Nice three course lunch with delicious fresh pea soup, cod (of course), sorbet and local cider, all for a reasonable price and in a lovely period dining room. Service was impeccable. read more

Café Iruña is one of Bilbao's most iconic cafés, and the interior is absolutely breathtaking. The Moorish-inspired architecture, colorful tilework, intricate wooden ceilings, and historic ambiance make it feel like you're dining in another era. It's worth visiting for the setting alone. The menu offers a nice variety of Basque classics, pintxos, seafood, and Spanish favorites. We tried the Gilda, Iberian ham, croquetas, and paired everything with a glass of chilled Txakoli. The food was good, but nothing really stood out. After eating at several other places in Bilbao, we found it to be fairly average. The service was the weakest part of our visit. The staff seemed overwhelmed and were constantly rushing around. They weren't rude, but they came across as distant and it was difficult to get their attention. It may have just been because the restaurant was very busy, but it did affect the overall experience. read more

We got there quite late at night. 11:00pm. Midnight is closing time. We were ignored, so my husband went up to the bar. He ordered in Spanish (which was finally acknowledged). Our bartender grabbed the icecubes for my drink with his hands. Luckily, I'm not squeamish. We paid cash and sat down. They clearly wanted everyone out before midnight. They were hauling in their chairs to stack. There were bugs crawling all over the bar. I watched them scurry and hide in the cracks. The room is really neat, but needs a good scrub. The bar stools that have cracked covers need attention. I wish I'd had a chance to eat the famous lamb pinchos. The pictures looked yummy. Prices were decent. There is outdoor seating available. read more

Definitely a must stop while in Bilbao. Unfortunately, we were already quite full by the time we arrived to Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui since we were having a day of gastronomy. We ordered a few pinxtos, but unfortunately, I cannot remember exactly what we ordered. However, I do remember that we all enjoyed what we ordered...whatever it was. ;) The service is pretty straightforward and the staff was nice and very helpful in helping us decided what to try. I will say that the overall ambiance was beautiful because the restaurant/cafe has retained a lot of the aesthetic from when it opened in the early 1900s. As a tourist, I thought the prices of the pinxtos and wines were pretty reasonable. Perhaps, if we visit Bilbao again, we should make Cafe Iruña our first stop. read more

The food, stellar. The service, doesn't matter. The ambiance, just wander about the place, sneak upstairs, use the loo, gaze at the walls. This place is heavenly in a sea of perfect pinchos! Now, what to order? Don't even think about it--you have to get the house specialty jamón toast. It is perfect--chopped jamón and toasted bread. Sounds so mundane. Sorry, words cannot convey. And the photo will look like cat gack, so just believe me and order it and it will not disappoint! read more

Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui - Storefront - Spanish Near Me - Bilbao, BI

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A tasty pinxtos here in a fancy restaurant in Bilbao. The sign at the front indicates that they've been here since 1903 and it shows in terms of polished brass and a large open restaurant that just feels... classic. Interesting pixtos on the counter, I picked the one that looked good and a glass of their house rioja. Both were excellent. The pinxtos had both an anchovy and a sardine on it with a pepper and a tomato relish on top of a slice of bread. Absolutely delicious. Strong recommendations for this classy restaurant! read more

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When you have great relationships within the culinary world, you take advantage of that knowledge and ask for suggestions, specially because probably every chef who has been to the Basque Country can give you top spots for food. Café Iruña was my first stop for food in Bilbao. A classic of this highly energetic and lively city. This place was recommended to me and we thought "well, another pintxo place", but not quite. What an experience! We decided not to eat at the "sit down dinner tables" because we wanted something more casual and relaxed after a full day of driving. Once we dropped off our luggage and car, we walk in and everything smelled and looked amazing. Having Cava and Cañas all night could only get better with the great pintxos we ordered, but in particular, the pintxo moruno. This was a little cart-like setup on the entrance corner of the restaurant with one person making pintxos with the most amazing seasoning and the right amount of lemon. Although pictures may not make it justice, this was probably one of the highlights of the trip! We then discovered this was an extension of their original location "EL PINTXITO" (close by to the Guggenheim if you are looking for a bite around your tour agenda of the day). read more

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3.5/5 stars We came in for an afternoon snack. The food on the counter was just OK. The item I recalled most is the station where they are grilling the lamb on a stick aka "Autentico Pinchos Morunos de Carne Cordero" Worth checking out if you like lamb! I don't generally like lamb, but it was not gamey at all!! read more

This classic spot is enormous, low-key, and as a result much less intimidating to us tourists. It can still be hectic and confusing during peak hours but at least there is more space for you to stand around and pretend you know what you are doing. I mainly love it for the classic decor and the "classic" local patrons. If you are sitting down, just grab a table first and then get up to look for your food. The signature lamb skewers are grilled to order in the front room, just look for the line. You have to pay as you order and then bring them to your table or to the bar to consume. They are very tender and flavorful but lack that certain texture I like with grilled meat. The grilling station is not operational all day, so if you are not here during meal times you may not get to enjoy them. There is another section to restaurant in the back. The cold pintxos are lined at the bar. For these and drinks you can just go up to the bartenders and order. These are just okay, I wouldn't say they are the best in town. You can pay at the bar right after you order or flag down a waiter after you are done. I think this is a good place to ease into the pintxos scene at Bilbao. read more

Came to this traditional, old school pintxos restaurant, one of the oldest in the city, specifically to try the pincho (or pintxo) moruno which they are famously known for. This pincho is a grilled lamb skewer, the meat is perfectly seasoned, grilled to order. The grill station is off to a corner of the restaurant, can't miss it. You may need to wait in line for a bit but it goes by fast and it's well worth the wait. The pieces of lamb are so tender and the addition of a bit of squeezed lemon juice just enhances the flavor so much. read more

Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui - Pincho moruno, so good! - Spanish Near Me - Bilbao, BI

Cute little cafe. Staff weren't exactly super welcoming or helpful. I ordered the breakfast with coffee, fresh orange juice and pintxo. I picked the mini baguette with jamón. No complaints about my meal. Served promptly, juice was yummy and pintxo was pretty good. And all for €3.95 :) read more

This is a beautifully decorated bar just off the main shopping street in Bilbao. I had a couple of claras (fanta limon with lager) and an absolutely delectable lamb kebab, piquant with both spice and lemon. Regular pintxos looked ok too, I tried one sort of minced ham one that was very oily but would certainly keep you going for a while! Well worth a stop off to admire the beautiful Moorish tiles and it also has free wifi. read more

Decoration of restaurant is busy with authentic Basque pinxos. Tasting many pinxos or tapas as the rest of Spain calls them. Some were very good other's were not so tasty. Wait staff pleasant and accommodating. Not my my favorite type of food. I guess not what I am used to eating. Restaurant is supposed to be a favorite with locals. Long line waiting to come in. read more

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This is my go-to spot while I'm showing my visitors from back home a tour of Bilbao. The bar is famous for its Andalusian tiles, which is something unique in the area and makes it popular both with tourists, as well as many locals. I'll be honest, the only thing I've had here are their expertly-made cafés con leches, and the lip-smacking good lamb kebabs called pinchos morunos. They are worth the visit alone. Service is always polite and speedy. The bar area can get crowded, but don't let that put you off. Run, don't walk here, and get your hands on some of the pinchos morunos--stat! read more

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Very nice authentic caffe. Since 1903. It has a good location. We were looking for traditional cuisine and Sidra. And we found its yesterday evening. Plenty of loudly speaking and laughing people created a noisy atmosphere. Everybody drunk beer, wine or sidra and eat pintxos. There was a really wide range of tasty pintxos. It was success! Thanks a lot! read more

Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui - Spanish Near Me - Bilbao, BI

Very nice place!! Really liked the pinchos and they had very good wine! I don't think the restaurant is very cosy because it's more behind the scenes. In the cafe the atmosphere is nice and a bit loud but not disturbing at all! Nice people are here to serve you :) I really recommend this place to have a nice long dinner with different kinds of pinchos ! read more

Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui - Spanish Near Me - Bilbao, BI

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Super authentic, pintxos and txakoli yum. Old school decor and bartenders, just like Spain! read more

Cafe Iruña Colon de Larreategui - Spanish Near Me - Bilbao, BI

On a drizzly afternoon, we were looking for a place to sit down inside for a bit with a drink. After a bit of a walk and passing by a couple more serviceable options we stumbled on this coffee shop. Perfect atmosphere and plenty of snacks and drinks to plan out our last day in the area. read more

Wonderful atmosphere and friendly people. Small room upstairs is quite special - as is the veal loin - tender, juicy and medium rare. We feel like we stole the dinner for two for €50. And even has English menu. read more

Three friends and I came in for the meal of the day and we were not disappointed. It contained a starter, main meal, dessert, and a drink for around 14.5 Euros. The quantity and quality were top notch although a little too much oil in my opinion. The vegetables were heavenly, the meats were treated with such care, and the sauces were just perfect. Overall the food was absolutely amazing and I highly recommend coming here for their meal of the day. read more

Food wasn't bad. The guy was peeved when we didn't order drinks. When we got the bill they tried to rip us off. Not cool.

Rick Steves and other travel guides sent us here and we're glad they did! The skewered lamb is cooked over charcoal in the back corner of the bar with an ingenious ventilation system (sorry, I'm an engineer) that keeps the coals hot and the fumes out. Called Pincho Maruno, for 2.50 euros it was so good we had to have two apiece. Located in a great dining area after we snacked on that we wandered around to some other nearby places for more to eat/drink. read more

There was a lot of hype built up for some really mediocre food. The tapas (pintxos) were decent but nothing special; you could get the same quality tapas at any place along the same street in Bilbao. Cool ambiance though. read more

Fantastic cafe - went for lunch and had a variety of light bites in addition to the kebab skewers and some wine. It was really a good deal and so tasty. Can't wait to return. read more

Unbelievable value and quality of food & wine. Completely authentic and full of locals. If you want the real pintzis experience then start here! read more