Day-by-day eating plans for Bilbao: weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.
Day-by-day plans
Bilbao weekend: Plaza Nueva pintxos, a Casa Rufo steak and Mina
- ★ 4.7
- 2 days
- First-time visitor, two days
A weekend around the Casco Viejo pintxo bars, a grilled steak lunch at Casa Rufo and a Michelin-starred dinner at Mina, with Asador Etxebarri in Axpe as a Sunday option.
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Day 1Saturday: Plaza Nueva breakfast, Casa Rufo lunch, pintxos and Mina
- Morning
- Breakfast at Cafe Bar Bilbao on Plaza Nueva, open from 8:30 on Saturdays, then a walk to the Mercado de la Ribera, the covered market beside the Casco Viejo with fish, meat and produce stalls.
- Afternoon
- Lunch at Casa Rufo, Hurtado de Amezaga 5, which serves Monday to Saturday from 13:30 to 16:00. The house specialty is a steak grilled over an open flame; to start, egg croquettes or kokotxas de bacalao al pil-pil.
- Evening
- Pintxos at Bar El Globo, Calle Diputacion 8, open until midnight on Saturdays, for its gratinado de txangurro. Then dinner at Mina, Calle Ercilla 37, whose dinner kitchen runs from 21:00 to 21:45.
StopsCafe Bar BilbaoMercado de la RiberaCasa RufoBar El GloboMina
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Day 2Sunday: Cafe Iruna, Plaza Nueva pintxos, Etxebarri option
- Morning
- Breakfast at Cafe Bar Bilbao, open from 8:30 on Sundays, then Cafe Iruna facing the Jardines de Albia, which opens at 11:00 on Sundays; it dates from 7 July 1903 and has Mudejar-inspired decoration.
- Afternoon
- Either drive about 41 km to Axpe for lunch at Asador Etxebarri, which serves lunch only, from 12:30 or 13:00, and takes reservation requests through its website. Or stay in town: Gure Toki on Plaza Nueva is open on Sundays from 9:30 to 16:00, and Victor Montes from 11:00.
- Evening
- Dinner at Berton, Jardines Kalea 11, open daily from 9:00 to 24:00; its menu lists acorn-fed Iberian ham, cod in pil-pil sauce and a Rioja wine list.
StopsCafe Bar BilbaoCafe IrunaAsador EtxebarriGure TokiVictor MontesBerton
Bilbao Michelin weekend: Nerua, Azurmendi, Etxebarri
- ★ 4.9
- 3 days
- Michelin-chasing eater, three days
Three Michelin-led days: Nerua inside the Guggenheim, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, and Asador Etxebarri in Axpe, ranked second at The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025.
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Day 1Friday: Plaza Nueva pintxos, Guggenheim, Nerua dinner
- Morning
- Pintxo lunch on Plaza Nueva: Victor Montes is open from 11:00 to midnight on Fridays and Gure Toki from 9:00 to 23:30.
- Afternoon
- Visit the Guggenheim Bilbao, then a glass of wine at Cork, Calle Licenciado Poza 45, which describes itself as the city's reference wine bar for wine lovers.
- Evening
- Dinner at Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao, inside the museum on Avenida Abandoibarra, where Josean Alija's cooking holds one Michelin star. On Fridays the kitchen runs dinner from 20:00 to 21:00.
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Day 2Saturday: Azurmendi lunch in Larrabetzu
- Morning
- Coffee at Arvo Specialty Coffee by the Guggenheim, Barraincua 9, open on Saturdays from 8:30 to 19:00.
- Afternoon
- Drive about 16 km, 16 minutes, to Larrabetzu for lunch at Azurmendi, Eneko Atxa's three-Michelin-star restaurant, which serves lunch from 13:00 to 14:30 Tuesday to Saturday.
- Evening
- Back in Bilbao, pintxos and wine at La Vina del Ensanche, Calle Diputacion 10, whose bar is open on Saturdays from 13:00 to 23:00, and at Cork.
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Day 3Sunday: Pasteleria Suiza and Etxebarri in Axpe
- Morning
- Coffee and pastry at Pasteleria Suiza, Marques del Puerto 4, open on Sundays from 9:30 to 15:00.
- Afternoon
- Drive about 41 km, 30 to 45 minutes, to Axpe for lunch at Asador Etxebarri, where everything is cooked on a grill. It serves lunch only, from 12:30 or 13:00, and tables are requested through its website.
- Evening
- Back in Bilbao, pintxos at Bar El Globo, Calle Diputacion 8, open on Sundays from 12:00 to 23:00, or on Plaza Nueva at Victor Montes, open until 23:00.
StopsPasteleria SuizaAsador EtxebarriBar El GloboVictor Montes
Bilbao pintxo weekend: txikiteo, market gastrobars, walk-in bars
- ★ 4.4
- 2 days
- Pintxo-bar crawler, two days
Two days of pintxo bars and market gastrobars: Sorginzulo, Baster, Berton and La Vina del Ensanche on Saturday, an Arvo brunch and the Ribera market on Sunday.
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Day 1Saturday: Sorginzulo, Ribera gastrobars, txikiteo
- Morning
- Start at Sorginzulo on Plaza Nueva, a pintxo and potes bar under the arcades whose chef Inaki Lazkano has cooked pintxos for over 25 years.
- Afternoon
- Lunch at La Ribera Gastro Plaza inside the Mercado de la Ribera, where the city lists ten gastrobars on the first floor, among them Casa Loren, Vermuteka and Cerveceria Arambarri.
- Evening
- Txikiteo, moving from bar to bar for a small drink and a pintxo or two: Baster in the Casco Viejo (open to 23:00 on Saturdays) for gildas or rabas, Berton for acorn-fed Iberian ham, and La Vina del Ensanche for Joselito ham croquettes.
StopsSorginzuloLa Ribera Gastro PlazaBasterBertonLa Vina del Ensanche
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Day 2Sunday: Arvo brunch, market gastrobars, Plaza Nueva pintxos
- Morning
- Brunch at Arvo Specialty Coffee by the Guggenheim, Barraincua 9, open on Sundays from 8:30 to 16:00; the cafe says it makes its food from scratch every day.
- Afternoon
- Lunch again at the Ribera gastrobars, which the city's market page lists as open on Sundays and holidays from 11:00 (its summer timetable).
- Evening
- Pintxos on Plaza Nueva at Victor Montes, open until 23:00 on Sundays, and at Bar El Globo, Calle Diputacion 8, open from 12:00 to 23:00.
StopsArvo Specialty CoffeeLa Ribera Gastro PlazaVictor MontesBar El Globo
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Making a trip of these plans? Where to stay in Bilbao, what to book ahead, and a car for the day trips. Prices and availability open on each partner's site.
- Zen HotelsPlaces to stay in Bilbao · from USD 86 a nightSee stays
- Minor HotelsPlaces to stay in BilbaoSee stays
- HoliduPlaces to stay in Bilbao · from USD 66 a nightSee stays
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- GoldcarCar hire for the day tripsSee cars