Tapas bar hopping in Indautxu (Bilbao) and surroundings

It could be said that going pintxos hopping is one of the favorite pastimes in the Basque Country. For the tapas, of course, but also for what is associated with them: spontaneous meetings with friends in the usual bars to have pleasant conversations. And in Bilbao, the art of poteo goes beyond the mere gastronomic experience to become a full leisure activity. If you are visiting Bilbao, one of the activities you cannot miss is a route through the most well-known pintxos bars in the city. In this article, we learn which bars you should start with and the essential places to go pintxos hopping in Bilbao. Discover them! The route of the best pintxos in Bilbao The Old Town is undoubtedly the pintxos area par excellence in Bilbao, one of the best in its category, where our Hotel Silken Indautxu is also located. Just five minutes from the hotel—or two streets on foot—you will find Licenciado Poza Street, a street that holds the title of having one of the largest concentrations of bars on the peninsula. So if you are looking for places to eat pintxos in Bilbao, this is the right place. From the Diputación building to the San Mamés stadium, also known as the “Cathedral” of Athletic Club, this area combines daytime pintxos restaurants and bars with multiple nighttime venues to have a drink. Being a pedestrian street with wide sidewalks that act almost as extensions of the bars, it is especially busy both with locals and Athletic Bilbao fans on match days. Here are some of the pintxos bars and restaurants in Bilbao that you cannot miss: Izaro It is the undisputed king of the Spanish omelette not only in Bilbao but throughout Vizcaya. This is evidenced by its status as winner of the Best Omelette contest at the national level in 2009 and the best omelette in Vizcaya for three consecutive years. Despite the small size of the place, a not very long bar, and few tables, it is a must-visit if you like Spanish omelette that melts in your mouth. In addition, Izaro also has other classic pintxos like bonito with onions tacos, gildas, or assorted montaditos. Here you will undoubtedly find some of the best pintxos in Bilbao. Ziripot With its large terrace, this place combines the classic pintxos like Spanish omelette, croquettes, or stuffed mussels with a much more modern and elaborate menu featuring dishes such as seafood brick, oxtail stew with fried apple, and cod pil-pil. Among its various omelettes, Ziripot offers its own recipe with spinach and txistorra. Bihotz Zuri-gorria The biggest football fans also have their special pintxos bar: Bihotz Zuri-gorria. The name of the bar, written in Basque, means “white-red heart,” so it won’t be hard to mingle among the local fans to enjoy authentic Basque pintxos with ham, goat cheese with jam and walnuts, or txistorra, among other varieties offered at very good prices at this small but cozy place. Serrantes With three restaurants in Bilbao, the one on Poza stands out for its 12-meter-long bar of typical Bilbao pintxos, which has already become one of the best known in the city. With its own seafood tank and uninterrupted kitchen service, Serrantes combines ingredients from very diverse origins: Cantabrian seafood with the most succulent acorn-fed Iberian products. A bar where there is never a lack of a pintxo of the highest quality. Café Iruña Although located in Abando but also very close to Silken Indautxu, this is one of the most classic venues in Bilbao. Known for its grilled lamb moruno pintxos, with spices or spicy and always accompanied by a slice of bread, the chef prepares them from a corner of the venue fully in view of the diners. At the other end of the venue, there is another cozy space with Mozarabic decoration where you can have a coffee with some sweet specialty. El Globo One of the most well-known and appreciated bars by the people of Bilbao is El Globo, also located in Abando, near the iconic Plaza Moyua, just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Its gratinated txangurro pintxos, marinated anchovies, or grilled red tuna with Tudela spring onion will delight any palate. It also offers takeaway options, so you can enjoy El Globo’s pintxos to go while heading to visit the Alhóndiga (Azkuna Zentroa) or the Guggenheim Museum. Eme and Alameda, temples of the sandwich Both bars, with more than fifty years of experience in making sandwiches, have disputed the throne of the best sandwiches in the city made with sliced bread in perpetuity. Although at first glance they may seem somewhat simple and not very appetizing, they have already become an institution for locals and visitors alike. While Eme is known for its freshly made bread Triangles with garden lettuce, cooked ham, secret sauce, and homemade mayonnaise, Alameda’s biggest attraction is the so-called Felipadas. Spontaneously created by a customer who decided to get behind the bar to prepare snacks for friends, the recipe perfected by the owning family consists of sliced bread, mayonnaise, anchovy, lettuce, and a few drops of hot sauce. Marakay “We know the day gets better after a good ham pintxo, a generous portion of Iberian meats, or a delicious creamy café con leche.” With this premise, Marakay prides itself on offering the best Bilbao pintxos with Iberian ham on freshly baked bread—sometimes also with green pepper—since 1972. Apart from its complementary chorizo and loin portions, bonito pintxos with red pepper or anchovy are other house specialties. Covent Garden With a name reminiscent of London and typical Irish tavern decoration, don’t let the appearance of this place fool you. Covent Garden prepares a delicious local Spanish omelette—the specialty is served with cooked ham and cheese sauce—that has won the award for best omelette in Bilbao several times and also offers a notable beer selection and entertaining background music. Discover the best Pintxos bars in Bilbao From traditional bites to the most sophisticated creations, the Old Town and the Indautxu area in Bilbao have pintxos for all tastes and budgets, so you can’t miss visiting one of the best bars and restaurants. Taste the typical pintxos of Bilbao and soak up Basque culture on the attractive route we propose, or get lost and discover other great pintxos spots, all from the Silken Indautxu hotel, our 4-star hotel in the center of Bilbao. Whether you stay at the Hotel Silken Indautxu or travel specifically to this area, don’t miss any of the gastronomic pintxos and poteo proposals mentioned! Also discover what to see in Bilbao and the best plans to do in the city in the Silken guide. If you are traveling to Bilbao, we also recommend this article on our blog about the 5 best beaches near Bilbao.