Bilbao (ESP): Elegant food, fine museums.

We arrived in Bilbao in time to go to the second best resto I ate at here a few years ago, that in the Belles Artes Museum; but it was closed for Holy Week. However, our helpful concierge at the elegant Hotel Miro, suggested Fernando Canales' elegant Michelin 1 star – Etxanobe in the Exhibition Palace. 

 

 

 

The chef has put many of his dishes' photos on iPads that are handed out and which our charges loved.

 

 
 

 
 

The restaurant is on the 3rd floor overlooking the river, park, etc., as well as Restaurant Aizian, another Michelin favorite (also closed for Holy Week). Wonderful views.

 
The amuse bouches were a tomato (what sounded like) adado and a tiny pepper stuffed with succulent cheese.

 

 
 

 

Then we each had one dish which was more than enough:
-cod pilpil with pumpkin
-cod house style
-croquettes and a
-vegetable tempura.

 

 
 

Desserts were:
-hazelnut moelleux
-Josefina M’s cake
-chocolate bombas

 

 

This time I didn't fall for mistaking the shrunken towelettes for marshmallows as I did at Sola.

With wine, water, 2 coffees and a Spanish “grappa” our bill was the highest so far this trip and the best so far – 174.96 E.
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Dinner was an interesting experience at Abaroa Plaza Museo where antique headboards served as deco-bench backing:
 

 

 
 

Salad with cheese, walnuts and blueberries

Vegetable salad
Duck Confit
Ahhhhhh.

 

Gateau Basque (whoops, that disappeared fast.)

Bill= 57.19 E

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We spent the next morning at the Guggenheim, which Colette and I were both disappointed with - more like the Whitney Biennale than Guggie treasures.  But the building still bewitches.

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Lunch was at Daniel Garcia’s Atea on the waterfront – great setting, young crowd, what's not to like?:

 

 

 

 

Freshly-baked bread
Salad with cod, pimento, avocado etc
Clams with risotto

Calzone

 

 

 

Chocolate cake
Fruit “soup” with “Greek ice cream”

Sheep cheese with honey & watnuts

Bill = 89.86 E

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Our last evening in Bilbao we ate at another Concierge rec (Holy Week having blown my well-researched plans into the dust-bin.

 

No matter - Victor Montes in the Old Town, turned out to be very good.

 

 

 

 

Mixed salad

Asparagus (white, with two sauces, astonishing, loved it)
Fish soup

Asparagus
Snails and smoky chorizo (quite good, pix lost somewhere who knows where?)

Bill = 108.52 E