El Salon de Mi Casa is a restaurant in Abando, Bilbao. Rated 4.7 stars from 1324 Google reviews. Known for market-driven menu and local clientele on weeknights. Best for weeknight dinner and local basque cooking. Ranked #3 of 15 in Abando.
El Salon de Mi Casa
🥉Zone Ranking
Top 3 in Abando
in Abando
Quick Verdict
Yes. Locals eat here because the food's honest and the kitchen respects ingredients without needing to prove anything.
Book if you want a proper meal in Ensanche without the Casco Viejo tourist markup.
Skip if you need a view or you're here for the Instagram moment.
About El Salon de Mi Casa
El Salon de Mi Casa sits on Kristo Kalea in Abando, a neighbourhood that's quietly become the real eating centre of Bilbao while tourists queue elsewhere. It's a sit-down restaurant — proper tables, proper service — but it doesn't perform. The kitchen works with Basque ingredients and techniques without the theatre. You'll find locals here on a Tuesday night, which tells you everything. The menu shifts with what's available, which means you're eating what the market delivered that morning, not what the laminated menu promised 6 months ago. Prices hover around €25–40 for a full meal with wine, which is fair for the quality and portion size. The room itself is unfussy: wood, light, the kind of place that's been doing the same thing for years because it works. They take bookings, which you should use — this fills up.
Honest Assessment
Strengths
Market-driven menu
Changes daily based on what's available, which means seasonal eating without the pretension. You're not ordering the same dish everyone else ordered last week.
Local clientele on weeknights
Full of Bilbao residents by 8:30pm on a Tuesday, which is the clearest signal a restaurant isn't coasting on reputation.
Portion sizes match the price
€25–40 gets you a proper plate, not the minimalist smear you'd pay the same for in the Casco or Gran Vía.
Considerations
Service can be slow on busy nights
The kitchen's small and they don't rush. Book early (7:30pm) or expect to wait for plates once you've ordered.
Limited wine list
Nothing wrong with what's there, but it's short. Txakoli's available, but don't expect extensive Rioja options.
We share honest assessments including weaknesses because we believe transparency builds trust.
Signature Dishes
Seasonal fish with txakoli reduction
€18Whatever came in that morning, grilled whole or filleted depending on size. The txakoli sauce cuts through the richness without drowning the fish.
Slow-cooked beef cheek
€16Tender enough to cut with a fork, served with roasted vegetables and a sauce that's been building flavour for hours. Winter dish, so it's not always on.
Grilled vegetables with romesco
€12Seasonal vegetables charred at the edges, romesco sauce on the side. Works as a starter or a side, depending on how hungry you are.
Prices may vary. Based on our last verified menu data.
Practical Information
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions about El Salon de Mi Casa
Yes. It's 20 seats and full by 8:30pm on weekends. Call ahead or book online — they take reservations and you'll want one.
Casco Viejo charges €35–50 for the same plate and the room is full of tourists pointing at menus. Here you'll pay €25–40 and eat next to locals who know what they're doing.
No. You order à la carte from what's available that day. The menu changes daily, so there's no fixed option — just ask your server what came in fresh and go from there.
Also in Abando
View all
How We Rank Venues
Rankings are recalculated weekly from live Google Business Profile data. Our Hot Score weighs review velocity (new text reviews in 90 days), recency (how fresh), baseline rating, and Google Business Profile completeness. No editorial picks, no paid placements — just what the data says this week.
How our weekly rankings work