Wine bar
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
Coffee and craft beer bar
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
Belle epoque cafe-bar
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
Pintxo bar
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
Pintxo bar
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
Pintxo bar and restaurant
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