Good to hear it was on our list but too far out
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We don’t really do tasting menus, so have been on the fence on going to Elkano. IIRC, they have a bar? Close by is Iribar Jatetxea, that @Nemroz flipped over.
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Might be worth e-mailing them. When we went (in 2021) they had an a la carte menu, but maybe they’ve gone tasting menu only since then.
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Snagged reservations for both in May. Will report.
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Don’t miss the Completo sandwich at Bodega Donostiarra. Three-ingredient perfection: Tuna, Cantabrian Anchovies, Guindilla pepper.
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Time to make reservations. Looking for thoughts on Franca, Succulent, Ultramarinos Marin and Gresca in BCN. Is Casa Julian worth the hassle (Tolosa)? Los Fueros in Bilbao?
I’m going in mid June. Other than Etxebarri and Elkano leaving the rest for walk ins.
for our two days in BCN we are doing Gresca for sure - it’s by far my fav but ultramarinos is a close second. Also love Estimar.
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How did you get into extebarri?
Dm-ing ya
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When I went a couple years ago, felt like you needed reservations for Gresca and Ultramarinos. Esp since Ultramarinos is only open for lunch, we got lucky with a last minute bar seat. Agree with @mzonelli on those two being favorites. Succulent is good, but prefer the other two. In that range also like Al Kostat inside Alkimia. It’s their more causal a la carte concept, cooking out of the same kitchen. I think you need to call and make a reservation, I assume to make it deliberately less accessible to tourists.
Whether Tolosa or Bilbao is worth it is very dependent on how long you’re there. I would say there are worthwhile places closer to Barcelona if you’re looking to explore a second city. If you’re in Spain for two weeks+, going to San Sebastian/Bilbao/Tolosa is well worth it.
You’re probably not considering it, but don’t go to the Casa Julians in Madrid over the one in Tolosa. We went to one in Madrid and it didn’t blow us away.
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Ultramarinos Marin is definitely open for dinner. I think you’re referring to a different location.
Please see my subject title and OP. 3 weeks to all the cities mentioned. I will probably cancel Casa Julian (Tolosa) in favor of the Txuleta at Urola or if any of you have a different rec.
Do you have any favorites in Bilbao? Considering Los Fueros, but there is also a top pizza place, Demaio (we could also hit for lunch). Only two nights in Bilbao.
We really enjoyed txakoli Simon. They have tables where you can cook and eat outside with great views of the valley below. Lots of local families come on the weekend to eat chuleta and drink txakoli. Their chuleta is top notch and they provide you with a small charcoal grill to cook to your desired doneness, morcilla was also excellent. Will need to drive or uber but vibes are unmatched.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/k1EPVp29zxErf4BBA?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
Behind Los fueros there’s a plaza that is ringed by pinxto spots.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CD8boBDk19j3mG4m8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
The best spots in the plaza nurva are antxoa taberna and sorginzulo. With cafe bar bilbao providing the old school vibes
We also enjoyed dinner at la vina esanche, no relation to la vina in San Sebastián. Known for their jamon they also have great cooked dishes with we enjoyed their oxtail and octopus. Grab a pinxto and Cana at globo next door
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Only 2 days in Bilbao. Txakoli Simon only lunch and no open slots. Have a ton of pintxos places saved, including that plaza. Appreciate the recs.
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If you’re interested in Simon just call them and see if they have availability. I’ve found that to be much more helpful than attempting to book online in Spain for some reason.
Sorry, meaning, we have no open slots.
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Ah ok! Can’t wait to see your travel posts; good eatingand have fun!
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More likely my information on Ultramarinos is out of date, we went soon after they opened and they were lunch only.
I would go to Casa Julian (Tolosa) if you already have a reservation. It is more iconic than Urola (which I’m not sure is best known for steak anyway) and honestly it’s worth driving through the Basque region more if you can. Personally my plan for my next visit for a sit down meal in San Sebastian old-town was going to be Ganbara. That was the place where I regretted only having a few pinxtos as we were exploring.
As an aside maybe check out the Txuleta burger at Bar Desi in San Sebastian.
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Les Lias Bilbao is a great spot to just drop in, super chill, casual bites with a nice selection of vino where you can get a glass of some local vino for less than the cost of a cup of water. Owned and operated by Mikel Garcia, whose father was Daniel Garcia, and part of the gang of Basque chefs in the 80s who took over the culinary world. His Michelin star restaurant, Zortziko, closed a couple years back.
My favorite bites in San Sebastian: the sea urchin at Bar Sport is something I went back for daily.. tortilla at Bar Antonio.. octopus at Beti-Jai.. the meats at Bar Nestor.. daily specials at Casa Urola.. cheesecake at La Vina.. the mushrooms, foie gras, egg dish at Ganbara that Bourdain loved so much lives up to the hype, fantastic with a glass of red wine
And a quick detour to Petritegi Sagardotegia is always worth it
Even if you can’t go to Elkano, driving along the coast to Getaria or driving up the hills of Getaria overseeing the water is a great experience. Don’t sleep on Kaia Kaipe, it’s the locals favorite in town
For Barcelona, Paco Meralgo is a great casual place to snack and share. Still think about that “Pepito”, fried veal sandwich
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We are doing lunch in the sit down part of Ganbara. Any word on Elkano Txiki? The pintxos bar of Elkano?
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La Vina is epic.
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