El Globo

Los mejores pintxos que he comido en Bilbao. Especialmente reseñable el de txangurro (espectacular es poco), el de bacalao y el de chipirón en su tinta. Una pasada.
Si bien soy de la opinión que el mundo del pintxo esta muy sobrevalorado y a menudo se acaba pagando una cantidad desorbitada por tapas muy simples solo por el hecho de ponerlas encima de un trozo de pan, este sitio es otro mundo.

After a bad experience searching for pintxos, I wasn’t expecting much until I walked in and saw the selection at El Globo! It was AMAZING! Great Txacoli and pintxos! Wish I was able to go back! You will NOT be disappointed, but it is a bit of a wait at times.

La comida es exquisita, muy buena atención, y los precios están con muy buenos. Tienen muy buenos platos típicos del País Vasco. 100% recomendado!

Items Selected:
Parmesan Dusted Ham Rillette
Idiazabal Cream Tartelette with Walnut and Apricot
Sheep Cheese with Balsamic Onion Jam
Salt Cod Gratinee
Sepia Gratinee
Mullet Gratinee with Paprika
Crunchy Morcilla with Raisins
Baby Squid with Leeks
Heritage Iberico Sandwich
Americano
Gateaux Basque
Perhaps the most well known place for pintxos in Bilbao it was after three days in Bordeaux that a visit to Bar El Globo was made, and although an 18h30 arrival found the indoor space near filled to capacity the service could not have been more friendly as more than a dozen bar bites complimented a sizable menu of made-​to-​order plates.
Operating more like a proper ‘restaurant’ than a place to simply grab a drink or snack, there is little doubt that much of El Globo’s praise is generated by multi-​lingual menus plus an abundance of advertisement, but with marketing set aside the experience still feels quite local and authentic, the majority of patrons speaking Spanish and most of them likely fresh off a long day at work.
Slightly more expensive than Gatz or Irrintzi, yet at the same time going the extra mile to plate certain items and return them to the kitchen so that they could be enjoyed warm, it seemed completely irrational not to start with an acorn-​fed Iberico finger sandwich presented for just two Euros, the following gratinees of squid and baccala both re-​emerging from the kitchen moments later all creamy, salty, and hot.
So impressed by the cod that mackerel topped in paprika immediately became a ‘must,’ round two additionally featured lightly breaded tentacles of squid atop pan seared leeks, the balance shifted a little bit too far to the latter while housemade blood sausage was presented as a funky breaded nugget with subtle notes of sweetness provided by chopped dried fruit.
Opting next for two cheeses, both sent to the kitchen for heat while I heeded the server’s advice to try soft ham dusted in Parmesan, those harboring a love for Idiazabal would do well to order multiples of the tartelette topped in walnut and apricot, the melty Sheep’s cheese unfortunately suffering a similar fate as the calamari as it got lost in the balsamic and onion liberally dolloped on top.
A long day already in the books with more yet to come, imagine my shock when a made to order Americano proved better than most coffee at France’s fine dining Meccas, the custard centered Gâteau Basque an equally pleasant surprise as the sizable slice was served warm with crème Anglaise for less than a 500ml bottle of mineral water’s cost.

A wonderful place to stand with friends over wine an pinchos. A bit crowded, because the locals love it too.
The vegetarian pocket was amazing, and so was the goat cheese with onion marmelade. But mostly the atmosphere and friendly service.

KenScale: 8.0÷10
While San Sebastian is more well-​known for having more fantastic pintxos bars, Bilbao is not far behind. I was staying in Bilbao during my trip to the Basque, and had to spend at least one night going on a pintxos run in this city. My first stop was El Globo, a casual and lively bar with a lot of young crowds looking to wind down for the night. The food here, however, is not to be taken lightly.
In strict terms, pintxos refer to small items of food on top of toasted bread, although they could mean any sharable small plate in the more colloquial use of the terms. We started out with a couple of pintxos, one with crab and the other with squid ink. Both dishes were delicious bites that started the meal well. I felt thin sausage dish called «txistorra» was a bit too strong in flavor, but red peppers stuffed with txangurro were very delicious. The best of the bunch for the night belonged to sautéed baby squid with sautéed onions. The squid was very tender, and the balance of flavor in this dish was very good to make me crave for more and more of this dish.
Getting a seat at this always-​popular bar can be challenging, but fortunately we were able to snag a spot at the bar. Always complement these pleasant small bite dishes with some wine (their glass wines were serviceable but not great). El Globo is one of those places that would be the right starting point to explore the art of pinxtos eating in the Basque region, with bustling bar scene and solid selection of small bites that show the versatility of Spanish cuisine.

Tapas tout à fait exceptionnels, bonne ambiance, moderne, gens locaux qui travaillent dans le coin et aussi quelques touristes. Spécialité maison: tapas au crabe.

Mejor lugar de Pintxos que he encontrado en Bilbao. El ambiente es muy movido y hay siempre gente entrando y saliendo. Se siente la vena local. Excelente para Picar con amigos y tomarse unas buenas cañas o unos vinos. Las personas que atienden en la barra son muy amables y rápidas en la atención. Totalmente recomendado para un viajero en Bilbao.

By far my favorite in Spain, so delicious with a real bar ambiance. Drink some wine or sangria with your pintxos. Everything is good, I tired almost all.

Un pequeño sitio cerca del Guggenheim, en el mismo centro con gran variedad de riquísimos pintxos. Recomiendo el gratinado txagurro, excelente!!!

Des délicieux tapas
avec une bière locale artisanale,
on n’est pas loin du paradis.

Very nice! Stopped by for a late lunch, and experienced the best croquettes in Spain. Almost perfect. For the Spanish challenged, several staff spoke English and were quite helpful in choosing what to order. Highly recommended.

Wow! this restaurant was jammed when we arrived. The location is very centric, (calle peatonal) this means no cars can drive on the street in this specific area. The corner is full of life, full of joy. Many people drinking and eating on the street bc there are not enough tables for everybody. We were lucky we got a table outside in the terraza, but be aware, if you sit outside in the terraza you have to deal with the damn cigaret smoke from everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY. Here they smoke like there is no tomorrow. Don’t even try to complaint, just deal with it, or don’t go in the terraza.
Let’s review the food. Pinchos, Tapas, raciones were excellent! The way this work is: you go inside you pick the food you want (all food is ready to pick from the bar) you tell the lady in the bar what you want and what table you are sitting at and then another waitress will bring the food to you. This place is centric and mixed with local and tourists, a combination of both. I would have given 5 stars to EL Globo, but bc i had to deal with so much smoke my experience wasn’t pleasantly the best. But the food was super delicious! Also our waitress was super awesome!

Fantastic ! Packed, lively & super tasty. Politely, steadily but assuredly make your way thru the crowd to the tapas bar and order away. Iberican jamon con blended tomatoes in an olive oil. Bien ! Foie gras on toasted bread with olive oil and spices, subliminal. Cannot leave. Cannot stop. Must bring to Sacramento…

Diría que es uno de los clásicos cuando vas a Bilbao, y que no puedes irte de aquí sin probar ese pincho de changurro tan famosísimo. El changurro es la carne del centollo bien mezcladita con una serie de ingredientes (cada uno lo hace un poco a su propio tino) y este pincho en concreto es espectacular. Viene sobre una rebanada de pan, y encima, gratinada, una bechamel de changurro con un puntito picante.
El Globo está al ladito de la Gran Vía de Bilbao, así que es difícil no pasarse por allí incluso si no lo vas buscando. Ten ojo porque el sitio es bastante popular y siempre está de bote en bote, pero la verdad es que los camareros son rápidos tanto para divisarte en medio de la multitud como para servirte y «templarte» el aperitivo.

Tienen una gran variedad de Pintxos. Rápido, original y bueno! Muy buenos precios!!! Un 10.

Estar en la Gran Vía de Bilbao y no pasarse por El Globo es inexcusable.
Una invasión de pintxos impresionante se despliega en la barra de este típico bar de la ciudad, premiado en múltiples ocasiones, destacando uno de ellos por encima de todos.
El más demandado, el más famoso: el txangurro gratinado. Ese pan tostado, esa bechamel de txangurro gratinada, ese pimentón picante.
Es que es impresionante. Si algún día tuviese que elaborar mi top 10 de pintxos del botxo (mire usted qué buena idea), sin duda este ocuparía una de las primeras posiciones.
Con una copa de txakolí, bendito caldo, y una compañía inmejorable, benditos amigos, el bocado entra mejor si cabe. Os lo aseguro.
Pintxo + Txakolí: 3,25. Es que no hay excusa.

Had some amazing pintxos here — the best I had in Bilbao so far. Busy place, but good atmosphere. :)

Si vas a Bilbao y quieres probar pintxos vascos no dudes en pasarte por aqui porque están deliciosos. La mayoría de la gente los toma en la barra, pero tienen como 6 mesas para comer los pintxos o bien para comer de la carta. Igualmente tienen una terraza en la calle. Si vais, no dejes de pedir el pincho de chipirón en su tienta gratinado porque es orgásmico.

Se hace raro que pidas unos huevos con chistera y te pongan tan poco pan. Por lo demás es correcto aunque tampoco me ha parecido la gloria.

We ate at several different pintxos bars in Bilbao and this was by far our favorite. The food is delicious, the crowd is local and lively, and the prices are not at all expensive. What’s not to like? I’d go back in a heartbeat.

This was by far my favorite pintxos spot in Bilbao and perhaps all of Pais Vasco. I loved it so much I came twice in 1.5 days. This family owned pintxos bar has some limited outdoor and indoor seating available. While it can get pretty packed it is not overwhelming and most people are in and out in a matter of minutes.
I tried the txangurro and bacalao gratinado pintxos. Dios mio. If you only eat one thing while here make it the txangurro one. I had dreams about it. Crab meat with some delectable cream sauce on a piece of toasted bread, it is sure to make you drool. There are many other selections of pintxos here from tortilla, salmon, fried artichoke and some with vegetables.
Two pintxos and a vino tinto will cost you 5 €. But leave you feeling like it’s the best 5 € you’ve ever spent. Trust.
Also…classy, friendly staff. A waiter spilled my wine and demanded the bartender (owner) fill me up. She did it with a smile and an apology! Hard to come by in Spain. Highly recommend this lovely establishment conveniently situated near the congress and a random statue of John Adams.

El pintxo de foie caliente es de lo mejor que he probado. Muy recomendable.

In a town where pintxos run rampant, it’s hard to differentiate between the standard and superb. El Globo is one place I am sure deserves a special nod. If I visited the Land of Oz and could ask for one thing before coming here, I would beg for a larger stomach to fit in all the amazing bites. They have everything ranging from common tortilla to inventive banana wrapped in bacon and tempura-​fried stuffed artichoke hearts.
Trust me, this is a bar you want to take your time at. Mainly because they constantly bring out new platters full of things you cannot help but want to try. From the outside, it make look intimidatingly crowded but once inside, you quickly realize these people have their work down to a tee and will get you your food and drink in no time.
So embrace the chaos because out of it comes something delicous!

Muy buena barra de pintxos, no dejes de probar el pintxo de txangurro