could drink off the plate. But the main attraction at Goiz Argi is the excellent shrimp skewer coated in a vinegary tomato and pepper sauce that soaks into its sliced baguette.

There might not be enough txakoli in the Basque Country to help you properly pronounce the name of this small bar in the center.

It is a very small and somewhat uncomfortable bar but it is worth a visit. It is uncomfortable because it is always full, as you will see it recommended in almost every travel guide. Mari Juli and her husband retired a few years ago, transferring the bar to other people, but even so they have managed to keep the essence of the place preserving the traditional pintxos that made them triumph, such as the brochette with prawns, the tartlet with mushrooms or the famous “Marijuli”.

Otherwise, head to: La Cuchara de San Telmo (Kalea 4) for its warm braised beef cheek and suckling pig; Ganbara (Kalea 21) for the best croquetas in town; Goiz Argi (Kalea 4) for the prawn skewers; and finally to La Viña (Kalea 3) for the most famous baked cheesecake in Spain. A sweet tooth can also be sated at one of the local pastry shops, Casa Otaegui (Narrika 15) being the best, particularly for panchineta – a Basque puff pastry cake with almonds and custard cream.

No complications, just tasty crustaceans: that might as well be the motto here at Bar Goiz Argi, a charming pintxo bar that specialises in tender grilled prawns. They come on brochette skewers, griddled and dressed in a peppery, vinegary relish, over a slice of baguette to mop everything up. A glass of txakoli, the local sparkling dry white wine, isn’t mandatory but is very much recommended.

A bustling little bar at the top of Calle Fermin Calbeton, the house speciality here is Prawn skewers (Brocheta de Gambas). Cooked fresh to order on the hotplate and topped off with a sweet, red pepper sauce, it’s simple, but oh so perfect. Lookout also for the smoked salmon & anchovy Pintxo (Mari Juli), named after the bar’s owner I’m told.

Simply breadcrumbed and fried before it’s skewered on a huge stick. The crazy blue screens make this bar look more like a bookies where you’d place a bet on a well tipped horse but forget the screens and go straight for the kidney kebabs and black pudding blood sausage. Fermin Calbeton Kalea 4, 20003 Donostia Gipuzkoa Website

A small bar located at Calle de Fermin Calbeton 4, Goiz Argi also specializes in seafood, try the shrimp skewers or Brocheta de Gambas. They also offer octopus and what is known locally as breakfast wine!. It’s a fairly small bar, though, so get there early as it starts to fill up quite early as it is well favoured by the locals.

Goiz Argi- I went here for one thing brocheta de gambas (grilled prawns on a stick with a sort of savory compote atop) but ended falling in food lust with another- Mari Juli: a toast of smoked salmon, anchovy and pepper. They are so flavor rich, you could split one and cheers with another. Address: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 4

Their specialities include brocheta de gambas (shrimp on a skewer) and morcilla (blood sausage). “Super tiny and always packed. Order brochettes de gambas, morcilla, and the balon de carne, a fried croquette of beef and piquillo bound loosely with a bechamel.” - Chef Kevin Patricio of La Madame

Some of the most famous places to eat pinxtos in San Sebastian are: La Cuchara de San Telmo, Zabaleta (Spanish omelette), Bar Sport, Borda Berri (risotto), La Viña (cheesecake), Atari, Goiz Argi (skewered prawns), Txepetxa, Dakara Bi, Txuleta, Gandarias… There are many places to choose from!

This is a very simple pintxo, although it stands out for its secret sauce. The rest of the recipe has no more mystery: a slice of bread with a skewer of grilled prawns. Although their star pintxo is the shrimp skewers, this small bar decorated with watercolors also has other specialties.

Get to Goiz Argi early if you want to grab a seat (or even squeeze in to stand). Like clockwork, it fills up every evening with locals and visitors eager to try their famous brochetas de gambas (shrimp skewers). It sounds simple, but no place has perfected it quite like Goiz Argi!

We dropped by this classic little San Sebastián pintxo bar while waiting for a table at Nestor. Here the signature is the prawn brochette, a skewer loaded with five perfectly cooked prawns with a bright vinegary pepper sauce served on bread. Pull the skewer before you bite.

The perfect spot if you like seafood, Goiz Ari’s gambas (prawns) on bread is cooked to perfection. The bar’s shrimp, anchovies and gildas – the first pintxo ever created, which consists of green olives, an anchovy and guindillas (Spanish chillies) – are also excellent.

It’s a skewer of grilled shrimp, with a light sauce and salsa on top, served on a piece of bread. They have quite a few other things on the menu, but we recommend starting with the gambas. If you have more room, try the chipiron a la plancha (grilled baby squid).

Goiz Argi (Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 4) I’ve only had a couple of nibbles in this place but they were decent enough. The place opposite (Txalupa) looks good but I didn’t like it. At Goiz Argi I had the ‘Callos’ (tripe stew) & ‘Brocheta de Riñón’ (skewered kidneys).

Goiz-Argi: go here for the skewer of prawns cooked on a hotplate; and green peppers, smoked salmon and smoked anchovy rolled round a toothpick. Also known for the tuna burger that I sadly didn’t get to try. Open daily 10am-4pm and 6.30-11.30pm.

Our first stop was at Bar Goiz Argi for their specialty - Brocheta de gambas a la plancha or grilled prawn skewers (€2) which were nothing short of sublime. Sweet, with a delicious char-grilled flavour, they were plump and so delicious.

A tiny tavern where the dishes are delicious, but there's no seating, so I only come here in the early evening before heading to a restaurant. Delicious pintxos that I find very fresh. In fact, you can smell the stove while tasting.

Goiz Argi has earned its fame for its authentic pintxos in San Sebastián. I try two of the award winners; the prawn skewer and the Jose Mari. While it usually gets crowded, it is quiet the night I pass by.

The brocheta de gamba (shrimp skewer) is incredible, as is the chipiron a la plancha (grilled baby squid). Arrive early as it gets packed. Address: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 4, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Establish your real estate as fast as you can, Gorka explained, heading into a packed Goiz-Argi to fetch plates and skewers. We would eat and drink at tables on the street outside the bars.

You can also do this tour on your own and make your way to some of the top rated restaurants in the city like Restaurante Kokotxa, Goiz Argi, Txepetxa and Zeruko.