La Ribera Market, just outside the old town, near the river, is a beautiful building where you can…read morehave the produce that you purchase cooked for you, or where you can sample as selection of pintxos and Txakoli wine to the beat of live music....this air conditioned building is a like an food court emporium with many choices of restaurants, foods and bars. Dozens of bars and restaurants are inside this market building, so choose what you like !! I picked one that had many pintxos and montaditos displayed, so I knew what each one was...a bit pricey, but not bad.. Built in 1929, this 10,000-square-meter marketplace is Europe's largest indoor marketplace. I found it nice and convenient, but not great in terms of flavors nor atmosphere. Maybe a bit of a tourist trap, in my opinion.

It has a lot of little bars and food vendors selling a variety of beverages and tapas…read more(pintxos/pinchos). I was a fan.

Had a hankering for fries and this place scratched that itch. We were given several options for…read moredipping sauces and opted for the aioli and ketchup. All good!

Stumbled into this little pub while wandering through historic Bilbao on a rainy April day and had…read morethe best Spanish Omlette here. Unpretentious, homey and comfortable. Beware - no English spoken and they don't serve off the menu until after 1pm.

We got there quite late at night. 11:00pm. Midnight is…read moreclosing time. We were ignored, so my husband went up to the bar. He ordered in Spanish (which was finally acknowledged). Our bartender grabbed the icecubes for my drink with his hands. Luckily, I'm not squeamish. We paid cash and sat down. They clearly wanted everyone out before midnight. They were hauling in their chairs to stack. There were bugs crawling all over the bar. I watched them scurry and hide in the cracks. The room is really neat, but needs a good scrub. The bar stools that have cracked covers need attention. I wish I'd had a chance to eat the famous lamb pinchos. The pictures looked yummy. Prices were decent. There is outdoor seating available.

Definitely a must stop while in Bilbao…read more Unfortunately, we were already quite full by the time we arrived to Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui since we were having a day of gastronomy. We ordered a few pinxtos, but unfortunately, I cannot remember exactly what we ordered. However, I do remember that we all enjoyed what we ordered...whatever it was. ;) The service is pretty straightforward and the staff was nice and very helpful in helping us decided what to try. I will say that the overall ambiance was beautiful because the restaurant/cafe has retained a lot of the aesthetic from when it opened in the early 1900s. As a tourist, I thought the prices of the pinxtos and wines were pretty reasonable. Perhaps, if we visit Bilbao again, we should make Cafe Iruña our first stop.

Best in Bilbao! Very tasty gelato! Mango with raspberry was my choice with macarron topping!read more

Great stop for gelato before going across the street to the Guggenheim Museum!…read more Delicious options! I went for the coffee and pistachio. A bit pricey compared to other gelato places, but I guess you pay for convenience!

Another great experience and overall service was excellent. Had the premium steak which was…read morephenomenal and others enjoyed the fish special.

Not a great experience. Given the fact that it is a Michelin restaurant we expected much more. And…read morehaving spent four days eating in San Sebastian this restaurant just didn't compare. Our snail appetizer was inedible. Our octopus appetizer was chewy. Our squid entrée was fine, but not memorable. The same thing could be said about our other entrées and the desserts. As for the service, the sommelier and the wait staff were very nice and helpful. However, the headwaiter simply seemed disinterested and rushed us through our choices. The best thing I can say, is that the restaurant has a very nice ambience, but given the number of quality restaurants in Bilbao, I would not recommend this place.

We were Americans traveling in Bilbao and away from home and family on our Thanksgiving Day. We…read morechose this restaurant because it was known for Bacalao. We had the Menu Lekeito, which allowed us to have three appetizers (they gave us all four), a choice of entrees, a sampling of desserts, and wine. Everything was exquisitely presented, tasted delicious, and served well. What I loved most was the coziness and comfort of the restaurant and the kindness of the servers and hosts. All of the staff was patient with our limited Spanish and explained all of the dishes and choices to us. They greeted us warmly and thanked us for coming. I would definitely recommend this place. Thanks for making us feel "at home" with such delicious Basque food on our Thanksgiving holiday.

From the owner: Rimbombín elabora cocina fresca con productos naturales basada en la tradición culinaria vizcaína y…read morevasca. Ofrecemos los mejores mariscos y pescados elegidos a diario en las más importantes lonjas sin olvidarnos de nuestras carnes seleccionadas, asi como productos de temporada fuera de carta. De nuestra cocina destacamos nuestras cigalas al estilo de la casa. Nuestras Croustille de bacalao. Especialidad. Arroz caldoso con almejas o bogavante. Txangurro casero al horno. Nuestro clásico plato Bilbao (merluza, chipirones y arroz). En carnes destacamos chauteaubriand y rabo de toro estofado a la antigua.Todos nuestros postres son caseros y muy recomendables que variamos cada estación. Destacamos nuestra tarta fina de manzana con helado artesano de nata.

6:30 pm, was looking for some takeout as we have an early start tomorrow, and of course, nobody was…read moreserving dinner until eight or nine. Thankfully, this lovely cafe across the cathedral was able to serve me up a couple of sandwiches, salad, and some fries to go. The service beyond friendly, food hit the spot, and I had the entire indoor restaurant to myself. I shall return for my early bird dinners again!

Damn. Our reservation for the acclaimed Mina Restaurant was not until 9PM because you know those…read moreEuropeans sure like to eat late. At home, I could start nodding off before 8PM, especially if I've already seen that episode of HGTV's "Fixer Upper" already. After all, I can handle only so much shiplap in a conscious state. So it was natural that Jamie W. and I started getting peckish around 5PM as we were exploring the labyrinth of activity in the Old Town (Casco Viejo). We knew we had multiple gourmet courses ahead of us in a Michelin-starred establishment (review: http://bit.ly/2BjKg28) so we thought it wise to keep it light. We ambled about until we came upon the terrace portion of this cafe in the shadow of the massive Catedral de Santiago. With an open table amid a sea of middle-aged Spanish locals, we took advantage and sat ourselves down as the young server raced by dropping off a couple of well-worn menus. Jamie and I both ordered the 7€ Mixed Salad with lettuce, thin tomato slices, a sliced hard-boiled egg, white asparagus, onion, and tuna (photo: http://bit.ly/2BtMz7g). Although there was nothing extraordinary about the mix which we ordered without dressing, it was the ideal amount of sustenance to get us to dinner. FOOD - 3 stars...it's a salad and it worked AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a historic courtyard and a stream of people walking by us SERVICE - 3 stars...speedy, not too personable TOTAL - 3 stars...if you need a bite in the Old Town

Very pleasant service really good food charming atmosphere overall and excellent experienceread more

The guy who was there was super friendly and nice. There weren't much options when we went there…read morearound 9pm. I saw that they had noodles but didn't actually have? I was confused by when he handed me the menu since I thought the ones on the fridge were pre made and the one on the menu is freshly made? They're both premade so after we ordered mix he just grabbed off the fridge for us.

Pretty tasty sushi if you miss Asian food! Not Japan grade but I still enjoyed it! I tried the…read moresalmon nigiri and some white fish nigiri. I like how they seasoned the rice--just the way they do in the US. I would come back if I was craving for sushi! Fresh fish!

One classic in Bilbao, sandwich with EME secret sauce, great selection of pintxos and great home…read morefood. Not ti be missed when visiting Bilbao!

There are, really, few sites "must-haves" for a trip or a visit... and the Bar EME bilbao, is not…read morean exception. He has many years open and is well known by all the inhabitants of the city - you can check it out asked by there - although, that doesn't mean anything more. The Sandwiches are tasty and unique, but perhaps dont must walk a lot to get up there if you are not near. I go once in a while, and enjoy it.