What about pintxo-pote, and what is it exactly?
FIRE
July 2025
The day of the week when, for a reduced price, your drink (pote) is accompanied by a pintxo.
In many places, it is common for bars, taverns and restaurants to offer a ‘tapa’ with each drink. These could be spicy potatoes, olives, bacon or even a bowl of stew. This is not the case in Bizkaia, however.
If someone orders a pintxo or a bite of whatever they feel like having, they have to pay for it separately. Always? Nooooo.
Anyone visiting Bizkaia and stopping to cool off with a txakoli, cider or beer — preferably brewed by a local artisan — on their way through landscapes, beaches or museums, would do well to look out for a sign saying ‘PINTXO-POTE TODAY’. Alternatively, the poster might say ‘PINTXO-POTE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOONS’.
It’s not unusual for most of the bars in a neighbourhood, or even all the bars in a town, to arrange pintxo-pote on a certain day of the week at specific times, usually in the evening.
If you see a sign like this, go ahead and take the chance! Don’t be suspicious if the waiter or waitress adds a bite to your glass. Or if they ask you what you would like. It will be free. Maybe the price is almost equivalent to the cost of just the beer, txakoli, wine or cider. You’ll see that the other locals are enjoying themselves with a drink in hand.
Don’t miss it! It’s especially worth it for the good atmosphere at pintxo-pote.
What happens when the bells inside a tavern are rung?
Tipping after having a drink in Bizkaia is neither commonplace nor unusual. It happens. The tip is not kept by the person who served you. Instead, it is placed in a large piggy bank or an old coffee jar, and is distributed weekly or monthly among the staff. In our taverns, a bell or cowbell usually hangs from the ceiling inside the bar.
When someone leaves a tip, the waiter collects it and rings the bell, shouting ‘Boteeee!’
Do not panic if you hear the bells ringing. This is not an emergency drill.
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