Monthly Hot List

Where to Eat & Drink in Abando, Bilbao 2026

20 ranked·62,753 live reviews·updated July 2026
Known forGrill restaurantsPintxos barsMenú del día dealsLate dinner cultureOysters and seafoodJapanese, Peruvian options

The top independent spots to eat and drink in Abando right now: Restaurante Amaren, MARTXO BGC and HDH.

The Abando Hot List
Restaurants & Bars · ranked
1Restaurante Amaren
Grill
4.69,556
If you’re a fan of barbecue, Amaren is an absolute must-visit if you’re in Bilbao. I’d even say it’s worth travelling to Bilbao just to eat here. The selection of meat and cuts is absolutely incredible.Om man gillar grill så är Amaren ett måste stopp om man är i Bilbao. Skulle säga att det till och med är värt att resa till Bilbao bara för att gå hit. Utvalet av kött och kött detaljer är helt galet.Google review · M.F. · verbatim
2MARTXO BGC
Bar & grill
4.7560
3HDH
Hamburguesería
4.913,631
4Lau Bar Restaurante
Bar & grill
4.7346
5Restaurante Uarike Bilbao
Peruvian restaurant
4.61,816
6Zurekin
Bar & grill
4.12,424
7Restaurante Sua San
Restaurant
4.23,852
8Bar Plata & Brochettes | Bar de Pintxos
Tapas bar
4.31,529
9Asador Bilbao Brasan
Restaurante
4.62,534
10RASPUTIN CAFE
Bar
4.7253
11ETXANOBE
Restaurante vasco
4.72,509
12COPPOLA & SOLOMONK (NON STOP KITCHEN)
Restaurante italiano
4.53,852
13Basuki
Cocktail bar
4.52,303
14Ramen Shifu - Indautxu
Japanese restaurant
4.81,587
15El Puertito
Oyster bar restaurant
4.51,825
16Restaurante Viña del Ensanche
Spanish restaurant
4.55,402
17Zaka
Restaurante
4.33,254
18Cerveceria Baskian
Spanish restaurant
4.12,715
19Txirene | 100% Bilbao
Restaurant
4.5961
20Restaurante GRECOCINA Cocina Griega y Mediterránea
Restaurante
4.51,844

20 independent venues, re-ranked monthly from real reviews — no chains, no paid placements.

Abando Venue Map

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Visiting Bilbao, Spain? Abando — Elegant 19th-century district — is the neighbourhood with 20 ranked independent restaurants and bars our review-velocity ranking is tracking right now. All trending hot this week. 51% Spanish reviews. Rankings refreshed monthly from 62,753 live reviews — no chains, no ads.

Look, Abando isn't just another pretty face in Bilbao; it's where most people eat, often badly. You'll see plenty of places full of tourists who've clearly just pointed at the first menu they saw. But if you know where to look – and you're reading this, so you're halfway there – you can eat well. This isn't some quaint little village; it's central, busy, and sometimes a bit much. Forget trying to eat dinner before 9pm, you'll be alone. Lunch kicks off around 2pm and runs till 4pm, and that's when you should grab a menú del día. You can get a solid two or three courses for around €15-€20 at places like Restaurante Viña del Ensanche if you pick carefully. Don't go expecting to get much done after that, you'll need a siesta. For pintxos, you'll stumble upon places everywhere, but not all are created equal. Many just warm up yesterday's offerings. If you want something genuinely good, you might try MARTXO BGC for some grilled bits, or even El Puertito if you're after oysters and a glass of something chilled (expect to pay €3-€4 per oyster). Restaurante Amaren, at the top of the list, does a proper grill, but it's not cheap, so don't rock up expecting a quick bite for €10. You're looking at €50-€70 easily for dinner there. And yes, there's even decent Japanese at Ramen Shifu - Indautxu, which is a good escape if you're tired of bacalao. But mostly, it's about navigating the crowds to find the places that care about the food, not just the turnover. Pay attention to where the locals are heading, especially after 9pm. That's your real clue.

How to Get There

From Bilbao Abando station:

  • Metro:Abando, Moyúa, or Indautxu stations
  • Tram:Abando or Guggenheim stops

Barik Ticket Info

ZoneA
Single ticket€1.50

Barik card works on metro, tram, and buses. Buy at metro stations.

Local tip: Gran Vía is best explored on foot. Start at Plaza Circular near Abando and walk towards Plaza Moyúa, stopping at wine bars along the way.

Looking for a venue not on the Hot List? Browse every restaurant and bar in Abando →

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Abando FAQs

The current top spot goes to Restaurante Amaren for a reason; they know how to handle a grill. Expect top-quality meat and fish, cooked simply but expertly, though you'll pay for it. It's not a place for a quick bite, but for a proper meal, they consistently deliver.

For a good drink and some substantial snacks, MARTXO BGC is a solid bet; it's a bar and grill, so you won't leave hungry. If you're after something a bit different, El Puertito does a fine line in oysters and drinks, a good spot to relax without the usual pintxo scramble.

You'll find plenty of traditional Spanish and Basque places, like Restaurante Viña del Ensanche or Gure Kabi jatetxea. There's also good Japanese at Ramen Shifu - Indautxu, Peruvian at Restaurante Uarike Bilbao, and even Greek at Restaurante GRECOCINA. It's not all just jamón, surprisingly.

Restaurante Amaren works if you're looking to impress, but book ahead and be ready for the bill. For something a bit more relaxed but still good, HDH offers a varied menu in a decent setting. You can actually hear each other speak there, which is a bonus.

For lunch, always look for the menú del día; most places offer one for around €15-€20, giving you a proper meal. Cerveceria Baskian can offer decent value for a Spanish meal, especially if you stick to sharing a few raciones and some cañas. Don't expect cheap, just fair.

This month, the Abando Hot List is remarkably stable, with every single venue holding its position. Restaurante Amaren remains at #1 for an impressive 18th consecutive week. It means everyone's found their groove, or they're just too comfortable to move.

Still have questions? The best answers come from locals at the venue.

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DOW ranks venues with a transparent 100-point Hot Score, recalculated monthly from live Google data. Four signals: Velocity (30 pts) — text reviews over 50 characters in the last 90 days; Baseline (25 pts) — current Google rating relative to 4.0; Recency (25 pts) — 30-day weighted decay on recent reviews; Profile (20 pts) — phone, website, opening hours, description, photos, and category completeness on the Google Business Profile. Reviews written in the country's native language count 1.5× across Velocity and Recency — this is how DOW surfaces where locals eat year-round, not where tourists cluster in summer. No editorial picks, no paid placements, no chains.

Sources
Google Business ProfileReview Velocity (90 days, ≥50-char text)Native Language Weighting (1.5×)Profile Completeness Audit
Verified operatingNo paid placementsEditorial independence