A single skewer of three ingredients — a Cantabrian anchovy, a Manzanilla olive, and a pickled guindilla pepper — it is considered the original pintxo, the bite that started an entire culinary tradition in the Basque Country.

What makes the Gilda so enduring is its perfect balance. The anchovy brings salt and depth. The olive brings brine and richness. The guindilla brings a gentle heat that ties everything together. Together, they create something that is bold, elegant, and completely addictive in a single bite.

At Despaña, we’ve been selling Gilda ingredients for decades — the anchovies, the olives, the guindillas. So when we partnered with Simply Nova Deli in Williamsburg for a Spanish-inspired menu takeover, the question wasn’t whether the Gilda belonged on a bagel. It was why nobody had done it sooner.

The logic was simple: cream cheese is salty, tangy, and rich — the same flavor profile that makes the Gilda work so well. Fold in finely minced anchovies, Manzanilla olives, and guindilla peppers, spread it over a toasted bagel, layer on marinated white anchovies, and finish with a full Gilda skewer on top. The result is a match made in New York deli paradise — Spain’s most iconic pintxo, reimagined through the lens of the city that loves a great bagel.

The best part? You can make it at home in five minutes with ingredients available at Despaña.