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$$ | Centro |
Tuna carpaccio with pickled Basque peppers, battered hake cheeks, tripe and pork jowl stew—these are some of the classics you'll find on the menu at Antonio, a neighborhood standby that serves unpretentious pintxos at fair prices. Ask about specials, which vary depending on what's in season.
Calle Bergara 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- No-nonsense pintxo bar
- Packed with locals
- Regional beers and wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$ | Casco Viejo |
Rest your legs at this third-wave coffeehouse that uses a sleek La Marzocco machine and is furnished with cushy armchairs and floor lamps. There are also small-production vermouths and local craft beers to try alongside soups, sandwiches, and other snacks.
Calle Arechaga 6, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48003, Spain
Known For
- Best café con leche in town
- Excellent craft beer selection
- Homey, inviting ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Gros |
A Gros neighborhood stalwart, the ever-bumping Bodega Donostiarra is famous for its down-home dishes centered on Basque conservas such as oil-packed anchovies, pickled hot peppers (piparrak), and bonito del norte (albacore). All three of these find their way onto the "completo," a locally famous mini-baguette sandwich that's deliciously tart, juicy, and salty all at once.
Calle Peña y Goñi 13, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Fresh seafood dishes prepared "al minuto"
- Can't-go-wrong menu of Basque classics
- Pleasant outdoor terrace that fills up fast in summer
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$ | El Ensanche |
This historical Bilbao haunt (est. 1903) in the Ensanche's most popular garden and square has azulejo-lined walls, dreamy murals of rural scenes, and a painted artesonado ceiling. Stick to tried-and-true classics like Basque steak frites or bacalao al pil pil. The room overlooking the square is the place to be—if they try to stuff you in the back dining room, resist or come back another time.
Calle Berástegui 4, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48001, Spain
Known For
- No-nonsense Basque comfort food
- Packed with locals
- Intricate neo-Mudejar dining room
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Don't be put off by the slightly outdated decor of this Parte Vieja stalwart—the kitchen at Casa Urola is easily one of the city's most adroit, whether you post up at the informal bar or sit down to a multi-course meal. In the dining room, savor appetizers made with hard-to-find regional vegetables like cardoon, borage, and tiny de lágrima peas before moving onto entrées like seared squab, presented with a pâté of its own liver, and roasted hake loin, served with white wine and clams. Save room for the signature torrija, custardy fried bread crisped in brown butter and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Calle de Fermín Calbetón 20, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Flawless Basque cuisine
- Restaurant industry favorite
- City's best torrija
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Textbook-perfect Basque classics draw a local crowd at this Ensanche restaurant run by a seasoned husband-and-wife team on the cusp of retirement—so visit while you still can! Seasonal Basque delicacies, like earthy perretxico mushrooms, meaty fresh anchovies, and tender white asparagus, round out a perennial menu whose star dishes include squid braised in its own ink and hake in salsa verde.
Calle Ramon Ortiz de Zarate 5, Vitoria, Basque Country, 01005, Spain
Known For
- Over-and-beyond service
- Varied wine list
- Basque restaurant classics done right
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
This busy bar and sedate downstairs restaurant near Plaza de la Constitución is run by the third generation of the same family. Exquisite minimalist morsels range from white Huelva prawns to homemade foie gras to roast squab and—the house specialty—wild mushrooms topped with an egg yolk.
Calle San Jerónimo 21, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- To-die-for wild mushrooms
- Traditional Basque pintxos
- Lively atmosphere in the bar area
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tue., No dinner Sun.
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This legendary tavern (est. 1968), which remains surprisingly calm even during San Fermín, serves some of the city's best tapas. Choose between classics like garlicky mushroom brochettes and jamón-filled croquetas, or spring for more modern creations such as seared goose liver toasts or almond-encrusted morcilla. It opens at 9 am.
Calle Espoz y Mina 7, Pamplona, Navarre, 31001, Spain
Known For
- Delectable foie gras
- Delicious tapas for all budgets
- Old-timey atmosphere
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$$ | Casco Viejo |
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant outdoor lunch in Bilbao than at this chic little pintxo bar with sunlit tables smack on the charming Plaza Nueva. Fried rabas (squid strips), croquetas, and locally made txistorra (smoky chorizo sausage) never come off the menu for good reason.
Plaza Nueva 12, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Unbeatable location for people-watching
- Knockout pintxos
- Efficient service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
For pintxos that deftly toe the line between traditional and experimental, there is no better bar than this Parte Vieja cubbyhole renowned for its seared foie gras, braised veal cheeks, and garlicky razor clams a la plancha. Throw a few elbows, order a couple glasses of txakoli, and get ready for pintxo paradise.
Calle Santa Korda 4, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
Known For
- Dependably tasty—and well-portioned—pintxos
- Sardine-can digs
- Parte Vieja standby
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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In 2022, Spain's oldest churrería—perhaps Pamplona's top culinary attraction—rang in 150 years. In this hole-in-the-wall resembling a medieval foundry, hypnotic whorls of dough fry to crackly perfection in vats of Navarran extra-virgin olive oil set over beechwood flame. La Mañueta keeps bizarre hours: 7–11 am on Sundays in October, 8–11:30 am on the two Saturdays prior to San Fermín, and 6–11 am during San Fermín week.
Calle Mañueta 8, Pamplona, Navarre, Spain
Known For
- Churros with over a century of history
- Limited hours
- San Fermín rite of passage
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Aug.–Sept., Nov.–June
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This bright, modern bar is a great spot to try seasonal, market-fresh tapas like heirloom tomato salad with chilies and raw onion or cheesy mushroom "carpaccio," but locals flock here for one dish in particular: oreja a la plancha, griddled pig's ear swimming in punchy brava (spicy) sauce. Shatteringly crisp and unapologetically rich, it's one of the best versions you'll have in Spain.
Calle de San Agustín 10, Logroño, La Rioja, 26001, Spain
Known For
- Offal even the squeamish can learn to love
- Wide selection of small-production wines
- Amiable bartenders
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$$ | Parte Vieja |
This centrally located, no-frills bar is almost always crowded, drawing busloads of tour groups as well as locals, who come to try the worth-the-hype "burnt" cheesecake with an oozy core. This silky, creamy dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, while, on the savory side, the underrated pintxos—red peppers stuffed with bacalao, croquetas, veal meatballs, what have you—sing alongside a glass of Rioja.
Calle 31 de Agosto 3, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- World-famous cheesecake with a cult following
- Old-timey ambience
- Wide variety of classic pintxos
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | El Ensanche |
Littered with used napkins and furnished with simple wood tables beneath hams hanging from the rafters, this lively, deceptively simple bar attracts locals and tourists alike for its exceptional pintxos and affordable breakfasts. Don't pass up the deconstructed Galician-style octopus on a bed of mashed potatoes laced with pimentón (paprika) or the appetizer of house-made foie gras with three preserves. For a more exclusive (and pricier) fine-dining experience, reserve a table at the abutting El Taller, and be sure to peruse the gourmet food store stocked with local conservas, cured meats, wines, and cheeses.
Diputazio 10, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48008, Spain
Known For
- Croquetas flecked with top-shelf Joselito jamón
- Loud, convivial atmosphere
- House-made foie gras
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$ | Casco Viejo |
Consistently delicious, shockingly affordable, and unapologetically old-school, Pentxo is the sort of restaurant Bilbaínos like to keep to themselves. Whether you pop in for a pintxo at the bar (the flash-fried antxoas rellenas, or stuffed anchovies, are a must) or come for breakfast or a €16 prix-fixe lunch (opt for whatever seafood main is listed), you'll leave wishing you could be a regular.
Calle Belostikale 20, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48005, Spain
Known For
- Local crowd
- Outstanding pintxos and coffee drinks
- Unbeatable lunch deal
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | Parte Vieja |
Sample experimental pintxos here like Kobe beef sliders (the house specialty), béchamel-stuffed mussels, and Basque-style "pastrami" made from indigenous pigs. The dim lighting, industrial decor, and rock posters attract a young, hip crowd.
Calle 31 de Agosto 31, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- "MakCobe" beef slider
- Innovative pintxos
- Cool crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | |
The unassuming interiors of this Casco Viejo standby belie a sophisticated kitchen that has won numerous awards for its knockout pintxos including txangurro gratinado (crab gratin), gildas (olive-anchovy-pepper brochettes), and rabbit ravioli. Order and pay at the bar, then carry your nibbles outside to the first-come-first-served patio.
Cuesta San Francisco 3, Vitoria, Basque Country, 01001, Spain
Known For
- Worth-the-wait creative bites
- Devoted local crowd
- Aperitivo hour rush
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$$ | Gros |
Winner of many a miniature cuisine award (don't miss the prawn-filled txalupa tartlet), this Gros neighborhood standby offers outside-the-box takes on traditional tapas and pintxos. It also serves more substantial dishes for sit-down meals.
Calle General Arteche 8, San Sebastián, Basque Country, 20003, Spain
Known For
- Variety of newfangled and traditional pintxos
- Heavenly foie gras
- Lively atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
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$ | Casco Viejo |
The kitchen is open until midnight in this unfussy Casco Viejo pintxo spot. The industrial design—think tables with a green polyethylene finish and exposed pipes—belies a comfort-food-heavy menu with star dishes like octopus brochettes and juicy grilled steaks.
Calle Jardines 8, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48005, Spain
Known For
- Top-quality steaks
- Terrific value
- Night-owl hot spot
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Pamplona's gentry have been flocking to this ornate, French-style café since 1888, but in 1926 Ernest Hemingway made it part of world literary lore in The Sun Also Rises. You can have a drink with a bronze version of the author in his favorite perch at the far end of the bar, or enjoy views of the plaza from a table on the terrace. Service is spotty; grab a beverage and a tapa here, but skip the food.
Pl. del Castillo 44, Pamplona, Navarre, 31001, Spain
Known For
- Major tourist attraction
- Chocolate con churros
- Grand, ornate dining area
