Cafetería Kúpula — Restaurant in Vitoria-Gasteiz

The Kúpula does the best Gildas in Vitoria-Gasteiz if not the whole Basque country - I've made it my culinary mission over the last few months to try one in every bar I have visited here (and there are a few!). Luis and Montse the proprietors of the Kúpula say that the making of an excellent Gilda relies on the quality of the ingredients - in their bar-cafe the Gildas are immersed in a large glass jar of golden yellow olive oil, and over the course of eating a few I've learnt to pay attention to a few things.

According to some, the 'Gilda' (pronounced 'Hilda' in English) is the original pintxo comprising the basic ingredients of the skewered olive, jalapeño, and anchovy. It is hotly debated (depending what bar you are in) whether it was invented in Vitoria-Gasteiz or Donosti-San Sebastian. It is generally agreed, though, that it is named after Rita Hayworth's character ' Gilda' from the 1946 film of the same name - something to do with them both being hot/bitter/sour/salty, and green??

The Gilda is nothing to be sneezed at. These days the Basque pintxo is famous, and bars compete with each other for taste and visual appeal - the artistic arrangements of the reds and greens of pimientos (peppers), the creamy yellow of mayonnaise, and the deep reds of jamon, chorizo, and txistorra arranged on pillows of bread are common sights. Yet, a good Gilda remains the true benchmark of the pinxto and is a rejoinder to the increasing importance paid to visual appeal - its ingredients are in plain sight. There is only so much you can do with an olive, a jalapeño, an anchovy and a toothpick.

The thing to look out for, as Luis says, is the quality of the ingredients. The olive oil bathing the Gilda should be thick and golden yellow (not watery and pale), the anchovy a robust mid-brown (not grey), the olive and the jalapeño should be plump, shiny and green. The pleasure of eating a Gilda, when so many pintxos rely on bread and mayonnaise, is the perfect balance between the thick (slightly bitter) fruitiness of the olive oil and salt, bite and sourness of the other...

Fui ayer a tomar un pintxo de tortilla en este caso era un boadillo pequeño y un vino blanco . Al señor le quedaban dos de estos pintxos el cual uno de ellos , el primero que tenía que cojer era el más era más grande en lo que la tortilla se refiere y el otro más delgadito pues se las ingenió cuando yo baje l mirada de ofrecerme el más pequeño. El se creyó que no me di cuenta . Y por vergüenza no le dije nada . Pero vamos muy mal gesto por su parte . Han cambiado de hosteleros . Yo he ido antes y la verdad que antes nunca me había pasado ni allí ni en otro sitio...

What a lovely cafeteria. Superb coffee with a flaky, buttery croissant. What could be better. The outdoor seating area, under the trees, is the perfect place to relax for a...