Bilbao Restaurants

Basque cuisine is served in Bilbao. It is not based on elaborate sauce combinations, but focuses on the use of high quality, local ingredients in season which are prepared in a way which enhances the natural flavour of the food.

Seafood is one of the mainstays of Basque cuisine, with cod, hake and fresh tuna being the most popular, although more unusual dishes using bream or elver feature extensively.

Vegetarians can sample some excellent cuisine with dried beans being another staple with the traditional broad bean replaced by the haricot bean. Several varieties of beans are grown in the Basque Country, including the Alubias de Tolosa, the mushrooms are out of this world and their vegetables in general have the most wonderful fresh tastes

Beltz the BlackThe Restaurant Beltz the Black
Gran Hotel Domine
Almeda Mazarredo 61
www.granhoteldominebilbao.com

Tel: +34 944 253 300 Fax: +34 944 253 301

This restaurant is located in a five star hotel which is directly opposite the Guggenheim Museum. It is a trendy place with ultra-modern minimalist design and a Splash and Crash Bar on the ground floor which is inspired by sixties style. There is a fabulous selection of dishes on offer and the Head Chef Ramón Berriozabal has a national prize for gastronomy.

Restaurante Sua
Marqués del Puerto 4, Bilbao
Tel:+34 944 232 292

Original, modern and reasonably priced restaurant serving traditional Basque cuisine along and innovative dishes.

Bermeo,Gran Hotel Ercilla,
Tel: +34 944 705 700
www.hotelercilla.es
Sun-Fri 1:00-3:30pm; Mon-Sat 8:30-11:30pm. Closed Sat-Sun July-Sept

One of the best hotel restaurants in Spain serving the finest Basque cuisine in the world. Bermeo is decorated with wood panels, crisp white linen and 19th-century antiques. Service from the formal uniformed staff is impeccable and menus change with the seasons but might include a salad of lettuce hearts in saffron dressing with smoked salmon, homemade foie gras with essence of bay leaves, fresh thistles sautéed with ham, stewed partridge with glazed shallots or duckling filets with green peppercorns. For dessert make sure you leave room for the truffled figs or a slice of bilberry pie with cream

Victor Montes
Plaza Nueva 8
www.victormontesbilbao.com
Tel: +34 944 157 167/+34 944 155 603
Mon-Thurs 1-4pm and 8:30-11pm; Fri-Sat 1-4pm and 8:30pm-midnight Reservations recommended for meals but not necessary for tapas bar.

This restaurant is in the centre of Bilbao's oldest neighbourhood. Inside it is split into a handful of dining rooms (some upstairs) with closely packed tables, racks of wine, and frantic waiters create a happy sense of hysteria, especially during lunchtime. They serve large portions of old-fashioned roasts, stews, soups, seafood and salads with an emphasis on fresh vegetables. They also serve a wonderful selection of raciones of tapas which are lined up on top the bar.

Restaurante and Café Guggenheim Bilbao
Abandoibarra 2
www.guggenheim-bilbao.es
Tel: +34 944 239 333
Tues-Sun 1:30-3:15pm; Wed-Sat 9-10:30pm Reservations (as far in advance as possible)

This Guggenheim has a world-class art collection as well as a world-class restaurant. The chef de cuisine, Bixenta Arrieta, is a master of nueva cocina vasca, with award winning fisherman's stew in an herb-laced green broth and white salt cod with tomatoes stuffed with baby squid and black rice. There is a "menu of the sea" or a "menu of the countryside" (del campo) accompanied by a wide selection of Basque wines is served.
The café offers a good selection of sandwiches and snacks.

Matxinbenta
Ladesma 26
Tel: +34 944 248 495
Daily 1-4pm; Mon-Sat 8-11:30pm Reservations required at weekends

Matxinbenta is a block north of the Gran Vía adjacent to El Corte Inglés. It serves some of the finest Basque food in the city this restaurant is popular for business lunches or dinners. Specialties include fresh tuna in piquant tomato sauce, veal cutlets in port wine and a local version of ratatouille called piperada. Matxinbenta has three contemporary dining rooms full of plants, and lots of exposed wood. Service is excellent.

Kikara
Iparraguirre 23, Bilbao
Tel: +34 944 236 840
www.kikara.com

This restaurant attracts a young crowd with some great meat and seafood dishes served to live or disco music with a DJ and magicians.

El Perro Chico
Aretxaga 2
Tel: +34 944 150 519
Tues-Sat 1:30-3pm; Mon-Sat 9:15-11pm Reservations required

This is an undiscovered jewel in Bilbao with basic décor serving some classic Basque dishes. Discerning celebrities including Antonio Banderas, Dennis Hopper and Jeremy Irons have managed to find it, and Frank Gehry (architect of the Guggenheim) names it as his favourite Bilbao dining room. Dished include grilled fresh anchovies with a green sauce, long green peppers, which are fried and perfectly salted, fresh tuna with a black squid ink, hake with béchamel sauce and fabulous clams and artichokes.

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Bilbao Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We have local knowledge and have provided detailed information on sporting and leisure amenities in Bilbao including an Area Guide which includes the best Bilbao Shopping, Bilbao Markets, Bilbao Golf Courses, the different types of Bilbao Beaches, recommended Bilbao Restaurants and Local Attractions in Bilbao