Txoko Gastronómico

Txoko Gastronómico is a serious pintxos bar on Calle Calderería in the old quarter of Pamplona, with a kitchen and wine list that aim above the standard of the city's more casual counter bars. The name references the txoko — the private Basque gastronomic society, an exclusively members-only cooking club with deep roots in Basque cultural life — though here the format is open to all. The bar offers a focused selection of pintxos that draw directly from Basque culinary traditions, executed with the precision and quality of produce that the txoko concept implies. The foie gras pintxo with an Oporto port reduction is a rich, precisely executed bite — the foie gras properly seasoned and the reduction balanced between sweetness and acidity. Conserved Cantabrian anchovy on toasted bread, served with a slick of good butter, represents the bar's confidence in the quality of the Spanish tinned produce it sources. Kokotxa de bacalà — the gelatinous cheek of salt cod, silky and intensely flavoured — is the dish that marks Txoko Gastronómico as a step above the typical pintxos bar. The wine list by the glass is exceptional: a rotating selection of Navarra and Rioja alongside natural wines from the broader Iberian Peninsula. The atmosphere is knowledgeable and animated, drawing local gastronomes, wine enthusiasts, and food-curious visitors alongside the regular neighbourhood clientele. No reservations are taken.