9 Best Restaurants in Bilbao in 24 Hours
Everyone talks about San Sebastián when it comes to Basque food.
But after a month eating through Spain, locals kept telling us the same thing:
👉 “Don’t skip Bilbao.”
So we spent 24 hours eating across the city to see if Bilbao is actually one of the best food cities in Spain — or if San Sebastián still wears the crown.
And honestly?
Bilbao surprised us.
This guide covers:
- The Best Restaurants in Bilbao
- the best pintxos bars in Bilbao
- traditional Basque dishes
- and the local spots we’d absolutely go back to
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1. Pastelería Arrese 1852
Everyone knows Basque cheesecake.
But in Bilbao, locals line up for something completely different:
👉 Pastel Vasco
This historic bakery has been around since 1852 and is one of the city’s most iconic food stops.
👉 What to order:
- Pastel Vasco
- Canutillos if available
Our take:
The crust tasted like buttery shortbread filled with vanilla custard.
Rich, soft, slightly salty — honestly one of the best pastries we had in Spain.
2. Mercado de la Ribera
We couldn’t write a guide on where to eat in Bilbao without visiting Mercado de la Ribera.
It’s the largest covered food market in Europe and still feels genuinely local despite the tourism.
Most visitors head straight to the pintxos counters, but we actually loved stopping at a small bakery stall instead.
👉 What to try:
- Canutillos (Bilbao cream pastry)
- Vermouth
- Market snacks
Our take:
The pistachio-filled canutillo was basically Bilbao’s answer to a cannoli — flaky, creamy, and dangerously easy to eat.
3. Baster
This was one of our favorite stops of the day.
Baster is known for vermouth and the classic Basque aperitivo ritual:
👉 la hora del vermut
👉 What to order:
- Red vermouth
- White vermouth
- Gilda
- Octopus pintxo
Our take:
The Gilda is tiny but aggressively flavorful:
- anchovy
- olive
- pickled pepper
Salty, briny perfection.
And honestly? Vermouth hour might be one of the best food traditions in Spain.
4. Café Iruña
This place is pure old-school Bilbao.
Opened in 1903, Café Iruña feels more like a palace than a café, with Moorish-inspired interiors and one of the city’s most famous menu del día lunches.
👉 What to order:
- Pincho moruno
- Hake with crab
- Menu del día
Our take:
The hake dish was one of the best seafood bites of the entire trip.
And the pincho moruno?
Salty, smoky lamb skewers with huge street-food energy.
5. Bodega Joserra
This was the most local-feeling stop of the day.
Tiny bodega. Cheap wine. Massive sandwiches. No tourists.
👉 What to order:
- Bonito sandwich
- Local white wine (txakoli)
Our take:
Simple food done really well.
Crunchy bread, tangy peppers, creamy tuna — exactly the kind of place we love finding in Spain.
6. Txintxirri
Locals come here for one thing:
👉 tortilla española
And specifically…
👉 very gooey tortilla española.
👉 What to order:
- Tortilla pintxo
- Basque cheesecake
Our take:
The tortilla was unreal:
- creamy center
- caramelized onion
- salty potatoes
One of the best tortilla bites we had in Spain.
And yes — the Basque cheesecake lived up to the hype. This was 10/10 one of the best restaurants in Bilbao and maybe even Spain!
7. Bar Motrikes
This place specializes in exactly one thing:
👉 garlic mushrooms on bread
That’s it.
And somehow… it works.
👉 What to order:
- Champiñones al ajillo pintxo
Our take:
The mushrooms were buttery, lemony, garlicky, and shockingly juicy.
One of the most memorable bites in Bilbao.
8. Gure Toki
Located in Plaza Nueva, Gure Toki is one of Bilbao’s most famous modern pintxos bars.
Unlike more traditional spots, this place leans creative and experimental.
👉 What to order:
- Mini burger pintxo
- Elevated mushroom pintxo
- Cod cheeks
Our take:
Some bites were incredible. Some felt more style-over-substance.
But the mushroom pintxo with ham and sauce?
Absolutely fantastic.
9. Taska Beltz
We ended the night somewhere much more modern and edgy.
Taska Beltz blends:
- natural wine
- Basque flavors
- and creative small plates
👉 What to order:
- Beef tongue talo
- Natural wine
Our take:
The talo completely surprised us.
Think:
- crispy corn flatbread
- rich gravy-like beef
- insanely tender tongue
If someone hadn’t told us what it was, we never would’ve guessed.
So… Is Bilbao Better Than San Sebastián?
Honestly?
👉 They’re just different.
San Sebastián feels:
- polished
- elegant
- hyper-curated
Bilbao feels:
- louder
- grittier
- more local
- more experimental
And weirdly… maybe more fun.
If you’re planning a Basque Country trip, don’t make the mistake of skipping Bilbao.
Some of our favorite bites in Spain happened here:
- buttery pastries
- gooey tortilla
- legendary mushrooms
- vermouth bars packed with locals
And compared to San Sebastián?
👉 Bilbao felt more real.
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