Bilbao and Biscay, a Michelin constellation

A rather small town and a small territory. If we stick the needle of our gastronomic compass in Durango and draw a circle with a radius of 30 kilometres, just 30, there will be 12 restaurants within that closed curve that will have at least one of those precious Michelin stars at their entrance.

That’s only in Biscay.

In Bilbao, within the city, the Michelin-starred Ola and Mina in the Casco Viejo, Nerua in the heart of the Guggenheim itself, Etxanobe Atelier and the veteran Zortziko in the Ensanche and, in Indautxu, Zarate, with its magic of fish and fire, have a Michelin star.

Nearby, in the town of Galdakao, Andra Mari preserves a secular prestige, while in Dima, 15 minutes away by road, Garena boasts its recent star and maintains a proposal that combines furious avant-garde and an almost anthropological respect for tradition.

Larrabetzu, 10 minutes from Galdakao and 15 minutes from Bilbao, aspires to break records: two thousand inhabitants and four Michelin stars, three for Azurmendi and one for Eneko, both commanded in their kitchens by the current enfant terrible of world cuisine, Eneko Atxa.

Between green pastures and grey limestone cliffs hides the now legendary grill operated by the guru of the embers, Bittor Arginzoniz, in his Etxebarri (Axpe-Atxondo).

In addition, Gaztañaga restaurant, in the Sondika area; Al Margen, in Bilbao and Iwasaki, in Getxo, were the three culinary spaces distinguished with a Bib Gourmand for the best quality/price ratio.