La Ribera Gastro Plaza

A lively and bustling place to try a variety of pintxos. Plenty of places to sit and a great atmosphere. There's a mixture of tourists and locals. The prices are above average but the food only meets a good standard a certain places. Pick your food carefully. Arambarri do great cocktails and take care of the food and the customers, La Dulceria serve excellent Basque cakes and are friendly, but the Me tienes frito was disappointing. Some pintxos were tasty and served hot, others were tepid and greasy and the staff did not listen to the customers, so service was haphazard. A great experience overall. Just take your time to choose and enjoy.

It's pretty hectic even at no peak times. There's a lot of food to choose from, but I guess it is best at opening time when it is fresh. By 3pm ,no one knows how long it has been sitting out. I prefer the ones behind glass, as many are just sitting on top and people speak and stretch their arms over the food. All I can think of is people's saliva over the top of the fresh food. There are nice drink places and even a vegan stand.

A lively food court environment, with lots of pintxos and beverages to choose from, plus dessert items too. Two can eat and have a drink for 20€.

Modern food hall inside the historic La Ribera Market. Great mix of tapas, pintxos, and drinks in a lively setting with plenty of choice. The atmosphere is casual and fun, with views of the river and the market’s beautiful architecture. Prices are reasonable, portions vary depending on the stall, but it’s a perfect spot to sample different flavours in one place.

By far the best place for pintxos I could find in Bilbao. A great choice, everything is priced at €2.5 and there is a terrace with a great view. There are a few different shops selling very different fair. In my experience, Vermuteka was by far the best. The bacalao and squid ink balls I had from another place were absolutely abominable: gooey, doughy and bland.

This is a food court. Some people love food courts, some people hate them. This one is pretty good. What you get: a tremendous selection of the regional delicacies all in one place. The pinxos and tapas are displayed and labeled beautifully. No reservations required. The market in the building is 100% for real, and this is a convenient place for a glass of wine and a small plate after shopping. What that costs you: like any food court in the world, you are going to pay a little more for everything. Floor service is not quite as good (tables are more likely to have plates on them, etc.). If you know the area, you can find a slightly better version of everything they serve here for 20% less. That's not the point of a food hall. The point of a food hall is you can get everything in one place, and you can fit 12 people inside. This place is, at minimum, worth a walk through. If you only have 3 days in Bilbao, this is a must-see. You can get a nice sampling of pinxos and a pretty good idea of what they are about. Every bar and cafe in the Caseco Viejo has its specialties, and to really get the best food in this town you need to explore the little bars and restaurants and try out what they are best at. Sometimes, you go to the food court for convenience or because you want all the options in one place.

Fun experience, very lively and lots to choose from. Not going to find your €1 pinxtos here (€2.50), but I guess it was more about atmosphere. Overall fun for a night. Get a table by 7:30, as it was packed shortly after!