Here are the 5 best places in Bilbao for lovers of craft beer. We suggest you to take a little tour of them on foot and at the same time get to know the capital of Biscay, since some of these craft beer ‘meccas’ are very close to the Hotel Gran Bilbao.

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Bihotz Café: between hipsters and graffiti artists

Let’s start with a small bar that contains the word cafe in its name and that you’ll find hidden in the most multi cultural part of the city: Bilbao la Vieja (old Bilbao), an area that until recently didn’t get a mention in the guide books but that now stands out as the “Soho” of Bilbao, a short distance from the Hotel Gran Bilbao..

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In Calle Aretzaga (number 8) you will find Daniel behind the bar ready to surprise you with his latest craft beers. At the door there will be a fixed mountain bike and at the end of the cafe a still life of saddles as if they were hunting trophies. The armchairs at the entrance and the fireplace will make you feel totally at home so you can let yourself be captivated by the four bar taps, each one dedicated to craft beers. One is reserved for lagers and another for “growlers” (jugs), so you can take your beer home, if you want to.

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Zazpi Bide Taberna: great beer, even better pintxos (snacks)

Without going far from the Hotel Gran Bilbao, in the heart of ‘Casco Viejo’, the old part of the city, we will find the Zazpi Bide Tavern (Barrenkale, 18), a place that makes it clear that craft beer doesn’t have to always be linked to the modern..

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They have more than 40 different types of beer, some even on tap. Nuria, the person in charge, is always willing to advise. So let yourself go, choose what you like and since you are here, don’t forget to have a walk through the seven streets, which are where Bilbao was founded and are a wonderful place to try the local cuisine and its ‘pintxos’.

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El Singular, next to the Guggenheim

The Singular (Lersundi, 2) has a special way of savouring life. Its walls show the brick with which they were built and the indirect light invites you to get to know the place’s interior with black leather sofas and occasional fireplaces. Located very close to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, it contains a selection of the best beer in its six different ‘shooters’..

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Also, if you’ve had enough of the crowded Museum, the bar’s terrace, its tranquil street and the friendliness of the waiters, are another good reason to visit.

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Penguin, 16 taps are waiting to surprise you

With more than 16 different taps, it is the true mecca for lovers of craft beers. Spacious, discreet and with enough space so that nothing distracts you from your glass, the Penguin has managed to more than meet the expectations of all who visit. If you arrive late, don’t worry you may be lucky enough to catch a live group playing..

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Next to it, Calle Pozas, is the usual meeting place for groups of friends, university students and young people in general. On Thursday afternoons and weekends, this is a good starting point to experience Bilbao’s nightlife with the cathedral and the Bilbao Athletic Club’s stadium in the background.

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Basquery, from the ‘fermenter’ to the bar

Heading back little by little towards the Ría estuary, the Basquery (Ibáñez de Bilbao, 8) is waiting to surprise us. More than a bar, it is a workshop for gastronomic artisans. The coffee is toasted, the bread is baked and the beer is fermented in the same place.

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With its beams and bare walls, you will find in the Basquery a tribute to the best products of the Basque land. You will taste the flavours of ‘Bizkaia’ and beer has also been produced between these four walls.

Categories: Descubrir Bilbao / Bizkaia, Gastronomia