Truly one of the most bizarre and aggressively unpleasant dining experiences I've ever had. If you…read morehaven't been verbally abused in a while, look no further! My family and I came here during our trip to Bilbao. My sister and I ordered the meat medallions and simply did not enjoy them. Instead of forcing ourselves to continue eating meat that tasted like it came out of a prison cafeteria, we politely asked if we could order something else instead. The server or manager, still unclear which, although the ego strongly suggested management, immediately became defensive and hostile. He started lecturing us about how the meat is "supposed" to taste, as if informing us about pre slaughter cattle nutrition was going to magically improve this metal tasting dish. My sister continued patiently repeating that we did not enjoy this meat and asked if we could replace it with something else. At that point this fully grown man, who appeared to be well over 60 years old, aggressively grabbed the plates, slammed them together, and said, "Well I don't like the meat in your country, you Fu***** bi***." My sister is a minor, which makes the entire interaction even more disturbing. After his dramatic exit, loud enough to make the whole room uncomfortable, he shuffled back a minute later to continue explaining the meat to us as though we were lacking the intellectual capacity to understand the flavor profile of tenderloin beef. By then our appetite was gone, the atmosphere was ruined, and we decided not to order anything else. The medallions started it, but he finished the job, completely killing our appetite. The most concerning part is that he appeared to be in a leadership position. If this is how customers are treated for politely sending back a dish, it raises serious questions about basic professionalism in this restaurant. Bilbao has far too many incredible restaurants to waste your money being insulted by a man whose emotional stability clearly isn't suitable for the hospitality business PS: After reading other reviews, it appears there is a recurring pattern of defensiveness and hostility toward criticism rather than any effort to resolve issues professionally. How surprising. Shame on you sir. And shame on the restaurant for being represented by such an unprofessional individual.

This is the best restaurant we have eaten at in Bilbao. When you first enter it looks like a…read morenormal Pintxos bar, but they have a very elegant dining room in back. They open for dinner at 9pm, and you will need reservations. We had our hotel arrange the reservation. They specialize in Ribeye and fresh fish, both grilled. We ordered the Ox Chop Ribeye for two. It weighed over a Kilogram and was prepared to our request of medium-rare. It came with a fantastic amuse bouche of puréed squash soup and a bite of a seafood salad. We split a fresh lettuce, tomato, grated cheese, and olive oil salad. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and tasty. The steak was the best we have had in Spain. In my younger days I could have finished it all, but no more. The service was very attentive and the staff was very helpful and friendly. We considered ordering grilled octopus as a starter and they said it would be to much. They were right. It was not inexpensive (€171) but worth every euro. Can't recommend it enough.

One of the most colorful layouts of pintxos awaits at Zurekin, a tapas bar in the new city of…read moreBilbao! The classic tortilla made with egg, sliced potatoes, and lots of olive oil was juicy and succulent. The taco bonito was a rather dry but meaty chunk of tuna topped with chopped onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and plenty of olive oil. But the most unique pintxo I had came with two thick slices of creamy, melty brie cheese topped with a compote of mixed berries, and skewered with a mint leaf and a raspberry. Such a colorful melange of ingredients, and the sweetness of the berries had a nice contrast to the unctuous cheese!

We ordered the 'boletos salteados, huevo a baja temperatura y jamón' but they forgot the ham...It…read morewas a dish of mushrooms with a loose egg in the middle. We then ordered the entrecot which was pretty good. Bread was great, there seemed to only be one waiter around so no ordering extra drinks. Would've been easier to just get pintxos and drinks at El Globo next door.

Try everything. From the fish and chips, to the jamón, to the caldo. Don't miss out on the revuelto…read morecon jamón. The eggs are perfect. It's an institution for a reason.

Really excellent spot for pintxos but also super upscale dinner in Bilbao. Had foie gras and also…read morethe cod which both were incredible. Excellent service and a super fun vibe even late on a Wednesday night.

Wow, what a nice discovery. This tavern had exceeded my expectations. Served by real pros. The…read moreplace is very nice with friendly ambiance. They serve a "Txuleton" (Spanish version of a Tomahawk steak) served in a hot tray, where you can finish the cooking to your liking. We ordered green peppers.served with local finishing salt and "txhipirones", grilled small squids garnished with olive oil and garlic. I highly.recommend this place to the "purist" looking for a real traditional place in old town Bilbao. You will love it

We were introduced by a local and loved the octopus and shrimp pintxo we wanted to return. We tried…read morethe grilled squid and it was fantastic, seasoned well and lots of garlic.

One of the most renowned Pintxo houses in Bilboa. Famous for their truffle and spider crab…read moreversions. Both verified delicious. Had a small beer code named "Zurito" and a small vermouth code named "marianito" The play is to order the best pintxo and a small drink and move on. Thus the service is scaled that way. They were helpful and quick. Ambience? You stand on street with 80 other people. Go with the program and drink it in

The restaurant is one I found to be recommended for pinxtos (small, bite-sized snacks often on a…read morepiece of toasted bread). We sat outside and were told to order food inside. The thing about sitting outside is that there are smokers. :/ The pinxtos are premade and just heated up. We tried txangurro (spider crab) gratin, artichoke in tempura, and crispy squid with onion. I was a bit disappointed, because I didn't care for any of them. The bread was quite crusty. I guess pinxtos aren't my thing.

Excellent food, incredible service. No visit to Casco Viejo would be complete without several stops…read moreat this lovely place. Frequent enough and the staff will remember your favorite drink!

Baster ended up being my last meal in Bilbao. It's a neat spot but on a Saturday night, the inside…read morewas packed and all the outside seating was packed. I sort of lucked out as I placed my beer and pinxtos order at the outside counter just as a nearby standup table opened up. The Estrella was cold and satisfying. My sandwich took a little while to be headed up in the panini press but worth the wait. Tasty, filling and delicious. It's a neat spot right next to the big church wall. Neat space. Totally would return.

Just loved it. The Spanish start dinner after 8:30 pm, which is insane for me. That's my bedtime…read more But Larruzz is open all day. Just across the bridge from my hotel, I was so glad I found it here on Yelp. Besides good seating arrangements and nice decorations, the staff is also very friendly , although poorly English speaking. My Spanish is still a bit rusty :) I chose the paella with sea fruit. It was super delicious nom nom nom. Divine. Going back tomorrow scrumptious. Really.

Stopped in to try their Paella due to great reviews and I'm glad we did. It was a rainy day in…read moreBilbao and it was nice to have tasty and delicious paella. We had the vegetable and chicken and it was full of flavor muy delicioso. The service is great (especially with my limited Spanish, thanks for being patient) restaurant is clean and has a very nice atmosphere. Very close to the Guggenheim. I would recommend Larruzz.

This place was recommended by the hotel staff where we were staying. We tried to go during lunch…read morefor their Menu del Dia but it was too busy so we ended up going elsewhere. I am glad we had another opportunity to check it out! The night before we left town, we stopped by Las Cepas again but this time for "pintxos" (Basque tapas) around 7 p.m. - early by Spanish standards. We went early on purpose so that we could grab a couple spots at the bar. Between my broken Spanish and the bartender's broken English, we managed to find out what each of the pintxos on display actually were whether it be Spanish tortilla, calamari, tuna, chorizo, mini burger, and more - all served on bread. Meant to be more of snack, my daughter and I had three each and found that they make a nice little meal. Fresh and delicious! It was a surprise that they were only €1.50 each! And the wine was also a bargain!

Good was very good but not special. The ambiance was very good but not special. The service was…read moresurprisingly bellow Bilbao standards... lots of mistakes, slow and nothing about it made the meal feel... well you know special. At this price point there are better options close by