Food History of Bilbao

Key eras

1. 1300, the founding charter of Bilbao

   Diego Lopez V de Haro founded Bilbao through a municipal charter dated 15 June 1300, on the right bank of the Nervion, and a second charter in 1310 made the town a mandatory stop for trade from Castile to the sea. Wikipedia says traditional Bilbao dishes are centred on products of the sea and the estuary, such as eels and cod.

2. 1829 to 1851, Plaza Nueva and the arcade taverns

   Plaza Nueva was built between 1829 and 1851 as a neoclassical arcaded square in the Casco Viejo, and its arches host some of the city's oldest taverns and restaurants. Victor Montes, on the square, says it stands where a gourmet shop opened in 1849, and Bar El Globo, Gure Toki and Sorginzulo also serve pintxos on Plaza Nueva.

   Taste it todayVictor MontesBar El GloboGure TokiSorginzulo

3. 1903 to 1929, the cafes and the Ribera market

   Cafe Iruna opened on 7 July 1903 facing the Jardines de Albia, with Mudejar-inspired decoration, and Cafe Bar Bilbao on Plaza Nueva was founded in 1911 and restored in 1992. The Mercado de la Ribera was inaugurated on 22 August 1929, a reinforced-concrete building by Pedro de Ispizua, and entered the Guinness Book in 1990 as the most complete municipal market.

   Taste it todayCafe IrunaCafe Bar BilbaoMercado de la Ribera

4. 1997 onward, the Guggenheim and the Michelin kitchens

   The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was inaugurated on 19 October 1997. Nerua, inside the museum, holds a Michelin star under Josean Alija, and Azurmendi in Larrabetzu holds three. In Axpe, Asador Etxebarri cooks over a grill and was ranked second at The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025.

   Taste it todayAzurmendiAsador Etxebarri

Signature innovations

• Bacalao al pil pil, a Basque cod dish in an emulsified oil sauce that Bilbao shares with the rest of Biscay
  Taste it todayBacalao al pil pil
• The pintxo, a small bite on bread taken from the bar and paid for at the end
• Txikiteo, going from bar to bar for a small drink and a pintxo or two at each stop
• Bittor Arginzoniz's flame-grilled cooking at Asador Etxebarri, with utensils he invented himself
  Taste it todayAsador Etxebarri