Aitaren Boulevard Restaurante — Restaurant in Bilbao

It was a terrible experience. The staff were self-centered and petty, more focused on asserting control over us than providing any real service.

We sat at a table, and after about ten minutes (despite us signaling for attention), a lady came over. She placed a "reserved" sign on our table, and when I asked her what was happening, she finally acknowledged us and took our order. We requested a burger from a competition menu, along with two drinks (the burger was to be shared), but she refused to serve us because the table was supposedly reserved for an hour later.

She checked with her supervisor, and when we pointed out the mistake to him, he immediately dismissed us without letting me finish my explanation. We mentioned we’d be done by the time the reservation was for, but he still refused.

We even suggested taking the burger to go, but he instead suggested we go to a different restaurant just five minutes away for a takeaway burger!

It was a horrible experience, so we finished our drinks and left.

I highly recommend you check out Gure Toki, La Olla, or Mandoya instead – much friendlier staff and...

Horrible experience, the staff are a bunch of narcissistic, petty guys and girls, more interested in exerting their momentary dominance over serving you than engaging in anything actually service-related. We sat at a table, a lady appeared after ten minutes (after we signaled to her!), decided to put the “reserved” sign in the table and then came to take our order. We asked for a burger and two drinks (the burger was to be divided between the two of us) and she refused to serve us since the table had just been booked for an hour later! She asked her supervisor and when we mentioned this error to him, he said that nothing could be done. We explained that we would be done by then, but still he refused. WE EVEN SUGGESTED TAKING THE BURGER IN THE GO, and he counted-proposed us visiting a different establishment 5’ away to take a burger for takeout!! Horrible experience, we finished our drinks and left. Please do yourselves a favor and visit Gure Toki, La Olla or Mandoya instead! Much...

Extremely disappointing experience!

The so-called "grilled" codfish was half-raw and crackled due to being undercooked—an impressive feat considering how amazing Bilbao fish usually is. Yet, somehow, this restaurant managed to ruin it. My partner’s steak was just as poorly prepared, leaving both of us unable to finish our meals because they were simply not done.

As if that weren’t enough, the experience was further ruined by the overpowering chlorine smell of the napkins, a waitress with a runny nose and visible cold symptoms, and peeling wallpaper desperately crying out for renovation.

I could go on about the so-called "high quality" of Aitaren, but I think this is more than enough to paint the picture. And to top it all off, the prices are higher than some of the best fine-dining restaurants in Bilbao. I don’t mind paying more when the quality and service justify it—but in Aitaren, this match is nowhere to be found.

Never again will I return to this place.

To the person replying on behalf of the restaurant (since, unfortunately, I can't respond directly in this thread—only by editing my initial review):

You can contact me at elenakipa1989@gmail.com if you have any doubts about my visit. I have a factura proforma proving my presence.

Just in case you are actually interested in improving the quality of your establishment—one that you so boldly call a "restaurant"—rather than just brushing off negative reviews and immediately burying them under fake "positive" feedback to mislead future customers, this is your chance.

It's up to you. You know what needs to change. It makes no difference to me, as I’ve already said—I will never return to Amaren/Aitaren. ¡Experiencia extremadamente decepcionante!

El supuesto bacalao "a la parrilla" estaba medio crudo y crujía al masticarlo debido a su falta de cocción, algo difícil de lograr con un pescado tan excelente como el de Bilbao, pero, de alguna manera, este restaurante consiguió arruinarlo. El entrecot de mi pareja estaba igual de mal preparado, y ambos dejamos nuestros platos sin terminar porque simplemente no estaban hechos.

Por si esto fuera poco, la experiencia se vio aún más arruinada por el fuerte olor a cloro de las servilletas, una camarera con la nariz congestionada y síntomas evidentes de resfriado, y un papel pintado que se caía de las paredes por la evidente necesidad de renovación.

Podría seguir hablando de la supuesta "alta calidad" de Amaren, pero creo que con esto ya es suficiente. Para colmo, los precios son más altos que en algunos de los mejores restaurantes de alta cocina de Bilbao. No me importa pagar más cuando la calidad y el servicio lo justifican, pero en Amaren esta relación brilla por su ausencia.

No volveré jamás...