BILBAO RECOMMENDATIONS
(THE FUN STUFF)
We lived in Bilbao for 2 years and we absolutely loved it, so we’re so excited to share our favourite city with all our favourite people. We want you to see the sights, eat the delicious Pintxos and generally drink too much. So here’s a list of our fave spots:
CASCO VIEJO (Old Town):
First of all - generally anywhere in this area is great for a drink and a pintxo, just head on a bar crawl and try anything!!
Starting with the important stuff - drinks to try:
If you like white wine order a Txakoli (pronounced chakoli) It’s a local wine and it’s delicious.
Or another Spanish white wine is the Verdejo - also yum.
Vermut Rojo - very typical to drink these from about 11am sat in a plaza with a pintxo (usually calamari). Try one they’re very tasty and very strong!
Food to try:
a Gilda
Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)
Basque Cheesecake
PLAZA NUEVA -
Me and Brad used to live in an apartment in this plaza so we were regulars at most of the bars in this square and can say that most places are delicious! Our faves were:
Cafe Bar Bilbao - All the Pintxos are yum
Sorginzulo - order the Rabas (calamari) and the Patatas Bravas from the menu.
Gure Toki - All the pintos from here are sooooo good, or you can order hot pintxos from the menu.
Victor Montes - Fancy restaurant and also has great pintxos.
Zaharra - Try a tortilla here (Spanish omelette) Well they are a must to try anywhere and you can’t really go wrong to be honest! But this bar has lots of different flavours to choose from. Perfect for breakfast with a coffee.
PLAZA UNAMUNO -
Just next to Plaza Nueva and full of more bars. Our fave here is Bacaicoa Taberna, order their house wine and try the chorizo pinto or the setas (mushrooms), they are so good! If you feel you can brave the Unamuno steps, there’s Extebarri Park at the top with a great view of Bilbao.
MELILA Y FEZ -
Just up from Unamuno, try the Pintxo Moruno (it’s a kebab cooked on the barbecue). It’s a must on the pintxo crawl mostly for the guy who cooks them (a local ledge) surrounded by jars of his secret spices which he lathers them with. They’re spicy I won’t lie, if you like spice ask for extra sauce (not for the faint hearted).
CALLE SOMERA -
This is a going out street more for night time, it’s busy and full of people drinking on the street. It’s very Basque.
EL TRIANGULO -
Another great place for going out later at night. Also very Basque.
LA RIBERA MARKET -
Just next to the river, La Ribera is a big indoor food market with lots of options. Here you can try lots of different pintxos, there’s also hot plates of Basque food, Italian, burgers and others.
Opposite La Ribera you can cross the bridge and sit on the steps at Bar Marzana or walk up a little further to Bar Nervion (great for a Vermut Rojo).
ABANDO -
Abando is over the bridge from Casco Viejo just a 5 min walk.
Calle Ledesma - This street is the perfect location for another pintxo crawl. So many great bars and restaurants to get a glass of wine, something to eat and sit outside. Perhaps a little more sophisticated to the old towns Calle Somera…
Cafe Iruña - A beautiful historic bar and restaurant worth a visit its so pretty inside and does delicious pintxos. Try the pintxo moruno here (the hot kebab on the barbecue).
Gran Via - this is the Main Street as you cross the bridge from the old town and is the main shopping street.
Bar Kubrick - On the River this is a bar themed around Stanley Kubrick, nice to sit outside if its sunny.
PLACES TO SEE -
Walking around the Old Town you can see all the old architecture, The Cathedral and The Arriaga Theatre.
Walk up the steps from Plaza Unamuno to Extebarri Park for a great view of the city.
Cross the bridge and walk down the River from the old town, its so pretty and leads to the next spot on the list:
The Guggenheim - If you have time to go in, it’s full of amazing artwork. If you don’t have time for a proper visit, just walk by it, under the huge spider sculpture ‘Mama’ by Louise Bourgois, then further up you can see Jeff Koons’ giant Puppy sculpture covered in flowers.
The Funicular - you can take the Funicular to the top of the mountain and walk around looking down over Bilbao.
FURTHER AWAY BUT WORTH A VISIT -
GETXO
Take the metro from the city and get off at Algorta, the nearest coastal neighbourhood. Here you can walk to the beach and head to the Puerto Viejo (The Old Port). It’s really pretty and has some lovely bars to sit outside in the sun. It probably takes about 30 minutes on the metro from Casco Viejo Station in the city centre.
If you want to go even further you can stop at Larrabasterra, then walk another 20 minutes to the beautiful Sopleana beach. Stop at El Peñon for a drink and take in the view.
The last stop on the metro is Plentzia, it takes around 45 minutes to get here. It’s a beautiful seaside town with lots of bars, restaurants and a lovely beach.