Come here and have the t-bone, a bottle of sidre (cider), a super fresh salad, and relax. This is a…read moreBasque style steakhouse. The restaurant provides bread and a little tapas (or pintxos) to get you started. This was fresh crusty bread with a soft fluffy center and a small place of sausages. Sidre is the drink to order! I think a whole large (wine bottle size) bottle is only 8€. It's fun to watch it being poured from a height by your server to aerate the beverage for enhanced flavor. It's like apple juice but tart, sour, and so refreshing. The salad of butter lettuce and thinly sliced sweet onions with olive oil and vinegar was perfection. It was so fresh and the dressing was perfect. The main course, the T-bone steak for two was sheer excellence! The steak came on a sizzling platter and was served with potato frites, perfectly simple but delicious! The steak platter continued to sizzle throughout lunch, so the precut steak pieces could be seared or cooked longer if that was desired. The meat is served medium-rare automatically, so the sizzling stone allows you to adjust the cooking of the steak after its served. This was by far the best meal I had in all of Spain. After dinner the server brought over pacharrán shots, an herbal plum-based after dinner aperitif to help with digestion. It's served in frosted shot glasses. We had one and thanked him for it, then maybe we had one more. What a way to end a great meal-with a buzz. This place is a little pricey, but very much worth it. So glad we came here and dined. It's looks humble but the food is the star of the show here!

This is a wonderful restaurant! We had been driving all day and were exhausted, hungry, and hoping…read moreto find a place that could make us feel at home. La Gabarra was the perfect place at the perfect time! The owners were very patient and helped us with our selection. We shared a T-bone steak that was beautifully cooked and delicious, a green salad, and a bottle of wine. We finished the meal with a nice cheese and jam board... If we are in Bilbao again, we will most certainly return to this restaurant! Great food, simply prepared, kind and friendly owners... just can't say enough nice things about this restaurant!

What an awesome place! Hiked up from our flat in Casco Viejo, worked up and appetite, and we're…read morerewarded with an excellent lunch! Had the lomo, ensalada, pimientos, and txakoli. All were excellent! Can't wait to come back next week!

What a great stop! Come in the afternoon, as that is the only time you can consume this much meat…read moreand not feel guilty. 30-day aged beef from Galixcia, and salt-crusted and grilled almost Black And Blue for you to finish table side. Fantastic wines.

Made the trip Donostia to Tolosa for steak. Staff are…read moreefficient but hardly friendly. Get the feeling this place is starting for believe the hype. So the veg is great. The wine list is impressive. The selection of steak is good to look at, but I left knowing I could have done better on the Braai ( look it up). All in all a very serious experience when a little mirth could have gone a long way.

This place was great! You definitely need reservations to get here and it books up fast. Great…read morelooking space with large fridge of meats hanging as soon as you walk in. The owner was there sitting on the table in front. You come here for their meat. It's hand cut and brought to your table before cooking on the fire. There's a large fat cap, which adds to the flavor. It's the perfect combination of beefy flavor and tenderness and they cook it to perfection, almost rare. It's a flavor of meat you won't find anywhere except this area. Their chanterelle mushrooms with egg yolk was delicious, as well as their asparagus with cheese sauce. I don't know how they got the asparagus to taste so good and sweet, we had to order another one. They also have a selection of wine and make delicious cocktails too. If you are in San Sebastián, this place is definitely a must try. Service was outstanding as well.

Amazing food and service! One of the best burgers I've had and they had gluten free buns. Highly…read morerecommend

My friend called this "the best burger in Bilbao" and after eating here, I see he's not…read moreoverestimating this place. The burgers are juicy and more flavorful than you can imagine. Each choice is a completely different experience with completely unique flavors. There's a bit of a wait, but it's worth it. If you're looking for a great burger, this is the place to go.

If you come to San Sebastián and don't stop at Bar Néstor, you've skipped one of the city's great…read moreculinary rituals. This tiny, high‑energy bar in the Parte Vieja is famous for doing just a few things -- and doing them with absolute conviction. The lineup is legendary: the txuleta steak, the tomato salad, the Padrón peppers, and of course, the tortilla that sells out instantly. They make only two tortillas a day, and getting your name on the list feels like joining a local rite of passage. Here's the twist: although the tortilla is the most famous item, it actually wasn't our favorite version in the city. It's still fun to chase, still a cool story to tell, but the real stars of the meal were the steak -- charred, juicy, perfectly salted -- and the tomatoes, which taste like they've been engineered for maximum summer. They only make 2 tortillas a day, so you have to stand in line before they open to get a reservation for a slice. Inside, it's tiny, loud, and joyful. The staff runs the place with precision and a wink, and even when it's packed shoulder‑to‑shoulder, it feels like you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Come early, come hungry, and come ready for a meal that feels like a Basque rite of passage -- tortilla hype and all.

Bar Nestor is one of those Old Town legends that actually earns the legend. It's tiny, slammed, and…read morelaser-focused on a few things they do better than almost anyone: the once-or-twice-a-day tortilla (you put your name down before service and pray), the txuleta that comes out perfectly salted, tomatoes and padrón peppers in season, and a handful of small plates that remind you why Basque cooking is among the greatest in the world. Our favorite bite here wasn't even the gorgeous stuffed ravioli, it was a "noodle" dish where the noodles are actually spiralized squid. Silky ribbons of txipiron, barely kissed by heat so they stay tender, tossed with good olive oil, a little oniony sweetness, herbs, and a snowfall of grated cheese (Idiazabal-like in flavor). Simple, clean, and surprisingly creative at the same time. Exactly what Donostia gets right at its best. The room is a crush (in the best way), the team is friendly but no-nonsense, and the whole operation runs very predictably: show up early if you want tortilla; be ready to stand; order the classics and whatever seafood they're excited about that day.

Ugh, I want to be honest but I also want to highlight the good part of the experience, for it was…read morenot a wasted meal. This was not a favorite flavorful experience, for the most part. We did however thoroughly enjoy the small sirloin steak. It was tender, perfectly cooked medium rare, delicious and the best part of the meal. It came with fries that were properly crispy and delicious. Perfect amount of salt and so good!! I would go back for the steak in a heartbeat!! We ordered the tomato and tuna salad, it was OK. Wouldn't order again. The poached egg was different and tasty. It had mushrooms and I enjoyed it. I would order this again. The clams were tasty but a bit larger than I usually like them. I wouldn't order them again. Absolutely did not like the crab. It had so much of the shell that had to be spit out. I would not order this again. I would go back for the steak!! The wine was not my favorite either, we got a bottle of Muga. I will ask for a recommendation next time. I also thought it was super strange that almost everyone with a jacket was asked to hang it on the coat rack (which we didn't notice when we entered), but ours hung from our chairs. This was a last minute trip and we booked what we could for dinner. While I loved the steak, the other things we ordered were a miss.

We shared a majestic, 5-star tomahawk steak cooked perfectly inside a fire oven/grill. We also had…read morefries and a simple, much needed green salad - both were very good. Service was delightful because it was happy and frisky.

Food: This is THE BEST place in Bilbao for Cochinillo (Suckling Pig)!! The wagyu beef burger (€10)…read more is cooked to perfection as well. The combination of the egg and wagyu is such a deliciously meaty combination. And of course there's the cochinillo. The crispy skin, succulent meat will make your mouth water and hungry for more. It comes in 2,3 and 4 person portion (starting from €30). Service: the staff is warm and attentive. Although he cannot really converse with us in English, he does his best to explain the menu to us and has the friendliest demeanor. In fact he gave us appetizers on the house in light of Xmas (lkr?)! This is a textbook hidden-gem in Bilbao. Do be sure to hit up this place for a Spanish meal you will never forget!!!

Another spot, another cerveza and another pinxtos. Indautxu'ko Batzokia is on a short dead-end…read morestreet. Not much for windows on the outside though they do have shaded tables outside. Inside, it's a little dark and that makes for a nice pub feel. I was here for about an hour with two beers and a pinxtos while I caught up on the Internet with their free wifi. Cold Amstel and something on bread with shredded cheese and a slice of iberico. Tasty beer and tasty bite. Service was great and they had no problem with me taking up a table for an hour.

Awesome place in a great town! This is one of few places I'd stop by on regular basis without a…read moredoubt. Tremendous foie gras pintxo (fua like the locals call it)! It can be busy like any other pintxo bar in the afternoons. Definitely i'll go back specially during the san fermin festivities. cheers

Great food. Good value. Good atmosphere. One of the better places we visited in the old city.read more