Restaurante Elíptica is a basque restaurant in Abando, Bilbao. Rated 4.6 stars from 637 Google reviews. Known for kokotxas done right and local clientele at dinner. Best for date night and business dinner. Ranked #12 of 15 in Abando.
Restaurante Elíptica
Zone Ranking
Ranked weekly from live Google review data
in Abando
Quick Verdict
Locals return because the food's consistent, the portions are honest, and they're not charging Guggenheim prices for Guggenheim proximity. You'll eat better here than in the seafront restaurants, and you'll spend less doing it.
Book if you want proper Basque cooking without the standing-room chaos of a pintxos bar.
Skip if you're after quick bites or casual txikiteo—this is a table, a napkin, and 2 hours minimum.
About Restaurante Elíptica
Restaurante Elíptica sits on Alameda de Recalde in Abando, a 10-minute walk from the Guggenheim, and it's a proper sit-down Basque restaurant—not a pintxos bar, not a tourist redirect. The dining room's formal enough that you'll want a reservation, especially weekends, but the kitchen treats Basque classics like they're still being cooked in someone's home kitchen. You'll find txuleta (grilled ribeye), kokotxas (hake cheeks in salsa verde), and seasonal fish cooked whole over charcoal. The wine list leans into Rioja and txakoli, prices sit around €25–€40 for mains, and the room fills by 8:30pm with locals who've been coming back for years. It's the kind of place where the waiter knows what you want before you order it, which is either reassuring or slightly unnerving depending on your mood.
Honest Assessment
Strengths
Kokotxas done right
Hake cheeks arrive in a salsa verde that's been perfected over decades—silky, not gluey, with enough garlic to matter. €18, and worth the queue alone.
Local clientele at dinner
637 reviews, 4.6 stars, but the room's full of Bilbao faces, not tour groups. By 9pm on a Saturday, you're outnumbered by people who live here.
Txuleta grilled over charcoal
Ribeyesteak cooked whole, seasoned with salt and nothing else, rested properly. €32 for a cut that'll feed 2 people comfortably.
Considerations
No walk-ins on weekends
The dining room's 60 covers max, and locals book ahead. Show up at 8:30pm on Saturday without a reservation and you'll wait 90 minutes or eat at the bar standing up.
Service can be brisk
The staff move fast, which is efficient but sometimes reads as impatient. They're not unfriendly—they're just not performing hospitality for the room.
We share honest assessments including weaknesses because we believe transparency builds trust.
Signature Dishes
Kokotxas en salsa verde
€18Hake cheeks in a silky green sauce of garlic, parsley, and stock. They arrive swimming in it, not drowning in it.
Txuleta a la parrilla
€32Whole grilled ribeye, charred and rested, seasoned only with salt. Easily 2 portions, meant for sharing or serious appetite.
Besugo a la sal
€24Sea bream baked whole in a salt crust, cracked open at the table. Flesh stays moist, skin crisps, bones lift clean.
Prices may vary. Based on our last verified menu data.
Practical Information
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions about Restaurante Elíptica
Yes, especially Friday through Sunday after 8pm. The room's small and locals book solid weeks ahead. Call ahead or you'll eat standing at the bar, which defeats the point of coming here.
It's a sit-down restaurant with table service and a wine list. If you want pintxos and txikiteo, walk back into Casco Viejo or the Ensanche—this is proper dining, not a bar crawl.
€40–€50 per person with wine and a main course. Mains run €18–€32, wine by the glass is €4–€6, and starters add another €8–€12 if you order them. Compare that to the seafront restaurants charging €60 for the same fish.
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