The local custom is to call what are known in Spanish as tapas by the Basque name, Pintxos, much more elaborated than their Spanish cousins due to the Basque love of gastronomy. Fri and Sat night are most popular time for eating pintxos--as it is for going to bars. Basque cuisine is at the heart of Basque culture.

Basque cuisine is an important part of Basque culture. According to the chef Ferran Adrià, "in terms of the average quality of the food, in terms of what you can get at any place you happen to walk into, maybe it is - probably it is, yes - the best in the world.". Basque food is one of the reasons for tourism to the Basque Country, especially the pintxos. On weekend nights a lot of people gather in the bar area in eastern Casco Viejo, get their drinks from any of the bars and hang around on the streets before heading to nightclubs.