Best places to eat in Bilbao

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Recommended restaurants and tapas bars in Bilbao in 2023

Our team of local experts have hand-picked the best restaurants in Bilbao. You will find the best restaurants and places to eat in Bilbao Spain, suitable for all different budgets. Enjoy local gastronomy!

Best restaurants in Bilbao guide

Best pintxo tours to discover and eat in Bilbao
The best Free Tour of Bilbao

Best restaurants in Bilbao

NEBAK Jatetxea- Bilbao

NEBAK Jatetxea- Bilbao

NEBAK Jatetxea is a small, traditinal basque restaurant that offers slightly modernized and delicious versions of all the classics. NEBAK only has 8 tables available, so it’s a good idea to call ahead. Chef Egaña offers a menu filled with carefully prepared basque goodies, all of which are aso gluten free. The dinning room is warm and inviting, perfect for a romantic dinner. Chef Egaña of NBAK offers modernized versions of anumber of Basqye classics. The restuaurant is small and intimate, perfect for a romantic diner for two.

Rated 9.1 out of 10

Location

This hotel is located at less than 10 minutes walk to the Cathedral of Bilbao in the Historical city center of Bilbao. You should estimate 30 minutes to walk to the Guggenheim museum, which could also be reached in 5 minutes by trolley.

The hotel is just a few meters from the Atxuri trolley station, which connects directly with the Bus terminal. , the La Ribera Market, and the Arriaga theater are all just a 10 minutes walk from the establishment.

Services

The hotel offers daily breakfast in a rather dark room. Breakfast quality if acceptable, but not amongst the best in Bilbao.  Staff is friendly and ready to help. 

The hotel has parking area. 

Zarate de Sergio Ortiz de Zarate

Zarate de Sergio Ortiz de Zarate – tradition in the heart of Bilbao

Chef Sergio Zárate is at the helm of this sophisticated restaurant, that serves up elegant and refined versions of a variety of classic Basque.

Located in the heart of Bilbao, everything at Zarate is precise and cared for, from the service to the decoration to the meal presentation. A true winner.

Rated 9.1 out of 10

Restaurante La Escuela · Escuela Superior de Hostelería Bilbao – One of the top dining experiences you can have in Bilbao

Restaurante La Escuela · Escuela Superior de Hostelería Bilbao – One of the top dining experiences you can have in Bilbao

Easily one of the best dining experiences you can have in Bilbao. Period. The Escuela Superior de Hostelería is the culinary school of Bilbao where the future of Spanish gastronomy is shaped.

The school is located slightly outside the city in Artxanda, and it is absolutely worth the drive. The restaurant, perched above the city, is sleek and modern with amazing views.

The menu is seasonal and varies greatly depending on the time of year, but, as you might expect, the future top Spanish chefs always serve up creative and delicious dishes to their guests.

As an added bonus, the restaurant boasts an impressive wine selection that will take the whole experience to the next level.

Lar, wonderful, traiditional Basque tavern in the center of Bilbao

Lar – Wonderful, traiditional Basque tavern in the center of Bilbao

Lar is one of those restaurants you have to know is there or you might miss it.

Located in Bilbao’s old quarter, Lar is a small traditional Basque tavern.

Everything about the restaurant is authentic from the decoration to the food.

They serve delicious homemade Basque classics, specializing in seafood.

Everything from the fish, to the olive oil, to the salt it is seasoned with are all chosen with care.

If you are in the area and want an authentic Basque dining experience, this is a great choice.

Rated 9.3 out of 10

El Arandia de Julen – Authentic Basque eatery in the heart of Bilbao

Pintxos and wine in Bilbao

Located just a few meters from the Church of San Antón in the center of Bilbao we find El Arandia de Julen, a basque eatery dedicated to maintaining the traditional flavors and recipes of the Basque country.

Chef Julen Prado-Egiar provides a truly authentic Basque dining experience. The specialty is the “alubias con sacramentos” (bean stew) and the T-bone steak, but everything on the menu is worth a try.

The decor is again, very authentically Basque with stone walls, wooden chairs, and dim lighting. If you are in the area and want some delicious authentic Basque food, this is a great option.

Rated 9.2 out of 10
Best pintxo tours to discover and eat in Bilbao
The best Free Tour of Bilbao

Best Pintxos bars in Bilbao

Pintxos are the Basque version of tapas. They are typically served on a slice of bread, held together with a toothpick, or a pintxo, from there the name. The beautiful city of San Sebastian and Bilbao are well known throughout Spain for serving the best and tastiest pintxos.

But finding the best bars in Bilbao to enjoy this most delicious of finger foods can be a hassle. But, worry not, our expert local guides have done the hard work for you and have created the list of the best pintxos bars in Bilbao. Check it out!   

El Globo

El Globo
El Globo has one of the most complete pintxo bars in Bilbao. It’s hard to choose just one, so our advice is to try as many as you can. But without a doubt the pintxo you cannot miss is the gratin crab. This traditional recipe of Basque gastronomy reaches its maximum expression in this place in the city center. A miniature haute cuisine bite that will delight seafood fans.
Rated 9 out of 10

Gaztandegi

Gaztandegi
If you are one of those folks who cannot live in a world without cheese, this is the place for you. Pintxos with all kinds of cheeses are on the menu, but the cheese crepe with mushrooms and piquillo pepper sauce stands above the rest. It is served hot so it is wise to ask for a glass of fresh cider to accompany it. In addition, Gaztandegi has a very large selection of the best cheeses in Europe. You will want to try them all. Without a doubt, this is a mandatory stop on your pintxos route through the city.
Rated 8.7 out of 10

Bodega Joserra

Bodega Joserra
At Bodega Joserra they don’t cut corners, what matters is the quality of the products. Oblivious to new fashions, this tavern maintains its solera and tradition serving what for many are the best sandwiches in the Casco Viejo. Sit at one of their tables and try the “bonito con divisa”, undoubtedly the most famous bocatas they make. And if you are lucky, perhaps you will meet a gang of txikiteros, who will liven up your meal with their songs. All very authentic.
Rated 9.3 out of 10

Baste

Baste
When it’s time for an aperitif at Baste, there is always a pleasant atmosphere. It’s undoubtedly a clear indicator that you will eat well there. They are known for traditional and generous cuisine and for decades their stuffed mussels, or mojojones,  have acquired great fame. Trays and trays of these small delicacies, that patrons happily devour with wine in hand, parade non-stop from the kitchen. A good place for a Sunday morning start to your day.
Rated 8.5 out of 10

Taberna Basaras

Taberna Basaras
At Basaras, the star product is the anchovy. The salted anchovies are, rubbed, cleaned and then put in oil. Each little fish is prepared with a lot of love. Once ready the anchovies are served on a slice of bread often with red pepper. It’s an artisanal process that requires time and patience, but when you try one of these simple, but delicious delights, you will realize that it is worth it. Times may change, but when something is good and has personality, it lasts.
Rated 9.2 out of 10

Irrintzi

Irrintzi
Entering a bar and having such a variety of pintxos to choose from is a delight. The bar is full of colors and smells, so let yourself be carried away by your intuition and you will surely be happy. The Irrintzi combines traditional elements of Basque gastronomy with very avant-garde cuisine, which makes it a mandatory stop on your walk through the Old Town. There is always a welcoming atmosphere. That is why their motto is ‘Pintxos & Friends’. What more could you want?
Rated 9 out of 10

Gure Toki

Gure Toki
Gure Toki is one of those pintxo bars where you won’t be able to decide what to do first,eat or take photos. From the Plaza Nueva, in the heart of the city, Gure Toki looks towards the future of cuisine without forgetting its past. One of its hallmarks is a commitment to serving freshly made hot pintxos. Among its offerings are beef ribs, cod or cheese cake, but we encourage you to let yourself go and choose your favorites. You can’t go wrong.
Rated 9.4 out of 10

El Eme

El Eme

No one knows exactly what is in their sauce, but it is delicious. Just choose if you prefer a triangle or a tower and try to guess the secret ingredients.

Eme has become an institution and a place of pilgrimage for many people outside the city who cannot resist a pintxo with more than half a century of history. The reality lives up to the legend and it’s up to you to check it out.

Rated 8.6 out of 10
Best pintxo tours to discover and eat in Bilbao
The best Free Tour of Bilbao

Motrikes

Motrikes

Somera is one of the liveliest streets in Casco Viejo, especially at night during the weekends. Among all the bars, Motrikes stands out thanks to a bit of intrigue involving their mushroom pintxos.

The preparation seems simple: a couple of grilled mushrooms, a slice of bread and dash of their special sauce. Legend has it that someone actually offered to pay 30,000 euros for the recipe, but the proprietors refused. Thanks to their fortitude, you can go to this famous street to try the pintxos with a closely guarded culinary secret.  

Rated 8.6 out of 10

Xukela

Xukela

Because you don’t always have the opportunity to try something as original as the rooster crest. Xukela is one of those bars that is always on the culinary route people of Bilbao make in the area.

Its fame has spread throughout the city thanks to its traditional casseroles and pintxos, the most famous of which is the cresta de gallo or roosters crest. If you are looking for something different, fun and classic, the Xukela is your bar.

Rated 8.9 out of 10

El Puertito de Ledesma

El Puertito de Ledesma

If you love oysters you have to go to Puertito. You will find up to eight varieties of this delicacy brought from different parts of Spain and Europe.

You can eat them unadorned or with the different dressings they offer and accompanied with a glass of wine from its fantastic winery where the txakolis, albariños and champagnes stand out. Its decoration and modern style make the visit a fresh maritime experience.

Rated 9 out of 10

Salón de Juegos Concha 1

Salón de Juegos Concha 1

It may seem like a strange place to taste a pintxo, and it is. It is one of the insider’s secrets of the city. No outsider would imagine that such a place could prepare fabulous omelettes.  There’s nothing fancy about the presentation, but the taste is out of this world.

The omelets are prepared slightly runny and in several flavors: txaka, ham and cheese, mushrooms, although the star is undoubtedly the tortilla con patatas. Trying this classic of Spanish gastronomy in the Concha-1 game room is a safe bet.

Rated 8.8 out of 10

Melilla y Fez

Melilla y Fez

Leaving behind the gleaming Old Town and entering the mysterious Iturribide, you will immediately arrive at the mythical Melilla and Fez. The walk to a bar full of tortillas of all flavors is well worth it.

They are the perfect aperitif for the lamb pintxo you must sample later. Why is a snack whose origin is so far from Bilbao so successful? Because it is authentic and has not been altered by avant-garde chefs in this kitchen. The Moorish pintxo from Melilla is still as delicious today as 50 years ago.

Rated 9.1 out of 10

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A selection of the best restaurants in Spain to enjoy a great stay. Restaurants for all budgets and that cover different styles of Spanish cuisine. You will also find restaurants that are close to some of the main tourist attractions to ensure you enjoy great food without losing too much time during your trip itinerraries … Read More