Elkano Txiki, Getaria, Spain: Michelin-starred Elkano restaurant's little sibling - where pintxos are perfection

There is an aroma that hangs heavy in the narrow lanes of Getaria, one that overpowers the sea spray that blows in each morning from the Bay of Biscay. It's wood smoke, that familiar scent of burning charcoal, so strong you can sometimes see its blue haze. It's something else, too. A hint of charring fish and crustaceans, the weekend barbecue smell, the one that causes instant Pavlovian salivation. It's time to eat.

And people here are eating. Everyone. The oldest part of this Basque fishing port is only a few short streets, cobbled lanes that lead down to the boats depositing their catches, and yet today they're filled with people clutching drinks and sampling snacks, the burble of their voices echoing off centuries-old walls, the good-times atmosphere impossible to avoid.

Getaria is famous for several reasons. One is its stunning location on the rugged north coast of Spain, wedged between two beaches, with the Bay of Biscay sparkling in front and the rolling hills of Basque wine country laid out behind.

Mostly, however, Getaria is famous for seafood. It's famous for anchovies, the silvery little fish that pack such a powerful culinary punch. It's famous, too, for turbot, the flat, bug-eyed creatures with delicate, almost gelatinous flesh that are so highly prized.

And it's the turbot that permeates the air today, and every day. The fish here is traditionally grilled over hot coals, smoky, sweet and delicious, and most restaurants have open-air grills on the street, where chefs flip fish, char prawns and draw crowds desperate to get their hands on the produce.

The most famous of those is Elkano, a Michelin-starred fine-diner named in honour of Getaria's most famous son, Juan Sebastian Elcano, the first man to circumnavigate the globe. Elkano is a local institution. Culinary pilgrims make their way to Getaria to sample the restaurant's famed turbot grilled over coals. Hence, it's difficult to get a booking. And it's not exactly cheap.

It's also the reason I'm not eating at Elkano today. Instead, I'm dining at Elkano Txiki, the famous restaurant's smaller, more secretive sibling, a no-frills bar where the seafood is just as fresh and delicious, but served in small, pintxos-style portions that most people snack on while standing out on the street.