Azurmendi was on my to go list for a long time. I've made 2 previous reservations but because of…read morespecial circumstances, we had to cancel. This is my 3 attempt to dine here and it lived up to and far exceeded my expectations. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we were transported to a lunch of greeneries which was calm and soothing. We were immediately served with a welcome drink and were presented with a picnic basket shortly after which included 3 small bites plus a drink. We then walked through 2 additional rooms including their kitchen and their "garden" room in which we were told to pick things off from the room to eat - I kind of felt like Hansel and Gretel for a moment. Before we got to our dining table, I was already half full before the start of our tasting menu. There were 12 courses to the tasting menu and for each course, Chef Eneko brilliantly highlights and heightens the taste of the main ingredient in various ways. We can really appreciate the freshness of each ingredient and complexity in putting the dish together. Each plating was also beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to the eye and just as scrumptious as it looks - I almost didn't want to eat it because it looks like a piece of art. Every dish was multidimensional with layers of flavors bursting inside my mouth with every bite. There was also a good balance of texture. It would take forever for me to go through very single dish but there wasn't one single dish that I didn't like and each dish also had an element of surprise. One thing I want to note is when I first made the reservation 3 years ago, they had offered children's menu. Since then , they had changed their policy and said they welcome children age 10 and up. I emailed the restaurant explaining I have a 10 and 8 year old but they are very accustomed to fine dining and I promised they would not cause any disturbances. They were very accommodating and agreed to welcome my family. They also made sure they get the same food experience so at times when adults were offered an alcoholic beverage, they would make the same thing but without the alcohol so my kids wouldn't feel left out. Another thing to point out is when we attempted to order a tasting menu for my kids as well, we were told it would be too much for them and they recommend to just order a la carte dish for them. I really appreciate their honesty because it turned out that was the perfect amount of food for my kids. Many other restaurants would not accommodate like this and would require us to order a tasting menu for our kids even though it's clearly too much food for them. Their service was impeccable. Extremely friendly, and their attention to detail is on another level. The restaurant is spacious, calm, and comfortable. All the tables were spaced apart far enough that we didn't even noticed anyone else was there until we turn around. Chef Eneko were also in the kitchen during the whole duration of the service to oversee everything which we appreciate because you no longer see that in a lot of the other restaurants. Overall, Azurmendi is worth the trip to Bilbao just to dine here. Price point is very reasonable. This is not just a restaurant you come to eat, it's an immersive culinary experience that's unforgettable and we will be talking about it for a long time. We will definitely be back!

This was our first 3 Michelin star dinner and we were blown away. The entire meal is an experience…read moreand took almost 4 hours from start to finish. They don't rush you and want you to really enjoy the food and craftsmanship they put into making really unique items. It was located about 20mins outside of Bilbao and the location was beautiful. You get to see the kitchen and chef during the initial tour and all the food was so creative and delicious. They are very accommodating and willing to adjust menu items for certain dietary restrictions and we felt so taken care of. Each dish was described by a server and we had at least 4 people checking on us throughout the meal. The dinning room is spacious but not packed with only a few people so it was very serene. There were probably 2-3 menu items that we wouldn't traditionally eat and pushed our culinary boundaries a little but we figured that was part of the experience. We tried everything and walked away stuffed! You definitely get your moneys worth with an insane amount of food but it is still one of our most expensive dinners we've ever had. Overall, a great experience with extremely thoughtful staff and would recommend!

Some of the tastiest pintxos in Bilbao! They offer a great…read morevariety of classics, but each has a unique twist. I recommend the squid, crab gratin, and chorizo. The service was a bit of a mess lol people everywhere trying to get into the queue to order. However, the staff did their best and delivered everything as quickly as possible. I recommend going at off-peak hours... Unless you want to experience ordering like the locals XD

The restaurant is one I found to be recommended for pinxtos (small, bite-sized snacks often on a…read morepiece of toasted bread). We sat outside and were told to order food inside. The thing about sitting outside is that there are smokers. :/ The pinxtos are premade and just heated up. We tried txangurro (spider crab) gratin, artichoke in tempura, and crispy squid with onion. I was a bit disappointed, because I didn't care for any of them. The bread was quite crusty. I guess pinxtos aren't my thing.

Items Selected: House Made Bread…read moreRemirez de Ganuza Blanco 2014 Grilled Sardine Grilled Octopus with Onion Confit and Mashed Potatoes 1.1kg Txuletoia with Salad and Fries Grilled Rice Pudding Grilled Torrijas with Bourbon Ice Cream Suggested by a well traveled friend as "arguably the best Txuletoia in all of Spain," suffice it to say that Horma Ondo is not a 'user friendly' restaurant for those not native to Larrabetzu or the surrounding lands, but overcoming barriers in language, mislabeled phone numbers, and a location not easily located via GPS the experience of actually dining in the restaurant was undoubtedly a memorable one - mine the only reservation on a particularly stormy evening during which I was the restaurants' only guest. Located off a golf course high in the hills above Azurmendi, a sign near the Michelin 3* space actually the only reason I was able to locate Horma Ondo since the addresses listed online lead to a small school in the city, it was just after 20h00 that I climbed the steep hill in low-gear and arriving in a foyer filled will cigarette smoke I was greeted by a gruff, rotund man who spoke no English - a man I'd later find to be exceedingly pleasant after his daughter arrived to offer interpretation, the two of them actually the owners of the restaurant along with the wife/mother as well as a son/brother. A surprisingly grand space, two floors of polished wood and several linen-lined tables ready in waiting as if for a banquet, it was at a sizable table to the left of the space that I sat and unaware as yet that I'd be the only diner present the menu and several specials were presented, a glass of dry white wine left for my hosts to select. Silent save for some light local music, the owner inquiring as to how I'd heard of the place since they apparently do not see many tourists save for those brought as guests of locals known to the house, both he and his child who would act as my server seemed tickled by comments relayed about the beef, a trip to the kitchen seeing glowing coals dance as the Chef showed me the raw cuts hanging in a small aging room. Treated to housemade rolls that were wispy on the inside beneath a dense outer shell it was with a grilled sardine that dining officially got underway and although the light amuse was indeed pleasan it simply could not compare to the several plates that followed, the tender tentacle of Octopus thoroughly imbued with smoke as good as any ever tasted atop caramelized confit onions and satin pommes puree. Warned not to additionally order the Tripe or Foie Gras as the smallest steak available weighed in at hefty 1.1kg, it was thankfully heeding this advice that a small wait took place before the signature Txuletoia arrived atop a bed of wood-chips and embers, the texture even more appealing than that at Nido while the presentation saw an initially red center slowly fade to medium-rare, each bite lively with grassy aromatics while warm wafts of smoke slowly filled the air. Told that everything in house was made over the grill it was admittedly attempting to poke fun that I questioned if the comment applied to dessert, but answering in a matter-of-fact way that clearly missed the humor I could not help but double up my order, the steeped and smoked grains of rice exceedingly tender amidst a warm custard base while the Grilled Torrijas appeared both rustic and blackened, each bite seeing smoke give way to sweetness and creamy custard, the ball of bourbon ice cream melding everything together into what was undoubtedly the best dessert tasted outside the United States this calendar year.

Super casual bar we stumbled upon on while walking in Casco Viejo and it didn't disappoint…read more Service was amazing, food was excellent! And the price is very reasonable!

This was one of the first pintxo bars we visited in Plaza Nueva. The food was delicious; we tried…read morethe croqueta pintxo and a gilda, and the Txakoli was good as well. This location was also the only place where they served the Txakoli in a chilled wine glass. We were lucky as the place was empty, but later that evening, you couldn't even get in to order. It just goes to show how good their pintxos are!

One of the best steaks we have ever had! The pintxos were all delicious with our favorite being the…read morepotatoes with lots of cheese. The Rioja wine paired perfectly with the pintxos and the steak. Highly Recommend!

Nice spot for pintxos off the main square (Plaza Nueva) in the old town side of Bilabo…read more I am by no means fluent in Spanish, and it was very appreciated that the bar staff really put in the effort to try and communicate in English. They had a really nice variety of pintxos and I got 3 for 10€. The burger pintxo was my favorite, with the squid being a solid second place.

Wow Awesome three…read morecourse lunch, right around the corner from the Basque Museum. The portions are really huge, enough for two, but the price is so low 13.70 euros, that it would be embarrassing to ask. I've been trying to stick on the tapas diet, which can make for small, satisfying meals with a lot of variety. But there's such a thing as too much tapas so I tried the multi-course menu at Kokken and here, My svelte figure is endangered. But I head back in a few days,

This is a great place, ambiance is great, staff is very friendly…read more Food is great I had the tournedo de solomillo con foie a la plancha, amazing. This is basically a filet mignon with foie hora on top accompanied with French fries. See pic..

Incredible meal, fantastic service! The buñuelos and mushrooms were both excellent! That said, the…read moretomato salad was the standout! Excellent, simple ingredients. Be sure to make a reservation when in town !

The hostess asked us to sit outside because we didn't booked and we thought it was fair enough…read moreuntil we realised that the restaurant was empty during all of our stay, i can understand if you are having a bad day but she really made u feel awfull. I would've loved to give a 5 star, as the food was excellent and our waiter was so nice to us.

Great wine selection and delicious pintxos. Beautiful ambience and friendly service, too. Love it.read more

Great food, great ambience and great prices highly recommended if you're in Bilbao Spainread more

Small, easy breezy bar that is perfect for meeting up with friends to chat about nothing. Since we…read morewere doing an impromptu walking culinary tour of the city, our time at Irrintzi was very short (eg one beer and pintxo). However, we did enjoy our time at the pub, and I hope to return whenever I make a trip to Bilbao. The bartender was great and very patient with the time it took us to decide on a yummy treat.

4.5 stars Irrintzi in the old city of Bilbao is all about…read more"pintxos&friends," and this casual bar sports some unique creations. First, I tried the classic pil-pil, a chunk of cod topped with a creamy sauce made of the cod skin along with garlic and oil. Then there was a pork "taco" made of breaded chunks of honey-glazed pork (it definitely reminded me of an Asian preparation), served along with seaweed salad in a "taco" shell made of nori on the inside and a crispy cornmeal coating on the outside--truly one of the most unique bites of food I've ever had! Finally, I had the octopus carpaccio topped with a dollop of mashed potato, all topped with a piece of crispy jamon. The creaminess of the mashed potato went perfectly with the tender octopus, and the umami, savory piece of jamon brought all the flavors together!