Restaurante Aitor Rauleaga — Restaurant in Bilbao

I wasn’t even thinking of going to this restaurant, but ended up going there just because the reviews were good, although I was dressed down (shorts & t-shirt). Right from the moment I stepped in till when I paid the bill, the damn waitress wasn’t sure whether I could afford to eat at this restaurant or not. Come on…. I wasn’t there to show off my wealth. I was there to just see what the local cuisine is like 🙄 Anyways, I don’t speak Spanish & the waitress barely spoke English. For everything that I asked, first she said NO, not even understanding what I was saying. She didn’t even ask me how the food was, until I paid the bill. I asked her multiple times to get me some water, which she never did. Am glad someone sweet working there got it right away for me. She didn’t even help me with a phone charger 🔌, until almost the end of my meal when she came with the charger & said that the plug point was far away from me. The only thing I can say that she was quick at is when I canceled the dessert & asked her to bring me the bill. Within no time she brought it, & that clearly explains how much she’s waiting for me to get out of that place 🙄 The food over there isn’t that great either. The starter (foie gras) was good, as usual, because there’s not much of cooking involved in it. But, the main course was terrible. I ordered pig meat stew & the meat was so soft (like fat) that I felt it was overcooked. I asked the waitress about it, & she said that it’s the basque style of cooking 🙄 From her behavior as well as the food that was served there, I have come to a conclusion that I would never step back into this restaurant again in my life. And, wait a minute, I forgot to mention about the noise level there. I thought it was a fine dining restaurant & would be nice & quiet. But, some of the customers in there were screaming and shouting on top of their voices which reminded me of a fish market. Finally, you might wonder why I gave two stars for the restaurant. It’s because of the few sweethearts who are working there, who were really nice. The rest don’t...

I would rate this restaurant a 3.5 star ⭐️

Firstly, we arrived and sat down, it took a while for them to take the drink order which is someone you’d expect to be much quicker in a place like this.

Next the food. It was ok, nothing to rave about. The Txangurro was nice, however the menu says INDIVIDUAL but it’s big enough to share easily between 2-3 people.

The positive side was they allowed us to enter with the dogs. This was a nice gesture and we really appreciate it.

Prices are expensive, we ordered 4 starters, 3 mains and 2 desserts, 230€.

I wouldn’t go back but I would recommend you try...

A must visit restaurant in Bilbao! My husband and I had a sampler dinner experience, and saying it was wonderful is an understatement. The food was paired with incredible local wine, which showed in-depth elevated traditional flavors of the Basque country. The service is so warm and wise; the chef came to our table to have a great chat about his passion for food, the region, and even travel recommendations. If you visit Bilbao, please visit this place! You will try real and authentic flavors that you can't get somewhere else ❤️👌 they make you feel at home, so different than other pretentious...