Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Bilbao for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Bilbao for grown-ups.
Bar El Globo on Calle Diputacion in Bilbao since 1997 anchors the Indautxu pintxo crawl with the canonical txangurro (spider crab) gratin counter.
Signature drink: Txakoli on the counter
Food: Txangurro gratin, anchovy gilda, mushroom volcan
Gure Toki on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao won the Euskal Herria pintxo championship 2016 with Idiazabal cheese soup, oxtail croquettes and cheesecake.
Signature drink: Txakoli, by the glass
Food: Idiazabal cheese soup, oxtail croquettes, Basque cheesecake
Victor Montes on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao keeps the spirit of the 1849 grocery, with grilled mushrooms with foie, charcuterie and a deep wine cellar.
Signature drink: Old wines and brandies
Food: Grilled mushrooms, foie gras, jamon, Iberian charcuterie
Cafe Bar Bilbao on Plaza Nueva since 1911 keeps a Belle Epoque tiled interior in Bilbao, with ham croquettes, peppers stuffed with cod and rabas.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche, vermut
Food: Ham croquettes, peppers stuffed with cod, rabas, stuffed mussels
Bar Charly on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao since 1973 keeps a traditional Casco Viejo pintxo counter with bacalao croquettes, bonito and the gilda.
Signature drink: Txakoli, beer
Food: Bacalao croquette, octopus pintxo, jamon-manchego-aioli
Xukela on Calle del Perro in Bilbao's Casco Viejo since 1982 sits on the most traditional Bilbao tapas street with creative pintxos and wines.
Signature drink: Wine, by the glass
Food: Mushrooms with rooster crests, traditional and creative pintxos
Sorginzulo on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao makes a 2023 Spanish Tortilla Championship finalist with Euskaber eggs, plus traditional Basque pintxos.
Signature drink: Txakoli, vermut
Food: Tortilla de patata, traditional Bilbao pintxos
Baster on Calle Correo at the foot of the cathedral tower in Bilbao runs a Casco Viejo pintxo bar with made-to-order tortillas, quiches and vermut.
Signature drink: Vermut, craft beer, marianito
Food: Made-to-order tortilla, quiches, bocadillo de calamares
La Vina del Ensanche on Diputacion in Bilbao since 1927 runs three rooms under the third family generation, Joselito Iberian ham the house pintxo.
Signature drink: Spanish wines by the glass
Food: Joselito ham on crystal bread, croquetas de jamon, bonito
Singular on Calle Lersundi in Bilbao runs six craft beer taps with 50 weekly bottles and 50 wines, plus Iberian ham rolls as the house pintxo.
Signature drink: Six rotating craft beer taps, 50 weekly bottles
Food: Iberian ham rolls, salmon rolls, beer-paired tapas
Cork on Licenciado Pozas in Bilbao, run by sommelier Jonathan Hernando since 2014, pours 80 wines by the glass with a natural and low-intervention focus.
Signature drink: 80 wines by the glass, 300 by the bottle
Food: Wine-paired pintxos, Iberian charcuterie
Bihotz in Bilbao La Vieja runs a coffee-and-craft-beer hybrid south of the Ribera market, with third-wave coffee mornings and a beer-led evening.
Signature drink: Specialty coffee, craft beer
Food: Breakfast plates, cakes, light pintxos
Cafe Iruna on Jardines de Albia in Bilbao opened in 1903, with 300 square metres of Mudejar tiles and pinchos morunos at the corner charcoal grill.
Signature drink: Vermut, cafe con leche
Food: Pinchos morunos, traditional Basque pintxos