Xukela Restaurante, Bilbao

This little gem of a place is in the old part of Bilbao, and we happened upon it on our way home. Loved the decor and layout. This salad was so delightful-warm pate on pimientos and cured ham. Just look at that! Ahhhhh... Oh yes, funny story. An old lady, French I think, passed our table on her way out and her face lit up when she saw the bread on our table. She asked for a bit, and also some chorizo. We didn't mind at all but her family was so embarrassed. She was such a sweet little lady though, and she looked so pleased!

Zuga, Bilbao

It's in the same square as Cafe Bilbao (see previous entry) but Zuga's more modern, and a little more creative with its pintxos. Definitely see the difference here, even in presentation, but there were one too many flavours for me. But am now curious to see what other modern pintxo places have to offer!

Cafe Bilbao, Bilbao

I really enjoyed the energy of this place. I loved the decor, the three-arm central bar, the convival atmosphere: old-timers mixing with tourists, barmen laughing with everyone and of course the pintxos . I could've sat here all afternoon, but of course there was more eating to be done! Check out the pintxo in the foreground: cured ham, brie, anchovy and olive. It might sound like a strange combination of flavours to some of you, but trust me, it's great! Also the round one on the left-that's almond-encrusted cheese with grape sauce. Whaddya think about that?:)