96 replies to this topic

[mrsqft]

We are doing a walking tour in the spring in the Pyrenees and will spend two nights in Bilbao. I know there are some special places but the guide books seem to be a little sparse on the subject. Any suggestions? I am up for classic as well as cutting edge.

[dallardice]

Spent a few days in Bilbao last year. Would thoroughly recommend the restaurant in the Guggenheim museum - modern takes on traditional Basque food. Well designed, great service, make sure you book in advance for lunch. We also ate at Zortziko, which has a Michelin star, but that was disappointing - it was its first night opening after its annual hols and may not have got back into its stride, but it was our last night in town. Traditional French service, and not in a good way. Food was well-executed but uninspiring.

[Bux]

Several years ago we ate in Goizeko Kabi, another one star. I found the dinner inconsistent. Some of the food was exceptional and some was not. The menu was quite large and the one in English was just as large although not a translation of the one in Spanish, which meant we had even more to chose from. I cannot say the traditional dishes were better or worse as a lot than the new ones.

I also suggest a few rounds of tapas in the "new plaza." The name is deceptive as it got that name a very long time ago. There is a particular bar with cafe tables in one corner that was most enjoyable, but I do not remember the name offhand. Some of the bars do not serve at outdoor tables.

[vmilor]

Like another respondent I also was not too impressed by Zortziko last November. There were also problems with the bill which they corrected and apologized.

Later, Basque friends recommended Gorrotxa for traditional cuisine. My hunch is that it is outstanding traditional cooking. Please let us know if you try it.

I apologize for asking but if the walking tour does not rule out driving why are you not considering exploring Donostia at least for one of the 2 nights?

[mrsqft]

We will only be in Bilboa for one night before the tour and one night after the tour. I would love to rent a car but there is no time on this trip. Truthfully, this is a tough walk and I will probably be too tired to do much other than have dinner.

[Zeb A]

we tried to eat lunch at the gugenheim restaurant, but its was booked, so we had to settle for tapas at the bar outside of the restaurant (but still inside the gallery). we actually had an excellent lunch there, and i would recommend it

[Roger]

I am going to be with a group of people in Bilbao in June and would be happy to receive any recommendations for restaurants around 30-35 euros per person.

[pedro]

Unfortunately, Bilbao is one of my big gaps. I go much more often to Guipúzcoa (San Sebastian area) than there. However, a recent work trip there makes me wonder if you couldn't have a meal in that price range at the Guggenheim. Not in the main dining room, but in the part which is closer to the bar. I believe they offer a small selection of their full menu.

Years ago, I went to Goizeko Kabi, and found it cheaper than its Madrid counterpart. Probably prices would have risen since.

In the port, on the right side of the ría, I had last year a very simple and delicious meal consisting of salad and grilled monkfish. There are a handful of restaurants there, and they seemed quite reliable. I'll take a look to my cards and see if I'm able to locate the exact place.

[Bux]

The Campsa guide lists a couple of places with a precio medio of 30 euros. One of them, Arbola-Gaña, has a recommended rating. The Guggenheim restaurant has a menú at 42 euros and a precio medio of 42 euros, but the listing also mentions a menu of the day at 15 euros.

What I do not know is whether Roger includes beverages in his 30-35 euro range, or if Campsa includes them in its prices. Moreover, I'm confused by Campsa when it sometimes shows a precio medio that is higher than a menú degustación for several restaurants.

[pedro]

Years ago, tasting menus or menús degustación, were used by some restaurants as a way to get new customers, and it was possible that you could get a cheaper meal with one of these menus than ordering a la carta.

I don't know if that continues to be the case, but Madrid's El Bodegón, where Hilario Arbelaitz from Zuberoa acted (acts?) as consultant chef, whatever that means, offered a well priced dining menu, considerably cheaper than the bill you'd get for lunch. I suspect they were seen by many as a business restaurant and they wanted to get some dinners as well.

[Bux]

I'm still more familiar with dining in France and French terms than I am with those of Spain. In France it's not uncommon for a restaurant to present several set menus along with the carte. (To make this even more confusing, in the US, we refer to the carte as a menu.) Only true gastronomic destinations offer a menu degustation (tasting menu). Lesser restaurants may still offer one or more set menus at varying prices and gastronomic menus may offer several menus, including several tasting menus, at different prices. Michelin usually tries to note the prices of the menus offered and then attempts to give a price range for meals ordered à la carte. As tasting menus offer smaller courses and don't always include all the specialties of the house or the most expensive ingredients, they are not always the most expensive way to dine at a restaurant, although usually they are more expensive than ordering a three course meal from the carte. In Paris, at lunch in particular, many famous restaurants offer an enticingly priced menu, although it never compares with the gastronomic tasting menu, sometimes it's a great bargain. At other times it's little more than an opportunity to experience the ambience and service at a bargain price, but the great cooking is less evident as the dishes offered are very simple.

I suppose it's not so different in Spain, except that there used to more emphasis on having the tasting menu be relatively economical, and that this practice seems to have continued in many restaurants. This is probably less the case in the really famous multi-starred restaurants and I'm using the term multi-starred rather generically to mean awards of points from any and all major players in the guide game, not just Michelin. I don't find myself in full agreement with Campsa any more than I do with Michelin, but they are at least as useful and maybe better at expressing quality on Spanish terms. Working with personal recommendations on this past trip, I was not always aware of how many stars or suns each restaurant had. I shall have to go back and compare my meals with those ratings.

[Roger]

My pricing was without wine as it´s always difficult to include an inbuilt cost.

[Paco]

Probably the best meal I ever had in Vizcaya was in the restaurant Eneperi in Bakio, about 25 min drive from Bilbao.

http://www.euskalnet.net/eneperi/

Meal for 3 with wine desserts and starter was 150 euros, but an incredible value. The place was highly recommended by a work colleague of mine who lives in Bilbao but is working in Madrid, and asked me to go there. It was a memorable meal, with a full restaurant. Lobster salad and filet mignon with foie were superb, as well as the ham and the grilled srhimps for starters. It is mainly based on high quality product but has some elaborate touches too.

And the place is interesting. Very family oriented, has a terrace with bbq´s where I believe they serve more affordable things. It is overlooking an old church on an island. But you should go for the food.
Paco

[eatstrong]

any bilbao recs? havent been able to find much in the old posts. any price range, just looking for good food. at the least, good tapas in bilbao? thanks!

[NUSSAH]

BIlbao, let me have a quick look at a guide I know, it may have some good options but im sure there will be various great tapas bars, the bac ones are the best, just eat all you can and then they count your toothpicks to pay, great fun, you must drink Txacoli with that, kind of Sparkling refreshicng white wine

[NUSSAH]

http://www.guiadeloc...antes/index.cfm

http://www.revistaib...s/paisvasco.htm

have a look at these webs, the first one is the best guide to everything here in Spain,
good luck and enjoy it

[vserna]

the first one is the best guide to everything here in Spain

I would beg to differ. No, it is not.

[kerriar]

For most visitors to Bilbao, the most memorable thing they eat will probably be pintxos (Basque tapas), a wide choice of which will be available in nearly every bar. Any list simply reflects personal experience but one which I have returned to constantly is the Cafe Iruña in the Calle Berastegui with interesting decor and lively athmosphere – it seems to be a popular after-work meeting place but perhaps rather quiet later at night. But in reality you will get good pintxos everywhere. Like the rest of Spain, meals are late and this gives you a good excuse to snack and drink.

I haven't really eaten that much in proper restaurants in the centre of Bilbao itself but can recommend one called Casa Rufo. I don't have the address but it is close to the Abando railway station. It's popular and you should book - ask for the phone number from the hotel reception and they will book in advance. Food is a mixture of modern Basque and more traditional Spanish. I have no contemporaneous notes and have difficulty in recalling what we eat except that, unusually for the area, we eat mainly steak – the house red was a young Rioja which was served chilled. (Memo to self – start taking notes for your eGullet postings and don't depend on recollections – in the words of Tom Waits "memory is like a train, you can see it getting smaller day by day") The building was once a food shop and still has some of the traces.

The restaurant in the Guggenheim has a very good local reputation – it's run by Martí Berasategui one of the Basque masters of modern cooking - I think I've seen a report on his San Sebastian place alsewhere. There was always a queue for lunch and I'm not sure if they take reservations. From what I saw of the food, it looks extremely interesting and is on my list for a future visit – any experiences would be appreciated.

Bilbao has a great public transport network which runs late and means you are not restricted to the centre of the city. The Puente Colgante (metro Las Arenas) is a landmark bridge near the mouth of the river and if you have a head for heights you can cross on foot via the upper gantry with a tremendous view of the city and the coastline. Nearby on the west bank in the Portugalete quarter is a restaurant which I have been to several times called the Abra (tel 944.95.68.08). It is beside the big hotel on the street which runs behind the waterfront buildings. Good fish, nice people and they even speak English. The restaurant is just at the rear of a street front bar and ahs a simple formal elegance which is matched by the food. In the past we've eaten hake and monkfish as well as the regional speciality which is bacalao pil-pil. On one occasion last year when a starter of langoustines had run out they were replaced with percebes, the delicious Galician specialities which are usually described as goose barnacles. The night was the first delivery of percebes since the Prestige disaster had closed the fisheries the previous winter. They are expensive at the best of time but, generously, there was no supplement on the bill.

Also on the west bank nearby is a fishing village called Santurtxi - it is still within the urban area and a very popular place to eat is the Cofradía de Pescadores. This is simply the fishermen's cooperative where they grill fresh fish – sardines or whatever they catch - on the quay and serve it at simple tables (get a bottle of wine at the bar). You can arrive there by suburban train or alternatively there is a boat service (called Pil-Pil) which goes by river from the Guggenheim to Santurtxi and beyond. Well-worth a visit if weather is good. You can also walk from the Puente Colgante or take a bus cooking starts around 20:30 or 21:00. Very informal - I doubt if they have ever heard the word "reservation".

On the other bank, towards the end of the metro line (station Areeta or Gobela, about 15 minutes from the centre) is the seaside residential area of Getxo/Las Arenas where my friends live - there are restaurants of all types in the Puerto Deportivo with views of the sea - one I can recommend is called Cubita Kaia. Nearby is the old fishing port with bars serving fried squid on Sundays (but strangely only on Sundays!).

I think that place that Paco mentions is just above the hermitage of San Juan at Gaztelgatxe – if it is, I can confirm his recommendation. There also is a very pleasant beer garden outside with more simple food and views over the cliffs. It is a long climb down (and even longer back) to the church but worth the effort - when you complete it, you have deserved something good on your table. I was also taken there by colleagues who live in Bilbao - but Paco, a question – 25 minutes from Bilbao, - what the hell do you drive?

[NUSSAH]

OK sorry, it may not be the BEST guide but it helps you out of any last minute emergency ! At least most of us use it down here for that. I only tried to help ...

[Janice]

A friend and I will be in Bilbao from 7-11 April and would be grateful for any recommendations for restaurants in or within a taxi ride of the city.

Our rough plan is to book somewhere 'serious' for lunch on the Friday, do a side trip to San Sebastian on the Saturday, and probably stick to pintxos in the evening.

There's lots of suggestions in the threads on San Sebastian but less on Bilbao so any help that anyone can offer would be welcome.


Janice

[Hector]

The best food in bilbao is found in the Casco Viejo, the old town that is. It was quite hard for me and my company to find the restaurant streets, but with a little half-broken swedish spanish and some friendly locals, you can accopmplish anything!

We went to the great local bars and restaurants in the casco viejo were locals met and drank beer and txakoli, ate loads of lovely pintxos consisting of loads of dried ham y un a montón de sausages, peppers, eggs, anchovies, vegetables, bacalao, local cheese, rice, bread, and all the finest of the finer things.
Then there where awesome traditional basque restaurants who served nothing but classic basque cuisine. The cheapest and best restaurant was called "La Columna" or something... it was hidden in a narrow street, and was introduced by us by some local drunk but friendly old man. Here you could eat a big plate of iberian ham, black and red chorizos for nearly no € at all, and that was just the starter. The meat dishes (except the more exellent charcuteries) was kind of dissapointing, so go for the seafood. Go for squid and salt cod, then you wont be dissapointed.

[haide]

Hi everyone, a group of us have booked a trip 25-30 July. Don't know very much about Spain apart from Barcelona and the many articles from NY Times and the Guardian.

So far, have booked a table for dinner at Arzak on our 2nd day. And compiled a list of the pinxtos places, dishes to try, from the various egullet posts. Spending 1st 2 days in San Sebastian, final day in Bilbao (Guggenheim day). Other than that, don't have any idea of what to do... would love to get some ideas from those in the know.

In particular, am very interested in cooking classes at a Sociedad Gastronomica mentioned by several (US-based, I think) travel agents. I see from those that the price is around US$180... which is a bit steep for some of our group-mates. Does anyone know of any other cooking-related things we could do?

Would also appreciate any pointers on cultural and local things to do. Will check out the San Sebastian jazz festival on the first day (25 Jul). Which are the best guide books / websites out there?

[zeitoun]

I recently came back from a similar trip a few weeks ago. In addition to what has been already suggested on previous threads, I would highly recommend you take the time to venture further away from the coast and visit the alpine countryside. It is absolutely stunning and the area is dotted with lovely basque villages. Of these, the famous village of Axpe is certainly worth a detour as it is surrounded by beautiful landscapes. It is a great place if you enjoy hiking. Not too far away you can also check out the village of Idiazabal where the famous cheese is made.

As far as La Rioja goes, visitors usually choose to stay either in Haro or Logrono which pretty much frames the valley on both ends from west to east. Logrono is a big city and I did not particularly care for it, Haro is smaller and more charming in my opinion. This is where my wife and I stayed when we visited the area. In the valley itself you'll find many cute small rural villages. I would recommend a stop in La Guardia which is technically located in Alava still in basque country (but in the Rioja valley). If you intend on visiting wineries, bear in mind that most of them actually do open their doors to visitors but you will need to make an apointment a few days prior. That goes for the bigger wineries as well (Riscal, Caceres).

Enjoy!!!

[Bux]

We actually spent a pleasant overnight in Logroño about a year and a half ago. It is a large city and we got lost trying to find a particular hotel, but since we didn't have a reservation that wasn't so great a problem once we calmed down and parked the car in an area where we saw several hotels. The first hotel we looked at was a bit above our budget. The second was well below, but after taking a look at the room which was was clean and functional, and noting that the hotel had a garage, we took the room. When we checked in, the clerk told us that we were near the old city and that it had a lively bunch of tapas bars. It was far short of what San Sebastian had to offer, but in spite of some drizzle, we spent enjoyable evening bar hopping. The light rain was only a problem because many of the bars are very small and crowds spill over onto the narrow streets making it quite festive. It was a Sunday. I don't know if that is a more or less active than usual night for such activities. I don't mean to imply that it's a destination city, just that it's not such a bad place, especially if the old city is within walking distance.

If you're going for the food, and since you're here, I assume the food is important to you, I'll suggest that Echaurren in Ezcaray has some of the best food in La Rioja. See the Bar "Las Cueva" In Logroño? thread as well as perhaps doing a search for more related information.

As for "cooking classes at a Sociedad Gastronomica mentioned by several (US-based, I think) travel agents," I tend to wonder if that's going to be worth the price. I may be off base, but I don't think one can buy one's way into such an experience and when it's offered for sale through travel agents, I suspect it's not the real thing. That's just my prejudiced opinion. These societies are about the fellowhip of cooking with friends and not about offering classes to outsiders. Perhaps one of our members can offer some insight or even inside information and correct me, if I'm wrong.

[malika]

My favorite guidebook was Cadogan Guide's Amazon bookBilbao and the Basque Lands. It has a small section on La Rioja, but has wonderfully detailed info on San Sebastian and Bilbao, along with the rest of the Basque country (French and Spanish).

The other book I'd recommend is Barrie Kerper's Amazon bookCollected Traveler: Northern Spain edition. It's an anthology of articles and book excerpts, along with an A-Z advice/info section. I found two of my favorite hotels from her book.

[Alvaro]

Although hotels are good to very good in the Basque Country, I'd pay a close attention to the inexpensive and many times excellent rural guesthouses. There's a well organized net. I've spent a pleasant week in a guesthouse called Iketxe in the surroundings of Hondarribia. Take a look at: http://www.nekatur.net/

Licenciado Poza Street is one of the traditional hot spots for bar hopping in Bilbao. Another good area for this popular activity is the old part of the city (Las 7 calles). If you sigh for ham, La Viña is a wonderful option (although a little bit expensive). Of course, there are excellent restaurants in Bilbao, like Guría, Goizeko Kabi, Zortziko, Bermeo, and Club Naútico. For those preferring, unsophisticated restaurants and excellent food (fish), Itxas Bide, in the old port of Algorta, might be their place.

If San Sebastián is unbearingly crowded, Hondarribia is more than a good option for bar hopping (it's just less than 15 kilometres away from San Sebastian). And the city really deserves a visit.

Not to be missed, the famous Gernika's market, especially on Mondays. Although Gernika itself is far from beautiful, the surrounding area -the natural park of Urdaibai-, is spectacular. Charming small towns like Mundaka, Kanala, Elantxobe, Ibarrangelua, Pedernales, wild beaches like Laida and Laga, caves with prehistoric paintings in Kortezubi are not far away.

Cheers

[Bux]

. . . . Hondarribia . . . really deserves a visit.
. . . .

Alvaro. welcome to eGullet and the Spain forum. It's clear you know the Pais Vasco much better than I do, but I can't help but agree with you on Hondarribia. We stayed in the Hotel Obispo, one of the three historic buildings that are now hotels in the old part of Hondarribia. The parador is one of them and there are two others down the street, but I wouldn't miss the fisherman's quarters where most of the bars and restaurants are located. It's not a long walk between the two areas. We made a small effort to try some tapas in the evening, but after a large lunch at Martin Berasategui, we didn't really have much appetite. A rural guest house sounds like a good restful alternative, especially for a longer stay.

[zeitoun]

I've spent a pleasant week in a guesthouse called Iketxe in the surroundings of Hondarribia. Take a look at: http://www.nekatur.net/

Welcome to eGullet Alvaro!

Iketxe is the place I actually stayed in when I was in the area last month. I cannot recommend it enough and for the price ($50 per night), it is an excellent bargain. Beautiful surroundings, clean and cozy, wonderful host, and quite a treat to wake up each morning with the sight of green hills and sheep right by your balcony.

Great place.

Edited by zeitoun, 21 June 2005 - 08:40 AM.

[Judith Gebhart]

For San Sebastian, try the amazing restaurant, Mugaritz which is in a nearby suburb. It is a culinary destination with an internatiional distinction and reputation. One of our first choices whenever we visit Spain. We have followed this chef since 1997. He is exceptional. Gault Millau magazine recently listed El Bulli and Mugaritz as two of the world's BEST 10 molecular chefs. We have yet to truly understand this specific honor. Nevertheless, please consider Mugaritz!

If you are going to Bilbao, include the serious dining room at the Guggenheim for at least ONE meal. This is another Berasetegui chef with superb credentials. He offers both traditional and nuevo dishes. It is thrilling to dine within the museum and experience a truly delicious meal by such a creative chef. The current exhibition by Richard Serra is a MUST visit. We have to await our 2005 Fall visit to savour this amazing retrospective.

Now if you go to Axpe, as Zeitoun suggested, eat at Etxebarri, who is the greatest a la brasa chef in the world. This is another culinary first which should not be missed. You will never regret experiencing this unique dining treat.

I would also recommend Echaurren's excellent fare especially in the son's dining room. I will post a more comprehensive report gleaned from our last May-June, 2005 visit. This young Echaurren chef is also the annointed new chef for the new Gehry restaurant and hotel under construction at the M. de Riscal Rioja winery. This too will be another special destination for the diner and Gehry admirerers.

[haide]

Thanks everyone, will make a good list of all the advice and report back on our adventures!