Pintxito

Pintxito is a Basque pintxos bar inside the Market building on the Covent Garden piazza, one of the most central spots in the area, with both indoor seating and alfresco tables. It takes its cue from the pintxo bars of San Sebastián and Bilbao, where eating and drinking happen as much standing at the counter as sitting down.

Pintxos are the Basque Country's bar-counter answer to tapas: small plates rooted in Basque tradition, traditionally displayed across the bar so that guests choose with their eyes and eat at any time of day. The drinks list matches the food, centred on Basque wines, cider and patxaran, the region's slow, sloe-based liqueur. Kaixo, the Basque word for hello, is the first thing heard through the door, and the long table, or mahai, is treated as the heart of Basque hospitality, where meals are shared and stories told.

Basque pintxos and wine on the Covent Garden piazza

The Market setting gives the bar a lively, people-watching backdrop right in the middle of Covent Garden, and the alfresco seating makes the most of the piazza on warmer days. Counter-style service and shared plates keep things informal, so it works for a quick glass and a plate or a longer graze across several pintxos.

What to expect on a visit

Pintxito opens from noon every day, closing at 20:00 from Sunday to Friday and at 21:00 on Saturday. It offers private hire for celebrations and sells bottles of wine to take away, and the bar prefers to be contacted by email for bookings and enquiries. For more Spanish drinking in the area, see The Port House on the Strand, or browse the other wine bars in Covent Garden.