Last month, I took a quick solo city break in Bilbao – the largest city in the Basque Country and an excellent destination for great food and amazing art. I’d been to Bilbao a couple of times before and fully expect to go back there at least a couple of times again. It’s one of my favourite cities, mostly for the food and art but also for the dynamic street life.
If you enjoy traveling on your own and love urban culture, I can’t recommend a visit here highly enough. I can give a few good reasons for such a strong endorsement though.
So here’s some highlights from my trip for you to consider when planning your own getaway.
Pintxos Paradise
Pintxo means tapa in Basque. For the uninitiated, tapas are a very big deal in the Basque Country. Throughout the Basque Country (and indeed so much of Spain), bar and cafe culture is an integral part of social life. Small bars and cafes abound offering small plates and light meals to accompany drinks and coffee or to tide folks over until time for a late supper.
Most celebrated of Basque bar scenes is the one in San Sebastián. On the coast, with its picture perfect La Concha beach, the city gets the lion share of tourists in the region who are keen for a foodie holiday. The town has a wealth of excellent restaurants and pinto bars serving specialty plates and exquisite treats. If you’ve never been and you love to eat, you should visit San Sebastian. You’ll love it. The couple of times I’ve been, I’ve certainly enjoyed myself and eat extremely well.
But I reckon the food is just as tasty – if perhaps less exalted – in Bilbao, and offered with less fanfare and more of a lowkey local vibe.
That’s not to say the food scene in Bilbao is any secret. I’m not divulging anything new by saying Bilbao is a smart place to go to eat. A lot has been written about the food served there. You’ll find all sorts of info online about where to eat in Bilbao and plenty of lists of where to enjoy the best pintxos in town. Indeed, a bit of research went a long way in helping me decide where to go during my time there. However don’t take what you read online to be absolute gospel. My experience was that opening and closing times were different to what online listings (even Google’s) purported. More than once the “must try” items someone wrote about just didn’t exist and at least twice the person taking my order at a couple of bars had a look on their face suggesting it was weird to ask for that dish in this bar.
No time or inclination for research? No problem. You’ll also find it’s fun and easy to roam around and poke your head in any bar or cafe that seems promising or intrigues you in some way. Whether the venue happens to be world famous and highly acclaimed or not the odds are very much in your favour that the food will be very good and reasonably priced.
That said, I’m going to stick my neck out and recommend three spots for quality pintxos that I especially enjoyed.
- Cafe Iruna
Colón de Larreátegui Kalea, 13, 48001
… For gorgeously ornate interiors, excellent coffee, damn fine tortilla and good assortment of traditional pintxo standards. Online at cafeirunabilbao.net. - Bar El Eme
Calle General Concha, 5, 48008
… For the iconic El Triangual Eme sandwich consisting of freshly baked bread, lettuce, York ham, secret sauce and homemade mayonnaise, which might sound kind of plain but will be a revelation to your taste buds at first bite. Website: baremebilbao.com. - Baster
Posta Kalea, 22, 48005
… For a contemporary take on classic pintxos and Basque fare. Details at
basterbilbao.wordpress.com.
Amaren Restaurante
Diputazio Kalea, 6, 48009
Those in the know about Basque dining are well aware that it’s not just the bars that serve deletable dishes. Some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world are in this region with a good number set in or near Bilbao. Among them is Amaren.
This fine dining establishment in the heart of the city boasts a bespoke open fire grill and a menu featuring mainly dry aged beef sourced across the Iberian Peninsula, mostly nearby and in northern Spain. According to World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, Amaren in the heart of the city is the 14th best steakhouse in the world and the third best in Spain. I can’t complain about the cut I savoured here – a sirloin of Galician beef served on the rare side of medium rare. It was the best steak I’ve had in a very long time.
Visit the restaurant online at restauranteamaren.es.
Joan Miró. Absolute Reality. Paris, 1920–1945
Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Abandoibarra Etorbidea, 2, 48009
I know I’m talking a lot about food in this post, but the actual motivation for my trip was an exhibition at Bilbao’s biggest attraction, the Guggenheim. The show – Joan Miró. Absolute Reality. Paris, 1920–1945 – features some of the best know and loved pieces by the Catalan artist found the most prolific time of his life and explores how he straddled genres such as surrealism and dadaism without ever adhering to any style but his own.Miro show or no, the Guggenheim is worth a gander inside and out. Designed by star architect Frank Gehry, the museum’s unique style and prominent setting along the Nervion River make it one of the most remarked upon (and generally lauded) buildings of the late 20th century. Opened in 1997, it remains as vibrant and singular as a quarter century ago. More reasons to go? Works by modern and contemporary artists such as Koons, Kusama, Rothko, Basquiat, Warhol, Bourgeouis, Picasso, Serra and many more ensure there’ll be something to admire when you go.
The Miro exhibition runs until 28 May 2023. For details go to guggenheim-bilbao.eus.
Getting There
The A3247 city bus to/from the airport and a few convenient locals in the city centre. It runs regularly, is quick or quicker than a cab, and only costs €3 for a single journey. A hailed cab to/from the airport/city centre costs about €25-30. An Uber sets you back about €15-20.
Solo Sign Off
I visited Bilbao on my own – and had a blast! If you like traveling solo, consider adding Bilbao to your bucket list. It’s a fun and safe city for strolling around. You won’t stand out at all when you rock up to the bar for a pintxo or two or while taking in the grandeur of a great work of art at the Guggenheim.
There is sooooo much more to see and do (and eat!) in and around Bilbao. But as I mentioned earlier, you’ll find loads of tips and advice already out there for you to peruse. I just thought I’d share a few key aspects that made my last trip there so much fun. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time during your time there too.
