Wikipedia lists bacalao al pil pil, bacalao a la vizcaina, merluza en salsa verde and chipirones en su tinta among the dishes Bilbao shares with Biscay. Berton lists cod and kokotxas in pil-pil sauce, Casa Rufo grills its steak over an open flame, and Mina and Ola Martin Berasategui hold a Michelin star each, with Azurmendi (three stars) and Eneko (one) in Larrabetzu.
30 basque places in Bilbao we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Bilbao · Basque across every city.
Order Txangurro in farmhouse egg yolk sauce, or the hake served with a stew of fresh pocha beans.
Mina is chef Álvaro Garrido's restaurant at Calle Ercilla 37 in Indautxu, built around an open kitchen and fresh fish from the Cantabrian Sea.
Zarate has been at C/Alameda San Mamés 28 in Bilbao since 14 September, serving lunch from 13:45 and dinner from 20:45 for a new gastronomic experience.
Order The Txindoki tasting menu, with or without pairing.
Boroa is a restaurant in a restored 15th-century farmhouse in Amorebieta-Etxano, a place where nature, tradition and the avant-garde coexist.
Order The Best of Martin Berasategui menu, a complete tour of the kitchen.
Ola Martin Berasategui is in the Tayko Bilbao Hotel at 13 Calle Ribera and has held a Michelin star since 2019, with Raúl Cabrera as executive chef.
Order The famous steak grilled over an open flame with Galician or local beef, served with fries.
Casa Rufo at Calle Hurtado de Amezaga 5 has been a Bilbao classic since 1995, with a deli, and its specialty is steak grilled over an open flame.
Bascook is chef Aitor Elizegi's restaurant at Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8 in Bilbao, in a former salt warehouse with a calm atmosphere and dim light.
Order Iberian ham cut slowly on the 1907 Berkel slicer, or kokotxas of cod in pil-pil sauce.
Berton, at Jardines Kalea 11 in Bilbao, cooks meat and fish in a closed holm oak charcoal oven and serves a wide variety of pintxos with Iberian ham.
Order The kokotxas over the embers with txipi powder, or the red prawn from Palamós grilled.
Porrue is a Basque restaurant at Alameda de Recalde 4, next to the Guggenheim, cooking seasonal produce over the embers with a creative turn.
Order The txerri, the pork that runs through the whole menu.
Odoloste serves refined contemporary Basque cooking built around pork in a bistro a few steps from the Guggenheim Museum, at Alameda de Recalde 11.
Order The famous steak grilled over an open flame with Galician or local beef, served with fries.
Casa Rufo, a Bilbao classic since 1995 at Calle Hurtado de Amezaga 5, grills its famous steak over an open flame using Galician or local beef.
Order Iberian ham cut slowly on the 1907 Berkel slicer, or kokotxas of cod in pil-pil sauce.
Berton, at Jardines Kalea 11 in Bilbao, cooks meat and fish in a closed holm oak charcoal oven and serves a wide variety of pintxos with Iberian ham.
Order The coppa de Euskal Txerri with tomato tartare and puffed bread, or acorn-fed ham cut by knife.
Víctor Montes at Plaza Nueva 8 stands where a gourmet shop opened in 1849, and now serves in a dining room, at a pintxo bar or on a terrace.
Order Try the varied pintxos, or the daily and weekend menu.
Cafe Iruna faces the Jardines de Albia in Bilbao and was inaugurated on July 7, 1903; its 300 square metres hold Mudejar-inspired decoration.
At Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8, chef Aitor Elizegi's Bascook offers a calm atmosphere and dim light in a former salt warehouse in Bilbao, 48001.
Rongorri is chef Yirong's restaurant, where traditional Basque cooking meets flavors of Chinese cuisine from his family, built on local seasonal produce.
Mina at Calle Ercilla 37 moved from Marzana to a larger venue in Indautxu, where chef Álvaro Garrido lets customers see the whole creative process.
Zarate runs a paced menu at C/Alameda San Mamés 28 in Bilbao: guests arrive at 13:45 or 20:45, the menu starts 15 minutes later, with a pause midway.
Boroa Jatetxea sits in a 15th-century farmhouse restored with scrupulous respect for its original architecture, at San Pedro de Boroa 11 in Amorebieta-Etxano.
Ola Martin Berasategui has no set menu: three menus change with the seasons and you choose yours before you come, under a Michelin star and a Repsol Sun.
Azurmendi is Eneko Atxa's 3 Michelin star restaurant at Barrio Legina in Larrabetzu, designed and built with sustainability as a fundamental priority.
Eneko is Eneko Atxa's one-star restaurant in Larrabetzu, 15 minutes from Bilbao, with a single tasting menu called Sutan, the Basque for fire.
Bascook, from chef Aitor Elizegi, serves dishes made with soul in a former salt warehouse on Calle Barroeta Aldamar, in a calm, dimly lit room.
Andra Mari in Galdakao was established by the Asúa family in its own farmhouse, with views of the Ibaizábal river valley and a visitable wine cellar.
Drink Wines of old vintages
Víctor Montes at Plaza Nueva 8 has a pintxo bar it describes as one of the most recognized in Euskadi, with numerous awards, plus a dining room.
Try Varied pintxos
Cafe Iruna in Bilbao is open every day of the year; it closes at 00:00 on Friday and Saturday and at 23:00 on Sunday to Thursday, and has a WiFi zone.
Try Iberian ham, pintxos
Berton is open every day from 9:00 to 24:00, with a wide variety of pintxos made with the best products on the market and wines to go with them.
Bar Charly is a Basque bar at Plaza Nueva 8, 48005 Bilbao.
Order Try the breakfasts or the varied pintxos.
Cafe Iruna in Bilbao serves breakfasts and varied pintxos, is open every day of the year, and keeps its terrace open from February to December.
