The rooms worth a reservation in Bilbao, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Bilbao. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
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.
Signature: Kokotxas de merluza al pil pil, Cigala, Tasting menu
Order: The full tasting menu; the kokotxas de merluza al pil pil are the canonical Garrido dish.
Tip: Two services, lunch and dinner, menu only. Book three weeks ahead; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
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.
Signature: Whole baked turbot, Sea bass, Tasting menu
Order: The whole baked turbot or sea bass; the short tasting menu if you want the kitchen leading.
Tip: Book two weeks ahead for dinner; lunch midweek is the calmer service. Closed Sunday night and Monday.
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.
Signature: Tasting menu, Cantabrian fish, Bizkaian classics
Order: The full tasting menu; ask for the bacalao if you order a la carte.
Tip: Twenty minutes by car from central Bilbao; closed Sunday night and Monday. Book the farmhouse upstairs room for the quietest seating.
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.
Signature: Martin Berasategui tasting menu, La Bodega de Ola, Seasonal grill
Order: The Martin Berasategui tasting menu; La Bodega de Ola for the wine-pairing service.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays plus Sunday dinner; book two weeks out.
Atelier Etxanobe in Bilbao's Abando is a 20-cover Canales-and-Poblacion gastronomic room in a former glass factory holding one Michelin star.
Signature: Atelier tasting menu, Cabracho, Bonito de Bermeo
Order: The full Atelier tasting menu; the cabracho course is the signature opener.
Tip: Closed Sundays; book three weeks ahead for the smaller dining room.
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.
Signature: Cocido de garbanzos, Bacalao al pil pil, Txuleta
Order: The Bilbao tasting menu; the bacalao al pil pil if you order a la carte.
Tip: Open until 22:15; quieter lunch service. Closed Sundays.
Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.
Signature: Txuleta, Bacalao al pil pil, Pimientos del piquillo
Order: The txuleta from the grill; the bacalao al pil pil as the starter.
Tip: Lunch 13:30 to 16:00, dinner 20:30 to 23:00; closed Sundays. The deli counter sells the same hams and cheeses.
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.
Signature: Tortilla de bacalao, Sea bass, Bilbao 7 cucharas
Order: The Bilbao 7 Cucharas tasting menu of old-Bilbao recipes; the tortilla de bacalao if you order a la carte.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; ask for a table in the brick-arched cellar room. The chef occasionally cooks in the dining room.
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.
Signature: Rabas, Iberian ham, Bacalao
Order: The rabas (fried squid) at the bar; the bacalao at the table.
Tip: Open continuously from 09:00 to 23:00; jam-packed at txikiteo hour, calmer after 21:30 in the dining room.
Anboto Gastroleku on Jardines in Bilbao runs a Casco Viejo pintxo bar downstairs and 110-cover Basque restaurant with menu del dia upstairs.
Signature: Bacalao, Pintxos selection, Tasting menu
Order: The 26-euro menu del dia for lunch; the bacalao if you order a la carte.
Tip: Book ahead for the upstairs dining room; the downstairs pintxo bar accepts walk-up custom from open until close.
La Vina del Ensanche on Diputacion in Bilbao since 1927 runs three rooms under the third family generation, Joselito Iberian ham the house pintxo.
Signature: Jamon Iberico Joselito, Croquetas de jamon, Bonito
Order: The Joselito ham on crystal bread at the counter; the croquetas de jamon as a second.
Tip: The taller (workshop room) is a more intimate sit-down service; book for the tasting menu. The deli sells the same hams to take away.
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.
Signature: Iberian ham roll, Salmon roll, Craft beer flights
Order: The Iberian ham roll on bread dipped in olive oil and tomato; the rotating craft beer flight.
Tip: Beer-pairing tastings on weeknights; the kitchen runs continuously from 12:00 to 23:00 weekends.