Bilbao's size and diversity make for a lengthy menu of nocturnal offerings. Whether your pint of beer is craft or simply cold, Bilbao has an ever-growing list of trendy night spots, especially in the central Abando neighbourhood. Enjoy a gin-tonic infused using dry ice or sample the city's many cocktail bars that are frozen in time, living tributes to the glorious retro coctelería of the Seventies and Eighties. The locals in Bilbao tend to skip the mega-discos in favour of smaller scale clubs and concert halls where the crowd is defined by musical genre and there always seems to be decent live music somewhere.
Abando
Kafe Antzokia
Kafe Antzokia is the de facto last stop for Bilbaínos of all stripes on weekends out. By rolling a club, restaurant, and music venue into one, Antzokia has claimed an seemingly permanent place in Bilbao's nightlife scene. Formerly an old theatre, the venue features a multi-level setup with several bars that makes it a great place to catch the varied menu of concerts each week or dance to the DJ. A must-stop on a night out in Bilbao.
Contact: 00 34 94 423 53 48; kafeantzokia.com
Prices: ££
Opening times: Sun-Weds, 11am-11pm; Thurs, 11am-5am; Fri-Sat, 11am-6am
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Memorial
If the goal is to dance the night away with Bilbao's beautiful people, Memorial is the perfect backdrop. Of all the late-night discotheques in the city, this is one of the classiest, insisting even in the wee hours of the morning on preparing drinks with care. Music is a mix of Top 40, Latin music, and club pop – a soundtrack designed to make crowds sway.
Contact: 00 34 944 24 32 19; cafeteatromemorial.com
Prices: ££
Opening times: Summer, Fri-Sat, 10:30pm-6am; Winter, Fri-Sat, 7pm-6am
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Bar Basque
The grand dame of the Bilbao drinking culture, Bar Basque retains much of its original charm, décor, and joie de vivre. A spectacular Art Nouveau façade gives way to a richly textured bar, loaded with pintxos by day and the scene of exquisitely mixed drinks (with more than 400 liquors to choose from) by night.
Contact: 00 34 944 24 26 21; barbasque.es
Prices: £
Opening times: Mon-Thurs, 8am-12am; Fri-Sat, 8am-6am
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Azkena
The spot for rock-and-rollers. Azkena is a place where alternative genres (hip-hop, indie, hard rock, and others) have space to flourish. Always packed, the modern-style interior can get quite crowded, but then that's what the clientele is here for. Signed guitars line the wall and service is agreeable in this Bilbao institution, known for its impressive concert lineup.
Contact: 00 34 944 24 08 90; facebook.com/AzkenaBilbao
Prices: £
Opening times: Mon-Thurs, 3pm-11pm; Fri-Sat, 6pm-5:30am
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Indautxu
Cotton Club
The stage at Cotton Club is unassuming, barely raised off the ground, but it has played host to live music for 25 years. The bar's walls are plastered with eclectic souvenirs, marking the passage of time and great musical acts. While it feels authentic and even dive-y, the bar is well-stocked, to the tune of hundreds of whiskeys and gins. Settle in for a night of acoustic guitar, rock, rap or something totally unexpected.
Contact: 00 34 944 10 49 51; cottonclubbilbao.es
Prices: £
Opening times: Tues-Weds, 8:30pm-3am; Thurs, 8:30pm-5am; Fri-Sat, 8:30pm-6:30am
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Penguin Bar
Listen to blues, funk and rock with a craft beer in hand. The Penguin Bar's exposed brick walls and vintage-looking leather furniture transition well from early evening to late night, as does their drink list. Espresso is from Right Side coffee, the Barcelona roasters dominating the Spanish craft coffee market. If alcohol is the order of the day, choose a pint from one of 16 taps of craft beer, many of them local brews such as Boga and Basqueland Brewing Project.
Contact: 00 34 639 17 62 74; facebook.com/Penguin-Bar-Bilbao
Prices: £
Opening times: Sun-Weds, 5pm-11pm; Thurs, 5pm-12am; Fri-Sat, 5pm-2am
Abandoibarra
Sir Winston Churchill Pub
With all the trappings of a pub, including a glorious retro red carpet and wood bannisters, shiny with the patina of thousands of happy hours, Sir Winston Churchill is a cosy, familiar place to spend an evening. The gin and tonics here are something of a legend, explained and served with care, and the selection of rum and whiskey is staggering. Sink into the leather upholstery and savour good drinks and good conversation and you'll have done this bar right.
Contact: 00 34 944 27 78 73; sirwinstonchurchill.es
Prices: £
Opening times: Sun-Weds, 4pm-2:30am; Fri-Sat, 4pm-4am
Gin Fizz
If a torch, zester, shaker and bartender in a suit are essential cocktail ingredients for you, Gin Fizz is your must-drink spot in Bilbao. The living-room chic décor and the friendly yet focused bar staff keep pretensions at a minimum. Gawk at the lengthy menu and be sure to try the Lucky Harmony Fizz, a delicious blend of white tea- and spice-infused gin, almond liquor, egg yolk liquor and nutmeg. The laser-like precision is enthralling and the reasonable prices mean repeating for another round is affordable and recommended.
Contact: 00 34 946 42 14 10; ginfizzbilbaococktail.com
Prices: ££
Opening times: Sun-Thurs, 4pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 4pm-2:30am
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Deusto
Satélite T
Satélite T presents as a groovy dive bar in a non-descript concrete building along the river. What it really is, however, is a nexus of alternative culture for the city, thanks to quality rock concerts and unexpectedly good food. The best time to experience Satélite T is, surprisingly, Sunday at midday, during their Rabba Rabba Hey sessions. It's a perfect mix of Ramones-style rock and fried calamari, two Sunday traditions of the (gracefully) ageing hipster set of Bilbao.
Contact: 00 34 94 600 21 93; facebook.com/SateliteT
Prices: £
Opening times: Mon-Thurs, 10am-11pm; Fri, 10am-2am; Sat, 12pm-2am; Sun, 12pm-5pm
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San Francisco
Marzana 16
A snapshot in time, frozen in the best of ways since its opening more than half a century ago, Marzana 16 is a tried and true neighbourhood bar. The crowd is lively, and sits mostly outside of the tiled, retro bar, propping up with a beer or vermouth on the banks of the estuary (which just happens to be one of Bilbao's coolest neighbourhoods du jour). The best time to visit is during the day on the weekends, when vermouths doctored with a bit of hard liquor are being served by the dozens, and a crowd of hipsters and bohemians gathers to enjoy the views.
Contact: Muelle Marzana 16; 00 34 946 753 036
Prices: £
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 4pm-11pm; Sat-Sun, 12pm-11pm
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