11 Traditional Bilbao Foods To Try in 2025
Are you intrigued by the Basque culture of Northern Spain and interested in trying the tastiest traditional Bilbao food? If so, this guide to the region's cuisine will help you uncover the city’s best culinary creations.
Whether you’re admiring art at the famous Guggenheim Museum or touring the beautiful Palacio Chávarri, you’d be remiss not to take a break to indulge in Bilbao's delectable seafood, pintxos, stews and more. Without further ado, here’s what to eat in Bilbao, including sweet and savory delights.
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Get a Taste of Traditional Bilbao, Spain Food
Going to Spain is a delight for food enthusiasts all over the world. But even for the biggest foodies, it can be difficult to figure out what to eat in Bilbao. There are several Michelin-star restaurants and dozens of other eateries serving a wide variety of delicious bites, making choosing the best of the best a welcome challenge.
This range of choices is also why food tours in Spain are so popular; they offer a straightforward and exciting way to get a taste of the city's culinary hidden gems while also learning about the local culture. So, if you’re looking for tasty Bilbao food, checking out one of these tours is a surefire way to find it!
The 11 Best Foods in Bilbao, Spain
1. Pintxos
Many people confuse pintxos for tapas because they are both culinary delights that come in small, flavor-packed portions. But this Bilbao food is recognizable as it's served on top of a warm, bite-sized piece of bread and often comes with a toothpick for easy eating.
Typical toppings for pintxos include anchovies and peppers, jamón Ibérico (ham), spider crab, mushrooms with garlic and salt cod. And the best part of this Bilbao food is that it’s perfect for socializing, with it common to enjoy pintxos over drinks with locals.
2. Bacalao al Pil-Pil
One of the dishes that makes Bilbao one of the best foodie cities is bacalao al pil-pil, a scrumptious cod fish dish that residents of the city have adored for generations. This staple of a dish has stood the test of time because of its well-suited ingredients, including but not limited to guindilla peppers, garlic and olive oil.
It’s hard to go wrong with such a combination, but the cooking technique also gives bacalao al pil-pil its edge; the cod’s gelatin helps thicken the surrounding sauce, creating a rich, smooth and flavorful dish.
3. Piperrada
If you’re searching for a dish that you can eat alongside a variety of other Bilbao foods, piperrada might be your best bet. It makes for a great vegetarian side dish when you’re eating a main of fish or meat. The vegetables incorporated into this dish include green and red bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, creating a vibrant result for both your eyes and your tastebuds.
People often eat this Bilbao food as a side, but if you want to eat it as a main dish, you can include Spanish ham for more protein and sustenance. In Bilbao and other parts of the Basque region, you may also see it paired with fried eggs as a starter.
4. Kokotxas
Kokotxas is a Bilbao food named after what they call the lower end of the hake fish’s chin: kokotxa. It’s a tasty and hearty fish stew that’s served in various ways. Although it’s considered a delicacy in the region, many different types of restaurants serve it around the city and you can find more casual spots to try it as well.
If you want to try the most common version of kokotxas in Bilbao, look for kokotxas al pil pil, where the fish is slowly cooked in garlic and olive oil, similar to bacalao al pil-pil mentioned above. Another option is kokotxas en salsa verde, which incorporates garlic, white wine, parsley and fish sauce.
5. Bacalao a la Vizcaína
We’ve discussed the bacalao al pil pil dish earlier. But if you want to try a different style of this delicious cod-based Bilbao food, try it with vizcaína — a thick, flavorful, slow-cooked sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, onions and, traditionally, dried choricero peppers that result in a distinct, deep red look.
This Bilbao food is so popular that it has spread to other parts of Spain as well as to Latin American countries like Cuba, Mexico and Argentina. In both Spain and Latin America, residents often prepare bacalao a la vizcaína for family dinners and it's sometimes served during celebrations for Easter and Christmas.
6. Txuleton
While many of this coastal region’s traditional dishes are fish-related, Bilbao food also includes dishes with meat and txuleton is a prime example. It originated from a bit outside of Bilbao, in a town called Astigarraga, but is still often consumed in Bilbao.
This meat is interestingly cut from the rib section of an older cow. The thick, chunky steak cut offers a hearty and filling meal, making it ideal for shared, family-style dinners. It’s common to serve this Bilbao food with sides like potatoes and peppers. And, of course, a nice glass of red wine would go swimmingly with this medium-rare steak!
7. Txangurro a la Donostiarra
Txangurro a la donostiarra is a stuffed spider crab. What is it stuffed with? Glad you asked. The recipe for this Bilbao food calls for a fresh, tasty blend of ingredients like tomatoes, onions and olive oil. But what makes this dish really stand out is the addition of brandy or white wine to the stuffing mixture.
The white wine or brandy enhances the flavor with a touch of acidity, deglazes the pan to create an irresistible aroma and tenderizes the crab meat and additional ingredients to ensure soft, smooth and delightful results. Get ready to truly feel this result as well because this Bilbao food is always eaten with your hands!
8. Porrusalda
Porrusalda is a warm, comforting and aromatic Bilbao food that’s ideal for consuming during the winter months and during the Basque festival season. It’s a soup that includes leeks as the main ingredient, giving it a slightly sweet yet earthy and balanced flavor.
Other ingredients that add to the perfection of this heartwarming Bilbao food include cod, potatoes and carrots. If you’re making this for yourself, you can swap out cod for another light white fish.
9. Txipirones
If you’re a fan of squid-ink pasta, why not try txipirones? This is a Bilbao food consisting of squid covered in its own ink. The dish uses baby squid specifically and offers both flavor and aesthetic appeal.
Like several of the Bilbao foods on this list, txipirones is cooked in a tasty mixture of garlic and tomatoes to amp up the resulting flavor. However, the squid ink is the main flavor provider as the squid soaks up all of its goodness. While it’s delicious, you may want to wear a bib for this one, as the dark squid ink can get a little messy.
10. Marmitako
Similar to kokotxas, marmitako is another warming fish stew, but it incorporates tuna instead of hake. Perfect for the colder months, this dish combines tasty tuna with garlic, tomato sauce, peppers and olive oil.
The comforting Bilbao food also includes highly aromatic spices and herbs like paprika and parsley, making it even more dynamic and flavor-packed than some of the other traditional Bilbao fish stews.
11. Basque Cake
When people think about Bilbao food, hearty and savory dishes often come to mind. But you can’t forget to try a delicious sweet treat while you’re there! We recommend basque cake, a warm pastry that’s the perfect ending to any of the other dishes on this list.
This popular sweet Bilbao food features a buttery crust with creamy custard in the middle, usually almond flavored. And if you think that already sounds delightful, it’s also usually topped with powdered sugar to give it an extra bit of sweetness. It’s wonderful when paired with a warm cup of coffee or tea as well.
If you have ever wondered: "What food is Bilbao known for?”, we hope this list of delicious Bilbao food gave you a comprehensive answer. From hearty fish stews to tasty almond-based treats and beyond, you now have a guide to eat your way through this cultural haven or even prepare some of these dishes at home.
For even more ways to explore Bilbao and beyond, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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