Café Iruña

There is nothing like having a good host when you go to a city like Bilbao. My friend Mertxe took me to eat tapas and to enjoy the great atmosphere of this city’s classic.

When I got to Bilbao I didn’t have time to unpack and went directly to this place, it was the best way to start the trip. It is a luxury available to everyone, since if you don’t want to sit in the restaurant tables you can stay in the bar and taste some tapas or have a delicious pincho “moruno”, one of the best I’ve had as of late.

The Iruña has a curious combination of modernism and tradition. I couldn’t ask for anything else, it was the perfect way to start my vacation in Bilbao.

There were a few years we didn’t go to Bilbao, but, when there, we always stop at Café Iruna for a drink. It’s a mythical café, a Bilbao tradition. It’s “pinchos” (tiny dishes) are famous, especially the pincho moruno and the “serranitos.”

There’s nothing better than having a pincho moruno and a wine from Iruna. It’s a classic, that I completely recommend. Additionally, the establishment is very nicely decorated – in the mudejar style – with tiles and painted murals on the walls and ceilings. It’s very big and has a lot of tables, although it can still get packed at certain hours making

The Café Iruña is located downtown, next to the Jardines de Albia. The daily pulse of the city is located in these three streets: institutions, commercial district, the tribunals, the Gran Vía, one of the areas of leisure of the city, with bars open day and night.

The lunch menus and pinchos are famous in this place, especially the “pinchos morunos” (spiced meat on a stick) that are made every day in the traditional way. Everyone meets in this Café: young students, gangs, high society ladies that meet there every day for coffee, business men, tourists, lawyers and judges making a stop

In the heart of Bilbao, close to the Corte Inglés, we find this timeless café.

It’s been open to the public since 1903 and, in my opinion, the most characteristic part of it is its decoration, full of history. It has a peculiar decoration with Mudejar style tiles (it received the Special Award to the Best Coffee in Spain 2000, awarded by the prestigious "Café Crème Guide to the Cafés of Europe").

This Bilbao classic has a bar full of pinchos, tapas, plates (whatever you want to call them) where you can enjoy with friends and family. It is a very nice place for everyone and the

Absolutely great food at a low price. I hope I get to go back sometime.