If you are a meat lover there is one experience that is a must in the city, lunch in a cider house in Bilbao. The local spot Galtzagorri Sagardotegia in Bilbao is the place for you if you want to experience it like the locals.
Galtzagorri Sagardotegia. The most local cider house in Bilbao
People from this region have a reputation of eating not only well, but also abundantly. The traditional cider menu is typically three starters a T bone steak and a desert.
It does not pain us to say we were a bit intimidated so we decided to go for the smaller menu with a starter, a T bone steak, and a desert. Very glad we did as we were barely able to finish it as it was!
The atmosphere at Galtzagorri Sagardotegia, the most local cider house in Bilbao
I am pretty confident we were the only not local people. The place was filled with families from the region enjoying a lovely slow lunch.
The place is not particularly fancy but their products are. The dining room has huge cider barrels and if you visit during the cider season (January to April) and you have a cider menu you can just fill your jar up yourself.
They have different set up menus you can pick from. We went for the Berezi ( An individual starter, a T bone steak to share, desert, wine and bread).
The starter you can pick from a menu that changes daily. We picked a salad and some stuffed peppers.
A wine bottle was brought to the table and they were kind enough to also bring a jar of local cider so we could try it even thought it was not included in our menu.
And then it was time for the steak and it was simply one of the best steaks we have had in our lives. The steak is to share and they have a simply way of measuring it… half a kilo per person.
No need to say we did struggle to finish it but the meat was so tender once we started we could not stop.
To finish you can pick from the homemade deserts available of the day.
The bill came and we were shock to find out that huge meal we have just had with more food and drinks than we could have was just under 55€.
We stayed in this stunning hotel in the city center (Not the historical city center, in the modern part of town). The hotel is normally for business so we got a pretty good deal (61€ per night) as we visited on a weekend when the hotel does not have much use.
The rooms were big and tastefully decorated and the bathroom had a pretty big bath. It was a short 10 minute walk from the historical city center and 15 minute walk to the Guggenheim Museum.
- If you are not sure what a Basque Cider House is you can check this post>
- Are you also visiting San Sebastian? Check out 3 unusual things to do in San Sebastian to enjoy the city like a local>
Save money on your trip to Bilbao to eat in Galtzagorri Sagardotegia, a cider house.
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