39 basque places in Bilbao we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Bilbao | Basque across every city.
Basque cooking is the reason most visitors come to Bilbao, and the city runs the full range from old-town taverns to high gastronomy. In Casco Viejo, Casa Rufo, Berton and the bars of Plaza Nueva such as Victor Montes and Cafe Iruna keep the traditional style alive. For the modern, ambitious end, Mina and Zarate lead in the city while Boroa, Azurmendi and Eneko draw diners out into Bizkaia.
Mina ★ 4.7
indautxu · Calle Ercilla 37, 48011 Bilbao
Mina has held one Michelin star since 2013 for Alvaro Garrido's modern-Basque tasting menu, now a 25-cover Indautxu room on Calle Ercilla. Priced at €€€€.
Zarate ★ 4.6
indautxu · Calle Licenciado Poza 65, 48013 Bilbao
Zarate in Bilbao's Indautxu holds one Michelin star for Sergio Ortiz de Zarate's whole-baked Cantabrian fish, sea bass and turbot served plainly.
Boroa ★ 4.5
amorebieta · San Pedro de Boroa 11, 48340 Amorebieta-Etxano, Bizkaia
Boroa in a 15th-century Bizkaian farmhouse 20 minutes from Bilbao holds one Michelin star for Javier Gartzia's tradition-and-avant-garde Basque cooking.
Ola Martin Berasategui ★ 4.5
casco-viejo · Calle Ribera 13, 48005 Bilbao
Ola Martin Berasategui in the Tayko hotel by the Nervion in Bilbao holds one Michelin star for Raul Cabrera's reading of the Berasategui canon.
Atelier Etxanobe ★ 4.4
abando · Calle Juan de Ajuriaguerra 8, 48009 Bilbao
Atelier Etxanobe in Bilbao's Abando is a 20-cover Canales-and-Poblacion gastronomic room in a former glass factory holding one Michelin star.
La Despensa del Etxanobe ★ 4.3
abando · Calle Juan de Ajuriaguerra 8, 48009 Bilbao
La Despensa in Bilbao is Etxanobe's Michelin-Guide bistro side beside the Atelier, with a Bilbao tasting menu and traditional Basque a la carte plates.
Casa Rufo ★ 4.5
abando · Calle Hurtado de Amezaga 5, 48008 Bilbao
Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.
Bascook ★ 4.3
abando · Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8, 48001 Bilbao
Aitor Elizegi's Bascook in a former Bilbao salt warehouse runs a modern-Basque kitchen with the Bilbao 7 Cucharas old-recipes tasting menu set.
Berton ★ 4.2
casco-viejo · Calle Jardines 11, 48005 Bilbao
Berton on Calle Jardines in Bilbao's Casco Viejo runs a standing pintxo bar and a Basque dining room with rabas and hand-cut Iberian ham daily.
Anboto Gastroleku ★ 3.9
casco-viejo · Calle Jardines 2, 48005 Bilbao
Anboto Gastroleku on Jardines in Bilbao runs a Casco Viejo pintxo bar downstairs and 110-cover Basque restaurant with menu del dia upstairs.
Singular ★ 4.1
abando · Lersundi Kalea 2, 48009 Bilbao
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.
Casa Rufo ★ 4.5
abando · Calle Hurtado de Amezaga 5, 48008 Bilbao
Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.
Berton ★ 4.2
casco-viejo · Calle Jardines 11, 48005 Bilbao
Berton on Calle Jardines in Bilbao's Casco Viejo runs a standing pintxo bar and a Basque dining room with rabas and hand-cut Iberian ham daily.
Anboto Gastroleku ★ 3.9
casco-viejo · Calle Jardines 2, 48005 Bilbao
Anboto Gastroleku on Jardines in Bilbao runs a Casco Viejo pintxo bar downstairs and 110-cover Basque restaurant with menu del dia upstairs.
Victor Montes ★ 4.4
casco-viejo · Plaza Nueva 8, 48005 Bilbao
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.
Cafe Iruna ★ 4.3
abando · Calle Berastegui 4, 48001 Bilbao
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.
La Despensa del Etxanobe ★ 4.3
abando · Calle Juan de Ajuriaguerra 8, 48009 Bilbao
La Despensa in Bilbao is Etxanobe's Michelin-Guide bistro side beside the Atelier, with a Bilbao tasting menu and traditional Basque a la carte plates.
Bascook ★ 4.3
abando · Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8, 48001 Bilbao
Aitor Elizegi's Bascook in a former Bilbao salt warehouse runs a modern-Basque kitchen with the Bilbao 7 Cucharas old-recipes tasting menu set.
Mina ★ 4.7
Calle Ercilla 37, 48011 Bilbao
Mina has held one Michelin star since 2013 for Alvaro Garrido's modern-Basque tasting menu, now a 25-cover Indautxu room on Calle Ercilla. Family-friendly.
Zarate ★ 4.6
Calle Licenciado Poza 65, 48013 Bilbao
Zarate in Bilbao's Indautxu holds one Michelin star for Sergio Ortiz de Zarate's whole-baked Cantabrian fish, sea bass and turbot served plainly.
Boroa ★ 4.5
San Pedro de Boroa 11, 48340 Amorebieta-Etxano, Bizkaia
Boroa in a 15th-century Bizkaian farmhouse 20 minutes from Bilbao holds one Michelin star for Javier Gartzia's tradition-and-avant-garde Basque cooking.
Ola Martin Berasategui ★ 4.5
Calle Ribera 13, 48005 Bilbao
Ola Martin Berasategui in the Tayko hotel by the Nervion in Bilbao holds one Michelin star for Raul Cabrera's reading of the Berasategui canon.
Atelier Etxanobe ★ 4.4
Calle Juan de Ajuriaguerra 8, 48009 Bilbao
Atelier Etxanobe in Bilbao's Abando is a 20-cover Canales-and-Poblacion gastronomic room in a former glass factory holding one Michelin star.
Azurmendi ★ 4.9
Barrio Legina, 48195 Larrabetzu
Azurmendi in Larrabetzu 20 minutes from Bilbao holds three Michelin stars for Eneko Atxa's sustainable-Basque tasting menu and kitchen garden.
Eneko ★ 4.6
Barrio Legina, 48195 Larrabetzu
Eneko Atxa's one-star bistro in Larrabetzu near Bilbao sits beside his three-star Azurmendi, with a shorter Basque tasting at half the price.
La Despensa del Etxanobe ★ 4.3
Calle Juan de Ajuriaguerra 8, 48009 Bilbao
La Despensa in Bilbao is Etxanobe's Michelin-Guide bistro side beside the Atelier, with a Bilbao tasting menu and traditional Basque a la carte plates.
Bascook ★ 4.3
Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8, 48001 Bilbao
Aitor Elizegi's Bascook in a former Bilbao salt warehouse runs a modern-Basque kitchen with the Bilbao 7 Cucharas old-recipes tasting menu set.
Andra Mari ★ 4.4
Barrio Elexalde 22, 48960 Galdakao
Andra Mari in Galdakao near Bilbao holds one Michelin star for traditional-Basque cooking with valley views, a family-run gastronomic farmhouse.
Cafe Iruna ★ 4.4
Calle Berastegui 4, 48001 Bilbao
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.
Singular ★ 4.1
Lersundi Kalea 2, 48009 Bilbao
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.
Berton ★ 4.0
Calle Jardines 11, 48005 Bilbao
Berton on Calle Jardines in Bilbao's Casco Viejo runs a standing pintxo bar and a Basque dining room with rabas and hand-cut Iberian ham daily.
Cork ★ 4.4
Calle Licenciado Poza 45, 48011 Bilbao
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.
Bascook ★ 4.6
Calle Barroeta Aldamar 8, 48001 Bilbao
Bascook is inside a former bilbao salt warehouse, aitor elizegi's modern-basque kitchen sits below tourist radar despite the michelin-guide reputation.
Berton ★ 4.0
Calle Jardines 11, 48005 Bilbao
Berton is a basque room in Bilbao. Ham cut from the 1907 machine plus a glass of Rioja at the bar; the upstairs dining room is the calmer order.
Bar Charly ★ 4.2
Plaza Nueva 8, 48005 Bilbao
Bar Charly on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao since 1973 keeps a traditional Casco Viejo pintxo counter with bacalao croquettes, bonito and the gilda.
Cafe Bar Bilbao ★ 4.2
Plaza Nueva 6, 48005 Bilbao
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.
Anboto Gastroleku ★ 4.0
Calle Jardines 2, 48005 Bilbao
Anboto Gastroleku on Jardines in Bilbao runs a Casco Viejo pintxo bar downstairs and 110-cover Basque restaurant with menu del dia upstairs.
Bar El Globo ★ 4.5
Calle Diputacion 8, 48008 Bilbao
Bar El Globo on Calle Diputacion in Bilbao since 1997 anchors the Indautxu pintxo crawl with the canonical txangurro (spider crab) gratin counter.
Baster ★ 4.2
Calle Correo, 48005 Bilbao
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.