Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Foodies may never want to leave the Basque Country, where the avant-garde and home cooking mingle seamlessly. Though top restaurants are expensive in Bilbao, some of what is undoubtedly Europe's finest cuisine is served here in settings that range from the traditional hewn beams and stone walls to sleekly contemporary international restaurants all the way up to the Guggenheim itself, where superstar chef Martín Berasategui runs a dining room as superb as its habitat. San Sebastián is another enclave of delicious food, where sampling from pintxos bars is an art form.
This no-frills bar draws the hungry hordes with its worth-the-hype "burnt" Basque-style cheesecake that originated the viral trend. The silky, oozy dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, while, on the savory side, homey croquetas, bacalao-stuffed peppers, and veal meatballs sing alongside a glass of Rioja.
Pamplona's gentry have been flocking to this ornate, French-style café since 1888, but in 1926 Ernest Hemingway made it part of world literary lore in The Sun Also Rises. You can have a drink with a bronze version of the author in his favorite perch at the far end of the bar, or enjoy views of the plaza from a table on the terrace. Service is spotty; grab a beverage and a tapa here, but don't stick around for a meal.
Locally roasted single-origin brews and a varied brunch menu of tostas and internationally inflected eggs make this riverside café the best specialty coffee spot in town.
