It was a coffee oasis on Christmas Day and for that, I love it.
So, two Canadians tromp through Bilbao on their Christmas holidays. Excellent plan all around, except for the fact that we didn't really PLAN anything, so when Christmas Day rolled around and everything was closed, we had some interesting adventures trying to find food, wine and most importantly... coffee. ("Most importantly" is debatable against the wine, but the coffee was needed first and foremost, so it took priority). After about an hour of hunting, we happened on La Orilla, a little hotel cafe that happened to be open, happened to speak English and happened to be serving coffee - yyyaaayyy!!
They weren't serving food at the time, it being Christmas Day and all, but we ordered two flat whites and promptly plunked ourselves at one of the little outdoor seats, congratulated ourselves on finding caffeine and stretched our legs out in the sun.
Pretty nice eh? So why the three stars? If this was ONLY based on the day in question, it would be higher, but at the end of the day, though they were an oasis... they wouldn't be one we would seek out on a non-holiday afternoon. The coffees were just ok and exceptionally pricey compared to the cafes in the area. I'd understand if the price was a one off, but it was their regular menu.
But for the much needed caffeine kick, the sunshine and the cheerful gal behind the counter who got stuck working on Christmas - I salute you! read more