This is my first post, but I initially came across Hungry Onion while researching for this trip. I found most of these places through HO, so thank you to everyone for your indirect help with this trip. I’m not a foodie expert, as we tend to gravitate toward more casual/mid-range restaurants. But we had many great dining experiences on this trip, which may be helpful to future travelers.
This trip was taken in early September 2025. We spent 2 nights in Paris (I may write a short report on that later), 2 nights in Bilbao, 3 nights in San Sebastian, then 1 night in Madrid. We can blame our tight timeline on limited PTO/vacation.
This post covers Bilbao including Gure Toki, Amaren, Odoloste, Arvo Coffee. At the bottom of the post are notes on other places on our list. The next post will cover the places we tried in San Sebastian.
Bilbao
Gure Toki
Overall: 8.5/10; definitely would return
Dishes: cangrejo, chuleta, scallop
This was our first pintxos experience, so we were initially overwhelmed with the line out the door, even on a Tuesday afternoon. In hindsight, it was only moderately busy compared to other stops on the trip (e.g., Ganbara or Bar Sport). A space opened up at the bar, so we “put an elbow down” to establish a beachhead.
A note about crowds: I say that jokingly, but we entered the trip apprehensive of crowds, given what we’d seen on social media. Fortunately, we rarely felt overwhelmed by crowds. While the viral spots on social media were often slammed, the places next door or in nearby neighborhoods usually had plenty of room. And hitting those viral spots at opening also helped avoid the worst of the crowds. As expected, Bilbao was far less crowded than San Sebastian.
The cold pintxos looked OK, but we were most interested in the hot pintxos.
The cangrejo (tempura soft-shell crab) was excellent with a flavorful batter, if a bit on the salty side. The scallop was exceptional: juicy yet firm with a nice contrast in texture with the crispy garnish on top. The best bite from Gore Tiki was the chuleta. I forgot to take a picture of the interior, but the outer layer complemented the tender inner layer. It also had a pleasant smoky flavor, and the fries were nice and crisp.
We went twice, and the service was very friendly. On our second visit, a staff member at the bar cleared a standing table for us and left the bar to deliver each dish to us. They were also very patient with indecisive tourists, providing recommendations without being pushy. We understood the pintxos hype after our first experience.
Amaren
Overall: 7.5/10; would return, but after trying other places
Dishes: carpaccio, 1.4 kg galician steak (vaca mestiza), side salad, side potatoes
Judging from online reviews, Amaren is one of the better-known steakhouses within Bilbao’s city limits. It’s currently #31 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list (having been to a few on the list, I take that list with a grain of salt).
We had been pintxos hopping right before this meal, so we didn’t want to order too much. The service was a bit mixed: the staff delivering dishes were pleasant, but our server was a little too pushy for our taste, urging us to order a larger steak and drinks besides water. We asked for a 1.1 kg steak, which was deemed “difficult” (in the end, they brought out a 1.4 kg steak to show us). The food was quite good, however.
The menu book is large, and in addition, you’re given a board with “baseball cards” of five different breeds to select from. The cards list a price per kg and stats like origin, length of dry-aging, sex, and even carcass weight. We selected the Vaca Mestiza (105 €/kg) from Galicia, dry-aged for 140 days. Prices ranged from 79 €/kg (from Germany) to 165 €/kg (wagyu). From what I observed, most customers went with the second-most expensive cut (same as ours) or the middle-tier choice. Servers would try to upsell.
We were given a complimentary small plate of thinly sliced meat (not sure its name), which was very good. The carpaccio (“Braised beef carpaccio, 12-month matured Galician Friesian cheese and old mustard emulsion”) was soft and had great flavor.
From what I gather, it’s quite common for the chuleta to be served with a hot plate so you can cook the steak to your liking. This worked well for us since we preferred some pieces (particularly the fattier ones) to be cooked longer. The pieces on the edge were occasionally tough, perhaps because of the fat, while the middle pieces were excellent. The sides were simple but provided a nice contrast to the rich meat.
Odoloste
Overall: 7/10; was good, but would not return
Dishes: Odoloste menu, 81€/person
Odoloste is a Michelin guide restaurant that has three tasting menus focused on pork. We chose the Odoloste menu for its variety. The first two dishes (terrine and cold cuts) were excellent with unique flavors and complementary sauces.
The next course of sirloin “toast” (really more like a taco) was pretty good. The cheese was good, but overwhelming. The bluefin tuna was good.
The Odoloste “chocolate” made of pork was very good with a strong flavor and a creamy inside. I’m not exactly sure what it’s made out of.
The remaining courses fell off in quality, but to be fair, we may have also been getting full. The sardine with toffee was overly rich for us, and the tacos were normal and mostly salty.
The Iberian secret was too fatty for us, but the sweet potato sauce helped cut down the richness.
The desserts, however, were very good.
Arvo Coffee
Overall: 9.5/10; would definitely return
We went here three, maybe 4, times. The staff are all very friendly (and simultaneously fluent in English and forgiving of our broken Spanish). There is sometimes a short wait for tables, but the staff handles demand well. The lattes and flat whites were excellent, as was the banana bread and granola. For any Americans who struggle to find iced drinks in Europe, Arvo’s iced drinks were reliably cold and refreshing. They also had larger food items that we didn’t try, like toasts, sandwiches, and pancakes. I grabbed extra banana bread for the short bus ride to San Sebastian.
Other places we experienced or looked at:
- Sorginzulo: We had calamari here, and it was decent but not memorable.
- Bar El Globo: They have a large variety of pre-made items on display (mostly on bread), but none of them appealed to us on a full stomach. The clientele seemed overwhelmingly tourists.
Places we had on our list and would’ve liked to try:
- La Viña De Henao: This came highly rated in other HO posts but was unfortunately closed while we were in town.
- Sugarra: This is a Tripadvisor darling (#1 in Bilbao). It’s a no frills, tiny chuleta restaurant, known for steak, tomatoes, peppers, and octopus.
- MARTXO BGC: We had this place booked (through Instagram DM) but decided to return to Gure Toki since we weren’t that hungry. It looked like traditional Basque food in a modern setting.
- ETXANOBE: This tasting menu looked interesting, but we again chose pintxos and riding the funicular over a longer meal.
- Ola Martin Berasategui: I read mixed things on how it compares to his other restaurants, but on the plus side, it seems pretty easy to book.
Non-dining notes on Bilbao
- We stayed at the Grand Artist Hotel and enjoyed the location right across from the Guggenheim. Breakfast was only OK. It consisted of a small continental buffet (fruits, yogurt, pastries) with a made-to-order menu, which was promising until you realized that the menu was mostly variations of avocado toast or eggs benedict.
- We spent an afternoon visiting the Bizkaia Bridge, which is the world’s oldest transporter bridge. If you’re into transportation, it’s worth the trip. It was fun to ride (cash only) and walk around the small towns in the area.
- Speaking of transportation, Bilbao has a very nice, modern subway system. Coming from North America, it’s a very impressive system for a mid-size city. The Funicular de Artxanda is also nice.
- The first time we walked from our hotel near the Guggenheim to Old Town, we walked via Moyua (the large square surrounded by shops). The flowers at the square were nice, and the atmosphere was fun and lively. On the way back, we followed the river from Old Town to Guggenheim, tracing the tramline past the many bridges spanning the water. We really enjoyed walking around Bilbao.
