Eating in Bilbao
May 14, 2011 11:01 AM Subscribe
I am somewhat unexpectedly going to be working in Bilbao this week. Please recommend good places to eat in the evenings. Would like to go for fairly local cuisine, say up to euro25 per head without drink.
Yeah, the pinxtos are definitely abundant at night, but you'll still be able to find dinner for €25/head, although when in Rome...
I stayed in the old city for a couple of days on my way through two years ago. Bilbao itself is a very walkable city and I'm sure you'll be able to get around pretty well.
posted by jsavimbi at 11:29 AM on May 14, 2011
I stayed in the old city for a couple of days on my way through two years ago. Bilbao itself is a very walkable city and I'm sure you'll be able to get around pretty well.
posted by jsavimbi at 11:29 AM on May 14, 2011
Best answer: I hate to contradict JJ86; we do have a meal at around 1 to 3 pm (typically two courses) but we also have a more moderate dinner (one course) at around 9 to 10 pm . Almost every restaurant will open for dinner, and for your budget I expect a city like a Bilbao will have a lot to offer.
Now, my only gastronomic experience in Bilbao city center was indeed pintxos. Ask your host/receptionist how to get to the pintxos zone. I think one was the old town, and at least another one around Gran Vía. The point is to try a couple of places at least: order a glass of wine or a beer, choose a couple of pintxos (they're on display at the bar), repeat at the next bar.
If you're looking for local cuisine, keep an eye out for Asadores (grills) and Sidrerías (cider pubs). A typical sidrería menu is tortilla de bacalao (cod omelette) and chuletón a la brasa (grilled steak). The menu usually includes dessert and all the cider you can drink (basque cider mind you; for proper cider you should go to Asturias, but that's for another thread). This menu is more of a "special occasion" dinner, but normal nonetheless, usually on thursday or friday night when more people will be dining out, and more bars will be open for an after dinner drink. You might want to schedule an after dinner walk too, to help with digestion.
I'm sorry I can't point out specific places, you might want to check this out (reviews in Spanish :S). Again, ask your host, receptionist, colleagues, clients. Gastronomic societies are commonplace in the north of Spain and specially in the basque country, so you have a pretty good chance to find somebody who knows what they're talking about.
posted by valdesm at 3:08 PM on May 15, 2011
Now, my only gastronomic experience in Bilbao city center was indeed pintxos. Ask your host/receptionist how to get to the pintxos zone. I think one was the old town, and at least another one around Gran Vía. The point is to try a couple of places at least: order a glass of wine or a beer, choose a couple of pintxos (they're on display at the bar), repeat at the next bar.
If you're looking for local cuisine, keep an eye out for Asadores (grills) and Sidrerías (cider pubs). A typical sidrería menu is tortilla de bacalao (cod omelette) and chuletón a la brasa (grilled steak). The menu usually includes dessert and all the cider you can drink (basque cider mind you; for proper cider you should go to Asturias, but that's for another thread). This menu is more of a "special occasion" dinner, but normal nonetheless, usually on thursday or friday night when more people will be dining out, and more bars will be open for an after dinner drink. You might want to schedule an after dinner walk too, to help with digestion.
I'm sorry I can't point out specific places, you might want to check this out (reviews in Spanish :S). Again, ask your host, receptionist, colleagues, clients. Gastronomic societies are commonplace in the north of Spain and specially in the basque country, so you have a pretty good chance to find somebody who knows what they're talking about.
posted by valdesm at 3:08 PM on May 15, 2011
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posted by JJ86 at 11:20 AM on May 14, 2011