餐厅
餐厅
El Viejo Zortzi
El Viejo Zortzi is the little brother of Zortziko. The difference between the restaurants is that El Viejo Zortzi is more informal and the prices are significantly lower than Zortziko. The quality remains, of course, the same. El Viejo Zortzi has a modern take on traditional Basque food, such as fillet of cod in pil-pil sauce and fresh hake in garlic sauce. The choice of wine here is exceptional. While you're there, you can also take a quick peek at the bar. They have an infinite amount of wine and other alcoholic beverages.
Etxanobe
This fine-dining restaurant has a great view of the Guggenheim, which beautifully complements the creative and artfully plated Basque dishes served here, such as chocolaty oxtail crépinettes and cold anchovy lasagna in tomato soup. One of the most popular dishes was not created by the chef himself but is actually a recipe from his grandmother. He paid respects to her by giving the dish her name, 'Grandmother's Cake'.
Gaminiz
Located in Zamudio, slightly out of the centre of town is one of Bilbao’s most famous restaurants. It's about 10 km from the city centre and a bit tricky to find, but the trip is well worth it. Cod is the main item on the menu, but don’t forget to try other dishes, like squab with peach puree. You can also have a three-course set menu, which allows you to share tapas before you dive into the main course.
Guggenheim Bilbao
For a slightly less expensive taste of Martin Berasategui’s new Basque cuisine, head to his restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum. The menu includes some real gems like tempura hake with sautéed mange-touts and Biscay cheese. It's not possible to order one dish at the restaurant, but you'll pick a menu which consists of a traditional starter, a main dish and a dessert or pintxos.
Gure Toki
At this small tapas bar, you can relish fantastic pintxos, which are wonderfully executed with a creative touch. Some dishes you can find on the menu are beef ribs with seaweed, crab tempura, and mushroom risotto. This is a popular place, so it might be crowded but definitely worth the wait.
Mao
If you want to tickle your taste buds with Japanese food of the highest quality, you definitely have to visit Mao. The chefs use excellent raw products, and the food is prepared before guests' eyes. A few dishes served at the restaurant are the salmon tart, teppanyaki rice with lotus leaf and sushi sashimi moriaware. On the wine list, you will find more than 150 different labels.