on the pintxos trail

Time for our first txakoli...

...and a few more pintxos. We're at La Viña now, and it's a little bit more old school. One of my favourites (from previous trips) and still as good and friendly as ever.

The pintxos are more traditional in here. That's deep-fried hake at the back; some pulpo on the right and grilled pimientos on the left. And these marinated peppers (below) were amazing.

One of the specialties of the house: canutillo de queso y anchoa, a hand-made "bugle" stuffed with philadelphia cheese, with a considerable anchovy running the length of it. It may look like an ice cream cone but it's definitely savoury — not sweet

This creation won La Viña a top prize in pintxos some ten years back: it was new wave then, but seems very conventional now... 

Time for another round of txakoli...

And one of the hot dishes from the kitchen: scrambled eggs with mushrooms. Simple but very good and wholesome.

There's only one way to finish: with another of the house favourites. The excellent tarta de queso.

Yes it's a beautifully baked cheesecake — but all cheese and no cake. Just the way to round off a successful pintxos lunch.