Until a few decades ago a postindustrial metropolis plagued by pollution and economic decline, Bilbao today is a buzzing cultural and culinary capital. On this full-day tour, we’ll trace Bilbao’s history and rebirth through the exceptional eateries.
Bilbao Reborn: Feasting in the Basque Comeback City
Summary Description
Highlights
- Tasting traditional market foods
- Having a classic Basque breakfast
- Tasting regional artisanal cheeses
- Indulging in a Carolina pastry
- Strolling along the riverfront
Description
. The economic capital of Spain’s Basque region, the port city saw its fortunes soar in the 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to its steel and shipbuilding industries. When those collapsed in the 1980’s, Bilbao crashed with them, plagued by pollution and drugs and caught in the fight between Basque separatists and the Spanish government. Today, though, Bilbao is a city reborn.Once grimy riverfronts have been turned into parks and the streets are buzzing with both locals and visitors, turning the city into a cultural and culinary capital that is perhaps best represented by Bilbao’s most recognizable landmark – the gleaming Guggenheim museum, which opened in 1994. On this full-day tour, we’ll walk Bilbao’s backstreets and stop into the local eateries – old and new – that tell this city’s remarkable tale of renewal.
We’ll start our day in the Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s old town, a charming labyrinth of narrow streets, bustling markets, and historic buildings. Here, we’ll first visit one of the city’s great survivors, Mercado La Ribera, considered to be the largest covered market in Europe. Although built in 1929, there has been a market at this location since Medieval times. We’ll walk through the colorful aisles, meeting local vendors and tasting some essential market eats. From La Ribera, we’ll wander through the Casco Viejo’s side streets to an old-school breakfast spot – in true Basque fashion, a bar – that’s been in business since 1924. Here we’ll get a taste of classic Bilbao breakfast sandwiches, accompanied by traditional tart Basque cider. At our next stop, a family-run shop in business since 1931 that specializes in selling all types of preserved fish, we’ll learn about the local obsession with salt cod, the key role it plays in Basque cuisine and get a taste of one of the store’s specialties.
Continuing our exploration of classic Basque flavors, our next stop will be at a 100-year-old bodega for our first pintxos – the region’s famous bar snacks – and a taste of txakoli, the minerally and fresh wine made from the native Hondarrabi grape and which itself has seen a revival in recent years. Working our way through the heart of town, we’ll take in some architectural treasures before sitting down at one of the newer spots responsible for the resurgence of Bilbao’s culinary scene. Here, we’ll taste some “new wave” dishes that lovingly riff on classic recipes, including the restaurant’s celebrated Spanish omelette and cod pil pil. Before the day is over, we’ll have a tasting of artisanal regional cheeses, pop into a beloved tavern run by the same family since 1943 to join the locals for afternoon pintxos and wine, check out the striking stained glass windows – and the surprisingly sophisticated to-go food – in Bilbao’s old train station, and then stop by a decades-old pastry shop to pick up a whimsical local speciality, the Carolina, a tower of meringue sitting inside a puff pastry cup. Carolinas in hand, we’ll walk a bit more to say our goodbyes in front of Bilbao’s pride and joy, the Guggenheim, our story of the city’s rebirth now complete.
Included / Excluded
- All food consumed on the walk – almost a dozen different edible specialties
- Culinary Backstreets Guide
- Alcohol sampled
- Transportation to and from the meeting point
Start / End Locations
Important Information
Know Before You Book
- Food Tasting - Let us know if you have any allergies
- Wear comfortable shoes
Cancellation
Cancellation Cutoff: 72 hours
Cancellation Notes: 90% refund if given 1 week notice prior to walk. 50% refund if given 72 hours notice or more. Less than 72 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Options and Pricing
| Food Tour - Backstreets Bilbao | RETAIL PRICE |
|---|---|
| Adult (13 - years) | $150.00 |
| Child (6 - 12 years) | $75.00 |
Points of interest
- Guggenheim Museum, Abandoibarra Etorbidea, Bilbao, Spain
- Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao, Museo Plaza, 2, Abando, 48009 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
- Azkuna Zentroa-Alhóndiga Bilbao, Arriquíbar Plaza, 4, Abando, 48010 Bilbo, Bizkaia, Spain
- Bilboko Donejakue Katedrala, Done Jakue Plazatxoa, 1, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
- Mount Artxanda, Mount Artxanda, 48015, Biscay, Spain
- Erriberako merkatua, Erribera Kalea, s/n, Ibaiondo, 48005 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
- Parque Doña Casilda Iturrizar, Abando, 48009 Bilbao, Biscay, Spain
Terms and Conditions
Liability Waiver
By completing the reservation you acknowledge the following:
If you have food allergies, you are ultimately responsible to ensure your own health and safety. If you share information about your allergies, we can provide you with some guidance about the food purveyors on your tour, but we are not responsible for any allergic reactions that you may have. We are not responsible for any damages or losses incurred as result of acts by entities beyond our control, including but not limited to restaurants, shops, market stalls, eateries and food carts. We are not responsible for acts beyond our control, including but not limited to acts of God, act of nature, acts of war, or other unrest caused by state or non-state actors. If you are disruptive, we have the right to ask you to leave the tour without refunding you or providing you with a credit for your tour. You are aware of and responsible for all damages or losses that may arise during the course of the tour resulting from:
Risks associated with food, water or other drinks, including alcoholic beverages; physical accidents during the tour or at any of the locations visited; transportation failures; forces of nature; criminal activity; damage, loss or misplaced property; or accident or illness without means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies or services. You agree that any claims that may arise will first go to arbitration and only if not resolved in that manner shall be heard in court. In both cases, grievances shall be heard in the jurisdiction of Washington, DC. You further agree to be responsible for your own welfare and property and accept any and all risks of delay, unanticipated events, inconvenience, illness, injury, emotional trauma or death. You further acknowledge that participation in Culinary Backstreets tours is based upon execution of this Liability Waiver. By completing the reservation process you release and discharge forever Culinary Backstreets, its employees, owners, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns, from and against any liability arising from participating in this tour. You further agree that this release shall be legally binding upon you personally, all members of your family, all minors traveling with you, your heirs, successors, assigns, and legal representatives, to the maximum extent of the law.
I am aware that while on or traveling to or from my activity with Culinary Backstreets, I might be exposed to COVID-19 from other people, animals or objects. I assume all risk of any such contacts, including sickness, incapacity or death and agree to hold harmless Culinary Backstreets from any such developments. In addition, I recognize that the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of State as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have warnings concerning same and am choosing to travel and assume all risk myself.
About operator:
We got our start in 2009, reporting from a borderless urban zone we like to think of as the “Culinary Backstreets” because we believed that there were countless stories of a city’s foodways that needed to be told. We wanted to focus on a more traditional side of urban culinary life – the workings of simple family-run restaurants, the masters passing their craft on to an apprentice, the banter of regulars gathered around an open table, the rhythm of a life committed to meatballs and nothing else. We were enthralled by all of the tiny epics we encountered while eating our way through the city and set out to share as many of them as we could. From the start, we vowed to go slow and collect these stories one-by-one, giving equal measure to the culinary side as the human element of the story. This way, we expected a deeper understanding of the city and its daily life to emerge with every bite. For us, it’s never just about the best meatball in town; it’s always about all of the meatballs.
We tell the stories of our subjects – unsung heroes who are sometimes forgotten or taken for granted at home – through weekly restaurant reviews published on CB, culinary walking tours, books, web design and smartphone applications. When we see the need, CB also acts as a fundraiser for causes connected to protecting and promoting traditional culinary culture.
By publishing the stories of our local heroes, visiting them on culinary tours, or directly fundraising for them when they are in need, we attempt to honor their work and their essential role in maintaining the fabric of the city. Our purpose is twofold. Yes, we want to get travelers to some good places to eat. But we also want to make sure that some of these spots and the artisans making food there find a new audience and get the recognition and support they deserve. They are holding back the tide of globalized sameness, which is not easy work – even if it’s done unknowingly. But we believe that every meal counts and, with the help of our audience, they will add up. We are committed to their perseverance and hope that our modest efforts encourage them to keep at it. Our work is also guided by a belief in: Honest Tourism: The places where we eat and craftsmen that we feature on our culinary tours are all selected with this purpose in mind. We’d never accept a free lunch or consider a discount for our tour groups, because that would contradict our central goal, to support them. Nor do our guides receive any commissions from shopkeepers. Honest Journalism: The same principal is applied to the publishing of stories. There are no sponsored posts or even advertising on CB. The writers and photographers are paid fairly for their work on stories that we all believe in.
The cities we are drawn to all have a culinary tradition of untold richness as well as a certain tension, be it political instability, the tug between East and West, the clash between modern and ancient identities, migration, rapid gentrification, bankruptcy, or a post-colonial hangover. Our decision to get started in a city is always the result of a trip filled with many meals where we are given in intimate view of that tension, right there on the table. By getting lost in this warren of independent food purveyors struggling to preserve or adapt tradition in fast-paced urban life, we start to discover the deep complexity and true flavor of the city. At present, you’ll find our regular dispatches from Athens, Barcelona, Istanbul, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Marseille, Mexico City, Naples, Porto, Queens (NY), Shanghai, Tbilisi and Tokyo.
CB’s work was started in 2009 by Ansel Mullins and Yigal Schleifer as a humble food blog called Istanbul Eats. The following year we published a book of our reviews, now in its fifth edition. That year we also launched our first culinary walk in Istanbul, a route we are still using today. In 2012, we realized that what we built in Istanbul was needed in other cities we knew and loved. We started CB that year with Athens, Barcelona, Mexico City and Shanghai as pioneering members of our network. In 2013, we added Rio and also launched our iPhone application in Istanbul. In 2015, Tokyo and Tbilisi came into the fold. That year we published mini-guides to Barcelona and Athens and also launched an iPhone application in those cities. Our Eatinerary service, which provides travelers with tailor-made culinary travel itineraries, was also launched in 2015. In 2016, Lisbon – the latest city to kindle our curiosity – joined the CB network. In 2017 we added Naples and Queens, NY – two places with very compelling stories to tell – to our roster and also published full-size eating guides to Athens and Barcelona. In 2018, Porto joined the list of cities we cover.
By publishing the stories of our local heroes, visiting them on culinary tours, or directly fundraising for them when they are in need, we attempt to honor their work and their essential role in maintaining the fabric of the city. Our purpose is twofold. Yes, we want to get travelers to some good places to eat. But we also want to make sure that some of these spots and the artisans making food there find a new audience and get the recognition and support they deserve. They are holding back the tide of globalized sameness, which is not easy work – even if it’s done unknowingly. But we believe that every meal counts and, with the help of our audience, they will add up. We are committed to their perseverance and hope that our modest efforts encourage them to keep at it. Our work is also guided by a belief in: Honest Tourism: The places where we eat and craftsmen that we feature on our culinary tours are all selected with this purpose in mind. We’d never accept a free lunch or consider a discount for our tour groups, because that would contradict our central goal, to support them. Nor do our guides receive any commissions from shopkeepers. Honest Journalism: The same principal is applied to the publishing of stories. There are no sponsored posts or even advertising on CB. The writers and photographers are paid fairly for their work on stories that we all believe in.
The cities we are drawn to all have a culinary tradition of untold richness as well as a certain tension, be it political instability, the tug between East and West, the clash between modern and ancient identities, migration, rapid gentrification, bankruptcy, or a post-colonial hangover. Our decision to get started in a city is always the result of a trip filled with many meals where we are given in intimate view of that tension, right there on the table. By getting lost in this warren of independent food purveyors struggling to preserve or adapt tradition in fast-paced urban life, we start to discover the deep complexity and true flavor of the city. At present, you’ll find our regular dispatches from Athens, Barcelona, Istanbul, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Marseille, Mexico City, Naples, Porto, Queens (NY), Shanghai, Tbilisi and Tokyo.
CB’s work was started in 2009 by Ansel Mullins and Yigal Schleifer as a humble food blog called Istanbul Eats. The following year we published a book of our reviews, now in its fifth edition. That year we also launched our first culinary walk in Istanbul, a route we are still using today. In 2012, we realized that what we built in Istanbul was needed in other cities we knew and loved. We started CB that year with Athens, Barcelona, Mexico City and Shanghai as pioneering members of our network. In 2013, we added Rio and also launched our iPhone application in Istanbul. In 2015, Tokyo and Tbilisi came into the fold. That year we published mini-guides to Barcelona and Athens and also launched an iPhone application in those cities. Our Eatinerary service, which provides travelers with tailor-made culinary travel itineraries, was also launched in 2015. In 2016, Lisbon – the latest city to kindle our curiosity – joined the CB network. In 2017 we added Naples and Queens, NY – two places with very compelling stories to tell – to our roster and also published full-size eating guides to Athens and Barcelona. In 2018, Porto joined the list of cities we cover.
Basic Information
- Duration: 5 hours
- Max Group Size: 7
- Category: Food & Drink
Other products
