Bilbao
The 1849-built Victor Montes attracts numerous luminaries but locals also appreciate its exquisite gilding, marble and frescoes, 1000-strong wine list and…
Must-see restaurants in Basque Country
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Hondarribia
Gastroteka Danontzat's fun, creative approach to dining combines beautifully prepared market-fresh fare with highly original presentation and props. Start…
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Bilbao
With old-fashioned wood-panelled walls and framed postcards written by adoring fans over the years, La Viña del Ensanche maintains a reputation as one of…
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Bilbao
Offering unexpected sophistication and fine dining in an otherwise fairly down-at-the-heels neighbourhood, this riverside restaurant has some critics…
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Bilbao
Equal parts cafe, bakery, microbrewery and dining destination, this postindustrial, multiroom space has a stunning line-up of daily dishes, from vegan…
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Hondarribia
Chef Jon Ayala and his maître d' sister Arantxa transformed these former stables into an open-plan dining space with glass cabinets where beef is aged for…
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Basque Country
Gaze out the windows at a view over the scorched plains and distant mountain ridges while dining on sublime traditional cuisine, such as oxtail and wild…
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Getaria
One of the world's most famous seafood restaurants, Elkano was founded in 1964 and embraces a 'fin-to-tail' ethos. Its speciality is seasonal fish…
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Bilbao
Black-truffle and cod soup with squid-ink ice cream; plankton ravioli with apple-pepper gel; smoked hake cheeks with turmeric and watermelon jelly; spiced…
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San Sebastián
With three shining Michelin stars, acclaimed chef Juan Mari Arzak is king when it comes to Basque nouvelle cuisine and his restaurant, 3.5km east of San…
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Bilbao
The Museo Guggenheim Bilbao’s Michelin-starred, modernist, white and ultraminimalist restaurant is under the direction of chef Josean Alija (a disciple of…
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Bilbao
Inside Bilbao's Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga) cultural centre, Yandiola features modern Basque and Spanish fare that is as highly touted as the strikingly…
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San Sebastián
Perched high up in the bucolic hills 10km southeast of San Sebastián, twin-Michelin-starred Mugaritz' calling card is chef Andoni Luis Aduriz' avant-garde…
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Bilbao
With a solid reputation among locals for good-value meals that don't sacrifice quality, this is a highly recommended place for a slice of real Bilbao…
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San Sebastián
In business since 1935, Arnoldo Heladeria makes San Sebastián's best ice cream. Alongside sorbets such as mango and passion fruit, and white peach, they…
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San Sebastián
From the outside, Antonio Bar looks like the sort of cafe you'd get in a train station waiting room. Hidden downstairs, however, is its six-table basement…
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Bilbao
Everyone's favourite pintxos spot on restaurant-lined Ledesma more than lives up to the hype with phenomenal pintxos and small plates made from high…
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San Sebastián
When a French bartender and an English cook with Pakistani-Saudi roots teamed up, they created one of the most innovative pintxos spots in town. This…
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Basque Country
Foodies flock to this outpost of culinary creativity, one of Vitoria's best restaurants. The menu changes based on seasonal produce, and might feature…
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Basque Country
This award-winning spot packs in the crowds with inspired bites such as octopus and sweet potato tacos, codfish tempura, and goat's-cheese, walnut and…
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Bilbao
One of Bilbao's best pintxos bars, El Globo packs a fabulous range of creative small bites, including favourites such as txangurro gratinado (spider crab)…
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Bilbao
On a mostly pedestrian lane near the bridge to the old town, La Camelia serves up excellent vegan fare, including hijiki salad, quinoa tabbouleh, tofu or…
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Bilbao
Colombo has real style with its big booths, vintage fixtures, oversized windows and upbeat grooves playing overhead. The food is no afterthought, however,…
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San Sebastián
This superlative restaurant, 9km southwest of San Sebastián, is considered by gourmands to be among the world's finest dining addresses. The chef, Martín…
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Basque Country
One of the best, if somewhat underrated, pintxo spots in town, Saburdi serves gourmet morsels of perfection in its stone-walled interior or sunny outdoor…
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San Sebastián
Just back from Playa de la Concha, Lanziego is all class, with its chandeliers, comfy booths and white-linen settings. Although the food might lack some…
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Bilbao
This celebrated three-Michelin-stared restaurant offers a superb setting – a contemporary steel-and-glass structure perched on a hillside 9km outside…
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San Sebastián
This is where chef Pedro Subijana creates cuisine that is a feast for all five senses. As with most of the region's top nueva cocina vasca restaurants,…
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Bilbao
Located on the 3rd floor of the Euskalduna Palace concert venue, Etxanobe is one of Bilbao's top restaurants. Its various tasting menus showcase…
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Getaria
Overlooking the port, this breezy spot has earned many fans for its fresh sardines, sea bream and flounder – fired up on the grill out front. Fish aside,…
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Bilbao
One of the best pintxo bars in the Casco Viejo, this popular place serves creative and outstandingly good bites, including tender mini steak burgers,…
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San Sebastián
Decorated in jade-green tiles, this contemporary stunner serves freshly shucked oysters and inventive pintxos, such as dried tuna and cold almond soup…
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Castillo el Collado Restaurant
Basque Country
There's an old-world feeling to the place, and classic Riojan dishes like roasted suckling pig. There's also an English-language menu, and, naturally, a…
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Bilbao
Going strong since 1959, Rio-Oja retains a rock-solid reputation for its traditional Basque dishes. Its cazuelitas (stews served in the clay ramekins in…
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Bilbao
Relaxed Baster serves a range of outstanding pintxos, including octopus skewers with potato, mini-quiches, house-made croquettes and delectable jamón (ham…
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Bilbao
Set over two levels, with a beautifully tiled ground floor dining room and a more contemporary space above, this welcoming restaurant excels at staples…
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Bilbao
A creaky old place full of ancient furnishings, Claudio has scarcely changed since it opened in 1948. As you'll guess from the name and the hams hanging…
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Bilbao
Near the San Antonio bridge, this easy-going spot draws mostly locals who come for hearty plates of roast chicken, salads topped with seafood or roast…
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Basque Country
This elegant restaurant rambles over several white-clothed dining spaces, including a glass-roofed terrace filled with greenery and flowers. Cutting-edge…
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Bilbao
Occupying a former salt warehouse, this low-lit space with exposed stone walls and elegantly set tables makes an atmospheric backdrop for high-end cooking…
