Bistró

Incredible flavours in a lovely setting. We went for lunch and had 3 courses for €30. The highlights were: the aubergine and goats cheese starter - very intense flavour The cod with pil pil sauce - the creamy sauce was cut through with a puttanesca type sauce with the cod in. The asparagus starter was nice but the flavours were a bit simple for my liking. Brilliant service, lovely bread and coffee service.

Just amazing! Food , wine , service, everything perfect. Friendly and knowledgeable staff , fresh and ingredients and very good taste exploration in the food. As some said: the french toast is amazing, definitely try it.

Had a in pixnto with egg and shrimp and a gazpacho. Both pretty good, but better was Cava (cold and superb taste). Quick service and attentive staff. Recommended.

Our family was very, very disappointed in the experience. So much so, that almost no one ate their dishes and we decided to leave before dessert even though it was a prix fixe menu. Immediately on entering, we had the sense that the staff was overworked and unhappy. The hostess and the server were both very cold, though responsive. I'm sure it must be exhausting dealing with tourists of many nationalities all day, but our quality expectations were set high by the venue, reputation, and cost. My first dish was the tomato salad - the tomatoes were of a pale red color indicating they were not ripe or fresh and indeed, they were slightly mushy. I will note that our server took care to bring my wife a salad because she could not eat the gazpacho. Our main courses were pork tenderloin and veal cheek. The veal cheek tasted like overcooked brisket from a bad BBQ cafeteria. One son refused to eat his and the second ate half. My wife and I had pork tenderloin - my wife's was so overcooked she took one bite, then had no more. Mine was cooked properly, but was incredibly bland - virtually no flavor at all beyond the pork itself (and not well salted). At this point, we chose to leave - the restaurant gave us our drinks for free as compensation. On further reflection, we e-mailed the restaurant to complain and we were told that a partial refund was not possible.

Guggenheim Bistro is on the 2nd floor of the museum; you’ll be able to enjoy fine basque dishes for lunch. Guests select each one from starters, main and dessert. Baguette and water are included. I ordered fish soup for starters, cod balls for main, and baked apple for dessert, adding a glass of homemade orange sweet liqueur (3€). The soup contained a lot of local seafood and was packed with flavour. Cod balls are served with fried cod skin and basque traditional sauce. Baked apple was a recommendation of a restaurant staff and rather nice with thyme ice cream. I highly suggest that you try a glass of orange liqueur with the dessert. I suppose 29.50€ is reasonable and satisfying to taste this lunch in the museum.

We had reserved a table here well in advance so that we could have lunch here right after the museum visit. In hindsight, we should not have done that and rather looked for a restaurant in the city area. The posh service was good. Also the modern ambience was very appealing and cozy. We chose the lunch menu for 29.50. The dishes were consistently tasteless, very small portions, no side dishes at all for the main courses. The fish tasted rancid and the bread dried out. In relation to the price a real disappointment.

We had an amazing lunch that was beyond my expectations. The flavors and freshness of everything is outstanding. Fantastic wine selection and the service was excellent. Thank you all 🌹

this place was okay. i had the burger and my grandma had a couple pintxos. food was cold and Sangria was way way to strong. the burger was okay but weird secret sauce that nobody told you about and mustard. the mustard was okay but i don’t like mustard so it threw me off. the sparkling lemonade was refreshing and the service was great. it did take a while for the waiter to come back for our check but that’s okay. we sat outdoors and the weather was exceptional! beautiful view of the river and sculptures.

Solid meal- with limited, but decent choices. I will say service was very good, especially for how busy it was, and obviously the limited menu helped with that. The main course confused me, as the potatoes that came with the steak were so creamy I thought it was just a side of melted cheese. Strawberries were surprisingly good, for something that sounds so basic.

Aloha, although there is a very pricey dining room, really the Bistro is really good and a much better priced. Delicious lunch of grilled salad, soup egg, great bread, fish, lamb, veal and octopus. All so ono! And make sure you save room for dessert. Great beers and wines too. Awesome way to end your visit at the museum. Enjoy!

Excellent food, esp eggplant tort and gazpacho. Service somewhat scattered. Sat outside on the nice patio

this place was okay. i had the burger and my grandma had a couple pintxos. food was cold and Sangria was way way to strong. the burger was okay but weird secret sauce that nobody told you about and mustard. the mustard was okay but i don't like mustard so it threw me off. the sparkling lemonade was refreshing and the service was great. it did take a while for the waiter to come back for our check but that's okay. we sat outdoors and the weather was exceptional! beautiful view of the river and sculptures.

CREAM OF THE CROP!! Wow this was certainly one of the best meals I had during my recent trip to Europe! So right after exploring the museum, we decided to stop here and have lunch. They had a prix fixe menu that came with a glass of wine and a small appetizer of hummus to get you started. For my meal, I ordered Iberian pork and a pear dessert. While waiting for the pork to arrive, a server asked me if I wanted the meat cooked to optimal perfection or well cooked. I found this odd being that pork, of course, should be fully cooked right? Yet, I told him to bring it out at what the chef believed to be its perfect temperature and well, was I in for a SHOCK. It was wonderful!! Juicy and full of deep rich fatty flavor. My dessert was pretty epic as well given that all the flavors just blended so beautifully together! Silky cream and well spiced fruit. Please do yourself a favor and eat here!! They have multilingual service and reasonable prices for the quality of food.

This is actually the cafe of the museum where you can get some pastries and coffee (not the bistro). They call it the museum "bar". We got a Water bottle for 1.60 euro. Restrooms are clean and there's outdoor seating too. It's a good place to hang out before the museum opens. They have some cool red couches inside too.

When at the Guggenheim Museum, there were 3 Lunchtime choices - The Cafe/Bistro - The nice Jewell of a Restaurant tucked behind it, and a really fancy place that's on the property but outside and along the promenade. I was game for fine dining, but we were Tourists on a tight schedule, and our next arrival in Santo Domingo de la Calzada weighted heavily on our minds. At the Cafe/Bistro, it's basically a Tapas selection at the Bar. I had a really good Focaccia sandwich, while Gayle's choice was OK and forgettable (as I can't remember what it was as I write this). Separate seating was available, which was roomy enough, although the chair comfort was compatible to a fast food establishment. There are better choices on the patio, but those seats were full. We got what we paid for (and wanted), but when in the Basque Country, we were selling ourselves short with this meal.

3.5/5 solid stars We came here for rehearsal dinner and the service was good. The ambiance was OK, but granted it was in a museum. The item that REALLY stood out to me was the dessert!! French toast with ice cream...OMG SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOD!!! I would seriously go back just for the french toast and ice cream. Each item complement each other so well. The ice cream was so sort of subtle cheese that was just perfect. YUM!!

Perhaps one of the most extraordinary meals I had during my trip to Spain, the Restaurante Guggenheim maybe one of it's best kept secrets, especially for lunch. Obviously the museum has a cafe which offers light lunch and snacks or you could walk to the number of great restaurants in the area. However you should not miss this restaurant if you're looking for a gastronomic endeavor. Tucked away in the far back behind the bistro and cafe is a private oasis where Chef Josean Martínez Alija is making some of the best food I've had anywhere. A protoge of Martin Berasategui and Ferran Adria, he's paving his own path at RG. I didn't think such a tourist attracting place could produce such a fine restaurant but I was wrong. IXO, the restaurant group that runs this also has a hand in Mugraitz which is amongst the best trailblazers out there. The tasting menu is 80 euros which is quite a deal. The menu experienced (yes there's some weirdness in the translation): -steamed black radish with raw sheets and dressing of wild herbs. -confit endives, croquant leaves dressed with walnut and citrus fruits. -caramelised red onion and "verdinas" lentils stock. -fleshy grilled root, rustic bread soaked in a seafood jus and red wine. -sole black olives crushed with sherry, oregan and rhubarb. -roasted colt chunk with red garlic casein. -orange, honey and eucalyptus. -pure chocolate from Venezuela and spicy sand of marzipan At first I had to ask myself what "colt chunk" was and our captain basically explained it was the "oysters" from the back of a horse, which is supposed to be the most tender cut. What an understatement. This may have been one of the most fantastic cuts of meat ever, which is surprising when Ive heard mixed bags of opinions on horse. Im sad I cant get this in the US! As with the rest of the menu it was spectacular and they're definitely cooking at some of the highest levels here. To top that off, the service is also some of the best I've seen anywhere. Highly polished, completely professional, but also very kind and comfortable. Definitely a place not to be missed if you're in the area.

The food here was simple, straightforward, and contemporary. My wife found it to be here favorite dinner while in Bilbao, while I agreed that it was one of my preferred ones. That said, I felt like the food style was less a display of local ingredients in traditional Basque cooking styles, but more reflected the contemporary cuisine we find in the States (which is why I think my wife loved it). For the appetizer, I had the spider crab meat terrine and she had the white tuna tartare. Both were great and full of amazing flavors. For the main dishes, I got the pork cheeks while she got the veal sirloin. I thought the pork cheeks were better and more flavorful dish (also given that it was cheaper), but the veal also had a bacon terrine. So both were pretty good. For the dessert, we both had the raspberry once cream. My wife loved the dessert and that made this place her favorite restaurant in Bilbao. The raspberry flavored meringue made a move touch and the crunchy bits of chocolate cookies complemented the raspberry sorbet flavors. Service was also great and location was nice obviously. Dishes were rather small, but that's kind of what you'd expect anyway. Overall, would consider coming back next time we're in Bilbao!

Great place to stop when you need a rest after exploring the Guggenheim. Torrija is terrific. If you have not tried this dessert in the Basque Country yet, try it now. It's almost like french toast and creme brulee had a baby. Coffee is also well made. Not sure if their menu is very vast but it's a great quick stop to relax and enjoy a great view.

The "good": The 3 course dinner that comes with a starter, entree, dessert, coffee, wine, and water. The menu relies on seasonal products so what is in season will usually be on the menu for a few times of the year and will change as other seasonal products are available. The service is very attentive, water and wine bottles were being automatically replaced without asking. I was also part of a group of 24 which is very large and the fact they can still provide superb service is quite amazing on its own. Right now the hake (type of white fish) is in season so it was on the menu. When you order a coffee it comes with little mini chocolate round biscuit and a little butter mini muffin. The "bad": can't think of anything, isn't that crazy because I always can find something to improve upon The price: dinner was already taken care of as part of the tour I was on but I think I saw the set dinner menu was $23 euros a person which is a steal! Because it comes with wine and also coffee. A meal like this can easily set you back 3 times that price in the U.S.

After visiting the museum, we decided to eat here. Seemed like the best choice compared to the bar. We ordered the three course menu - got an appetizer, main course, and dessert plus wine for 27 euros per person. Quite decently priced for what you get. Good things: -bread was delicious -loved the seafood soup and turnip ravioli (both starter) -the French toast with ice cream was good -included 2 bottles of wine (ordered the white and red) Not so good: -ordered the lobster- not a lot of meat and the noodles that came with it were overly salty -lamb was too rich -the baked pear and hibiscus ice cream was just okay- extremely sour Maybe the other entrees are better...

I had high expectations but it was pretty disappointing altogether. The level of service seemed high by the reservation form and the hostess, but then we were served bread despite indicating a gluten allergy and our server seemed very uncomfortable speaking in English and mainly addressed the one Spanish speaking person at the table. The meal itself was very nice looking, but some dishes were served quite cool-room temperature when they should have been warm. The flavors were okay but not exciting. It wasn't enough to ruin the meal but I had expected much much better.

Fantastic and Michelin--star worthy, like its sister restaurant at the Guggenheim, Nerua. We dined here at lunch to break up the gallery stroll and opted for the prix fixe. While service was average, we did have everything we needed (even if we had to ask twice). The food was the main attraction. Our apps were the steak tartare and the cod ravioli. Both were perfectly executed, with balanced flavours and beautiful presentation. The steak tartare came with thick wedges of twice-baked potatoes, which were simply seasoned with salt and pepper but wonderfully crunchy and tasty. One of the mains was the cod stew - which was more like a hearty curry (consistency-wise). The cod was soft and flaky and the thick tomato base it was accompanied with was a perfect mix of sweet and savoury. The other main we ordered was the lamb. It was tender and cooked perfectly. Desserts are usually the forgotten pieces of prix fixe, but both ones that we tried here were outstanding. The french toast was the best dessert I've had in Spain (after a week of eating) and the chocolate sponge cake was filled with warm, rich melted lava. The ice cream accompaniments for both desserts helped to cut some of the richness and were both delicious.

This was, hands down, the best meal we had during our 31 day trip to the UK and Spain. The food was inventive and absolutely delicious! We were brought an entire bottle of wine for the 2 of us (which was a decent vintage, certainly the kind of bottle that would be $20-30 in the US, and it was just part of the prix fixe menu for lunch). I had the crab terrine as a starter and it was DIVINE! Husband had the salad, which was also very yummy. He had the lamb and I had pork cheeks--both were so good you wanted to lick the plates. For dessert we had the french toast with cheese (like cream cheese) ice cream and pineapple ravioli that had a mousse filling . And then over coffee they brought out these little treats of mini cookies/pastries, including balsalmic vinegar marshmallows! On the recommendation of another yelp reviewer, we made lunch reservations, which is a good idea if you know you want to eat here--it is quite popular, and it's really a steal for the quality of food that they are serving. Overall, this was the cherry on top of a wonderful day at the Guggenheim.

Perfect break after long day at the Goog. 2 pintxos and a drink for 9 euros.Choice of several standard available on the menu or choose your own combination including the specials.

I had lunch here and was much impressed with the presentation (plating) of the food. Everything I ate was delicious.

The Guggenheim alone is worth visiting Bilbao for. And when you are there, don't miss the museum's restaurant. Not the cafe, the restaurant! Put your name on the list as soon as you get there (or make a reservation). On a Tuesday, our wait was 2.5 hours. Explore the museum while waiting for your table. As soon as we sat down, they brought two hunks of the most amazing bread I've ever had. It was light, crispy, crunchy, flavorful and supposedly made in house. If you've eaten in Spain before, you know this is not the norm for table bread, so I knew we were in for a treat. The prefix menu at something like 35E is a bargain. The food is inventive and delicious. We liked everything we tried. This is the kind of cooking the Basque country is renowned for. Save room for dessert. You won't regret it.

When you happen to be in Bilbao, a visit of the Guggenheim Museum is an absolute must. When you are at the museum, a visit of the Bistro in the museum is also a must. Don't let yourself be distracted from the bar/cafeteria which is on the same level - make sure to pass along the long bar with a variety of tapas until you reach a counter - there you ask for a table. If you are lucky, as we were, you will be seated right away in the space right behind with a lovely view on the river. You will be treated to the most amazing 3 course lunch menu. The friendliness of the personnel and the quality of the food are as good as the quality of the museum. Immediately after we were seated, water, olives and bread were placed on our table. The waitress returned after an appropriate amount of time to take our order. We had to make our choices out of 5 different optiones for each course. We decided to go for a lovely starter of anchovis, vegetables and salad and the gazpacho with tunafish and watermelon - sublime. As main dish I choose the cod confit - unusual combination but delicious nonetheless. And for dessert I decided to go with pineapple ravioli with coconut ice-cream - mmmmh. Altogether a heavenly experience - don't miss it! A bottle of water and a bottle of wine were included in the menu.

not sure if i'll ever get used to waiters attitude in Europe and its not only this restaurant but everywhere. they take forever to serve you as if they don't give a damn if your'e there or not. anyway the food was nothing good to write home about.

I ate at the bar, awful experience. The glass was chaffed so severely that you can see the claw marks everywhere on it. Ordered the. Gernika green pepper and cod, it has fungus growing on top of it... Really? Guggenheim?