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Aizian
Aizian restaurant overlooks Bilbao’s lovely Doña Casilda Park, though the amazing cuisine will keep your attention riveted to your plate. Under the direction of chef Jose Miguel Olazabalaga, Aizian is now one of Bilbao’s destination eateries. The boxy room has a glossy finish, with stripes of cool wooden paneling softened with peachy carpets and pale upholstered seating. Olazabalaga’s cuisine is creative Basque traditional, so a starter like foie gras is served with orange blossom gelee and maple syrup. Traditional red mullet on begiaundi escalibada comes with barnacle soup. Desserts include seasonal cherry martini with white vinegar ice cream. Bring some adventurous friends and enjoy the nine-course Degustation Menu. The wine list has great depth in regional and Spanish wines and a fine selection from international vintners.
Address: 29 Calle Lehendakari Leizaola
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Aizian restaurant overlooks Bilbao’s lovely Doña Casilda Park, though the amazing cuisine will keep your attention riveted to your plate. Under the direction of chef Jose Miguel Olazabalaga, Aizian is now one of Bilbao’s destination eateries. The boxy room has a glossy finish, with stripes of cool wooden paneling softened with peachy carpets and pale upholstered seating. Olazabalaga’s cuisine is creative Basque traditional, so a starter like foie gras is served with orange blossom gelee and maple syrup. Traditional red mullet on begiaundi escalibada comes with barnacle soup. Desserts include seasonal cherry martini with white vinegar ice cream. Bring some adventurous friends and enjoy the nine-course Degustation Menu. The wine list has great depth in regional and Spanish wines and a fine selection from international vintners.
Address: 29 Calle Lehendakari Leizaola
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Salón Arana
Arana restaurant in Bilbao is the restaurant of the Hotel Petit Palace Arana, a stunningly modern establishment artfully hidden within a 19th century façade. The restaurant is located on the 6th floor, where the sleek, colourful and up-to-the-minutes fittings contrast with the rustic roof beams. The Arana is precisely in the centre of historic Bilbao, just opposite the Theatre Arriaga, so it’s perfectly sited for group meetings and meals and for romantic dinners. The menu is as traditional as the décor is modern, featuring dishes like Iberian brochettes, loin of ox with pimientos de padron and potatoes, and bacalao (smoked cod) on onions and potatoes with asparagus. A charming, classic restaurant in the modern style a short walk from the river in the heart of Bilbao – Arana is the restaurant you hoped to find
Address: 2 C/ Bidebarrieta
Price range: £24 / €34 and und
Cuisines: Mediterranean
Arana restaurant in Bilbao is the restaurant of the Hotel Petit Palace Arana, a stunningly modern establishment artfully hidden within a 19th century façade. The restaurant is located on the 6th floor, where the sleek, colourful and up-to-the-minutes fittings contrast with the rustic roof beams. The Arana is precisely in the centre of historic Bilbao, just opposite the Theatre Arriaga, so it’s perfectly sited for group meetings and meals and for romantic dinners. The menu is as traditional as the décor is modern, featuring dishes like Iberian brochettes, loin of ox with pimientos de padron and potatoes, and bacalao (smoked cod) on onions and potatoes with asparagus. A charming, classic restaurant in the modern style a short walk from the river in the heart of Bilbao – Arana is the restaurant you hoped to find
Address: 2 C/ Bidebarrieta
Price range: £24 / €34 and und
Cuisines: Mediterranean
Guria
Guria restaurant in Bilbao is a short walk across Doña Casilda Park from the iconic Euskalduna Palace and worth every step. Guria has widely known as a temple of traditional Basque gastronomy for nearly sixty years – ten at this location – and the kitchen is still under the watchful eye of chef Genaro Pildain and his partner Carlos. Guria is divided into two parts. The luxurious, formal dining room is decorated in the English style in tones of taupe with leather seating, thick carpets and drapes that can be pulled to create private enclaves. The buzzing, brasserie-like bistrot, with its more affordable prices, features a long wood and brass bar, chequered tile floors, and an informal air. Wherever you sit, do not miss one of the two famous cod dishes, either simmered very slowly ‘al pil-pil’ or a la Vizcaina, as Pildain is known as the King of Cod. Wines are service are exemplary
Address: 66 Gran Via
Price range: £55 – 64 / €80-
Cuisines: Other
Guria restaurant in Bilbao is a short walk across Doña Casilda Park from the iconic Euskalduna Palace and worth every step. Guria has widely known as a temple of traditional Basque gastronomy for nearly sixty years – ten at this location – and the kitchen is still under the watchful eye of chef Genaro Pildain and his partner Carlos. Guria is divided into two parts. The luxurious, formal dining room is decorated in the English style in tones of taupe with leather seating, thick carpets and drapes that can be pulled to create private enclaves. The buzzing, brasserie-like bistrot, with its more affordable prices, features a long wood and brass bar, chequered tile floors, and an informal air. Wherever you sit, do not miss one of the two famous cod dishes, either simmered very slowly ‘al pil-pil’ or a la Vizcaina, as Pildain is known as the King of Cod. Wines are service are exemplary
Address: 66 Gran Via
Price range: £55 – 64 / €80-
Cuisines: Other
Yandiola
Yandiola restaurant in the centre of Bilbao near the estuary is just a few steps from the Town hall and not far from the Guggenheim. This is the spot where one of Bilbao’s blazing culinary talent creates his art. Ricardo Perez creates innovative dishes using the freshest of seasonal cuisine, like grilled cuttlefish with creamy Idiazabal rice, and slices of foie gras with vegetable tempura. The gastronomic menu is a temptation and there are special menus for groups, too. In fact, private dining fits very well into the two stylish, modern, minimalist dining rooms which, between them, seat up to 80 diners. Perez has won a national prize for his fish dishes, so don’t skip those on any account. Plans are afoot for a big redevelopment that would house not only Yandiola but also a buffet and function rooms for events.
Address: 15 Campo Volantin
Price range: £25-£34 / €35-â‚
Cuisines: Other
Yandiola restaurant in the centre of Bilbao near the estuary is just a few steps from the Town hall and not far from the Guggenheim. This is the spot where one of Bilbao’s blazing culinary talent creates his art. Ricardo Perez creates innovative dishes using the freshest of seasonal cuisine, like grilled cuttlefish with creamy Idiazabal rice, and slices of foie gras with vegetable tempura. The gastronomic menu is a temptation and there are special menus for groups, too. In fact, private dining fits very well into the two stylish, modern, minimalist dining rooms which, between them, seat up to 80 diners. Perez has won a national prize for his fish dishes, so don’t skip those on any account. Plans are afoot for a big redevelopment that would house not only Yandiola but also a buffet and function rooms for events.
Address: 15 Campo Volantin
Price range: £25-£34 / €35-â‚
Cuisines: Other
Etxanobe
Etxanobe restaurant is amazingly sited above Bilbao’s second iconic building, the gleaming Palacio Euskalduna. Etxanobe is one of the hottest dining spots in the world right now, drawing breathless reviews from food-writers and food-lovers for the grand cuisine of chef/owner Fernando Canales. The post-modern décor of the two dining rooms – one of them available for private hire – features a fabulous ruched fabric ceiling, wittily skirted lighting, white linens and seating, and unforgettable views over the estuary and the Guggenheim from the terrace. Light pours in everywhere. Innovation is on display in every mouthful that emerges from Canales’ kitchen. There’s no menu of the day; you choose a la carte or a series of tasters. Dishes change monthly and may include deceptively simple descriptions like starter of lasagne of anchovies, main course of sole with pil-pil sauce and trout eggs, and home made dessert of cinnamon and rice puff-pastry with milk, though you’d be mad to miss the little chocolate bombs. The wines are excellent and the service is a mission unto itself – in a word, sublime.
Address: Palacio Euskalduna, 4 Avenida de Abandoibarra
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Etxanobe restaurant is amazingly sited above Bilbao’s second iconic building, the gleaming Palacio Euskalduna. Etxanobe is one of the hottest dining spots in the world right now, drawing breathless reviews from food-writers and food-lovers for the grand cuisine of chef/owner Fernando Canales. The post-modern décor of the two dining rooms – one of them available for private hire – features a fabulous ruched fabric ceiling, wittily skirted lighting, white linens and seating, and unforgettable views over the estuary and the Guggenheim from the terrace. Light pours in everywhere. Innovation is on display in every mouthful that emerges from Canales’ kitchen. There’s no menu of the day; you choose a la carte or a series of tasters. Dishes change monthly and may include deceptively simple descriptions like starter of lasagne of anchovies, main course of sole with pil-pil sauce and trout eggs, and home made dessert of cinnamon and rice puff-pastry with milk, though you’d be mad to miss the little chocolate bombs. The wines are excellent and the service is a mission unto itself – in a word, sublime.
Address: Palacio Euskalduna, 4 Avenida de Abandoibarra
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Epaia
Epaia restaurant in Bilbao’s Hotel Abando – just five minutes’ walk from the Guggenheim -- has soothing Oriental-tinged décor. The room is a light, bright airy space with modern styling featuring textured walls, skylight, bamboo arrangements, graphic screen. Epaia offers excellent traditional Basque cuisine with some innovative touches. It seats up to 70 people with an intimate private area for up to 10 guests. The hotel offers a range of function and banquet rooms for conferences, celebrations and parties. The hotel’s location in the financial district makes this an excellent location for corporate events.
Address: 9 Colón de Larreateguik
Price range: £25-£34 / €35-â‚
Cuisines: Other
Epaia restaurant in Bilbao’s Hotel Abando – just five minutes’ walk from the Guggenheim -- has soothing Oriental-tinged décor. The room is a light, bright airy space with modern styling featuring textured walls, skylight, bamboo arrangements, graphic screen. Epaia offers excellent traditional Basque cuisine with some innovative touches. It seats up to 70 people with an intimate private area for up to 10 guests. The hotel offers a range of function and banquet rooms for conferences, celebrations and parties. The hotel’s location in the financial district makes this an excellent location for corporate events.
Address: 9 Colón de Larreateguik
Price range: £25-£34 / €35-â‚
Cuisines: Other
Goizeko Kabi
Goizeko Kabi restaurant in the centre of Bilbao has long featured on almost everyone’s top ten list. Even with a Michelin star in its crown, Goizeko Kabi has a homely, welcoming ambience that can only be the spirit of its founder-owners Jesus Santos and wife Maria Medina. Ingredients are top quality, as is the service. The menu is traditional Basque, but always with a touch of imagination, while the décor is utterly traditional: creamy walls, dark wood paneling, upholstered and tapestried seating, modest artworks, figured Persian carpets, green plants. Dishes include specialities like grilled hake kokotxas pil-pil made with the underside of the fish’s jaw, squab pie with grated Idiazabal cheese, crab-filled potatoes with gazpacho mayonnaise, entrecote of beef with mustard and foie gras. The home made desserts, like chocolate soufflé, are celebrities in their own right. If anything else were needed to convince you, the central location makes this a perfect spot for business and romance.
Address: 4-6 Calle Particular De Estraunza
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Goizeko Kabi restaurant in the centre of Bilbao has long featured on almost everyone’s top ten list. Even with a Michelin star in its crown, Goizeko Kabi has a homely, welcoming ambience that can only be the spirit of its founder-owners Jesus Santos and wife Maria Medina. Ingredients are top quality, as is the service. The menu is traditional Basque, but always with a touch of imagination, while the décor is utterly traditional: creamy walls, dark wood paneling, upholstered and tapestried seating, modest artworks, figured Persian carpets, green plants. Dishes include specialities like grilled hake kokotxas pil-pil made with the underside of the fish’s jaw, squab pie with grated Idiazabal cheese, crab-filled potatoes with gazpacho mayonnaise, entrecote of beef with mustard and foie gras. The home made desserts, like chocolate soufflé, are celebrities in their own right. If anything else were needed to convince you, the central location makes this a perfect spot for business and romance.
Address: 4-6 Calle Particular De Estraunza
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
Club Nautico
Club Nautico restaurant in Bilbao’s Lopez de Haro Hotel in the centre of town just a few minutes from the Guggenheim. This is one cool hotel – Lou Reed stays here when he’s in town. Club Nautico’s décor is French-inspired, smart, a modern take on traditional styling with checquered floors, gilt mirrors, paneled pillars and walls, chandeliers, classic seating and unusual pink tablecloths. Chef Julio Heras' dishes include steamed hake with sauce of small squid, and menus change with the fresh produce of the seasons. Three exclusive dining rooms seat from 5 to 60 diners, so both location and amenities make this a terrific choice for corporate entertaining.
Address: 2-4 Obispo Orueta
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: World
Club Nautico restaurant in Bilbao’s Lopez de Haro Hotel in the centre of town just a few minutes from the Guggenheim. This is one cool hotel – Lou Reed stays here when he’s in town. Club Nautico’s décor is French-inspired, smart, a modern take on traditional styling with checquered floors, gilt mirrors, paneled pillars and walls, chandeliers, classic seating and unusual pink tablecloths. Chef Julio Heras' dishes include steamed hake with sauce of small squid, and menus change with the fresh produce of the seasons. Three exclusive dining rooms seat from 5 to 60 diners, so both location and amenities make this a terrific choice for corporate entertaining.
Address: 2-4 Obispo Orueta
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: World
Zortziko
Zortziko restaurant, just a few steps from Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, is iconic in its own way. This ultra-modern kitchen is sited in an elegant, 19th century mansion and is the place for business lunches and relaxed dinners. The formality of the setting – the three dining rooms are decorated in royal French, Victorian English and a more modern style – is deflated by the helpfulness and cordiality of the DJ’ed waitstaff. Chef/owner Daniel Garcia has earned his Michelin star through refinement of flavours in a truly Basque style at once inventive and conservative. Dishes change with the season, of course, and may include dishes like starter of txangurro salad, containing crabmeat on thin spaghetti with coral dressing, main course of blue duck slow-cooked served with a sweet rioja sauce, and a tasting plate of desserts to satisfy even the most adventurous gourmet. A single table in the wine cellar, the home of more than 600 labels, is reserved weeks in advance. Celebrity-magnet Zortziko (Frank Gehry, Pierce Brosnan) is one of Bilbao’s culinary star attractions.
Address: 17 Alameda Mazarredo
Price range: £65- £74 / €95-â
Cuisines: Other
Zortziko restaurant, just a few steps from Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, is iconic in its own way. This ultra-modern kitchen is sited in an elegant, 19th century mansion and is the place for business lunches and relaxed dinners. The formality of the setting – the three dining rooms are decorated in royal French, Victorian English and a more modern style – is deflated by the helpfulness and cordiality of the DJ’ed waitstaff. Chef/owner Daniel Garcia has earned his Michelin star through refinement of flavours in a truly Basque style at once inventive and conservative. Dishes change with the season, of course, and may include dishes like starter of txangurro salad, containing crabmeat on thin spaghetti with coral dressing, main course of blue duck slow-cooked served with a sweet rioja sauce, and a tasting plate of desserts to satisfy even the most adventurous gourmet. A single table in the wine cellar, the home of more than 600 labels, is reserved weeks in advance. Celebrity-magnet Zortziko (Frank Gehry, Pierce Brosnan) is one of Bilbao’s culinary star attractions.
Address: 17 Alameda Mazarredo
Price range: £65- £74 / €95-â
Cuisines: Other
Bermeo
The Bermeo Restaurant in the heart of Bilbao just a short walk from the Guggenheim and Sacred Heart Plaza has been hailed by critics as the best hotel restaurant in Spain. The Bermeo is set in the Ercilla Hotel, a four-star highrise, and the dining room itself is a sophisticated mélange of elegant nautical styling and contemporary comfort. The trad striped wallpaper works nicely with the faux antique seating, wood panelling, brass rails and orange upholstery. It is an elegant space, perfect for business entertaining or the private enjoyment of excellent food, though a little local celebrity-spotting might take place too, as the restaurant is a favourite of politicians, writers and Bilbao’s social set. The Bermeo offers the epitome of Basque cuisine in seasonal fish, seafood and meat dishes, things like homemade foie gras with essence of bay leaves, five preparations of cod, stewed partridge with glazed shallots, dessert of truffled figs. Fine wine list and excellent service, and there are private rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 600.
Address: 37 - 39 Calle De Ercilla
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
The Bermeo Restaurant in the heart of Bilbao just a short walk from the Guggenheim and Sacred Heart Plaza has been hailed by critics as the best hotel restaurant in Spain. The Bermeo is set in the Ercilla Hotel, a four-star highrise, and the dining room itself is a sophisticated mélange of elegant nautical styling and contemporary comfort. The trad striped wallpaper works nicely with the faux antique seating, wood panelling, brass rails and orange upholstery. It is an elegant space, perfect for business entertaining or the private enjoyment of excellent food, though a little local celebrity-spotting might take place too, as the restaurant is a favourite of politicians, writers and Bilbao’s social set. The Bermeo offers the epitome of Basque cuisine in seasonal fish, seafood and meat dishes, things like homemade foie gras with essence of bay leaves, five preparations of cod, stewed partridge with glazed shallots, dessert of truffled figs. Fine wine list and excellent service, and there are private rooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 600.
Address: 37 - 39 Calle De Ercilla
Price range: £45 - 54 / €65-â
Cuisines: Other
