We had an amazing food tour through Bilbao with Kaya today - starting at the markets with some delicious tastings along the way. Kaya gave us interesting information on the founding of Bilbao and the old town. We went on to taste some tinned cod livers ( delicious!) and squid then started on the tzakolis! We had multiple different pinxtos with tzakoli and really enjoyed strolling through the streets. Other highlights were the vermouth cocktail and tomato salad ( plus artichoke salad) and the cheese shop. We were totally full by the end and loved it all. Kaya was such fun to be with and can totally recommend this tour.

So so good... Gonzalo our guide was excellent. He has a true passion for the food scene... He took us to multiple local spots and showed us great food and a great time. Would highly recommend Culinary Backstreets and Gonzalo!

This was a fabulous experience. We were a varied group - 11 years to 73 years, and one vegetarian - and Paul did an incredible job of accommodating all of us. We learned so much history, interesting anecdotes and a real sense of the food and spirit of this fantastic city. I am so impressed with how Bilbao has reinvented itself and the resiliency of the Basque people.

Our Culinary Backstreets tour was the highlight of our Basque trip. Three generations, my mother in her 70s, my 11‑year‑old son, and us were equally captivated. The walk blended flavors with stories of Bilbao’s history and neighborhoods, making our subsequent 2-day urban explorations more meaningful. Paul, our guide, paced the stops thoughtfully, tailoring his narration to different curiosities. We left feeling connected and with a deeper understanding of how Bilbao’s culinary traditions and new venues shape its cultural identity. My vegetarian son was not disappointed and we all loved the shop by shop and neighborhood by neighborhood meandering. The early morning of the busy market, the old to new districts, and the ending punctuation of at the Guggenheim narrated a memorable mind map of Bilbao.