Txikito Menu & Prices 2026: Basque Pintxos in Chelsea, NYC

Txikito serves traditional Basque cuisine — the cooking of the Basque Country, a bilingual region straddling northern Spain and southwestern France. The menu is organized into Snacks (pintxos and small bites), Chilled (seafood, vegetable and cured preparations), Hot (the kitchen's main dishes) and Sweet (four desserts at a flat $11 each). The food is ingredient-forward, built around the Basque pantry of salt cod, anchovies, piquillo peppers, white asparagus, txakoli wine and fresh fish from the Bay of Biscay.

The Gilda ($11) is the most iconic Basque pintxo: a briny anchovy, a pickled guindilla pepper and a plump green olive threaded together on a single skewer. It was invented in the 1940s at a bar in San Sebastian and named after Rita Hayworth's character in the 1946 film — because, like the film's star, it was considered salty, spicy and a little provocative. At Txikito it is made with quality anchovies and guindillas and served as a one-bite introduction to the Basque bar tradition. The kitchen also offers a Hot Jilda ($9), a warm version of the same concept.

Txikito is a mid-to-upscale restaurant with prices that reflect its Michelin-recommended quality and Chelsea, NYC location. Snacks start at $6 (house olives) and reach $11 (the Gilda). Chilled dishes run $15–$21. Hot dishes range from $21 (Morros) to $32 (Mendreska). All four desserts are a flat $11. A full dinner for two with shared snacks, chilled and hot dishes, dessert and a bottle of txakoli or wine will typically run $120–$180 before tip depending on how many dishes you order.

Yes. Txikito accepts reservations and they are strongly recommended, especially Thursday through Saturday when the small dining room (approximately 50 seats) fills quickly. Reservations can be made through the restaurant's official site at txikitonyc.com or via OpenTable. Walk-ins are occasionally accommodated at the bar, but availability is limited. Confirm hours and booking policy directly with the restaurant.

If you are visiting Txikito for the first time, the dishes most consistently praised by guests and critics are: the Gilda ($11) as your introduction to Basque pintxos; the Txipirones Encebollados ($27) — squid braised in its own ink with caramelized onions, a Basque classic; the Arroz Meloso ($31) — the kitchen's creamy, intensely flavored rice; the Mendreska ($32) — salt-cured bonito belly; and the Gazta Pastela ($11) for dessert. The Patatak ($9) potato crisps and Boquerones ($21) white anchovies are reliable crowd-pleasers across all tables.

Txikito was opened in 2008 by Alex Raij and Eder Montero, a husband-and-wife chef team. Alex Raij grew up with Basque family roots and has spent years studying and cooking in the Basque Country; she has become one of New York's leading authorities on Spanish and Basque cuisine. The couple also operate El Quinto Pino and La Vara in New York. Txikito — the name means "little one" in the Basque language Euskera — has been their flagship since opening and has maintained consistent critical recognition throughout.

Yes. Txikito is Michelin-recommended (recognized in various editions of the Michelin Guide New York City), praised for delivering high-quality Basque cooking at reasonable prices for a fine-dining context in NYC. The restaurant has also received strong reviews from the New York Times, Eater NY and New York Magazine over its sixteen-year run. Confirm the current Michelin status directly with the Michelin Guide at guide.michelin.com.

Basque cuisine is the cooking of the Basque Country (Euskadi), a region straddling the border between northern Spain and southwestern France, centered on cities like San Sebastian (Donostia), Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz. While considered part of the broader Spanish culinary world, it has its own fiercely distinct identity: an obsession with pristine ingredients, a deeply embedded culture of pintxos bars and private gastronomic societies (txokos), a pantry dominated by salt cod (bacalao), anchovies, guindilla peppers, white asparagus and fresh Bay of Biscay fish, the unique pil pil sauce made by emulsifying salt cod gelatin with olive oil, and the now-globally-famous burnt cheesecake (Gazta Pastela). The Basque Country has more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere else on earth.

Mendreska ($32) is salt-cured bonito tuna — specifically the loin or belly of the fish, salted and sometimes air-dried in the traditional Basque style, similar in concept to Spanish mojama (salt-cured yellowfin tuna) but made with bonito. It is one of the most prized preserved fish products in the Basque pantry. At Txikito, Mendreska is served simply — sliced thin and presented to let the fish's concentrated, briny, deeply savory flavor take center stage. It is the most expensive dish on the menu because quality bonito belly is rare and the curing process requires significant time and attention.