About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

The Guggenheim restaurant is an interesting insight into how the other half lives and for those of you who want an idea of what a 60€ meal might taste like without paying quite so much, the Guggenheim restaurant would be a great place to go. It's just a shame that they don't vary the menu regularly.

Pros

• Inventive Basque cuisine at a fraction of the usual cost.
• Modern deco for a very modern restaurant experience.

• Bottled water and wine both included in the price.
• Good wines available at a small surcharge.
• Good service - despite being busy the food was brought out quickly.

Cons

• Items offered on the menu appear to be the same every day.
• Some dishes were not as 'exciting' as I had hoped.

Description

• Inventive Basque cuisine by top Basque chefs, at the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.
• Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Avenida Abandoibarra, 2, 48001 Bilbao.
• Reservations: +34 944239333 (essential for a la carte, highly recommended for menú del día)
• Menu del dia (a low-price three-course meal) costs 15€ on weekdays, 20€ at weekends and starts at 1pm.
• A la carte dishes start from 60€.
• Dishes included shrimp and avocado tartar, asparagus and mushroom rice bomba, chestnut soup and grilled glazed lamb.
• For desert: creamy chocolate mousse, caramelized pancake with roast apple and rosemary or banana cake.

Guide Review - Restaurant in Bilbao's Guggenheim Restaurant Serving Inventive Basque Cuisine

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is widely regarded as being the catalyst behind Bilbao's rejuvenation in recent years, as the Basque city transformed from a minor backwater industrial city into a major tourist destination.

The Guggenheim's restaurant is equally well regarded and is staffed by some of the best Basque chefs. Basque cuisine is known to be the most inventive in Spain but it usually comes at a price. At the Guggenheim restaurant, though full meals start at about 60€, they have a 'menu del dia' at 15€-20€ (depending on the day you come) which allows you to sample exciting, modern cuisine at a fraction of the usual cost.

For a rundown of the dishes I had at the Guggenheim, take a look at these pictures of A Meal at the Guggenheim Restaurant.

Spain is a cheap place to eat and though I appreciate good food, I have never had to pay 20€ before. Was it worth it? The avocado and shrimp dish was delightful; the other plates were good, but not great.

Having said that, you could tell that this was well-thought out food and even the dishes that I was less keen on still managed to fill your mouth with a range of flavors, which is the sign of a very good chef.

I was disappointed to see that the menu was printed and that they didn't have a 'daily special' blackboard. If they are making these dishes day in day out, it makes one wonder what they need the top chefs for or, indeed, if he/they were even there at all.