Víctor Montes

In Their Own Words

Review highlights surfaced by Google — shown in English, with the original beneath

“Really good tapas, friendly staff and the restaurant is lovely”

“Muy buenos pinchos, camareros majos y el restaurante es muy bonito”

“Octopus, baby squid, anchovies, croquettes and absolutely delicious French toast.”

“Pulpo, chipirones, anchoas, croquetas y torrijas buenísimo.”

“Dry sirloin steak, cold mashed potatoes, and an excessive amount of salad.”

“Solomillo seco, pure de patata frio, y cantidad de ensalada excesiva.”

Quick Verdict

Víctor Montes executes Basque pintxos with precision and pairs them with a wine list that elevates the meal, backed by service that remembers faces.

About Víctor Montes

Bilbao's casco viejo has no shortage of pintxos bars, but few occupy a space like this one — a former market building with a decorated facade that the Google profile calls mítico, and rightly so. The pintxos counter is the main event: foie gras, beef carpaccio, chipirones, and spider crab croquettes are the dishes people mention most, and the kitchen treats each one as if it matters. The lomo de bacalao and the txakoli pairings draw their own loyal following, with staff steering guests toward the right wine for each plate without making a performance of it. The room itself — painted facade, former-market bones — does the rest. Reservations are worth making, especially for lunch.

Víctor Montes is one of those places where the dessert menu is not an afterthought — a detail regulars tend to mention first.

In the last 90 days, Víctor Montes has drawn 49 substantial written reviews (50+ characters of genuine feedback) — recent momentum that is one of the signals behind its place on the hot list.

What Stands Out