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Cuisine of Basque Country for gourmets. Places for dinner - best restaurants

Urumea When started talking about the culture of eating in the Basques Country, it is necessary to mention pinchos. Tapas, a type of appetizer, served with wine in all the bars and restaurants in Spain, are hugely recognized, becoming almost the gastronomic and social center of the region. The thing is, the pinchos are not just food for the Basques. Though in the classic sense, this type of snack is considered to be an appetizer before the main course, most locals, as well as tourists, has it for dinner or lunch. Well, why should you really choose just one place and wait for your food, when you can visit two, three, or even four-five restaurants, each of which will have their own type of pinchos?
Top hotels in Basque Country for business trip or short vacation
The region’s accommodation sphere is represented by more than five hundred of hotels, many of which occupy beautiful historic buildings. Great interest to history buffs is the hotel … Open
Then again, if you want to have a relaxed evening, enjoying your food, interior, and music, and not going around the bars, don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed in the Basques’ culinary arts. If you are a real gourmet, you should definitely visit at least one of the Michelin star restaurants. There are ten of them in San-Sebastian and Bilbao – from Azurmendi, famous for its unusual setting, to a family restaurant Alameda. Please note, that such places are usually opened only for lunch and dinner, and mostly require dress-code.
A visit to a sidreria, on the other hand, will cost you much less. A sidreria is a traditional Basque restaurant, where the menu is based on the courses, served with cider. Under any circumstances, do not miss the opportunity to try an omelet with codfish, a beef chop, and Idiazabal cheese, which is served as a dessert with nuts and quince jam. The Basque Country is famous for its grilled dishes. When in Getaria, go to Elkano, where you will find great beef cutlets and a perfectly fried flounder and hake. If you like grilled meat, you will be pleased by Txuleta and Nestor in San-Sebastian, and choose Zarate in Bilbao, if you prefer fish courses. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Shopping in Basque Country - main shopping streets, outlets and boutiques
What to buy in the Basque Country? If you prefer world-famous brands, there is a good news for you – from the beginning of June till the end of September, and from the 7th of January till … Open
When choosing a dish, remember, that the portions in all the restaurants are really really big. They add a minimal amount of spices in the food, and the menu is adjusted to the season, as the Basques prefer to use only the fresh products. The meat is cooked in big pieces, grilled or fried on an open fire. If you have an opportunity, try chuleton – a rare beef steak served with fried garlic. Fish and seafood are quite popular here as well – a cod, a hake, a sea bass and many others are cooked in dozens of variations. Don’t miss the chance to try marmitako – a traditional fishermen dish, made from tuna and vegetables, and a cod in pil-pil sauce.
Bilbao The Basques love sea eel spawns, which they add fried in pinchos, omelets, and salads. White tuna is also popular. It is added to the marmitako soup together with pepper, potato, onion, and tomato. This delicacy is only taken with a pole during the warm season. A unique fish for the Basque Country is cabracho, that is mostly used in desserts. The Basques also like shrimps, lobsters, and calamari. Among the vegetables they prefer potato, pepper and tomatoes. By the way, the slices of potato, added in the tortilla, are really thin, and that affects the flavor of the dish. Definitely try cheese, made of goat milk. Due to the large sheep population, this product is quite common.
Guide to Basque Country sightseeing - things to see and to visit
Pais Vasco is one of the most unusual and attractive tourist regions in Spain. Everything here is unique, including nature and climate, a variety of historical heritage and cultural … Open
There is a wide choice of desserts in the Basque Country. If you plan to lose some weight, don’t go to the bakery. It’s quite difficult to resist such an enormous choice of sweets. The most common are the desserts, made of puff pastry with chocolate. A traditional alcohol drink for the Basque Country is cider. Chacoli – a young dry wine – is also a popular drink. Pacharan – a drink of at least 25% strength, made on the basis of blackthorn, will please you with its unusual taste. Riochia wine from Alva province also deserves multiple tastings.
This guide to cuisine and restauraunt in Basque Country is protected by the copyright law. You can re-publish this content with mandatory attribution: direct and active hyperlink to www.orangesmile.com.
Basque Country - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

City tours, excursions and tickets in Basque Country and surroundings

Reference information
Map of all Michelin restaurants
Michelin-starred restaurants in Basque Country
♥   Restaurant 'Zelai Zabal' Arantzazu. Type - Basque. 13.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Etxebarri' Atxondo. Type - Traditional cuisine. 15.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Gurea' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Traditional cuisine. 15.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'El Portalón' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Traditional cuisine. 16.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Akebaso' Atxondo. Type - Traditional cuisine. 16.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Toloño' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Traditional cuisine. 16.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Izaga' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Traditional cuisine. 16.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Kaskagorri' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Creative. 16.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'El Clarete' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Modern cuisine. 16.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Restaurant 'Arkupe' Vitoria-Gasteiz. Type - Traditional cuisine. 16.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Unique sights around Basque Country

Guggenheim Museum

From the series “Top 16 Most Amazing Buildings of the Planet”
Check on the map:   Distance from Basque Country center - 44 km.
The impressive construction of a deconstructivism has made the tiny Spanish town famous all over the world. Tourists from all over the world come here to graze on the unusual buildings and masterpieces exhibited in them. Today one can hardly imagine that the banks of the great Nervion river, where the museum is now situated, looked extremely oppressive just a few years ago. Here there was nothing but dark storage, the railroad tracks and the desolate landscapes. … Read further

Mundaka Beach

From the series “Top Beaches for Surfing on Huge Waves”
Check on the map:   Distance from Basque Country center - 49 km.
Mundaka resort has a well-developed infrastructure. Numerous hotels and restaurants are located near the coast. An important feature of the resort is the first-class surf schools. You can rent the equipment you need for sports there. You can also train under the guidance of professional trainers. Mundaka Beach is located in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve today. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List a few years ago. … Read further
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Basque Country
Detailed Basque Country maps
Basque Country photo gallery

Travel News
Thailand Relaxes Its COVID-19 Policy

New Year events in Thailand are likely to bring more people this year because everyone is tired of lockdowns and craving normal life. Many tourists, who book hotels in Pattaya, Krabi, or Phuket for the holiday season, also want to participate. As champagne has become an essential drink for New Year celebrations, the question regarding alcohol consumption comes to mind. The government allowed serving alcoholic drinks during the New Year countdown but only open-air cafes and restaurants with good ventilation will be permitted to do this until 1 am on 1 January 2022. This rule is nationwide. Read this

24.09.2023

Basque Country in photo set

Searching where to eat - restaurants and cafe on Basque Country map

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Cuisine and restaurants in the neighbours of Basque Country

Bilbao
Cum Laude Café Bilbao is a cozy restaurant that is known as one of the most beloved dining facilities among both local residents and tourists. The small hall of the restaurant is divided from the kitchen only by a transparent wall, so guests can see how chefs prepare the dishes they have ordered. In the morning Cum Laude Café Bilbao is always full of visitors, which are ... Open »
San Sebastian
A visit to San Sebastian, a premium Spanish resort will be of great pleasure for haute cuisine admirers. Ethnic restaurants of the resort offer their guests a rich assortment of fish dishes. Tourists will also find several restaurants specializing in Basque cuisine there. It should be noted that chefs specializing in this culinary trend are considered to be the best cooks in ... Open »
Pamplona
Among the restaurants of ethnic cuisine the Europa eating house is of immense popularity. Every speciality dish served in the restaurant is a genuine culinary masterpiece. The restaurant is located not far from the central square of the city of Pamplona. That is why its hall is always crowded. One of the main features of the Europa restaurant is a vast choice of desserts and ... Open »
Biarritz
La Maison Blanche is considered one of the best restaurants in Biarritz dedicated to the national cuisine. The restaurant amazes its guests not only by a rich selection of dishes, but also by an elegant decoration of its halls. Spicy kebabs cooked in a special sauce, fried calamari in sherry, pigeons with a mushroom garnish and tender beef stew – these are just a few ... Open »
Santander
Sparing tourists will better love the La Sole restaurant serving tasty and inexpensive dishes. The La Sole eating house is a great place for a family visit. During late afternoon the restaurant is always crowded. The menu of the gastronomy establishment offers a rich choice of snacks and salads. Hungry visitors will be delighted with a huge assortment of rich nourishing meat ... Open »
Zaragoza
The Los Borrachos restaurant specializes in Spanish cuisine dishes however its menu will be of great interest for admirers of inimitable French cuisine delicacies. Its menu offers a rich assortment of treats made of fowl and fish as well as a good selection of light snacks named tapas. The Tango restaurant features not only a vast choice of dishes of ethnic cuisine but an ... Open »
Travel notes on best cuisine and restaurants of Basque Country (Spain) on OrangeSmile.com. Famous recipes and traditional dishes and courses in Basque Country restaurants. Where to eat - our recommendations on popular places in Basque Country, where you can taste delicious meal and also spend a good time with your friends.
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