The Art of Eating

Getting hungry? Looking for some good restaurants in Bilbao? Believe me; you’ve come to the right place!

Basque people take food seriously. This is a place of gastronomic societies, internationally renowned top chefs and zillions of neighborhood restaurants.

One of the things you need to know is that in between 2 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon the streets are deserted and the stores are closed. People are eating! And they are enjoying a great cuisine. No “fast food” here.

Many work places close in the middle of the day and people go home to have lunch. Often the whole family gathers to have a three course meal - everyday of the week. Others are eating out, in a restaurant. Here everybody seems to be a master chef (besides me, that would be, but I am Swedish so I am excused)

Bilbainos take great pride in their cooking. Fresh fish straight from the Bay of Biscay, meats, game, fruits, vegetables, cheeses. The prime ingredients are excellent.

Me sipping on a “café con leche”. Life is good here in Bilbao…

A Tour to the Guggenheim museum Bilbao

When can we see the Guggenheim museum of Bilbao? When my friends from Sweden come for a visit, this is normally the first thing they ask. By now it has become quite a few trips. I must admit I enjoy the sightseeing as much as my guests.

If there is one thing this city is known for it is this stunning museum of contemporary art.

Weekends the paths surrounding the Guggenheim are normally full of people, tourists, joggers, bikers and locals enjoying the view. We Bilbao dwellers also love to pay a visit to our “Guggen”, even if it is only from the outside. The playground just beside is also a popular goal for families and Elliot, my son, loves the Puppy (the flower dog).

Stunning architecture
The Guggenheim museum of Bilbao was opened in 1997. It is located right in the heart of the city, just along the riverbank. The area used to be industrial ground. A bridge with heavy traffic, “La Salve”, actually cuts right through the building.

The museum was designed by the North American architect Frank Gehry. The style is post-modernistic. The forms are organic, not a square corner is to be found. The exterior part is covered with fine titanium panels, glass and sinous stone.

Exhibitions
The museum offers both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. It is focused on modern and contemporary art.

Revitalizing the local economy
Taking the decision to build the museum was a daring initiative. In the beginning of the 90s the local economy was plagued by a heavy recession. The museum became a part of a plan to revitalize the economy. At first the project was met with opposition. Spending massive public funding on a museum seemed like slight madness.

However, the Guggenheim museum Bilbao changed the city forever. Throughout the years it has brought millions of visitors. The Guggenheim has definitely turned Bilbao into an attractive must see for visitors from all over the world.

Food in the Basque region, you are in for a culinary treat

Green lentil stew, fresh fish “a la romana”, yoghurt. Mmm… delicious!
Food in the Basque region is tasty. The above menu is an example of what my kids eat a normal day in school. Aren’t they just so lucky...

So what is the typical Food in the Basque region?
First one has to make a distinction between the food in the Spanish and the French part of the Basque country. There are quite a few differences between the two “cuisines”. Since I live in Bilbao I will share with you my culinary experiences from here.

The Basque cuisine is known world wide; part of its secret is the high quality ingredients that are used.

Fish is the number one ingredient “per excellence”
The sea and the Basque people have been connected since the beginning of times. The nearness to the Bay of Biscay makes it easy to understand why fish is the star ingredient in some traditional dishes. Many of these require a long time to prepare. If you are in Bilbao I recommend you to visit a Basque restaurant and you get all the pleasure with no work.

Marmitako (tuna)
This dish with a funny name is made of white tuna, potatoes and fresh tomatoes. According to my friend Nagore this is a typical dish that Basque fishermen used to prepare when they went out whale hunting.

Bacalao al Pil-Pil (cod)
This is one of “the” most famous dishes here in Bilbao. It is prepared from dried, salted cod. The cod has to be desalted during a day and a half before using it (and the water changed ever 8 hours). It is prepared in a sauce made of garlic and olive oil.
It is supposed to be a true art to prepare it. Honestly, I do not like it too much, even though people here see it as a real delicatessen.

Bacalao a la Vizcaina (cod)
Another dish made from dried cod. It is prepared in a red sauce made of dried peppers, onion and Serrano ham. The sauce is simmered for about three hours.

Merluza a la Vasca (hake)
This is one of my favourites! Well worth a try. Main ingredients are hake, shrimps, green pea, asparagus and parsley.

Chipirones en su tinta (squid)
Small squids in ink sauce - this is my daughter’s absolute favourite! The dish is completely black (maybe that’s part of the reason that she enjoys this dish so much).
In the grocery stores you can actually buy frozen squid ink. Isn’t that an exotic ingredient!

Porrusalda (cod)
Creamy soup made of potato, leek, onion and cod. Has plenty of olive oil and garlic. It’s perfect to warm up on a cold, rainy day.

Angulas (baby eel)
This dish is literally worth gold! This delicatessen, called Angulas, is baby eels. Prepared with extra virgin olive oil and garlic they are served on very special occasions such as Christmas Eve. The price is prohibitive. The price for one kilo is about 800-900 Euros. Needless to say they are sold by the gram, not by kilo. I did eat it once in a friends house (luckily I was unaware about the price).

Beans and lentils are also basics
Before I came to Bilbao I didn’t know beans and lentils could be so delicious. Where I come from these little gems are slightly frowned upon and seen as boring health food (no offence, I love healthy food).

Here they are a part of the traditional cuisine. In every Basque restaurant and home you can find a great variety of bean and lentil stews. These dishes normally include fresh vegetables and different kinds of meat such as chorizo, bacon and sausage (there goes the healthy…).

To prepare these stews you either need a lot of time or a really potent steam cooker. My friend Maika is a real wizard at preparing these delicious stews. Some favourites in her kitchen are “Chick peas with cabbage” and “red beans from Tolosa with meat”.

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