The Best Places To Eat Pintxos On Bilbao's Plaza Nueva

Pintxos are one of the most iconic Basque foods – small tapas-style mouthfuls on sticks or round pieces of bread topped with a combination of cheeses, seafood, meats and vegetables. Although you can find good pintxos anywhere in the Basque city of Bilbao, one of the most atmospheric places to try them is Plaza Nueva – in the city’s Casco Viejo, or Old Town. Here are our best places to eat pintxos on Plaza Nueva.

1. Bar Charly

Bar, Spanish, Pub Grub, Mediterranean

Having first opened back in 1973, Bar Charly has been a favourite Plaza Nueva hangout for over 4o years. Inside, this tiny bar has been given a modern makeover with sleek wood panelling; however, its delicious pintxos are still made to their traditional recipes. Here it’s all about home-cooked food and good quality ingredients. Some of the bar’s best pintxos include goat’s cheese, foie gras and apple; deep fried shrimp rolls with ham; fried cod spinach croquettes. Quite a few of the offerings here don’t include meat, so vegetarians are sure to find something to nibble on, along with their drinks.

2. Café Bar Bilbao

Bar, Cafe, Spanish, Tapas, Pub Grub, Mediterranean

One of the most famous pintxos bars in the city, Café Bar Bilbao is somewhat of a Bilbao institution. The bar was founded way back in 1911 and has been part of the city’s foodie scene ever since. A traditional dining spot with its chequered floors and intricately tiled walls, it offers main meals, as well as a wide variety of pintxos. Try mouthfuls such as cheese truffles, crispy seafood, veal crêpe with mushrooms or tuna and anchovy.

3. La Olla de la Plaza Nueva

Bar, Spanish, Mediterranean, European

Meaning ‘The Cooking Pot of Plaza Nueva’, this classy restaurant is both stylish and traditional. Choose to dine on polished wooden tables surrounded by whitewashed brick walls, or gather around the flashy bar for bites of pintxos. A step up from your usual ingredients, La Olla serves pintxos such as crunchy black pudding and pine nuts; baked mushrooms with parmesan cheese and aubergines; and octopus and potato strudel with herb broth.

5. Gure Toki

Bar, Restaurant, Spanish, Tapas

Gure Toki first opened its doors 35 years ago, but in 2015 the bar rebranded itself, creating a funky and stylish modern space, offering contemporary gastronomic Basque mouthfuls. Haute cuisine in miniature, the pintxos you find here are among the best you’ll find anywhere in the city. Like works of art found in the Guggenheim, the pintxos here look just as good as they taste.

6. Taberna Plaza Nueva

Bar, Spanish, Tapas, Pub Grub

A rustic and traditional bar on Plaza Nueva, this place offers classic pintxos, drinks and plenty of fun. With its bright blue walls, the bar is packed with odd knick-knacks and curios, and special displays are often exhibited for various special occasions such as Easter. Stop for a glass of txakolí – Basque-style white wine – and pair it with some homemade pintxos.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.