A Plaza Nueva institution with marble counters, dark wood, and bottles climbing the walls to the ceiling — the kind of room that has been serving the bourgeoisie of Bilbao for well over a century. The pintxos are classic and generously cut, the ham is serious, and the whole place carries an old-world formality rare in a pintxos bar. It is as much a piece of the square's furniture as the arches themselves.
Location
Casco Viejo, Bilbao
Map
Insider Intel
The cured Iberian ham carved behind the bar and the classic counter pintxos — the cheese and anchovy preparations are reliably excellent. A glass of rioja suits the room better than beer.
Midday for the aperitivo, when the light comes through the arches and the counter is at its fullest. It also runs a proper restaurant in the back if you want to sit down.
One of the grand old names on Plaza Nueva — slightly pricier and more formal than its neighbours, which is the point. There's a sit-down restaurant section behind the bar; the standing pintxo counter is the classic experience.