Zarate is a basque seafood restaurant in Indautxu, 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.
Signature dishes: Whole baked turbot, Sea bass, Tasting menu
Must 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.
Address: Calle Licenciado Poza 65, 48013 Bilbao
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.
