The best restaurants Basque Country

A popular bar in the Parte Vieja offering a wide range of pintxos. As in most of the bars in the area, you will have to elbow your way to the bar and discover its specialities: foie gras fried a la plancha (reputed to be one of the best in the area), baked txangurro (spider crab), pancakes with mushrooms, txangurro, etc., or the surprising sea urchin cream. Practical for beginners: labels indicate the composition of each pintxo! Note that there are a few tables to sit at.

Zurima is a small restaurant dedicated to world cuisine in the San Francisco area. Its vintage decoration and its good home cooking, which mixes without complex the most varied influences, are the key of its success. Here, the menu is constantly changing according to the season's products and the mood of the moment, but don't hesitate to try its daily menu: it's a sure bet! Black rice with squid ink, Thai salad with shrimps, green beef curry, grilled cauliflower with ras el-hanout (spices) and its couscous: a festival of flavors from all over the world!

Downstairs, the tapas bar. In the basement, two rooms in a simple rustic style. La Casa Vallés serves a clientele of regulars who appreciate its good and generous cuisine: vegetables, beans, chorizos, grilled prawns, fish, suckling lamb... Among its pintxos, try the gilda, the house speciality based on Ibarra peppers and anchovies. It is even said that the famous skewer was invented here by grandfather Blas Vallés, and that it owes its name to the film played by Rita Hayworth, released on Spanish screens in 1946. A classic!

Zabala is one of the city's most renowned restaurants. The premises themselves are surrounded by walls over two centuries old, while the restaurant has been open since 1962. Specializing in cazuelita (stew) and all kinds of dishes related to the slaughter of pork, the address made a name for itself in 1976 with the presentation of one of the province's most emblematic desserts, the Goxua, created by pastry chef Luis López de Sosoaga and still served today at Le Zabala. Excellent wine list and pleasant service room.

This address is the little sister of Bilbao's award-winning red meat specialist, Amaren. More accessible and no less appetizing than its parent's dishes, the menu at this Basque tavern specializing in gourmet hamburgers will have all gourmet meat eaters salivating. In addition to selected starters and succulent meat platters, there's a choice of a dozen burgers, all made with grilled beef. In short, enough to make a few people happy at a low price!

Mandabide Gastroteka is in a class of its own, being the only restaurant on the Zarautz promenade to boast three beautiful dining rooms (two facing the beach and a more confidential one for private dining), as well as a vast terrace. Here, you'll eat only the finest local produce, prepared with care and, for the most part, grilled. Meat and fish are delicious, to be accompanied by some of the very fine wines on offer. Professional service and sensational location. An address worth discovering.

Located in the heart of Zarautz, Okamika is a space designed for curious gourmets wishing to discover classic Basque cuisine with a touch of the avant-garde. Pintxos and more generous rations are served here, with recipes evolving according to the produce available in the area, season after season. The atmosphere is also very pleasant - quiet music and tasteful decor - and the service warm. A good address for picnicking as well as for more honest eating, or even a glass of wine.

Welcome to this caserio - typical rural Basque house - built in 1920 on the verdant coastal hill of Talaimendiune, with a spectacular view over the mouth of the River Oria. It's here that you can savour traditional Basque cuisine: top-quality products (the txuleton is outstanding) are served with the region's best txakolis. The site also doubles as a rural hotel. Ideal for recharging your batteries.

Bokat is an unlikely address where gastronomy meets... the sandwich(bocadillo en bocata in Spanish)! The idea was born from the meeting of five chefs with discerning palates, determined to squeeze all the subtlety, textures and flavors of haute gastronomy between two slices of bread. And the result is breathtaking! The dishes are both familiar and original, but above all they are made from carefully selected ingredients. It's a safe bet that if you stop by once, it won't be the last time!

The Barkaiztegi cider house is a benchmark in the world of traditional Basque cuisine. In fact, the same family - Irizar - has been running the place since 1930! In this vast comedor, where dark wood predominates, just a five-minute drive from the town center, you can sample the finest seasonal produce: from steak to grilled fish, from stuffed asparagus to roasted mushrooms, from Tudela artichokes to tuna breast. Barkaiztegi is also one of the few remaining traditional, family-run cider factories in San Sebastian.

Tilia Deli & Café is a rather informal concept where you can come at any time of day to enjoy dishes made exclusively from seasonal ingredients. From breakfast to weekend brunch, from the daily menu to the varied bistro menu, you're sure to find what you're looking for. What's more, the restaurant's location is not lacking in charm, with its bright dining room and wide-open terrace overlooking the Miramón forest. A fresh, gourmet, local stopover!

Discerning carnivores, rejoice! If you haven't yet had the chance to feast on a good chuleta during your visit to Bilbao, there's still time to do so, and in the nicest possible way: Amaren is a Bilbao red meat institution. The recipient of numerous awards (including ^14th place in the World' s 101 Best Steak Restaurants in 2023), it offers grilled prime rib, tartares and carpaccios, each more exquisite than the last. If protein doesn't scare you, go for it!

Welcome to Gorka Irisarri, chef acclaimed worldwide for his creations and publications. His Basque cuisine is creative and innovative. Irisarri sees his craft as an ephemeral art form, at the center of which lies a precious raw material: local, seasonal produce. You can go there to pick up a few dishes from the à la carte menu, or to try the tasting menu (which is particularly worthwhile!). You can also opt for the wine pairing option. Bon appétit!

With its air of an old-fashioned fishmonger's - from the tiled floor to the refrigerated display cases lining up trays of shrimps and other ultra-fresh prawns - the Perita Bar is a small, stylish address that will delight lovers of marine flavours. Specializing in shrimp, the bar's relaxed atmosphere is enhanced by lively music and a selection of wines perfectly matched to the dishes on offer. It's a different kind of place, a place where good spirits sparkle and where it's a pleasure to linger at the end of the day/evening and at weekends.

" We offer the finest Cantabrian anchovies from over 20 canneries in Bermeo, Ondarroa, Markina, Mundaka, Getaria, Zumaia, Santoña, Castro and Laredo " You've come to the temple of anchovies! The beautifully decorated tavern is located on the beautiful Plaza Nueva and offers anchovies in every conceivable form: canned, portioned, in sandwiches, pintxos... Ultra-fresh products lovingly prepared by hand every day. A reference in Bilbao.

Welcome to the most famous pintxos bar in the city! Located in the heart of the historic center, a stone's throw from Plaza Nueva, Josean Merino's tavern has been so successful that its concept has been exported to Madrid and Logroño. A la carte or by menu, you can try an incredible selection of pintxos, from the most classic to the most original. In addition to the traditional croquetas and rabas (fried squid), try the house "vaccine" (we won't tell you more!), the liver turrón or the surprising donut de cocido (stew).

In the charming little port of San Sebastián, this "Basque fishermen's house" offers a space dedicated to Basque fish. Both gastronomic and educational, this place aims to make known the species fished in the waters of the Bay of Biscay, while offering delicious tastings and a grocery corner. The fish is obviously ultra fresh, and the menu changes according to the seasons. Note also that various experiences are offered on site: visits to the Pasaia fish market, excursions on board a fishing boat...

Already well known in the local gastronomic scene, Paul Arrillaga and Maite Mujika have moved their "Zazpi" from Calle San Marcial to their new location in the San Telmo Museoa. In the tavern area, the pintxos offer a festival of flavors in a mini version, such as cod with pil-pil sauce or rice with mushrooms, truffle and liver, accompanied by an excellent selection of wines. The restaurant, with only seven tables, offers refined Basque cuisine. To be noted: its large terrace, very popular on sunny days!

In the fishing village of Orio, the sea bream has been the king of fish for generations, so much so that every year in July the Sea Bream Festival is celebrated. According to tradition, the fish is grilled in a parilla, a skill that Iñaki Zendoia learned from his father, owner of the famous asador Katxiña (now closed). The bodega is perched on a hill above the Oria River and is surrounded by txakoli vineyards. The place is beautiful, and very popular with Basque families for all kinds of celebrations.

In the Zenit Convento San Martín hotel, this elegant restaurant is run by the young Aitor Santamaría, who trained in the kitchens of Arzak before launching his concept of Euskal-sushi cuisine that combines Basque and Asian flavors. Very fashionable, this modern table in a decor of old convent seduces the palates in search of new flavors. On the menu, meat and fish à la parilla are served alongside txuleta nigiri or hake and piquillo maki. Original!

San Sebastian's newest gastronomic sensation, Argentinean Paulo Airaudo's restaurant earned its^second Michelin star at the end of 2021. Housed in the beautiful Villa Favorita hotel on the La Concha promenade, this restaurant offers Italian-inspired cuisine, with influences from Argentina and Japan, and a remarkable selection of champagnes. A little more informal than its competitors, the restaurant has a large bar where the cooks serve the dishes themselves to the customers. A superb address for gourmets!

New fashionable table worn by the famous Basque chef Martín Berasategui (three times starred in his eponymous restaurant). Located on the first floor of the Tayko Hotel, the restaurant has a chic-industrial decor, with brick walls and large black windows overlooking the ría. On the menu, some classics from the Lasarte parent company, and seasonal creations dictated by market produce. Caramelised millefeuille with foie gras and smoked eel, warm oyster with apple and cucumber-txakoli granita . Divine!

Right in the centre of Gernika, chef Ettore Learreta offers the best of local produce in his restaurant. In a contemporary bistro-style decor, you will enjoy excellent pintxos and raciones, and refined regional dishes: tuna carpaccio in olive oil, hake kokotxas, scallops and pumpkin purée... In the summer months, the chef offers a "menu on the high seas" during boat trips to the Urdaibai Reserve.

A classic in the Plaza Nueva! Since 1973, Bar Charly has been serving classic pintxos to a clientele of loyal customers and passing visitors. Its large terrace is a popular meeting place to drink a zurrito (small beer) with friends and share some raciones, especially the typical rabas that Bilbao's inhabitants love, and which Bar Charly won the competition for the best rabas in Casco Viejo in 2021. These small fried squids are eaten as an appetizer on Sundays around noon: a tradition worth trying!

A stone's throw from the metro, a bar-restaurant that is a good place to go at any time of the day for a coffee in the morning, a vermouth accompanied by pintxos as an aperitif, but above all to enjoy an excellent meal in the restaurant area. In an intimate setting, you can enjoy excellent Basque recipes reinterpreted to suit the latest tastes. Broken eggs with truffles, snails Biscayan style, chipirons a la plancha, etc. are accompanied by a remarkable selection of wines. Good value for money for the tasting menu (served for lunch and dinner)!

In the heart of Bilbao La Viejo, an authentic address that showcases Galician cuisine. For despite the hipster revolution that has taken hold of the neighbourhood, this vermutería has continued to offer the same classics for more than 40 years. Galician-style octopus, served as a pintxo or ración, is the star of the place! But the cecina or lacón croquettes are also worth the detour. They are accompanied by a small glass of vermouth, a speciality of the place!

"Taste is revealed in simplicity". That's how we might sum up the cuisine of two Basque chefs, Adrian Leonelli and Pablo Valdearcos, behind this small restaurant in the center of Bilbao. Nestled on a bend in the Nervion, the restaurant's sober interior is not lacking in thoughtful decorative details. But it's above all to taste a cuisine that's straightforward, well-balanced and that highlights the specificity and quality of each product that people come here. Locals and visitors alike flock here, especially for the very affordable tasting menu. Good wine list.

It's in the Casco Viejo district that we find this well-known address for Bilbao locals: Los Fueros, a Basque institution. Chef Paul brings a modern touch to his traditional heartfelt cuisine. On the menu of this two-level tavern with terrace are classic Basque specialties such as shrimp a la plancha, fish and seafood soup, lamb chop with mushrooms and pork chuleta ! Save room for dessert, they're all amazing! A typical address to try!

A former caserio surrounded by landscapes with a strong character, this is the setting in which young chef Julen Baz, as star-studded as he is stylish, officiates. There are two options here: the tavern, casual and bistronomic; and the restaurant, upstairs, with its dozen or so valley-facing tables. The 14-course fine-dining menu is a sensory and temporal voyage through Basque culture. The menu features ultra-fresh local produce grilled or stewed and eaten with explosive concentration. Exceptional wines.

A veritable institution in the region. And not without good reason: this is the third generation of restaurateurs we're dealing with here! The history of this grill is intrinsically linked to that of Tolosa. In the last century, paper professionals came here to sign their contracts, between a solid grilled txuleta and a good bottle of wine. Since then, the decor hasn't changed, and neither has the know-how. We come here to feast on incredibly melt-in-the-mouth cuts of beef in an atmosphere from another era! Splendid.