After spending a few days in San Sebastián I headed over to the city of Bilbao. Bilbao is much bigger than San Sebastián so my expectations of finding gluten-free eateries was high. In this post I’ll share the details of where I ate and what to expect in the Basque city.
Gluten-free tapas
We kicked off eating our way through Bilbao at Los Fueros, a Michelin Guide restaurant in the Casco Viejo (the old town) area of the city. We went at lunchtime and had a few tapas bites to eat, although bigger mains were available. I had the Russian salad and the tomato salad accompanied with toasted gluten-free bread (admittedly not the best gluten-free bread I’ve had in Spain) – both salads were delicious and there were plenty of other gluten-free options available.
Gluten-free bakery
Whilst I didn’t eat here, I stumbled across a gluten-free bakery called Magora Bakery in the famous La Ribera market. They mainly offered biscuits and cakes but they also offered bread too. They are both gluten-free and milk-free.
Dedicated gluten-free restaurants
Naked and Sated
Next up we went to Naked and Sated. They have a few restaurants across the country and are a dedicated gluten-free and health food restaurant. We ordered the poke bowl, the cheeseburger and a cheesecake for dessert. All of the food was good here, but not particular highlights of the trip for us. That said, it was relaxing to eat in a completely gluten-free restaurant and this place was perfectly en-route for us walking from the old town (Casco Viejo) to the Guggenheim.
Urregin
Our final meal in Bilbao was at Urregin and boy was it worth the wait. The entire menu is gluten-free and was happily devoured by myself and my gluten-eating husband, who also thoroughly enjoyed the gluten-free experience. Our only regret is only finding this on our last night in Bilbao.
We enjoyed the cow tail smoked with foie gras, hake in ali-oli, Idizabal cheesecake and chocolate brownie. I thoroughly recommend this place and would advise booking ahead. The restaurant is only very small and is also very popular, so booking in advance is a must.
Gluten-free Spanish vocabulary
Speaking Spanish was definitely useful on this trip as not everyone spoke English. Below are a few key phrases which you may find helpful:
English:
I am coeliac
I cannot eat gluten
Is there cross-contamination in the kitchen?
Does it contain gluten?
Without gluten
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Spanish:
Soy celiaco/a
No puedo comer gluten
¿Hay contaminación cruzada en la cocina?
¿Contiene gluten?
Sin gluten
Trigo
Cebada
Centeno
Overall verdict
Overall rating
Since I arrived in Bilbao after spending two days in San Sebastián, where eating gluten-free was super easy, I found Bilbao much more difficult to navigate on a gluten-free diet, and the options available were much more limited. That said, this can certainly be worked around with some planning ahead of your visit.
Coeliac friendly
Coeliac disease and the importance of avoiding cross-contamination did seem to be well-understood, however I also found to be restaurant options and gluten-free options on the menu to be somewhat limited.
Safety
I didn’t have any issues with any of the food I ate whilst in Bilbao and staff did seem to take cross-contamination seriously.
Gluten Free Me 