El Globo

This place was chaotically busy but had great pintxos, especially the gratins. Me and my friend visited it around the peak hour of 2pm on a Saturday. The bar was packed and you had to sort of push your self into the line. The tables were full of empty glasses and paper plates because of the crowd, but on the bright side the staff were doing their best to clear areas where people were standing. Its not an ideal place if you are looking for a quiet place to chat, but lots of people were just taking the plates outside onto the streets as well. The pintxos were worth the wait!

Recommended by a local who lives close to this place I decided to try it. If you want to sit in their small patio you have to order from the menu which is mainly full sized meals. I was told that if I wanted Pintxos or drinks I have to order at the bar. I sat down and ordered the set menu. Starter is three Pintxos followed by very well cooked tuna (no fishy smell or taste at all) and Foie gras and to finish a chocolate lava cake for desert. The server was very friendly and helpful.

Loved the Pintxos here, especially the spider crab one. Everything I ate was great. Another must visit when in Bilbao

This is a well-known local tapas bar, and you can tell it's very popular — even on Monday afternoon it was quite busy. I ordered two pintxos, but since I was sitting in the outdoor area, I had to order a main dish as well. I chose the grilled prawns with salt and a glass of Txakoli. The food was pretty good, about average for the area, but the prices were a bit higher compared to other tapas bars I've been to.

Good pintxos bar with seating options outside and a few inside. The pintxos were quite good, albeit a little more on the pricy side. Overall a good experience!

Wow! Joan y gabby took care of us like VIP’s (nos atendieron de lo mejor). This place is a MUST! The Beef gratin with cheddar please order this one, morcilla really good and local beer La Salve Lager. I love the atmosphere of this place, spacious and clean.

Good pintxos, they do rely on cream/béchamel quite a bit. When we went it was completely packed , lots of people passing by and bumping into you, which it’s not my favorite way to enjoy a meal and subtracted from the experience a bit. But if you don’t mind that , this will probably be one of your favorite places in Bilbao.

A bit of a disappointment as all 3 of the pintxos I had were pretty unremarkable. The fried baby squid was the best but, still, nothing special. The broiled bacalao pintxos was creamy and pretty tasteless. Service was fine, but there's no inside seating and the place is just not pleasant in general (the terrace does seem nice).

Some of the tastiest pintxos in Bilbao! They offer a great variety of classics, but each has a unique twist. I recommend the squid, crab gratin, and chorizo. The service was a bit of a mess lol people everywhere trying to get into the queue to order. However, the staff did their best and delivered everything as quickly as possible. I recommend going at off-peak hours... Unless you want to experience ordering like the locals XD

The restaurant is one I found to be recommended for pinxtos (small, bite-sized snacks often on a piece of toasted bread). We sat outside and were told to order food inside. The thing about sitting outside is that there are smokers. :/ The pinxtos are premade and just heated up. We tried txangurro (spider crab) gratin, artichoke in tempura, and crispy squid with onion. I was a bit disappointed, because I didn't care for any of them. The bread was quite crusty. I guess pinxtos aren't my thing.

El Globo is a tapas (well, pintxos) bar that is located in the center (I think) of Bilboa. The restaurant has a WIDE array of pinxtos, so I think everyone should be able to find something that they will enjoy. I think they even have a few vegetarian options, but I wouldn't bet the farm on this. ;0. While I enjoyed the pinxtos some in our groups (folks from Spain) thought they were a bit greasy and were not as delicious as they had remember on previous occasions. I think we arrived at the perfect time because there was not much of a line to grab a table. However, once a line started to form, things seemed to get quite confusing...and fast. Our servers were great and did they best they could. I did appreciate that they tried to accommodate our big group of seven folks. We were perfectly fine with splitting our group into two tables. However, our server asked another couple if they would be willing to move to another empty table so we could combine two tables for our party. I guess a special thanks also goes out to the couple that was willing to move. Although some of the folks in our group didn't think the pinxtos were that great, I would be more than willing to give El Globo another shot....especially since I didn't have a problem with pinxtos. Leer menos

Really good options and tasty but everything tasted similar. So great if you get one or two items and then keep on exploring

Had another excellent team event at El Globo which has an amazingly attentive staff, a wide variety of really delicious Pintxos that you won't find at other places nearby and a great indoor and outdoor space. El ultimo.

Delicious pintxos. We ate here 2 times during our stay in Bilbao. What a treat. It's a very large bar so plenty of room. One can easily find a place to stand and eat. Service was always on point. Quick and efficient. The also are really good at keeping the place neat and tidy for all the guests.

Small little shop but has tons of people. If you think chinese people have poor service Spain is the same. You wait in a scramble and whenever the server is ready to take your order they will acknowlede you. There is no systematic line in ordering. You do your best to get someone's attention and then order. They are pintxos bar and what was recommended was the crab one. I am not a huge fan of the pintxos because looking at most them they are mostly cream or mayo based, which I think is too heavy for my liking. I did try the crab one and of course it was super creamy and fatty it was very soft and didn't have any texture except for the bread it was on. However I did get a chorizo with bread and that was really good. It looked like it was going to be dry and tasteless but it was perfect. Had a lot of flavor and the bread balanced the fattiness of the chorizo. I was able to wrap it with paper and save it for later and it was still good the next day.

Pretty good as everyone says. Gets crowded because of the Yelp rating. Would go again next time.

This is almost a copy-and-paste of the review I posted for La Viña del Ensanche. They are both wonderful places to get Basque-style tapas, which they call Pintxos (pronounced "pinchos"). Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. Definitely recommend.

Fantastic tapas! Got the spider crab, the cod, the beef, and potatoes au gratin. All amazing. Can't say enough about these tasty bites. Quite affordable - six tapas for $18 euros. We'll definitely be back

Food has high rankings and came recommended. Unfortunately the service can be improved. Very angry older woman working the counter destroyed one of my orders - gave me the tomato on goat cheese without all of the tomato and the cheese crust half peeled- because she had a fit that I asked for it from her instead of the first guy I spoke to who sent me to that side of the bar. I realized the inconsistency til I took the photo below. Just a warning for tourists, make sure you know what you're doing beforehand or you'll get your head chewed off. They also ask for food to be payed for upfront. Just coming from San Sebastián where they were a lot more welcoming and charged after eating, it was kind of a weird cultural change. Hoping for a better time in Bilbao at this point.

El Globo was the first stop on our Pinxtos hop in Bilbao. We read all the good reviews so decided to give it a try. There was a good variety to choose from and we tried 6, but our favorite was the squid. Many are heavy on the mayo and creaminess so if you are health conscious you need to choose carefully.

We really ate at nearby Eliptica Restaurant but they do not have a yelp site We took tram out to bay of biscay, then stopped here on way back We had to wait until 13:00 but had a nice cerveza We ordered the cod, ham hock and the risotto and beans On the fixe price menu for 16 euros. For desser a variety of pastries, we close apple pie and coconut pie Comes with a glass of red wine too

4.5 stars The display of pintxos at El Globo is nothing if not iconic! The Hongos en su Crema y Jamon (mushrooms with cream and ham); the Txipiron Gratinado (squid ink gratin topped with poppy seeds); and the Txangurro Gratinado (crab gratin) were both creamy and unctuous. But the most memorable pintxos for me were the Alcachofa en Tempura, battered artichokes coated in sesame seeds; and Morcilla de Leon Rebozada en Cacahuete, a fritter made of blood sausage coated in peanuts! Both of these were perfectly crispy (and rather greasy) on the outside and flavorful on the inside--the morcilla had a pate-like texture and didn't taste bloody at all. Definitely worth a try!

We loved that we found this spot on our first night in the city. We chose quite a few pintxos and wine/beer and grabbed outdoor seating to take it all in. We were eager to sample all the options. It was our first time in Spain, and was a whole new delightful experience. The restaurant was super busy, energetic and our server was very engaging. We enjoyed our meal and I loved the wine! Great casual spot!!

Great Pintxos bar. It's always busy but easy to get an area to stand and eat and drink. Ambiance is lovely and fun.

Its a very good place to have Basque food, service was great and helpful with our choices. Good vibe

Just YUM ! Busy but handling walk ups like a champ ! Why does Yelp require more verbiage to post a review

Great ambiance The place was buzzing Lots of people for 10 pm Imaginative Pinxtos at a different level from those around the town Recommended cheesecake was great Friendly staff. Lived up to its reputation

First night in Bilbao and thanks to the Yelpers, I found this hopping place. Yes, they Basque folks eat late and pintxos are their food of choice. Along with a couple of counters full of different pintxos, their wine selection was quite good. Even though at the time I did not know that most metropolitan pintxos bars have similar wine selections, this was better by far. Even after 10:30PM it was still very crowded and I felt lucky to have found a small counter space. The wait staff spoke some English and was quite helpful. They directed me toward their house specialty, the crab gratin. It was delicious; a bit too creamy, but it's a gratin! I had two other pintxos and 2 glasses of the vino tinto (red wine). I know I was suppose to have only 1 of the pintxos and vino and move on to the next establishment, but sleep beckoned. A great first exposure to the Basque pintxos!

Freakin A that was great!!! I miss it already! I'm already wanting to go back! So glad we were able to check it out.

Pintxos galore! Had to practically roll myself out of this place, since I ate so much. The pintxos and pours were incredible and inexpensive. It can get crowded, so once you park yourself at the bar, try to stay there until you're ready to leave for good. A must-visit when in town.

Great food choices, and wine choices at a super reasonable price. Loved the vibe, the people watching and will return.

We started the food tour on a high note with El Globo, one of the best restaurants for Pinxtos in Bilbao. I let the tour guide choose and she brought a tasty white wine back to me while our pinxtos were warmed up. A delicious crabmeat topped with a tart melted cheese. Three bites and done. Man, it was great. A neat little restaurant that is not one that you will want to miss in Bilbao. Yum! Round number review! Number 7800!

Delicious tapas! A bit of a wait for really worth it. The place might look a bit crowded but it was fairly easy to find a table.

It's already been said a quite a bit, but it really has some of the best pintxos around. Bread is TOASTED (not soggy or stale- like other places) and the portions are generous. The egg and truffle pintxo is outstanding- they really deserve that praise.

Right Across from the classic La Vińa del Ensanche, El Globo is decidedly untraditional in scope. While the food and vibe are different, the process is the same: Order a beverage, select some Pintxo. Just a glance through the doorway gave us our second-wind. For Beer, there is Mahou, but more prominently featured is Carlsberg from Denmark. A breadth of wine choices on the blackboard, most costing less than 2 EUR a "copa". An English couple slid up beside us asking for Sangria..... they actually had it! The Pintxos selections while unconventional in flavor, towed a classic line of composition: Open faced over a slice of bread "spiked" with a toothpick . Each platter included a bi-lingual description in Spanish and English. Various aioli-centric seafood-salad-y choices, a tortilla (omlette). Our gaze was drawn to two "Txipirone" (squid) preparations: one fried with just a touch of caramelized onion as a relish; the other a dense "gratin" which I can only surmise is a layering a cheese bechamel over an inked bechamel. Both were unmistakably squid, but finished with surprisingly earthy notes. Some Pintxos are made-to-order, for which you must consult the staff. On this evening: Foie Gras broiled to slight crisp, barely retaining its shape, with a generous dusting of black pepper - the Pepper is all you need to balance the richness of the Foie Gras. Who says that Waterfowl always needs to be enjoyed without heavy saucing or sweet condiments (it came to mind we are not that far from Southwestern France...). A Red Tuna pintxo had a lean brick of tuna, broiled and garnished with a spring onion braised to melting in either red wine, vinegar (or both). Behind us were a large contingent of young-ish Japanese tourists. I was reminded of the standing Izakaya of Osaka (including the french one, where they have a live guitarist strumming for a Beatles sing-a-long.......). What else is this place than a "Globo"-Izakaya?

El Globo was our first food stop in Basque country and our first experience with pintxos. Despite knowing that the thing to do is have one drink and one tapa at each bar, everything was so good here that we ended up getting about 10-15 tapas between the two of us. The tuna was my favorite, but everything was truly delicious. The wine selection was, of course, excellent as well. Highly recommended.

Might have a bit of a biased opinion after coming from San Sebastián, but I didn't really enjoy the pintxos here. Bread seemed a bit stale and fish plates weren't as fresh as other places. Not sure what it was here, but everyone in my travel party came down with some stomach issues a day later.

Fantastic place. Loved the pintoxs and the service was awesome. A bunch of hustlers. If in Bilbao go....peruod!

Before you get anything else please order the Duck Confit. Everything else there pales in comparison. It's truly life-changing and you'll always remember it!

KenScale: 8.0/10 While San Sebastian is more well-known for having more fantastic pintxos bars, Bilbao is not far behind. I was staying in Bilbao during my trip to the Basque, and had to spend at least one night going on a pintxos run in this city. My first stop was El Globo, a casual and lively bar with a lot of young crowds looking to wind down for the night. The food here, however, is not to be taken lightly. In strict terms, pintxos refer to small items of food on top of toasted bread, although they could mean any sharable small plate in the more colloquial use of the terms. We started out with a couple of pintxos, one with crab and the other with squid ink. Both dishes were delicious bites that started the meal well. I felt thin sausage dish called "txistorra" was a bit too strong in flavor, but red peppers stuffed with txangurro were very delicious. The best of the bunch for the night belonged to sautéed baby squid with sautéed onions. The squid was very tender, and the balance of flavor in this dish was very good to make me crave for more and more of this dish. Getting a seat at this always-popular bar can be challenging, but fortunately we were able to snag a spot at the bar. Always complement these pleasant small bite dishes with some wine (their glass wines were serviceable but not great). El Globo is one of those places that would be the right starting point to explore the art of pinxtos eating in the Basque region, with bustling bar scene and solid selection of small bites that show the versatility of Spanish cuisine.

Among the restaurants I managed to squeeze in, this place has the best pintxos. It was dinner #3 of 5 or something, but definitely the most memorable. It's rather small, incredibly crowded, but you don't have to know how to be belligerent in Spanish or Basque to get service here. Pintxos are lined on the counters and all of them tasty, especially the hot ones. Most people pay right after they are handed the plates. So send your party to secure a table while you do the ordering. In Bilbao, I'd suggest Iruna for the atmosphere and lamb skewers, El Globo for the pintxos, and La Vina next door for the sit down dinner. That will make for a delightfully gluttonous night.

We have been coming here for 15 years and if you miss El Globo, you will have missed a treat in itself. El Globo has been serving up Basque pinxos for years and unlike many establishments, they refuse to trade on their name rather, they take their product and service seriously. This can be evidenced the the great number of Bilboans who frequent the joint. Our favorite the the bacalao tapas. Be careful, they are filling. We will come back.

Fun little restaurant and bar located in the busy part of Bilbao (Located right next to the Provincial Council of Bizkaia). Easily had me hooked as it the sole restaurant at the time of browsing Yelp with spectacular reviews, so it was a pretty easy decision. Fast forward to walking in, which can leave you a little confused as to "Do I take a seat or go to the bar where everyone else is gravitating towards"? The straight forward answer is if you plan on staying awhile with a large party, grab a table, if you are blending in with the bar hopping locals, grab a few pintxos and a glass of vino/beer. I could name some of the dishes, but with many of the restaurants, they change quite frequently, so I do not want to get anyone excited about a dish only to find out it is not there when you visit. The pintxos that were offered looked delicious, so I could not help myself and dug into about five of them and grabbed a local white vino. All of the pintxos were divine, so definitely understand why they slapped a Michelin star recommendation on this restaurant. As for the pricing, it is about the middle of the road, so do not expect a cheap eats type establishment, but get ready for some high quality pintxos!! Enjoy!

This place is wonderful!!! The restaurant was packed but the service was attentive and friendly. The staff spoke English and Spanish very well. They gave recommendations of the favorites of local Basque regulars and honestly any choice in this shop will leave you satisfied. The fish is fresh and these bite-sized pinchos portions allow you to try multiple blends of ingredients. My favorite dish was the Boqueron con salsa tartara. I'd visit Basque Country again just for the food at this place! The town and location are extraordinarily beautiful!!

Legitimate salads here! Asked the outdoor waitress for a table and waited a couple minutes. She brought out the menu and we ordered directly from her. Sangria is a party in a cup!

Such a great experience! We are only 2 year spanish students, and basque country's spanish is a bit different... but the whole service team was kind and patient, teaching us how the system worked, and offering pistos suggestions. House wine was 1.50€ and each snack was 2.5€. House fois gras bruleed on toast was absolutely perfection, and the mollusk/anchovies/seaweed salad pisto was bright and fresh. We tried about 10 snacks and enjoyed them all! It's a tight space, to wedge your way in to the bar to place a drink/snack order, and get ready to move around a lot-- meet new people, and have some fun. When in bilbao, do as they do! and enjoy:)

Best pinchos, tapas, and raciones in Bilbao. Located in a busy commercial area and the place can get busy, but what do you expect with one of the most popular pinchi and tapas bar in the world! The place is filled with business men, turists, locals, hipsters, small families,world travelers, and everything in between. This is a must stop destination if you are inthe area. Nothing fancy, walk up to the bar ask for one or point to what you want and it will be served to you quickly. They have seafood, cheese, meat, and veggie selections and a full bar. This is Spain try a few, get a few drinks, and off for more fun. Just make sure to stop here.

I don't get this place. The pintxos are lukewarm at best. Maybe that's how they're supposed to be served? The best pintxo was their goat cheese con tomate. Either way not a fan and you have to spend at least 10 euros here before they will take a credit card payment.

Items Selected: Parmesan Dusted Ham Rillette Idiazabal Cream Tartelette with Walnut and Apricot Sheep Cheese with Balsamic Onion Jam Salt Cod Gratinee Sepia Gratinee Mullet Gratinee with Paprika Crunchy Morcilla with Raisins Baby Squid with Leeks Heritage Iberico Sandwich Americano Gateaux Basque Perhaps the most well known place for pintxos in Bilbao it was after three days in Bordeaux that a visit to Bar El Globo was made, and although an 18h30 arrival found the indoor space near filled to capacity the service could not have been more friendly as more than a dozen bar bites complimented a sizable menu of made-to-order plates. Operating more like a proper 'restaurant' than a place to simply grab a drink or snack, there is little doubt that much of El Globo's praise is generated by multi-lingual menus plus an abundance of advertisement, but with marketing set aside the experience still feels quite local and authentic, the majority of patrons speaking Spanish and most of them likely fresh off a long day at work. Slightly more expensive than Gatz or Irrintzi, yet at the same time going the extra mile to plate certain items and return them to the kitchen so that they could be enjoyed warm, it seemed completely irrational not to start with an acorn-fed Iberico finger sandwich presented for just two Euros, the following gratinees of squid and baccala both re-emerging from the kitchen moments later all creamy, salty, and hot. So impressed by the cod that mackerel topped in paprika immediately became a 'must,' round two additionally featured lightly breaded tentacles of squid atop pan seared leeks, the balance shifted a little bit too far to the latter while housemade blood sausage was presented as a funky breaded nugget with subtle notes of sweetness provided by chopped dried fruit. Opting next for two cheeses, both sent to the kitchen for heat while I heeded the server's advice to try soft ham dusted in Parmesan, those harboring a love for Idiazabal would do well to order multiples of the tartelette topped in walnut and apricot, the melty Sheep's cheese unfortunately suffering a similar fate as the calamari as it got lost in the balsamic and onion liberally dolloped on top. A long day already in the books with more yet to come, imagine my shock when a made to order Americano proved better than most coffee at France's fine dining Meccas, the custard centered Gateau Basque an equally pleasant surprise as the sizable slice was served warm with crème Anglaise for less than a 500ml bottle of mineral water's cost.

In a town where pintxos run rampant, it's hard to differentiate between the standard and superb. El Globo is one place I am sure deserves a special nod. If I visited the Land of Oz and could ask for one thing before coming here, I would beg for a larger stomach to fit in all the amazing bites. They have everything ranging from common tortilla to inventive banana wrapped in bacon and tempura-fried stuffed artichoke hearts. Trust me, this is a bar you want to take your time at. Mainly because they constantly bring out new platters full of things you cannot help but want to try. From the outside, it make look intimidatingly crowded but once inside, you quickly realize these people have their work down to a tee and will get you your food and drink in no time. So embrace the chaos because out of it comes something delicous!

This was my first pintxos bar experience (though I've had lots of tapas while in Spain) and it was fantastic. Very busy, so you've gotta be bolder than Americans are used to to get service, but the waitresses are fast and kind even when rushing around. I loved the artichoke tempura and avocado toast.

This bar is right off the metro stop at Moyua so it's hard to miss! Great selection of Pintxos and drinks! It's nice because there is seating inside as well as lots of places to sit outside when enjoying drinks with friends. I highly recommend this place- it also has fewer tourists than the bars near the Guggenheim or in Casco Viejo

I'm glad I waited to write this review. We are in San Sebastián now, the place everyone talked about as having the best food. We went to four different restaurants in the old quarter for pintxos - supposedly the best, and none compared with El Globo. The freshness of ingredients and taste combinations made each piece exceptional. We we're especially taken by the mushrooms with cheese, anything with blue cheese, and the queso with pate. I got a second one and took it apart, the pate was to die for, and in this case took a back seat to the cheese. The wines were good and then thoroughly enjoyed the sangria although many may object to its lack of purity. We ate and drank for well over a hour and our bill was under 40 Euros. Highly recommend.

Great Pintxos. Decided to dine here while running around Bilbao. Just left San Sebastian so maybe my review isn't so fair on account everything is s delicious in San Sebastian. I ordered the Confit de Pato (Duck Confit) con Patatitas asadas y Cebolla Confitadas and it was good but wasn't blown away. It's worth a go-to while in Bilbao.

Delicious food - best place we ate in Bilbao. Pintxos were phenomenal. The staff were really friendly and welcoming too.

Great spot with great Pintxos. Nice selection of wine and everything else. This should be your first stop to judge all other Pintxos bars. Thanos approved and enjoy a Gin & Tonic or whatever ETOH you prefer!

Came here on our first day... because of good reviews. Glad we came. Fun place for tapas and bacalao! Lovely outdoor ambiance. Friendly service. A must to visit in Bilbao!