Cider-houses

Equally traditional are our “sociedades gastronómicas” (dining clubs). It is in the old quarters of Irun and Hondarribia that the majority of these clubs and guilds can be found. They are true gastronomic havens and each club has its members, normally men, who use them as a place to meet over lunch or dinner and it is normally the members themselves who do the cooking.

And to open your appetite before sitting down for lunch Irun, Hondarribia and Hendaye offer you the typical “pintxos” (nibbles) which cover the counters of bars like a kind of multi-coloured carpet. Signature cuisine has gained prominence in many bars, with the idea being to maintain the original taste of the product but in a beautiful presentation. Pintxos are miniature delicacies and it is always difficult to choose which one to have first, not to mention which to have last!.

Desserts are also of major importance in Basque traditional cooking and are closely linked to the eating-habits and life of the shepherds and fishermen of the Bidasoa. Many of these desserts have been revamped for the haute cuisine of today. Irun has kept its chocolate-making tradition for over three centuries and even today there are some chocolate and sweet-making shops with a long tradition of hand-making their delights.