Most pintxo bars in Bilbao offer a wide range of delights for everyone’s tastes. However, there are a few places that specialise in one particular product or a specific kind of pintxo.
In this list, we try to focus not on places that have just one famous pintxo among a selection of several, but rather spots which only serve a certain type.
Hams and other cold meats
La Viña del Ensanche
A Bilbao classic. Located in Diputación, La Viña del Ensanche is a go-to spot for jamón iberico.
Mini ham sandwiches, pan tumaca (ham on a slice of bread with tomato) or ham platters, this bar has it all for the jamón lovers out there.
*Shown in header image.
**As of June 2025, the bar section of La Viña is undergoing refurbishments. The restaurant and outdoor terrace are still open as usual.
Location: Diputazio Kalea, 10
Website: lavinadelensanche.com/bar
La Charcu
In a very similar vein to La Viña del Ensanche, La Charcu are famous for their selection of ham sandwiches.
Whether you’re looking for jamón ibérico, jamon serrano, salchichón or chorizio, don’t miss La Charcu if you’re in the mood for cold meats.
Location: Rodriguez Arias Kalea, 30
Website: lacharcu.com/la-charcu
Other mentions for jamón
Taberna Magnum
Location: Astarloa Kalea, 5 (At the very top of Calle Ledesma)
Website: tabernamagnum.com
La Oka Gastrobar
Location: Marques del Puerto Kalea, 1
Website: gastrobarlaoka.com/en
Beher
Location: Marques del Puerto Kalea, 11
Website: beherstores.com/bilbao.html
Cheeses
Gaztandegi
In Bilbao you can’t mention cheese without talking about Gaztandegi. Bilbao has plenty of shops specialising in selling cheese, but Gaztandegi is one of very few bars serving up pintxos exclusively based on cheese.
Spend a night stuffing your faces with the finest assortment of cheeses from The Basque Country. We’ll probably be there too!
Location: Maestro Garcia Rivero Kalea, 10
Website: bargaztandegi.com
Pintxos morunos
Here we’ve decided to make a small exception to the criteria set out in the introduction to this article. Pintxos morunos are a speciality served in all of these bars, but the bars don’t specifically focus on selling pintxos morunos.
“What’s a pintxo moruno?” you say. It’s a Spanish shish kebab said to originate from the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Typically it consists of marinated pork or lamb meat that is skewered and roasted over a small charcoal grill.
Ahmed Belkhir introduced pintxos morunos to Bilbao over 50 years ago. Over time, his family recipe has become of the city’s favourite bites.
Mellila y Fez
Location: Iturribide Kalea, 7
El Pintxito
Location: Poza Lizentziatuaren Kalea, 24
Cafe Iruña
Location: Colón de Larreategi Kalea, 13
Website: cafeirunabilbao.com
Prawns
La Perita
“Barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.” Curiously, this isn’t the only Forrest Gump quote on this website.
If you hadn’t guessed already, La Perita specialises in prawns and other crustaceans.
One of Bilbao’s hidden gems, it’s well worth checking out for any seafood fans.
Location: Diputazio Kalea, 1
Instagram: peritabar
Anchovies
Antxoa Taberna
Another spot for the seafood lovers. This self-styled “Anchovy Temple” can be found in Casco Viejo‘s Plaza Nueva.
They serve a range of 20 different types of anchovy, mostly sourced from different places in the province of Biscay.
Location: Plaza Nueva, 1
Website: antxoataberna.com
Gilda
You will find gildas in every single bar in Bilbao. They typically consist of anchovies, olives, guindilla peppers and sometimes an egg skewered onto a cocktail stick, and to be then eaten in a single bite.
However, there are only two spots (that we know of) which specialise in serving gildas.
Gildatoki
Gildatoki have three bars in Bilbao: Estraunza Kalea 1, Egaña Kalea 6 and Henao Kalea 30.
La Bodeguilla, Mercado de Ribera
La Bodeguilla is just a small stand in the pintxo bar market hall at Bilbao’s Mercado de Ribera, but they have an enormous range of gildas to try.
Food tours and cooking classes
Explore Bilbao’s pintxo scene with a local guide to truly make the most of your stay in Bilbao. Here are some of the top-rated food tours and cooking classes on getyourguide.com
