Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It doesn't look much from the outside, but Bilbao is a timeless classic, where reservations
for dinner are imperative. The back dining room, with bottle-lined walls, stout timber tables
and a yellow light evocative of a country tavern, will appeal to carnivores especially, al-
though some fish dishes are also on offer. Consider opting for a
chuletón
(T-bone steak), ac-
companied with a good Spanish red wine.
CATALAN
CAL BOTER
€8-15; 1-4pm & 9pm-midnight Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun & Mon; Joanic)
Families and noisy groups of pals are drawn to this classic eatery for
cargols a la llauna
(snails sautéed in a tin dish),
filet de bou a la crema de foie
(a thick clump of tender beef
drowned in an orange and foie gras sauce), and other Catalan specialities, including curious
mar i muntanya
(sea and mountain) combinations like
bolets i gambes
(mushrooms and
prawns). The
menú del día
(lunch Tuesday to Friday) comes in at a good-humoured €10.
TAPAS
LA PANXA DEL BISBE
93 213 70 49; Carrer de Rabassa 37; mains €12-15;
1.30-3.30pm &
8.30pm-midnight Tue-Sat; Joanic)
With low lighting and a hip, young feel, the 'Bishop's Belly' is a great place to indulge in
some creative gourmet tapas, washed down with a fine wine, like the Albariño white from
Galicia, for a surprisingly modest outlay.
NEPALESE
HIMALI
93 285 15 68; Carrer de Milà i Fontanals 60; mains €10-11;
1-4pm & 8pm-
midnight Tue-Sun; Joanic)
Spacious and simple, with gruff service and paper placemats, this is a great spot for Ne-
palese chow and vegetarian dishes. A vegetarian set dinner menu costs €14.95; the meatier
version is €16.95. Carnivores can also opt for mixed grills with rice and naan, or
kukhurako
fila
(roast chicken in walnut sauce).
CATALAN
LA LLAR DE FOC
€8-12; 1-5pm & 8pm-midnight Tue-Sat, 1-5pm Sun; Fontana)
For a hearty sit-down meal, with fresh, simple Catalan food at rock-bottom prices, 'The
Fireplace' is hard to beat. At lunch, it has a €9.80
menú del día
. You could start with a
gazpacho or
empanadita
(big slice of tuna pie), followed by chicken in a mild curry sauce or
