ZURiTO

An imposing red doorway just off Charles Street takes you inside BCB3 Hospitality’s cozy nod to pintxo bars in the Basque region of Spain. This is BCB3’s only concept outside of Temple Street near Downtown Crossing, where they run Asian-food hotspots like Somaek and Sushi @ Temple Records. As such, ZURiTO carves its own path with a menu of traditional Spanish tapas, heavy on meats, seafood, and cheeses.

The vibe: The streets of old-town San Sebastián provide inspiration for ZURiTO, which is divided into two distinct sections. A buzzy bar in the front of the house caters to first-daters and friends catching up over an intimate dinner at the bar, high-tops, or a standing counter in the center of the room. Move farther back to find the dimly lit dining room with tavern-style tables and seating, chalkboard menus, and bottles of wine lining the walls. Servers are welcoming and attentive, eager to guide you through the menu and recommend wines from a list that received a Wine Spectator 2025 “Best of Award of Excellence” for its extensive Spanish-focused selection of blancos, rosados, and tintos.

The food: Begin your meal with a couple of bite-sized pintxos, such as the croissant de ibérico, stuffed with melt-in-your-mouth acorn-fed jamón, or the pan con tomate, a traditional hunk of bread rubbed with garlic and topped with crushed tomato, olive oil, and sea salt. The pintxo menu runs deep, with anchovy-forward bites, rich spreads, and seafood toasts perfect for mixing and matching. From there, you can choose between a spread of jamones and cheeses or move into heartier territory with raciones like the risotto nero, a gooey squid-ink orzo with celery root and goat cheese, alongside griddled seafood, seasonal vegetables, and savory meat dishes.

The drink: At Zurito, the drinks are as thoughtfully composed as the food. The wine list prioritizes Iberian bottles—bright whites and food-friendly reds—while the cocktail program emphasizes sherries, aperitifs, and herbaceous or fruit-driven accents rather than heavy spirits. A short but considered beer selection rounds things out on the booze front.

Time Out tip: For the full Basque experience, grab a seat at the bar, where you can watch dishes come together, trade questions with the bartenders, and order instinctively—one bite, one drink at a time—just as it’s done in Spain.