La Espiga

When a bar predates color TV and is still packed all day, you know it must be good. That’s the case with La Espiga, which opened in 1928 and is currently run by the fourth generation of the founding family. It’s located on a pedestrian shopping street that includes the world’s busiest Zara (don’t let that deter you), and it’s usually packed with both locals and tourists who all have a glass of wine in one hand and a pintxo in the other. 

Be sure to order the specialty, la delicia, a toast of cured anchovy with hard-boiled egg, vinegary onions, and a dollop of mayonnaise (get it with a splash of Worcestershire). And definitely try one of the fried bites, like veal with cheese, meat-stuffed peppers, and lamb brain that’s marinated, battered, and served piping hot.