Bilbao: Basque Food Tour and Wine Tasting with Guide
Discover the best of Bilbao food culture on a guided walking tour. Sample mouthwatering bites, sip local wine, and explore the charming city while learning about local...
Kokotxas are the throat lobes of cod or hake, gelatinous, ribbed and silken when slow-cooked in oil with garlic and chili. The Basque pil pil sauce binds the gelatin and oil into a thick emulsion.
Kokotxas began as a sailor's by-catch, with the throat lobes thrown back at port until 20th-century Basque cooks realised the gelatin made the silkiest pil pil sauces. Mina's Alvaro Garrido elevated kokotxas de merluza al pil pil to one of Bilbao's defining modern-Basque dishes, and the older kitchens (Casa Rufo, Anboto) run the cod-throat version with bread and garlic. The dish requires patience and a wide cazuela; the gelatin emulsifies with olive oil only with slow circular swirling.
3 editor picks for Kokotxas al pil pil in Bilbao, ranked by editorial score. All Bilbao signature dishes · Kokotxas al pil pil across every city.
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 €€€€.
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.
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.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Kokotxas al pil pil makes more sense with someone from Bilbao explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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