Gourmet Pintxos Bar in Bilbao, Basque Country

• Excellent variety of gourmet pintxos - at least forty types to choose from
• Reasonable price - 2€ per pinxo.
• Cheap wine (60c for a glass)
• Friendly staff - the chef works behind the bar

• The food is precooked and microwaved for you - not the most elegant of food preparation
• The bar is located out of the center - though it isn't a long walk from the Guggenheim
• Standing room only - apart from a few stools at the bar, you can't rest your tired legs
• Though the prices are good, the portions are small, so you'll end up spending a lot

• La Tapa de Fran Dominguez, c/Blas de Otero, 30, 48014, Bilbao. Tel 94 447 48 12
• 'Cocina Creativa de Calidad' Creative, Quality Cuisine
• Excellent pintxos bar in the student district of Duesto in Bilbao, serving reasonably priced, though small, pintxos.

Tucked away in the student district of Deusto is a little nondescript bar called 'La Tapa'. Inside, Fran Dominguez makes a vast number of interesting little bites to eat - from cod in chocolate to quail legs in sautéed vegetables. For an idea of the kinds of tapas he has on offer, see these Pintxos in La Tapa, Bilbao.

The locale is a typical small Spanish bar with a few stools and a display of food on the counter - but what a display! Fran is usually on hand to talk you through the vast array of delicious food unlike anything you've tasted before.

For 20€ you could get your fill of his excellent 'dishes'. That is a lot of money in Spanish restaurants, but is the same price as the Guggenheim Restaurant, which is ten minutes' walk away.

Between the two of these options, the Guggenheim and La Tapa, you have Basque's incredibly cuisine well-covered: for a great sit-down meal, go for the Guggenheim, for variety, choose La Tapa.

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