The best restaurant in town! The family has owned this place for quite awhile and know what they're…read moredoing! If you're up for a big meal, definitely do the menu Del Dia. Per traditional basque dining, this place opens pretty late for dinner and on more popular days it's not a bad idea to get a reservation. It's not super touristy so don't expect anyone to speak English to you. It's not ideal for dining alone but it's doable and the owner is super nice.

This restaurant offered great value and was a fun place for a tourist to have a meal. Filled with…read morelocals,bustling with activity and serving fresh local meals.

We were Americans traveling in Bilbao and away from home and family on our Thanksgiving Day. We…read morechose this restaurant because it was known for Bacalao. We had the Menu Lekeito, which allowed us to have three appetizers (they gave us all four), a choice of entrees, a sampling of desserts, and wine. Everything was exquisitely presented, tasted delicious, and served well. What I loved most was the coziness and comfort of the restaurant and the kindness of the servers and hosts. All of the staff was patient with our limited Spanish and explained all of the dishes and choices to us. They greeted us warmly and thanked us for coming. I would definitely recommend this place. Thanks for making us feel "at home" with such delicious Basque food on our Thanksgiving holiday.

Small, easy breezy bar that is perfect for meeting up with friends to chat about nothing. Since we…read morewere doing an impromptu walking culinary tour of the city, our time at Irrintzi was very short (eg one beer and pintxo). However, we did enjoy our time at the pub, and I hope to return whenever I make a trip to Bilbao. The bartender was great and very patient with the time it took us to decide on a yummy treat.

4.5 stars Irrintzi in the old city of Bilbao is all about…read more"pintxos&friends," and this casual bar sports some unique creations. First, I tried the classic pil-pil, a chunk of cod topped with a creamy sauce made of the cod skin along with garlic and oil. Then there was a pork "taco" made of breaded chunks of honey-glazed pork (it definitely reminded me of an Asian preparation), served along with seaweed salad in a "taco" shell made of nori on the inside and a crispy cornmeal coating on the outside--truly one of the most unique bites of food I've ever had! Finally, I had the octopus carpaccio topped with a dollop of mashed potato, all topped with a piece of crispy jamon. The creaminess of the mashed potato went perfectly with the tender octopus, and the umami, savory piece of jamon brought all the flavors together!

Superb restaurant specializing in Basque cuisine…read more I was invited by my Basque hostess along with several others who are organizing the conference I'm in Bilbao for. Unfortunately I misremembered the date (I thought the dinner was tomorrow) and showed up two hours late, just as the last few courses were being served. Let me assure you, that was more than enough! The first dish I tried was a local specialty - poached egg on a bed of sheep's milk cheese, with chanterelle mushrooms. The cheese tasted quite salty, and I was encouraged to mix it all up. That made it umami-licious, but the texture became quite glutinous (I'm certain our ten year-old would have turned it away). This was followed by bacalao, another local staple, and steak and potatoes, which I washed down with glass of Spanish Roja. Finally, dessert - caramelized flan with toasted nuts and ice cream - likely the best I've ever tasted! Everyone else was looking quite satiated and just picked at this sublime dessert, which surprised me. Then I realized they had been at the dinner two hours longer than me, and probably had about 8-10 more items than I had. I guess getting the date wrong worked out just fine!

Food was tasty but portions small even for small plates. Flavors were not impactful. Service not…read moregreat.

Great wine selection and delicious pintxos. Beautiful ambience and friendly service, too. Love it.read more

Great food, great ambience and great prices highly recommended if you're in Bilbao Spainread more

Located in the Barcelo Bilbao Nervion hotel this restaurant is very nice. The staff is very helpful…read moreand friendly. For 13€ you can choose from three starters, three entrees, and three desserts. A glass of wine and a bottle of flat or sparkling water is also included. I ordered the lasagna, grilled meat and potatoes, and assortment of cakes. A bottle of sparkling water and rose to wash it down. I am happy to report that I enjoyed the meal very much. The lasagna was tasty and well executed. The meat was perfectly cooked with a light char on the ends. The desserts consisted of a tasting of a chocolate coconut cake, tiramusu, and lemon cream cake. All three were very good but the lemon cream cake wqs my favorite. I will definately be dining here again very soon.

Service was friendly. Prices were reasonable. Food: excellent presentation but bland and average…read moretaste. Overall it is ok if you are tired and staying in the hotel, but not worth seeking out.

Bilbao is full of unassuming Cafe Bars like this. This one is inhabited with friendly staff and…read morelocals. It's located on a pedestrian square without cars. Good Cappuccinos and Pixtnos. We has a Tortilla and some toast. Whole thing was less than 20 euro for two.

We had the most amazing food experience here that we came back for more. Love all the pintxos that…read morewe tried. Everything was so fresh and delicious. Service was very fast and efficient. Nice bar, very fast paced.

Walked in at 12:45 pm on a Sat. & were seated after agreeing to free our table by 2:45 pm, as the…read morerestaurant was sold out. Had great service & was very please by this Basco-Asian fusion food! Great experience!

One of those incredible dining experiences that leaves you with a glow…read more We were lucky to get a seat without reservations, right next to a window looking into the kitchen, so we got to watch the work behind the magic. After a couple minutes of struggle, the wait staff printed a copy of the menu in English for us. It ended up just being a road map, because we chose the 6 course chef's menu, and we were so glad we did. From the miso/jamon shooter as an appetitive, through starters like cuttlefish salad and marinated mackerel, ending in incredible main courses like a sou vide cod on cauliflower purée or the pork shoulder.... Each course was better than the last. Only two negatives... The dessert was a bit of a miss. A lemon meringue, the custard was to tart, and the almond cookie crust too salty. Also, the pace of dining was a bit rushed, and not the leisurely experience we've come to love about Spain. But those both were small complaints next to the wonderful dinner and incredible service. If you're in Bilbao, you must try this place.