On Calle Diputación, a few steps off Gran Vía, El Globo is the pintxos bar bilbaínos send you to when they want to prove the Ensanche eats as well as the old town. The counter is a parade of polished classics, and the txangurro gratin — spider crab baked into a small, rich shell — is the one everybody mentions first. Tight, busy, and consistently very good.
Location
Abando / Ensanche, Bilbao
Map
Insider Intel
The txangurro (spider crab) gratin is the signature — order it the moment you arrive. The hongos (mushroom) pintxo and the prawn preparations are also reliably excellent.
Weekday lunchtime around 1:30pm when the office crowd files in, or early evening for the after-work glass. It's small and fills fast.
Just off Gran Vía on Calle Diputación, a street locals rate highly for pintxos. Standing room is tight; grab counter space when you can and order in rounds.