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Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Basque Cuisine Has A Japanese Soul At This Wildly Creative Restaurant
Chef Tetsuro Maeda in front of Txispa Mandrágora Fotógrafos Tetsuro Maeda is a man of eccentric stories. The chef of Txispa will casually mention a trip he made to Hokkaido, when, by the way, he was a top-ranked professional snowboarder in Japan. Driving around Spain's Basque Country near Axpe, he'll point out the route he followed when he spent ten years commuting by horseback to his job at Asador Etxebarri. Even simple conversations often spark to life with an unexpected detail. Perhaps that's why his restaurant, just up the hill from his former longtime workplace, Etxebarri, is called Txispa—the Basque word for 'spark.' The easiest way to sum up the restaurant is to imagine what Japanese cooking could have looked like 300 years ago, but made in the Basque Country with ingredients that thrive there. But that description sounds more like a thought exercise than an unforgettable meal. And Txispa is certainly unforgettable. In fact, there's something ineffable about the whole thing, something that can't be explained with a formula. There's a spark, a flicker of magic that's alchemical rather than analytical. As the cover page of the keepsake menu explains, 'Txispa is not just a name; it is the Txispa that transforms.' The road leading to Txispa Courtesy of the restaurant It continues with more insight into Maeda's journey. 'My teacher used to say: 'Txispa is missing,' reminding us that every dish needs that essence that elevates it. This is why we cook with passion, at the foot of the majestic mountains, deeply connected to the land where each dish reflects our authentic connection and the beauty in the simple.' Along with the snowboards and the saddles, that journey to the culinary big leagues followed a similarly unconventional path. In 2011, he bought a ticket to Spain using money he'd earned as a pharmaceutical guinea pig; an acquaintance in Japan had told him about an internship opportunity at the Michelin-starred Alameda in Hondarribia. This was the height of San Sebastian's reign as the European city with the most Michelin stars per capita—an era of relentless invention, experimentation and cerebral modernist cuisine. Maeda loved the artistry but found himself transported on a day off, when he went for lunch in Axpe. Chef Bittor Arginzoniz's legendary Etxebarri is the antithesis of all that—a fire kitchen where the grill is the centerpiece and the ingredients are pristine, where the ideas are simple and elemental, where the experience is almost primal: protein meets flame. Our lizard brains awaken. Maeda's certainly did. Aged and seared golden-eye snapper with perfectly crisp skin and lettuce Courtesy of the restaurant He learned enough Spanish to hit up Arginzoniz for a volunteer position, waited a year for it to come through, and then spent a decade at Etxebarri, where he lived in a former shepherds' shelter and rode that borrowed horse to work, even as he gained recognition as the grill master's most skilled apprentice and eventually became second in command. 'Etxebarri was the grill, nothing more,' he remembers. 'I loved it.' Now he's traded his horse for a Tesla, built a proper home for his family, and taken center stage in a restaurant of his own—one where he could be fully Japanese, not just trying to be Basque. It's the grill and a little more. Txispa opened in 2023 about 500 yards up the hill from Etxebarri in a gorgeous old stone caserío, or rural house with land for vegetable gardens. Maeda was drawn in particular to this one, which dates from the 18th century, because of the two mature cherry trees on the grounds. (Their fruits show up in the desserts.) Along with renovating the house into a seven-table, open-plan dining room with the kitchen—and especially its fancy Josper Basque grills—on display in one corner, he also worked with an agronomic engineer to recover about 2.5 acres of vegetable gardens, where he's planted shiso and mizuna alongside the Basque peppers and potatoes. Txispa occupies an 18th-century stone farmhouse Courtesy of the resturant That shiso is a detail that reflects Maeda's distinctive vision. The chef is proudly Japanese, something that shines through from start to finish, even as he's taking his place in a much larger, global fire dining movement. 'Fusion cuisine' sometimes gets a bad rap—gimmicks like biryani pizza, or al pastor sushi rolls deserve it—but Txispa is a blending of gastronomic cultures. It's not just one traditional, recognizable thing. It's a Japanese chef cooking Japanese cuisine with Basque ingredients, and all with the perspective of a 21st-century restaurateur but the constraints of a very different era—one with no DHL or FedEx. It's fair to say it's elemental Basque cuisine refracted through a Japanese lens. Or to describe it as Japanese food made in the Basque Country. A recent group of international diners called it Spanish kaiseki, a description Maeda quite liked. And whatever it is, it's very good, earning Txispa a Michelin star and a spot on the World's 50 Best extended list less than two years after opening. Basque sushi with fermented red peppers and rice crackers Courtesy of the restaurant Lunch—and the restaurant is open only for lunch, as Maeda considers the view of the stunning Axpe valley an essential part of the experience—begins, as so much fine dining does these days, in the kitchen. In late spring, the first bites were from a small wooden box of garden-fresh teardrop pea pods, which diners opened with their hands and ate straight from their shells—an appreciation of seasonal purity that felt rigorously Japanese. From there, he presents what may be his most emblematic dish, a sliver of lightly seared tuna tataki with fermented tomato water, red pepper and onion, all on top of a thin rice cracker. The fermented vegetables bring the acid taste that would normally come from the vinegar in sushi rice, while the preparation is also part of the traditional Basque dish marmitako (tuna stew). He calls it Euskal sushi, using the native-language word for the region. The rest of the menu unfolds in about ten reasonable courses, all served to every table at once, with Maeda standing in the center of the dining room and explaining what's going on. After a while, guests are invited back into the kitchen to watch the main event: Maeda team raising, lowering and tilting the racks above the coals on the grill, carefully executing a choreography between the proteins of the Galician beef and the flames that transform it. Maeda at the grill Courtesy of the restaurant Along the way, the dishes appear to have a strong Japanese DNA: Prawns are presented with nukasuke (pickles). Eel is served kabayaki- style (butterflied and grilled in a sweet soy-sauce-based glaze). A dollop of caviar rests atop creamy tofu in a tiny hexagonal pot. Corn and beef tongue are paired with koji (a fermented product that's often based on soybeans). Many of the ceramics are imported from the chef's native Kanazawa. And here's where it gets interesting. Soybeans don't grow in the Basque Country. And while Maeda doesn't follow any kilometer zero dogma and allows himself to import some of the best of the best, like the unadorned, ember-cooked scarlet prawns from the Mediterranean, he's decided not to take the easy way out on the Japanese ingredients. (Remember his guiding image of a Japanese cook being plunked down in 18th-century Spain.) The team makes their versions of tofu, miso, soy sauce and other Japanese staples using chickpeas, various beans and other native crops. It's labor-intensive, but it's part of what provides the spark. 'The fresh things have to be fresh. Bringing in soy sauce doesn't make sense,' he says, emphasizing again the importance of Txispa's emotional terroir. 'A big theme is the happiness I have about living here.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This Maverick British Chef Is Rewriting The Rules Of Fine Dining By Ann Abel Forbes This Wildly Creative Restaurant Turns Campfire Cooking Into Fine Dining By Ann Abel Forbes How One Of Munich's Top Chefs Is Using Gastronomy As Cultural Diplomacy By Ann Abel
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tired of Negronis? Try a Sharona.
A low-proof cocktail with a bittersweet profile reminiscent of a Negroni, the Sharona is a staple on the menu at Eel Bar, the Basque-inspired hot spot in New York's SoHo. It's also perfect for batch mixing, says the restaurant's co-owner Nialls Fallon, 39, making it an ideal option for hosts who want to enjoy their own parties rather than play bartender. The unfussy crowd-pleaser keeps the Campari and sweet vermouth used in a classic Negroni, but replaces gin with manzanilla sherry, a dry, high-acid alternative to the sweet cream sherries that have historically dominated the American market. The Sharona leans into manzanilla's brightness, featuring twice as much sherry as it does Campari, a ratio that also keeps the drink's A.B.V. (or alcohol by volume) relatively low. It's modeled after a prepared vermouth, a Basque Country mainstay that pairs aromatized wine with just a splash of a heavier spirit to add some oomph. 'You can sip all day and you're never really going to get drunk,' Fallon says. 'It's about having a snack and socializing.' - A Danish jewelry designer's long midsummer lunch. - In the Caribbean, a couple's laid-back birthday party with their young son. - A group of trans artists and activists' Filipino feast on Fire Island. - In a Georgian vineyard, a meal inspired by a painting. - A guide to sharing a vacation rental (and remaining friends with your housemates). - Chefs' favorite recipes for large groups. - An easy, crowd-pleasing cocktail to make in big batches. A pitcher of Sharonas — which pairs perfectly with oysters, grilled prawns and salty, fried foods — can be made well in advance and chilled until party time. Eel Bar's version uses Bodega Hidalgo's La Gitana manzanilla from the Andalusian seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the only place in the world where manzanilla is produced) and the Basque distillery Acha's red vermouth, which has citrus and floral notes that complement the drink's orange peel garnish. But any sweet red vermouth would work. This cocktail is all spirits-based, so you don't have to worry about separation, as you would if it contained juice, and its light profile is more forgiving than something like a Negroni, which can taste off when not properly diluted by melting ice. 'Don't worry about making it too perfect,' says Fallon — a mantra for stress-free hosting all summer long. Eel Bar's Sharona, for a crowd Serves 8 Ingredients 12 oz. (1½ cups) manzanilla sherry 8 oz. (1 cup) sweet red vermouth, ideally Spanish 6 oz. (¾ cup) Campari 1 orange Ice 1. Pour the sherry, vermouth and Campari into a 1-liter pitcher and stir. Chill in the fridge for a few hours, until ready to serve. (The batch can also be funneled into a sealable bottle and chilled in a cooler or stored in the freezer for up to two weeks.) 2. Just before serving, shave strips of orange rind with a vegetable peeler, removing as little of the pith as possible, and set them in a bowl on the bar along with some rocks glasses and a bucket of ice. 3. Pour over ice to taste. (At Eel Bar, the serving is 3.25 oz. — about halfway up a standard 10 oz. rocks glass, with ice.) Hold the orange peel skin-side down over the glass and twist, misting citrus oil over the top of the drink, before dropping the peel into the glass. Prop Styling: Rachel Mannello. Camera Assistant: Timothy Mulcare.
CNN
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Don't call these small plates ‘tapas.' They're pinxtos
The Basque people, among the oldest cultures in not just Spain but all of Europe, have their own way of doing things. Take the Basque Country tradition of pinxtos. A pinxto (meaning 'spike' in the Basque language) is a small snack, often served on a toothpick. It's meant to be eaten in a bite or two, standing up at a bar, before moving onto the next destination. You might be tempted to compare pinxtos to tapas, another Spanish tradition of small plates. But as Eva Longoria learned while filming in San Sebastián for 'Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,' that would be a mistake. 'Don't you dare call a pinxto a tapa,' she tells CNN. 'You will get run out of Basque Country.' Bar hopping is a crucial component of the pinxto experience, and Longoria embarked on a pinxto tour in San Sebastián with the expert guidance of Marti Buckley, an American food writer who has lived in San Sebastián for 15 years. What distinguishes a pinxto from a tapa is its composition. While a tapa is often a single food like jamón or garlic shrimp, a pinxto is a more elaborate culinary creation. The Gilda, a classic pinxto named for the 1946 film starring Rita Hayworth, arranges a manzanilla olive, pickled guindilla peppers and a salty Cantabrian anchovy on a skewer in the shape of a woman's body. Another pinxto called La Delicia layers a salt-cured anchovy, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and an onion-parsley vinaigrette atop a piece of bread. Yet another is a deep-fried piquillo pepper stuffed with meat. 'So much artistry goes into these tiny bites. It has to be an explosion of flavors in one bite,' Longoria says. 'That's what a pinxto is: a gourmet bite.' The best pinxto bars are each known among locals for a signature offering. But in Basque Country, pinxtos are more than innovative bar snacks. They're a celebration of culture and identity — and a way of life. 'Pinxtos are not only a 'what,' they are where you eat them and what you are doing when you eat them — they are inextricable from their cultural context,' Buckley writes in her cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' In other words, a pinxto is not a pinxto without the bar that's serving it or without good company to share it with. Here, Buckley shares a recipe for tosta de bogavante, served at the award-winning Bar Zeruko in San Sebastián. She describes it in her cookbook as 'a Connecticut-style lobster roll with a Mediterranean mayo dollop.' Enjoy it with a glass of chilled cava or champagne. This recipe is courtesy of writer Marti Buckley, from her 2024 cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' Makes 6 servings. Ingredients 1 large egg, at room temperature 3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil Kosher salt 1 tablespoon cava, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fish or lobster stock (see Notes) A lemon wedge (optional) Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 small round rustic loaf or ciabatta, sliced into 6 pieces 9 ounces (255 g) freshly cooked lobster meat (from arms and knuckles; see Notes), broken into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup (60 ml) parsley oil (see Notes) Flaky sea salt Special Equipment: A pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag Instructions Crack the egg into a tall cylindrical container. Add the sunflower oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Insert an immersion blender into the container so it touches the bottom and, without moving it, blend on the lowest setting. Once the mayonnaise is almost totally emulsified, move the blender slowly up and down to incorporate the remaining oil. (Alternatively, use a regular blender: Combine the egg and salt in the blender and, with the blender running, slowly stream in the oil through the hole in the lid.) Add the cava and stock and blend well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the aioli to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use; if using a ziplock bag, cut off the tip of one of the bottom corners before piping the aioli. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the slices of bread and toast, allowing them to color slightly before turning them to toast the other side. Transfer to a plate. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then add the lobster, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pipe a zigzag bed of aioli onto each piece of bread. Divide the seared lobster among the pieces of bread, drizzle with the parsley oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve. Notes You can buy already-cooked lobster or cook a 1½-pound (680 g) lobster yourself. Be careful not to overcook it. If cooking a whole lobster, instead of using fish stock for the aioli, after removing the meat from the shell, boil the lobster shells in a pot of water for about 5 minutes. Strain and use the resulting lobster 'stock' in the aioli. If using frozen precooked lobster, allow it to thaw completely before using it here. To make the parsley oil, combine the leaves from 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sliced garlic clove and ½ cup (120 ml) of olive oil in a food processor or using an immersion blender. Process until the parsley is in tiny pieces. Transfer to a squirt bottle or a jar with a lid. This makes about ½ cup (120 ml) of parsley oil and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
CNN
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Don't call these small plates ‘tapas.' They're pinxtos
The Basque people, among the oldest cultures in not just Spain but all of Europe, have their own way of doing things. Take the Basque Country tradition of pinxtos. A pinxto (meaning 'spike' in the Basque language) is a small snack, often served on a toothpick. It's meant to be eaten in a bite or two, standing up at a bar, before moving onto the next destination. You might be tempted to compare pinxtos to tapas, another Spanish tradition of small plates. But as Eva Longoria learned while filming in San Sebastián for 'Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,' that would be a mistake. 'Don't you dare call a pinxto a tapa,' she tells CNN. 'You will get run out of Basque Country.' Bar hopping is a crucial component of the pinxto experience, and Longoria embarked on a pinxto tour in San Sebastián with the expert guidance of Marti Buckley, an American food writer who has lived in San Sebastián for 15 years. What distinguishes a pinxto from a tapa is its composition. While a tapa is often a single food like jamón or garlic shrimp, a pinxto is a more elaborate culinary creation. The Gilda, a classic pinxto named for the 1946 film starring Rita Hayworth, arranges a manzanilla olive, pickled guindilla peppers and a salty Cantabrian anchovy on a skewer in the shape of a woman's body. Another pinxto called La Delicia layers a salt-cured anchovy, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and an onion-parsley vinaigrette atop a piece of bread. Yet another is a deep-fried piquillo pepper stuffed with meat. 'So much artistry goes into these tiny bites. It has to be an explosion of flavors in one bite,' Longoria says. 'That's what a pinxto is: a gourmet bite.' The best pinxto bars are each known among locals for a signature offering. But in Basque Country, pinxtos are more than innovative bar snacks. They're a celebration of culture and identity — and a way of life. 'Pinxtos are not only a 'what,' they are where you eat them and what you are doing when you eat them — they are inextricable from their cultural context,' Buckley writes in her cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' In other words, a pinxto is not a pinxto without the bar that's serving it or without good company to share it with. Here, Buckley shares a recipe for tosta de bogavante, served at the award-winning Bar Zeruko in San Sebastián. She describes it in her cookbook as 'a Connecticut-style lobster roll with a Mediterranean mayo dollop.' Enjoy it with a glass of chilled cava or champagne. This recipe is courtesy of writer Marti Buckley, from her 2024 cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' Makes 6 servings. Ingredients 1 large egg, at room temperature 3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil Kosher salt 1 tablespoon cava, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fish or lobster stock (see Notes) A lemon wedge (optional) Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 small round rustic loaf or ciabatta, sliced into 6 pieces 9 ounces (255 g) freshly cooked lobster meat (from arms and knuckles; see Notes), broken into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup (60 ml) parsley oil (see Notes) Flaky sea salt Special Equipment: A pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag Instructions Crack the egg into a tall cylindrical container. Add the sunflower oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Insert an immersion blender into the container so it touches the bottom and, without moving it, blend on the lowest setting. Once the mayonnaise is almost totally emulsified, move the blender slowly up and down to incorporate the remaining oil. (Alternatively, use a regular blender: Combine the egg and salt in the blender and, with the blender running, slowly stream in the oil through the hole in the lid.) Add the cava and stock and blend well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the aioli to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use; if using a ziplock bag, cut off the tip of one of the bottom corners before piping the aioli. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the slices of bread and toast, allowing them to color slightly before turning them to toast the other side. Transfer to a plate. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then add the lobster, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pipe a zigzag bed of aioli onto each piece of bread. Divide the seared lobster among the pieces of bread, drizzle with the parsley oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve. Notes You can buy already-cooked lobster or cook a 1½-pound (680 g) lobster yourself. Be careful not to overcook it. If cooking a whole lobster, instead of using fish stock for the aioli, after removing the meat from the shell, boil the lobster shells in a pot of water for about 5 minutes. Strain and use the resulting lobster 'stock' in the aioli. If using frozen precooked lobster, allow it to thaw completely before using it here. To make the parsley oil, combine the leaves from 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sliced garlic clove and ½ cup (120 ml) of olive oil in a food processor or using an immersion blender. Process until the parsley is in tiny pieces. Transfer to a squirt bottle or a jar with a lid. This makes about ½ cup (120 ml) of parsley oil and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Times
13-05-2025
- Times
17 of the best things to do in Bilbao
As Spain's tenth biggest city, and much smaller than Madrid and Barcelona, Bilbao is an easy, manageable place to explore. It's best known for its bravura Guggenheim Museum: an edifice of silver scales and glinting shards that put its port on the tourist map when it opened in 1997 — the world-renowned contemporary art gallery was part of Bilbao's transformation from a dilapidated industrial area to a cosmopolitan metropolis. Today, the buoyant northern port traces a twisting Nervion River inland and its old town, quays and island are ever more cool, cultured and interesting. The city is a brilliant mix of grit and glamour, ideal for a weekend break or as a base for a longer holiday exploring Spain's northern coastal area. Start by getting stuck into the fabulous local cuisine: soak up the atmosphere in sunlit plazas with a crisp Basque white wine and a table piled high with pintxos (regional tapas dishes). Bilbao is also home to the extensive Mercado de la Ribera, one of Spain's largest food markets, and excellent Michelin-recognised restaurants. Spend days marvelling at the city's fine architecture — its unique Unesco-listed bridge, the old town — and myriad art galleries, before heading further out to explore beaches, salt flats, caves and film locations along the coast. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue This stunning arcaded plaza was the historic quarter's main square; today it's still one of Bilbao's best social hubs, retaining all its liveliness and popularity. Built in the mid-19th century, its 64 neoclassical arches and porticos are chock-full of iconic bars, cafés and restaurants. Here you'll find locals sipping vermouth on sunny evenings, catching up with friends and watching their kids kick a ball about with competitive glee. On Sundays, the plaza becomes a thriving street market hawking antiques, collectables and curios. You'll know when an Athletic Bilbao game is on in the city: buildings, plazas, streets and people are adorned in red and white stripes. The football club is one of the most successful in Spain, having won eight La Liga titles, 24 Copa del Rey titles, and is one of only three founding members of the Primera Division to have never been relegated since it began (alongside big-hitters Real Madrid and Barcelona). It's no surprise, then, that the team — known as Los Leones — has a very dedicated following. Join their superfans for a game at the Estadio San Mamés if your visit coincides, or partake in post-game revelries. Across Puente de Ribera bridge from the Casco Viejo (old town) is Marzana — a rejuvenated quayside district known as 'Bilbao's Soho'. Free-thinking counterculture holds sway here: deconsecrated churches host concerts or unusual exhibitions while once-drab walls display works by international street artists. It's well worth signing up for a guided walk to see the best of those. For additional indie kicks, head north to Zorrotzaurre, where a sustainable flea market is held in the old Artiach biscuit factory, and to the nearby quarter of Olabeaga for its enormous, iconic Soñar (or Dream) mural. A cable car makes it easy to attain Monte Artxanda's 250m (850ft) summit and to relish regal views over Bilbao. From up there you can get a sense, on clear days, of the snaking Nervion River and its estuary, as well as gaze at the Guggenheim, the cathedral-like San Mamés football stadium, Bilbao's various bridges and the vineyard-streaked Txorierri valley. Look out too for The Digital Footprint, a sculpture commemorating the Civil War bombardment of 1936. Those on guided tours soon head back down to explore the Casco Viejo; everyone else can contentedly clinks glasses of txakoli, a slightly sparkling Basque white wine, in a hilltop restaurant. The 700-year-old Siete Calles are seven sinewy lanes that form part of the Casco Viejo and have long been at Bilbao's commercial heart. The former premises of merchants and shipping magnates in Barrenkale Barrena, Barrenkale, Carniceria Vieja, Belostikale, Tenderia, Artekale and Somera are today upscale boutiques and lively pintxos bars, and you're sure to find yourself delving down these ancient streets again and again. They're also home to Bilbao's best historic monuments, like the Church of San Antón and the surprisingly easy to miss 14th-century Catedral de Santiago — at the top of Harategi Zahar Kalea and worth a look for its lovely cloisters alone. Bilbao was once seriously down-at-heel and you wouldn't have lingered beside the Nervion River, but its dilapidated warehouse-scape is now perhaps the main reason you're here. The jaw-dropping Guggenheim Museum rears up riverside, all undulating walls and titanium-tiled canopies, winking at you in the sunshine and bringing to mind flying fish or the bow of a ship (architect Frank Gehry was inspired by the city's shipbuilding and fishing heritage). Inside can be somewhat intimidating unless you really know your contemporary art, so it's worth booking a guided tour. Even better, you'll skip the queue, which is often intense, especially on rainy summer days. This is a foodie city, and you're here to eat. But don't get too comfortable: dinner in Bilbao is best enjoyed on foot, as you head from bar to bar ordering pintxos (snack-size dishes generally served on sticks) and glasses of wine. You'll miss the current hotspots if you don't enlist a local, so book a tour and expect to enjoy delicacies such as mussels fried with breadcrumbs, chistorra sausages and marinated anchovies. Basque cuisine also involves cod in numerous forms — atop toasted bread or with garlic mayonnaise, perhaps — and plenty of croquettes. Don't miss the chance for a glass of txakoli. You know a market is good when it attracts top local chefs in the morning, and the Mercado de la Ribera is known for being where the best get their fresh produce. Come early (it opens at 8am) and follow your senses, being drawn in by the bright greens of the Basque peppers on the vegetable stalls or by the salty tang of the shellfish counters. Stock up for a picnic or head upstairs to the gastrobars for pintxos — La Bodeguilla does an excellent traditional gilda (olive, anchovy and pepper on a skewer). The Museo de Bellas Artes may not be the best-known of Bilbao's art museums but many locals not-so-secretly prefer it to the Guggenheim, as well as rating its exhibitions above those of its glitzy sibling. It's likely because the Museo de Bellas Artes, unlike the Guggenheim, houses Spanish fine arts including works by Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez and El Greco. The crowds tend to congregate at Goya's Portrait of Martin Zapater and El Greco's colourful masterpiece The Annunciation, but head to the Basque Collection and you'll often get the local artist Eduardo Chillida's striking sculpture to yourself. • Europe's best cities for art lovers Heading out of town to visit a bridge might not sound worth your time, but even the least invested in engineering nerdery are sure to be impressed by the Vizcaya. Designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio in 1893, this was the world's first bridge to use a hanging transporter to ferry people across the water and it's earned Unesco world heritage status for its unique history. It's also a fun visit, providing the chance to walk 50m (164ft) above the city — the views of the surrounding mountains are glorious — or board the gondola to be whisked across in just 90 seconds. Even if you don't know much about wine, you're sure to have heard of Rioja — Spain's most famous wine region, known for its full-bodied, blood-coloured reds. Top bodegas include Marques de Riscal — a producer of a cracking barrel-aged tempranillo and with a building reminiscent of the Guggenheim thanks to its rippling Frank Gehry design — and Ysios, which makes dense, tannin-rich reds and a lovely garnatxa rosé. Thanks to its location about 90 minutes' drive south of Bilbao, there are numerous tours from the city, so you can avoid squabbling over who has to drive. Game of Thrones fan? Then you'll already know that San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is the real-life Dragonstone, where Daenerys and Jon Snow meet for the first time. This tiny, hermitage-topped island connected to the Basque coast by a spindly causeway is just 40 minutes northeast of Bilbao and is surrounded by other Game of Thrones filming locations. These include wild and sandy La Muriola beach, seen in season seven, and fossil-strewn Itzurun beach, which was formed some 60 million years ago and is the backdrop to Daenerys setting foot on her true home for the first time. Thanks to Picasso you've almost certainly heard of Gernika (Guernica in Spanish), and of the horrific bombing attack that took place here during the Spanish Civil War. But you might not realise that this area is also home to the neolithic cave paintings of Cuevas de Santimamiñe, which rival the more famous ones of Altamira, and the bird-packed wetlands of Urdaibai, a Unesco biosphere reserve. Both are worth a detour, while back in town you can visit the Gernika Peace Museum, inspired by the 1937 bombing but now committed to pacifism, where you can see a ceramic-tile replica of Picasso's painting. One of the world's oldest salt-producing areas is the Salinas de Añana, close to the capital of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz. These salt flats have been farmed for some 6,500 years and are a spectacular sight, the tumbling terraces as white as freshly fallen snow and as smooth as the top of a perfectly iced cake. Take a tour and not only will you learn how the salt is produced and taste the different types, you will also be able to dip your feet in the brine. A little more than an hour's drive along the coast from Bilbao (with regular bus transfers on hand) is its captivating neighbour Donostia-San Sebastian. It's a bike-friendly place, criss-crossed by some 18 miles of cycle lanes that will take you to all the highlights, from the crescent of buttery sands at La Concha beach to lofty Monte Igueldo for stonking sunset views and the chance to ride the funicular railway. Finish up in the old town, where you'll find the city's best pintxos bars — try the prawns at Bar Goiz-Argi and anchovies at Bar Txepetxa. • Discover our full guide to San Sebastian• Best hotels in San Sebastian A pintxos crawl can be tiring, so make lunch a sit-down affair, driving along the coast for an hour to Getaria for a seafood feast. This fishing town is known for its unique wall-mounted grills, seen around the city centre and fired up daily when the catch comes in. Take a table on the terrace at the harbourfront Txoko Getaria restaurant and order sea bream, monkfish or cod. It comes grilled, alongside potatoes and a green pepper and onion stew-style dish called piperade. Hit the beach afterwards, or walk up to the Cristobal Balenciaga museum (closed annually in January and February) to see dresses created by the world-famous Getaria-born designer. Bilbao's Teatro Arriaga is one of Spain's finest theatres and features a line-up of world-class performances, from musical comedy to jazz improvisation. Named after Basque composer Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga (known as the 'Spanish Mozart'), this neo-baroque opera house was built in 1890 and is an opulent icon, from its creamy stone façade to its gorgeous costume collection. The fascinating guided tour is a steal at just over £4 (free for under-18s) and runs in English as well as Basque and Spanish. Additional reporting by Richard Mellor and Jo Davey • Great hotels in Bilbao• Best walking holidays in Spain
