Wonderful local spots to grab a drink, pintxo and caldo. They recently underwent a renovation and…read moreit is charming. Friendly staff, wonderful selection of pintxos, and the location can't be beat.

I was a little iffy about going here - I saw rave reviews about the "best coffee in Bilbao" and I…read morewas dubious. (I'm a third wave girl.) But my café con leche was surprisingly good. The "breakfast pinxtos" were fun - I didn't realize I could have asked for French Toast and stuff until after. Someone else had the french toast and it looked so good! But my slice of tortilla española / tortilla de patatas was filling and tasty. We also got croissants and some little tarts. It's not a fancy place, it's a bar. The staff was SO friendly and a lot of locals go here. It's a nice, local Bilbao experience.

Items Selected: Red Velvet Cake…read moreCarrot Cake Scone Cheesecake Brownie Milk Cake Peanut Butter Cookie Chocolate Crispy with White Chocolate Chips Always interested to see Europeans interpret traditional American desserts it was early Friday morning that a stop was made at Kikarea and although using far less sugar than typically found stateside the results were generally quite excellent, a few pastries neither Spanish nor particularly American the lone exceptions to the rule. Located on Perez Galdos, a narrow road with limited parking necessitating most to find another area nearby, entry to Kikarea sees a small bar lined with pastries to up front with homey seating at the right and resembling something one might see in Brooklyn or PDX the shabby-chic setting is bolstered by bookshelves lined with paperbacks, black and white photos joining refurbished antique mirrors on the walls. Pleasant and multilingual in service, one young man at the counter gathering baked goods and playing barrista while a small kitchen worked with fervor behind the scenes, prices at Kikarea trend significantly lower than those back home and trading just €12.50 for a total of seven sizable items it was with great care that each was boxed or bagged. Taking the lot to go, a later start than anticipated caused by the general lack of Diesel in the city of Bilbao, it was in an attempt to go from light to heavy that guided the degustation, first bites of the milk cake proving buttery and only lightly sweetened, the scone that followed unfortunately so dry the center was essentially flour and baking soda - one bite was taken before the rest was left to the birds. Improving substantially with two cookies, the crisp shatter of the chocolate version's rim yielding a soft center studded with white chocolate chips, both cake slices proved equally well executed as up-front flavors danced amidst a moist crumb and light layers of cream cheese frosting, the Red Velvet featuring a whole lot of cocoa but nowhere near as much as an over-the-top brownie that must have weighed almost half a pound.

This is the kind of place you'd be hard-pressed to say anything bad about and would feel awful even…read moreif you came up with something. It's very cozy and it was so pleasant to sit here drinking coffee and eating pastries while observing a little of the local life. The woman who was working both times I was there was SOO nice and I loved that she kept speaking to me in Spanish, while still watching to make sure I understood, instead of switching to English when it I *know* I was butchering some words! Seriously, I'm trying to improve and it's frustrating when people just give up and switch to English. Bonus points: I said to husband, "Doesn't she look just like 'you know nothing, Jon Snow?" Yes, yes, she looks a LOT like Ygritte / Rose Leslie. Anyway - the pastries were delicious! I especially loved the chocolate cream cheese brownies and I had my first Café Bon Bon (the Spanish version of a vietnamese coffee). They've got a little map in the back, next to the couches, to stick a pin in where you're from and it was fun to be the first to represent Seattle. ;) I wouldn't say that this is a place you go when you're seeking amazing coffee - the coffee was not bad, at all, but it wasn't the greatest ever. But it did the trick and I would happily go here again with a book, it really is the kind of place you sit and hang out for awhile. There's no rush, everyone is friendly and there appeared to be a number of known-regulars coming and going.

From the owner: Venta de Tés, Infusiones, Teteras, Mugs y accesorios para el Té.read more