Cafe Iruna ★ 4.8
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: Cafe con leche, vermut
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Bilbao lingers in over a cortado.
Where to sit and slow down
Cafe Bar Bilbao ★ 4.5
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, txikito wine
Arvo Specialty Coffee ★ 4.7
Arvo Specialty Coffee on Barraincua near the Guggenheim Bilbao opened 2021, with Basque-roasted beans, brunch, acai bowls and homemade food.
Signature drink: Filter coffee, flat white
Bihotz ★ 4.4
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
Siembra Coffee ★ 4.3
Siembra Coffee on Calle Henao in Bilbao's Abando runs a quiet third-wave specialty coffee bar with rotating Basque-roasted beans and pastries.
Signature drink: Filter coffee, espresso
East Crema Coffee Ercilla ★ 4.0
East Crema brings the Madrid-born specialty roaster to Bilbao at the corner of Ercilla and Henao, with espresso, V60 filter and whole-bean retail.
Signature drink: Espresso, V60 filter
Sorginzulo ★ 4.1
Sorginzulo on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao makes a 2023 Spanish Tortilla Championship finalist with Euskaber eggs, plus traditional Basque pintxos.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche, txakoli