In Bilbao, some might tell you that the art is inside the Guggenheim Museum, but most would argue it’s found at the counter of a good tavern. Here, the pintxo de tortilla (AKA Spanish omelette) is enough to stir emotions just like a Chillida sculpture – and yes, it can make or break a bar’s reputation. That’s why, even though it might seem simple, serving tortillas in this city is a serious matter. Manu Urra and Andoni Ibarguren knew that when they opened Txintxirri in 2019, but they didn’t hesitate to make this pintxo their calling card. They pulled it off – even through a pandemic. “And it has evolved so much. When I look at the ones I made back then, I don’t like them at all. There’s always room to improve, and I’m still working on it,” Ibarguren admits.

Monty sits just a couple of blocks from the Guggenheim Museum, yet it remains largely unknown to the international public. Nestled on a lively corner of Bilbao’s Ensanche district, it’s one of those bars that encapsulates the city’s character: traditional yet open to change, classic in its presentation, and deeply serious when it comes to food and drink. The area surrounding Monty has become a trendy hotspot for taverns, restaurants, and cocktail bars, home to some of the most daring culinary ventures in the local scene. Within just a few blocks, you can find haute cuisine establishments, seafood sanctuaries, international kitchens or aspirational bistros. Most of these places have emerged around the past decade, fueled by the city’s growing tourism sector.

Pintxo bars abound in Bilbao, concentrated in the narrow streets of the Casco Viejo, the old town on the shores of the Nervion estuary. Known colloquially as Zazpikaleak (“seven streets” in the Basque language), this is where the city was born, and its streets are still full any day of the week with residents, shoppers, tradesmen and locals doing some old-fashioned poteo. If you plan on stepping foot in this Basque capital, you’d better learn what poteo is firsthand. The endurance required to barhop with a Basque is real, especially considering this social act consists of downing glass of wine after glass of wine in what is essentially a bar crawl. Fortunately, the Basques have invented their own coping mechanism – the pintxo.