Easy Jet fly via Stanstead into the superb new Airport there is a local bus or taxi into the city.The bus goes to the Termibus where you can connect with metro, tram or coach services.
The city is in two distinct parts with the river in the middle but the whole city ringed by amazing hills at the foot of every street. The Old Part Casco Viejo contains the ‘Siete Calles’ seven streets lined with bars, the market (biggest covered market in Spain), the cathedral and the theatre.
The Other Side the Ensanche (the extension) are the impressive avenues, upmarket hotels and shopping, lovely cafes old established restaurants, Museo de Bellas Artes and of course the Guggenheim. There are also superb snail like new Metro Entrances of the Norman Foster designed metro (more of this later).
There has been a huge amount of city re-generation since the arrival of the Guggenheim and every visit sees more and more.
Melia Confort Arenal superb setting in the old quarter near Church of St Nicholas & Arriaga Theatre if lucky a balcony facing the river. Excellent rooms and facilities there can be good weekend rates available €€
Hotel Iturrienea Ostatua C/Santa Maris 14 Tel 94 416 15 00 In the Casco Viejo a lovely place very nice people, fabulous old fashioned rooms, ones at front with balconies noisy during the day and evening but fine at night. This is definitely the place to stay in the old part great value and super hospitality. www.iturriemeaostatua.com €
Short let apartments are available in the old town at www.arrigasuites.com they are owned by people who have a highly rated pension in San Sebastian and look lovely.
Hotel Sirimiri Plaza de la Encarnacion in various books €€
Hotel Petit Palace Arana, by the Arriga Theatre at the start of the Casco Viejo €€
There are now a number of new hotels springing up to cater for the increase in visitors
Basque cooking is renowned at the best in Spain and is fantastic even the Tapas (pinxtos) are works of art.
El perro Chico 2 Aretxaga Haunt of Frank Gehry, Richard Serra and many top names lovely restaurant with superb food at reasonable prices excellent service
Restaurant Guggenheim incredible design menu looked excellent good value lunch tapas in the bar of the restaurant ( not the museum bar/café) are works of art
Zortiko Restaurante 17 Alameda de Mazarredo menu looked excellent again reasonable prices another Frank Gehry hang-out.
Gorroxta 30 Alameda Uriquijo (this is in fact an arcade between two streets at night the livliest young hang out) this restaurant is highly recommended Basque Nouvelle cooking
Victor Montes Plaza Nuevo Dining room on bar level and upstairs great food, recommendations of staff are good excellent house rioja the tapas in the bar are legendary.
Harrobia, C/Perro in the old part is great value for the menu del dia, smart surroundings and a good choice, very popular with locals. Service could be a bit better.
There is a Sporting Club in C/Pelota used to be a members only club but is now open to the public and does an incredibly good vale menu del dia.
The taps or oinxtos in Basque are fabulous in Bilbao and there are more and more places doing waht could be described as new wave tapas, for ease i have lsited these by area.
Casco Viejo
Gure Toki, Plaza Nueva won the 2010 pinxto award, the food is fantastic try the winning one which is a baby potato stuuffed with pork knuckle, excellent.
Boxto Café Santos Juanes (next to bridge San Anton) new trendier type bar but with excellent food including an unbeatable set lunch
Rio Oja Calle Perro Recommended different types of casseroles
Café del Arenal Arenal 5 old grand café
Cafe Bar Bilbao, Plaza Nueva has some good pinxtos but the pricing seems high
Gatz, C/Santa Maria 10 is a more modern bar with a fantastic selection of pinxtos
Bar Irintzi Calle Santa Maria 8 modern with fabulous different tapas all fully explained but in Spanish just go and try them
Berton Calle Jardines 11 good selection of tapas and wines
Bar Eguiluz , C/Perro 4
Bar Los Fueros, C/Fueros 6 try the prawns!
Sagardotegia Asador Lizarra, Plaza Encarnacop 4
Taberna Txiriboga, Santa Maria 13 friendly bar good food
Bar Xukela El Perro 2 great food wines
Txakurtto, C/Pero 4 is a friendly local bar with good pinxtos
Cafe Bizitza, C/Torre is more of a late night bar and cafe with nice staff and a realxed atmosphere
Enstanche
In the Estanche there is a superb collection of bars with an older crowd than the Casco Viejo and some of the busiest bars and best food I’ve seen anywhere. The area is past the end of Gran Via and Plaza Moyua around the junction of Calle de Licenciado Poza & Calle de Gregorio de la Revilla and Calle Maestro Garcia Rivero, wall to wall bars all doing different types of food……..
Bar Okela, C/Maestro Garcia Rivero is another ward winning bar, great pinxtos
C/Ledesma which runs along the back of the Gran Via is worth exploring with a wide variety of bars.
Cafe Iruna, Jardines de Albia, a lovely tiled bar with a speciality of meat kebabs freshly cooked on a charcoal grill in the corner.
Deusto
This is a good local area to explore with some great bars along C/Blas de Otero take the metro to Deusto
Oriotarra 30 C/Blas de Otero fantastic pinxtos with a real local crowd
Txindoki 7 C/Blas de Otero, a modern bar with some excellent pinxtos
The Guggenheim of course
Museo de Bella Artes this has recently been extended
Palacio de la Musica y de Congresos
The Funicular de Archanda from the Casco Viejo side heading from the theatre towards the Guggenheim.This takes you high above the city and gives you the most fantastic views not to be missed.
Take the Metro out to the coast Stop at Getxo to see the hanging bridge ‘Puente Colgado’ then stop at Alogorta walk down hill from the station towards the old port a beautiful little village with some great bars, head out further to the lovely fishing town of Plenxtia (total journey from the Centre to Plenxtia about 40 minutes)Bermeo is also recommended this requires I believe a surburban train but looks lovely
If you have time try and visit San Sebastian get the bus from Bilbao Bus Station Metro to San Mames or the Tram two companies travel there Alsa & Pesa - 1 ½ hours by the motorway it’s a fabulous seaside city with a magnificent setting and an old part that has some of the most magnificent tapas in Spain.
Have a good TXIKITEO Basque for bar hopping !
Last Updated July 2010
