PintxoPote — Restaurant in Los Gatos

Current posting (2020.06.06): We’ve been going to PintxoPote on and off for about 5+ years or so (I’ve lost track). Chef Hector’s food has never disappointed and now that they’ve resumed operations (for take-out only) during COVID-19, we were very happy. For months, we’ve been making/eating in. This would be our ‘third’ not-from-home meal and we are SO happy we did. When we received the email that they were re-opening for operations for take-out, we immediately wanted to both support them but also to enjoy Chef Hector’s food once again. We discovered them by chance years ago, when they were serving tapas in a small (still the same place) restaurant, it was wonderful. When we talked to Chef Hector, we shared with him our love for paella and tapas and he mentioned he also serves paella but on advanced-pre-order only, and only early in the week (towards the weekend, they are just too busy with tapas). So he emailed me an amazingly extensive list of options. We ended up making an advanced order and enjoyed the amazing meal with friends of ours. It was just amazing. Chef Hector even gave us recommendations for places for us to try when we were going to Barcelona that summer with our family. The passion he has for creating amazing food experiences and his willingness and desire to help/share was just something that we will never forget. We are only sorry he is located further from our home so we don’t make it out to Los Gatos as often as we would prefer.

Today, they offer a ‘take-out-meal’ option. Not sure how often they will change, but on Friday 6/5, we tried their Andalusian Paella Dinner. The smashed cucumber salad was very refreshing and tasty. The eggs stuffed with smoked salmon, tobiko, and cornichon caper alioli was very good. The chicken paella andalusian style was the best. We warmed it up on a pan when we got home, while we enjoyed the appetizers. And then finally, the citrus and vanilla bean flavored custard was a great finish to a great meal.

When I arrived to pick up the meal, I saw Chef Hector walking away enjoying himself and dancing to music that was playing. I was helped by two of his staff who were very friendly. My only suggestion is that the staff putting together and giving the take-out food, should be wearing masks. Neither of them were wearing masks. Ironically, Chef Hector had just put on his mask, while dancing away.

Looking forward to seeing what the ‘next meal’ will be and helping this great chef/restauranteur continue serving palate pleasing foods to the public !

Posted: 2017 Wonderfully tasty...

Came here about seven years ago and never went back. Friends and I dined here for a girl’s night, but this time, it was me and the hubby. He was so proud of himself bc he found this place himself; usually I do all the research and make all the reservations, but not this time.

We arrived at 6:45pm and this place was almost fully packed. We tried to ask if we could switch to the bar, but it was already filled for the night.

Angie initially took our order and helped us with the menu (she is soooo thorough with her descriptions of each item). As it got busy, Hector also helped serve our table; both were awesome. We had some ideas of what to order, but Angie’s descriptions of everything was soooo good we just kinda let her pick most of our stuff. EVERYTHING we ordered was delicious. Note that this is Spanish tapas, so portions are small and meant to be shared and eaten in one or two bites.

I did remember that when we first came some years ago, service was slow, and although it was not as bad this time, they can benefit from another server. The manager came by later to thank us for coming in and explained that they had not been this busy since the pandemic. I’m glad to hear they are doing better, and well.

Some side notes:

Corkage is $25 although they have an extensive list of offerings.

Parking is easy; there is a stand-alone lot.

Will definitely come back. This is as close as it...

PintxPote is one of the best hidden gems that you can find in a town like Los Gatos. They are friendly. They love the food that they make, which you can taste in every bite. Sometimes if you become a regular you can ask one or two weeks in advance to see if chef Hector is willing to make one hit of his amazing paellas. These are not on the menu so you definitely would have to reserve in advance. Otherwise the menu is always absolutely fantastic. Try the pinchos. Try the main dishes such as lamb or beef or octopus. When peppers are on the menu try those as well.

Specials are on the menu when there is something in season or chef Hector is moved to try out a new dish. Come regularly to see what's new.

Personal favorites include the house made potato chips that are served with the meat dishes, huevos con jamon, and Spanish tortillas.

If you enjoy wine, they have quite a nice selection of Spanish wines, including cavas and tempranillos. They are always willing to discuss your princes and see how well they can match your preferred wine.

I don't usually write this kind of review and recommendation because I always want to make sure that whoever comes to what I recommend will have the kind of experience that I describe. In this case, I cannot recommend highly enough. If you love this type of Spanish food, this is the...