If you turn the corner onto Calle Pelota and see a swarm of people in the street, wine glasses in hand, dive right in. You have officially left the tourist pintxo routes in Bilbao’s historic Casco Viejo neighborhood and entered the realm of the locals, who storm the streets daily in search of a good spot for a drink and a bite before lunch and before dinner. Many believe that the fame of Basque pintxos – small bites offered on the counter of almost every bar – is the result of a culinary phenomenon, but it really comes from a social one. When you step through the door of Taberna Basaras, you have found one of the best places to take part in it.
This tiny tavern – barely a counter, half a dozen stools, and many, many bottles of wine – offers a concentrated essence of what the Basque people expect when they go out to potear – the habit of meeting with pals to go from bar to bar: Friendly atmosphere, rich wines, and simple but tasty snacks. The vibe is neighborly, almost familial, since practically all the regulars know each other and occasional visitors are received with hospitality. Here, groups of gentlemen wearing berets, families with children, elegant ladies, hipsters, and Michelin-starred chefs all naturally coexist. This colorful spirit is one of the great attractions of Basaras, among the oldest active taverns in Bilbao.
Basaras dates back to 1946, when Casco Viejo was full of workshops, offices, and stores of all kinds, which pumped much more life into its bars and restaurants than even today’s tourists are able to infuse. The bar’s success in recent decades is inextricably linked to the Ocaña family. The late Pepe, who had been a wine merchant and representative of the legendary Jerez Gonzalez Byass winery in northern Spain, was a pioneer in offering a wide variety of wines by the glass, beyond the classic Riojas and Riberas that can be found at its competitors. Together with his wife Beatriz Martín, an exquisite cook with a natural talent for domestic recipes such as croquettes, empanadillas or battered anchovies, they formed an unbeatable tandem that ensured them a place of honor in the round of essential bars in Bilbao.
Their son Jon grew up with the aromas of the southern wines that his father brought to Bilbao, from a very young age tasting the most interesting examples of then-emerging regions such as Bierzo or Priorat, so the family was not surprised when he said he wanted to be a sommelier. Trained at the prestigious Artxanda school (a prestigious local hospitality school), he was soon showered with offers from luxury restaurants. But Jon turned them all down to take over the family business, which was a fortunate thing for Basaras and its customers – growing up in the tavern has given him a sense of how to read the clientele that many elite sommeliers lack. Chatting with him before deciding what will go in the glass is a pleasure that has made Basaras a favorite destination for wine lovers.
Last year Jon decided to pack his bags and head south to learn about the historic wines he loves so much, but he has left in charge his lieutenant, Joel Barck, who maintains his mentor’s extensive cellar, with dozens of options for all tastes by the glass. Nor has the pintxo selection changed a bit: it remains concise, effective, and appetizing as few others. Basaras may not have the exuberance of the bars in the neighboring city of San Sebastian, which boast of having turned pintxos into “haute cuisine creations in miniature,” but it offers a great sample of bites with local ingredients where everything – and when we say everything, we mean everything – deserves a taste.
The variety of traineras – toasted slices of bread with anchovies and peppers, named after the popular Basque rowing boat – is amazing, especially on weekends. Also worthy of praise is their felipada, a triangular sandwich made with lettuce, mayonnaise, a spicy sauce, and anchovy that can only be found in Bilbao, or the grillo – lettuce and spring onion atop a cooked chunk of potato in place of bread – another classic staple of the local bars that honors the humble origins of pintxo culture. The assorted fried food – bonito rolls and ham or cod croquettes – is also a must, as is the very tasty morsel of raw cod in olive oil that the locals jokingly call “Bilbao sushi.”
Once the wine and the snacks have been carefully chosen, the only thing left to do is to join the overflow crowd and look for a spot on Pelota Street where, among your new group of diverse friends, you can enjoy a couple of glasses of Bilbao’s soul.
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Published on March 26, 2025
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