Bilbao is a charming and joyful city in the north of Spain that has nothing to envy in terms of culinary tradition to the better known Madrid or Barcelona, quite the contrary. You will be pleased to know that your holiday in the Basque Country, particularly in Bilbao, can be transformed into a 'starry' food and wine tour. And yes, because it is the region of Spain that has the most Michelin stars, with cuisine that is appreciated all over the world!
The flavours you will encounter are authentic and intense, leaving little room for internationality, while the dishes are unsophisticated, because they prefer to enhance the essence and taste.
Of course, while strolling through the cheerful streets of Bilbao, you cannot help but enter one of the many small restaurants and bars that populate the historic centre: go in and let yourself be won over by every single delicacy.
The foods you will find most are seafood, fish (mainly cod), meat (mainly lamb) and no shortage of condiments such as chilli, green pepper and tomato. Let's see in detail, then, the 10 things you absolutely must eat in Bilbao.
1 - Piperrada
Piperrada is prepared with green and red peppers, tomatoes, onions and its presentation is very reminiscent of the colours of the Basque Country flag. A simple and tasty food that is often served as a side dish, but sometimes also as a main dish with additions.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: peppers, tomatoes, onions
2 - Pintxos
Pintxos are real delicacies that grace the tables and counters of almost every bar in Bilbao. They are small pieces of bread topped with anything and everything: from ham to peppers, cheese to meat, or even vegetables and cod. In short, a creative and tasty dish that is sometimes given free with a glass of wine or beer. Very appetising!
Recommended for: anytime, snack
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: bread, cod, cold cuts, cheese
3 - Vizcaina
I
he Vizcaina features cod, widely used in Basque cuisine, in this case delicately browned in olive oil and then seasoned with garlic, peppers and onions. An even more elaborate version involves the addition of the area's renowned cured ham(Jamon Iberico). The fact is, all the elements create a pleasant combination of flavours, from the smokiness of the peppers to the sweetness of the onions... a delight for the palate!
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €18.00
Main ingredients: cod, peppers
4 - Txangurro
Photo by Gaztarrotz. Originating in San Sebastián, the Txangurro has as its main ingredient crab (called txangurro in Basque) stuffed with breadcrumbs, onions, tomato. Then it is flavoured with a mixture of brandy, parsley, oil and garlic and finally baked: when a crust forms on the surface, it is ready! A real delicacy, very popular in Bilbao's fish restaurants.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €20.00
Main ingredients: crab, onions, tomato
5 - Bacalao Pil
Bacalao Pil Pil is a less elaborate variant of Bacalo alla Vizcaina: the fish in this case is fried in olive oil and garlic until a sauce forms in the pan and a crispy crust forms on the cod. The sound produced by the crackling, which can be heard when the fish fries, gave the name Pil to this dish. A must-try, because it is anicon of the Basque country and certainly one of the most popular dishes!
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €20.00
Main ingredients: cod, oil, garlic
6 - Gulas
With Gulas we stay on the 'sea' theme, because as you can see, fish is really cooked in every way. With Gulas we are talking about delicious eels, cut like spaghetti, sautéed in olive oil. It is a very popular food in Bilbao and can be eaten alone or on top of a slice of bread or dressed like pasta.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €20.00
Main ingredients: eels, oil
7 - Kokotxas
Photo by BocaDorada. With Kokotxas we're talking about fish again, specifically a highly prized and delicious Basque speciality that you won't find anywhere else in Spain. These are the fleshy cheeks of hake or cod, prepared with a velvety sauce of garlic, white wine, oil and flour (to thicken). Sometimes chilli pepper is added, which, here in Bilbao, as they say is'the parsley of every soup'!
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €23.00
Main ingredients: hake or cod, garlic, flour, oil
8 - Alubias de Tolosa
A simple dish, rich in flavour and hearty: Alubias de Tolosa, made with beans cooked in water and oil over low heat, with the addition of cabbage or thin slices of lard. Other variants, which are the most commonly used, include meat, especially morcilla (black pudding) and chorizo (spicy sausage).
It should be clarified that these particular black, slightly reddish beans are mainly found in Toulouse, a town 30 km south of San Sebastien. However, they are on many restaurant menus in Bilbao, so rest assured that you can taste them.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €17.00
Main ingredients: beans, sausage
9 - Chuleta
Photo by Krista. After so much fish, we move on to a meat dish: chuleta. This is grilled beef or lamb, accompanied by various side dishes, such as chips or vegetables. Basques could argue for hours about which restaurant offers the best one, as it is one of the specialities of these territories that they are particularly proud of.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €28.00
Main ingredients: beef or lamb
10 - Pastel Vasco
Photo by Joselu Blanco. Let's end on a high note with a dessert, finally! Pastel Vasco is the classic dessert of these territories and you cannot leave Bilbao without trying it. It is a soft pastry similar to shortcrust pastry, with a vanilla or almond flavoured cream. Sometimes, it is garnished with cherries or berries, to give that extra touch of flavour that never fails.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €30.00 per kg
Main ingredients: shortcrust pastry, custard
Where to eat: best restaurants, typical places and street food
The gastronomic tradition of Bilbao, in the Basque country, differs in some important features from the rest of Spain, starting with the names: don't mention tapas here, there are pintxos, small canapés often made in a tower, held together by toothpicks.
The number of toothpicks on the floor of the restaurant usually indicates the goodness of the food. Also very interesting are the typical asadors, where the food is grilled directly in front of the diners. Very interesting, and being rediscovered in the city, is the cuisine of the markets, pure Basque street food.
1 - Asador Indusi
Description: a really traditional place where you can eat excellent carne asada, reservation required
Speciality: grilled meat, steaks and ribs
Average price: from €35.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
2 - Restaurant La Viña del Ensanche
Description: historic restaurant in the centre serving pintxos and wine
Speciality: pintxos, tomato and ham omelette
Average price: from €35,00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
3 - Bar Gure Toki
Description: small, informal place to enjoy a creative selection of pintxos on shared tables or directly at the large counter
Speciality: pintxos with vermouth or txacoli
Average price: from €2.50 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
4 - Taberna Basaras
Description: Intimate neighbourhood bodeguita, old-fashioned atmosphere and traditional pintxos
Speciality: Cantabrian anchovies
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
5 - Asador Txakoli Simon
Description: informal restaurant in the hills, meat served on disposable grills at the tables
Speciality: chuleta (steak)
Average price: from €30.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
