This place was never even on our radar and came out of the blue. And WE ARE SO HAPPY IT DID! As…read morepreviously mentioned in my review of Cafe Iruña, we came to know about this place because of the pintxo corner in the restaurant we went to the night before. The son of Mr. Ahmed (the owner and creator of EL PINTXITO) told us to go to his dad's restaurant and we were there the next day as soon as it opened. We really went to have the PINTXO MORUNO again but Ahmed was not there yet and he makes these himself (we got there too early). However, the amazing server (originally from Morocco) told us to try the shrimp/octopus pintxo and the mushrooms. All were seasoned as per Ahmed's recipe and as advertised, these were PHENOMENAL! We spent about two hours talking to the server, enjoying the food, listening to great music. Just because we wanted to keep eating more and more. I highly recommend this place for your next trip to Bilbao!

Have been going to the pintxos Morunos spot in Casco Viejo, so was wondering if there were others…read morearound the city. Luckily, found this spot and discovered that the family held post at two of the other big pintxos Morunos spots in town. The skewers were spiced to perfection, but the real surprise were the mushrooms. Savory, garlicky, and juicy! Fantastic and friendly service, too!

I've heard good things about Café Bilbao, and I wanted to see it for myself. I arrived just when…read morerush hour (14:00) was dying down, and I managed to get a table next to the colorful blue-and-white tiles. Seriously, come for the interior architecture itself: very photo-worthy! The food was to die for. In fact, I loved it so much that I had two rounds of it! Serving both pintxos and tapas, Café Bilbao serves high-quality, bite-sized dishes that's sure to live in your dreams for the rest of your life. I highly recommend the codfish with Hollandaise sauce on bread, along with goat cheese and jam on bread. Paired with a glass of wine, and you've got yourself an incredible tasting experience. Not to miss while in Bilbao!

Bilbao is full of unassuming Cafe Bars like this. This one is inhabited with friendly staff and…read morelocals. It's located on a pedestrian square without cars. Good Cappuccinos and Pixtnos. We has a Tortilla and some toast. Whole thing was less than 20 euro for two.

Wow, what a nice discovery. This tavern had exceeded my expectations. Served by real pros. The…read moreplace is very nice with friendly ambiance. They serve a "Txuleton" (Spanish version of a Tomahawk steak) served in a hot tray, where you can finish the cooking to your liking. We ordered green peppers.served with local finishing salt and "txhipirones", grilled small squids garnished with olive oil and garlic. I highly.recommend this place to the "purist" looking for a real traditional place in old town Bilbao. You will love it

We were introduced by a local and loved the octopus and shrimp pintxo we wanted to return. We tried…read morethe grilled squid and it was fantastic, seasoned well and lots of garlic.

Slightly strange experience at first, but once you know the rules this is a great place to eat and…read moredrink in Bilbao! The rules: If you want any of the cooked to order food (the 8-10 menu items on the far wall written on cutting boards), you must eat at a table. We came during the mid afternoon on a weekday, and a table wasn't too hard to come by, but there are only ~6 tables so if you're coming for dinner I'd definitely make a reservation. If you want to try any of the other food (pinxtos) which are already prepared and displayed across the bar, then you need to find a spot at the bar (around 6-8 stools), or be prepared to stand and eat. The local lunch crowd packed this place, and there were many people spilling outside onto the sidewalk to enjoy their pinxtos and drinks. The food and drink: Everything was amazing. The house red wine (rioja) was extremely cheap, but some of the best tasting wine we had on our trip. We sat down at a table to try the pulpo. This was the BEST pulpo (octopus) dish that we tried on our entire two week trip in Portugal and Spain - and I'd say we sampled at least 10 other places version of this dish. The presentation was great, but the texture, taste, and freshness were the true stars. After we finished the Pulpo, we headed over to the bar for more wine, and sampled some of the pinxtos at the bar. These weren't quite as memorable as the pulpo, but still very good (a crostini with foix and iberian ham stood out above the others). Although we definitely preferred the hot/cooked to order dish more, the cold pinxtos at the bar were still well above average compared to what's available at most of the other pinxtos bars in Bilbao and San Sebastian.

Wonderful tapas bar right in the heart of town. The vino kept on flowing and the atmosphere was…read morefabulous. The pimientos were perfectly salted and wine selection was excellent. But let's face it, you'll get fabulous wine all over Spain, right? That said, this spot was perfect for a snack and great company.

This place was only open one week when we came to it. Its tiny, but probably the best ham I ate in…read moreSpain and the cheese was great as well. I bought a package of each to take home,noting that the owner has pre-made up platters of ham and cheese ready for you to take home and she gives you these grand loaves of bread with it. Its ham and cheese pinchos essentially, and she has beverages as well, including wine.

We didn't know Kokken serves meals "omakase" style. We were surprised by how good each course was…read more First course was bonito del Norte tuna with ginger mayo, onion sauce, dehydrated black olive crumbs, togarashi, black sesame, and micro greens on top Second course - basque chorizo croquettes Third course - delicate pieces of giant squid with teriyaki sauce, garlic mayo and chopped almonds; jellyfish on top Fourth course - blue corn taco with slow cooked pork ribs, Mexican corn fungus(cuitlacoche) black sauce, pickled onion Fifth course - shrimp dim sum style with sauce flavored from shrimp heads Sixth course - monkfish with a nori panko crust with pimiento sauce and oyster mayo Dessert was strawberries poached in vinegar, pepper, and brown sugar with white chocolate mousse and almond brûlée.

i thought the idea and concept was super cool. overall execution was not the best. the food wasn't…read morebad but wasn't spectacular. it was all asian fusion but could be done better. i might've just gotten a less fortunate surprise but my personal experience wasn't the best. my favorite was the peach yogurt but it had a salty sauce on it which wasn't my favorite. the shu mai was very chewy and overall not that flavorful or tender. service was great and attentive but was just not the biggest fan of the food. would recommend hitting up kunel donburi close by for better authentic asian food.

There is not one thing I don't like about this place. I…read morewent 2 nights in a row and will probably figure a way to go back. The 1st night there were 4 of us. We each had our own plates and I had the Pork Cheeks in a stew. My dish I could not stop eating it, the sauce was perfect and the meat melted in my mouth. We shared the stuffed peppers, which brilliant and zesty. Both nights there were sautéed mushrooms that had a kick that left my mouth with a peppery palette for a moment that I loved. So I got an order again the second night and I was not disappointed. The 1st night my friend got the filet which was flawless so I got that the 2nd night and I was so happy with it. I sat there in the front at a low table the 2nd night for 2 hours and had the same waiter both nights. The 1st night we were in the back. Both nights our waiter was a kind of Svengali mesmerizing me with his movements throughout the restaurant. I kept trying to pay and would say wait wait. I got an amazing custard for dessert and I left feeling full and entertained

I'd say it's a solid bar, that the locals still enjoy. I appreciate that a lot. I had to order on…read moremy limited Spanish but I knew what I wanted- the clams! I got the last order in and everyone was wishing they had done the same. They were meaty and good. A couple next to me recommended the squid, the local on the other side of me also recommended the squid. I just didn't feel like it- probably should have, when I realized you could order it with rice,. It was a good time had by all and I was sure glad to have experienced it. If the bar tenders seem to ignore you (and they probably will given how busy they are) just try some Spanish or show them a picture and it'll be okay. They are doing their best.

Great little local place for yummy pintXos. Excelkent food and service. The place is frequented…read moreby locals and was really a nicr plave to stop!

Excellent pinxtos in a lively atmosphere. We came at about 8 on a hot Friday night and found an…read moreopen table inside. Fresh beer and good food. Would recommend.