Bilbao eats by the bar and the market. The pintxo, a small bite on bread, is taken from the counter and paid for at the end, and txikiteo is the habit of moving from bar to bar for a small drink and a pintxo or two at each stop, with many bars and restaurants around the Casco Viejo. Traditional dishes centre on the sea and the estuary: bacalao al pil pil, bacalao a la vizcaina and chipirones en su tinta, with rabas, tortilla and gildas as bar snacks. Casa Rufo grills its steak over an open flame, and in Axpe, about 41 km away, Asador Etxebarri cooks over a grill and was ranked second at The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025. Nerua inside the Guggenheim, Mina on Calle Ercilla and Ola Martin Berasategui hold a Michelin star each, with three-star Azurmendi and one-star Eneko in Larrabetzu. Bizkaiko Txakolina, the Basque white wine poured from a height, is the txakoli usually served in Bilbao. The Mercado de la Ribera, inaugurated in 1929, is the largest covered market in Europe by area.

Where to eat in Bilbao

All 25 restaurants

  1. Mina

    Order Txangurro in farmhouse egg yolk sauce, or the hake served with a stew of fresh pocha beans.

  2. Zarate

  3. Boroa

    Order The Txindoki tasting menu, with or without pairing.

  4. Ola Martin Berasategui

    Order The Best of Martin Berasategui menu, a complete tour of the kitchen.

  5. Atelier Etxanobe

    • ★ 4.4
    • Creative
    • €€€€
    • Abando

  6. La Despensa del Etxanobe

    • ★ 4.3
    • Traditional Cuisine
    • €€€
    • Abando

    Order The kokotxas, pil pil cod, fried hake, fish soup or anchovy lasagna.

Fine dining

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Signature dishes in Bilbao

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Map of Bilbao

Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Bilbao, pinned. Click a pin for the page.

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When to come hungry in Bilbao

Peak food season
Spring brings the Navarre asparagus campaign, which opened on 31 March 2026, and perretxikos, the St George's mushroom; the Basque anchovy season runs through the spring and the northern bonito fleet follows it. Albacore for marmitako is close to the coast from about July to September. Autumn is mushroom season in Euskadi's forests, and the Santo Tomas fair on 21 December brings talo with chorizo and txakoli to Plaza Nueva and El Arenal. Asador Etxebarri closes for all of August and from 24 December to 10 January.
Local dining hours
Hours differ by place. Bar El Globo's Plaza Nueva branch opens 11:00 to 22:30 (to 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays), Victor Montes 11:00 to 23:00 (to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays) and Berton daily 9:00 to 24:00. Casa Rufo's restaurant serves 13:30 to 16:00 and 20:30 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday. Mina's kitchen takes lunch at 14:00 and dinner at 21:00 and rests on Monday and Tuesday; Nerua is closed on Mondays, Azurmendi on Mondays and Sundays, and Asador Etxebarri serves lunch only and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Tipping
Tipping is not required in Spain. At a tapas or pintxo bar, leave nothing if you only had drinks and round up if you ordered food; at a local family-run restaurant round up or leave a few coins, and at an upscale restaurant leave 5 to 10 percent for good service if it is not already included. AFAR advises tipping in cash rather than adding it to a card payment.

Bilbao food, FAQ

What food is Bilbao known for?

Bilbao's signature dishes include Bacalao al pil pil, Marmitako, Pintxo Gilda, Txangurro a la donostiarra, Kokotxas al pil pil. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Bilbao?

TableJourney editors map Bilbao by district. Casco Viejo, Indautxu, Abando, Abandoibarra are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.

Where should I eat fine dining in Bilbao?

Editor picks in Bilbao include Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao, Mina, Zarate, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.

Are there food tours in Bilbao?

TableJourney covers 7 editor-picked food tours in Bilbao, with what each shows you and how much to budget.

Does Bilbao have good vegetarian or vegan food?

TableJourney's Bilbao dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.