Txirimiri — Pinxtos in Catalunya’s capital
Deep in the heart of Barcelona, you’ll stumble across a Basque pintxo bar that’s been thriving for the past 26 years. It’s an intriguing quirk of a city that is simultaneously one of the most international you’ll find and yet also the centre of Europe’s largest separatist movement that an ‘outsider’ like this can survive. And yet, Txirimiri is far from just surviving. Iñigo and the Martínez family have built an institution on a foundation of classic Basque cuisine at reasonable prices that shows no sign of slowing down.
Just like any good tapas bar, the thing that hits you when you first walk into Txirimiri is the bar laden with irresistible pinxtos, the unmistakable buzz of a local hub, and a true mezcla of smells wafting through from the kitchen. Combined with the Real Sociedad pennants you could quite easily be in the head chef’s home region.
“Not a combo you expect to nibble alongside a zurrito but a stunner none the less”
Naturally, we kicked things off with some cañas and pinxtos. The selection this Saturday afternoon had all the classics you would expect alongside the odd bit of culinary flair that Iñigo can’t help but let seep into everything he does. Tortilla con chorizo was typically tasty, as was goats cheese and jamón. The star though was undoubdtedly the foie gras, jamón iberico, and padrón pepper. Not a combo you expect to nibble on alongside a zurrito (mini basque beer) but sensational none the less.
And then the raciones — oh the raciones. Pan con tomate is always a must and although that might not steal the show here it’s the kind of thing that you just want to keep on coming (and at just a couple of euros a round why wouldn’t you?). Mini padrón peppers were first of our larger plates and they absolutely fascinated me — they maintain that unpredictable spiciness that charectirizes a padrón pepper but are small enough to guzzle down like nuts or crisps.
Iñigo is keen to point out that the main menu at Txirimiri almost never changes. The classic Basque dishes have been there since the start and they aren’t going anywhere but every day there are four or five specials that take advantage of the seasons: the tomato salad was one of those this week.
Now, every Spanish restaurant worth its salt serves a tomato salad. Usually a generous dose of olive oil and salt is pretty much all you’ll get and even when Iñigo’s son, Junior, told be that Barbastro tomatoes were in season, I didn’t really expect anything different here. Instead, what arrived was an absolute joy: a huge pile of sliced Barbastros laden with onion, cheese, and perfectly doused in white wine vinegar. As you’ll see later Txirimiri does far more complex dishes on the menu. This though might have been my very favourite.
Iñigo has made his restaurant’s name on tortilla: the patatas bravas variation is renowned and every different type has that perfect characteristic of a gooey centre that makes me smile. Far too often, especially in the UK, a tortilla is dry, chunky, and feels more like a potato pie than an omlette. Much like at London’s new tortilla bar ‘Broken Eggs’ that I visited earlier this year, the high quantity and quality of eggs that Iñigo uses makes for a delightfully gooey centre that oozes all of the place. The tortilla de bacalao (cod) is no different with the presence of just enough fish to add flavour and a satisfying texture but not too much to dominate.
‘Sartén’ is another basque classic that essentially consists of fried eggs, potatoes, and another protein (in this case Basque chistorra), sliced together into a scramble. Fantastically, at Txirimiri this happens tableside side and the result is the most perfectly indulgent combination of eggs, fried potatoes, spiced sausage, and olive oil that you can imagine. It’s one of those dishes that you could just keep eating all night long. Haute cuisine it is not but it isn’t trying to be — what it is is absolutely delicious.
Iñigo wouldn’t be happy if I called his ‘pastel de puerros y langostinos’ haute cuisine either but it is definitely highly complex. A cake made of egg, leek, and prawns is a texture akin to paté but coated in the richest spider crab sauce you could possibly imagine. This is one to share between four or five people at least (your stomach couldn’t handle any more than that) but my word is it a must order dish. Especially with a bit of typically dry Spanish baguette to soak up that sauce, it just keeps on giving.
Finally came the pimientos rellenos (stuffed peppers). Yet again, a Spanish classic and yet again Txirimiri elevates it: this time the peppers are stuffed with chopped squid and then cooked and served in their own ink to keep up that theme of culinary overindulgence. Saltiness and seafood goodness just ooze into every bite and be sure to put in another order of bread to help you with that sauce.
“Un ambiente familiar y cercano”
Iñigo
Really, it’s almost impossible to believe that Iñigo hasn’t been doing this his whole life. When I spoke to him he talked fondly of memories making bizcocho and cookies with his grandmother but originally he entered the world of work as a journalist. It was only when he moved to Barcelona that that changed, something he credits to the culture that puts good food at the heart of everything in the Basque country. For two years after Txirimiri opened he ploughed on at his own place but in 2000 his in-laws persuaded him to make the move and just five years later he was running the show. Now, his son heads up front of house and the restaurant is very much still a family business. That’s definetly not changing any time soon and the atmosphere it creates is one where every individual customer is welcomed in with open arms. Asked to sum it up the head chef says it is, “un ambiente familiar y cercano”.
To borrow a bit from Iñigo; closeness, familiar, and delicious are probably the three words that I’d use to sum-up Txirimiri. If you live in the centre of Barcelona then you probably already know it: if you’re visiting and looking for an authentic tapas bar experience away from overpriced tourist traps and menus adorned with pictures, then you should.
