Restaurant in Bilbao, Spain
Bib Gourmand value, no booking drama.
Kimtxu is a Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Asian taberna in Bilbao's Abando district, where chef Iván Abril applies Hong Kong and London techniques to Basque seasonal produce. At the €€ price point, it is one of the most rewarding and easiest-to-book Michelin-recognised restaurants in the city — a strong choice for a date night or post-Guggenheim dinner without the formality or the budget of Bilbao's top tasting-menu rooms.
Getting a table at Kimtxu is refreshingly easy by Bilbao standards — which makes it one of the few places in the city where you can act on a spontaneous dinner plan without a month of lead time. That low booking barrier does not mean you are settling. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) and a Google rating of 4.5 across 1,466 reviews confirm that this is a deliberate choice, not a fallback. Book it for a date night, a post-Guggenheim dinner, or any occasion where you want something genuinely interesting without the formality or the four-figure bill.
Kimtxu sits in the Abando district of Bilbao, on Henao Kalea, and operates as an Asian-inflected taberna , informal in atmosphere, contemporary in design, and specific about its ingredients. Chef Iván Abril runs the kitchen, working with techniques absorbed during stints in London and Hong Kong. The menu applies those techniques to Basque produce, meaning you get the seasonal discipline and product quality this region is known for, expressed through an Asian lens rather than the white-tablecloth Basque tradition.
The physical space is part of the argument for going. The decor is contemporary taberna-style with Asian design references woven through it , not a themed restaurant, but a room that has thought carefully about what it wants to feel like. It is intimate enough to work for a date or a small celebration, and informal enough that you will not feel underdressed if you come straight from a day of walking the old town. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed: this is a place that wants you to arrive curious and leave having eaten well, not a place that requires you to perform.
The à la carte is built around dishes that are simple in concept but precise in execution. The Bib Gourmand designation from Michelin specifically recognises good cooking at a fair price , it is a quality credential, not just a value signal. At the €€ price point, Kimtxu competes with pintxos bars and casual Spanish restaurants across Bilbao, but the cooking here is more considered than most of what you will find at that level. The standout example cited in Michelin's own notes is a Banh-mi: a Vietnamese snack format built on a brioche bun, with Iberian pork cheek, pickles, and foie gras powder. That combination , Southeast Asian street food structure, French technique in the foie gras powder, premium Iberian pork , is a clean illustration of what the kitchen is doing across the whole menu.
If you have the option, ask about bar or counter seating. In a room designed around an informal taberna concept, the counter puts you closer to the kitchen's rhythm and makes the meal feel more engaged. For solo diners or pairs, this is the format that suits Kimtxu leading , you get the energy of watching the kitchen work without the distance of a full dining room table. The à la carte format lends itself to ordering in rounds rather than all at once, which works especially well at the counter. For groups of three or more, a table gives you more room to spread dishes and share, but you lose some of the immediacy.
Alongside the à la carte, Kimtxu offers a 7-course tasting menu. If you want a structured experience , something that tells a coherent story across the meal , this is worth considering, particularly for a special occasion dinner. The tasting menu format also gives the kitchen more control over sequencing and lets you experience the full range of the Asian-Basque concept rather than selecting individual dishes. For a date or celebration dinner, the tasting menu is the more focused choice; the à la carte is better if you want to graze and share.
The kitchen varies its dishes in line with seasonal ingredients, which means the menu you encounter will shift across the year. The Basque Country's seasonal calendar is one of the most distinct in Spain , autumn brings mushrooms and game, spring produces remarkable seafood and vegetables. Coming in autumn or winter, when Basque produce is at its most varied, will give you the fullest version of what Kimtxu is trying to do. That said, the Bib Gourmand awards indicate consistent quality year-round, so there is no bad season to visit.
Within Bilbao's dining options, Kimtxu sits in a category of its own , there is no direct equivalent in the city at this price point. For a fuller breakdown of how it positions against Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao, Mina, Zarate, and other Bilbao restaurants, see the comparison section below. If you are building a wider Basque Country itinerary, Pearl's full Bilbao restaurants guide covers the full range from pintxos to tasting menus, and the Bilbao hotels guide can help with where to stay.
For context across Spain's broader fine dining picture, Kimtxu occupies a different register from destinations like Azurmendi in Larrabetzu or Arzak in San Sebastián, both of which require more planning, more budget, and a different kind of commitment. Kimtxu is where you go when you want Michelin-recognised quality without the ceremony. Internationally, if you are drawn to the Asian-European fusion format, Jae in Düsseldorf and Soseki in Winter Park work in adjacent territory, though each takes a different approach to the fusion premise.
Small groups of two to four are the format that works leading here. The room is informal and the taberna layout suits sharing plates and a relaxed pace. Larger groups should contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability and seating arrangements , at the €€ price point in Bilbao, this is not a venue built around private dining rooms or large-party infrastructure, but it is worth asking. Booking is easy relative to most Michelin-recognised venues in the city, so even groups have options.
Smart casual is the right call. The Bib Gourmand designation signals quality cooking in an informal setting , the design is contemporary and considered, but the atmosphere is deliberately relaxed. You will not be out of place in a good shirt or a simple dress; you will be overdressed in black tie. For context, this is a different category from the formal dining rooms at Ola Martín Berasategui or Mina, where the occasion calls for more effort.
The taberna format and the room's design suggest bar or counter seating is part of how the space works, and it is worth requesting if you are dining solo or as a pair. Counter seating at a kitchen-facing bar puts you closer to the energy of the meal and suits the à la carte format well , ordering in rounds rather than committing to a full menu upfront. Confirm availability when booking, as counter spots in a room this size will be limited.
Come with an open approach to the menu. This is not a traditional Basque restaurant , it is an Asian taberna using Basque produce, and the dishes reflect that hybrid identity. The Michelin Bib Gourmand (two years running, 2024 and 2025) tells you the quality is consistent and the pricing is fair for what you get at €€. If you want a structured introduction to the kitchen's logic, the 7-course tasting menu is a better entry point than the à la carte. If you prefer to explore and share, go à la carte and order several dishes across the meal. Booking is easy, so you do not need to plan far in advance , but weekends in Abando fill up, so a few days' notice is sensible.
The fusion format , Asian techniques applied to Basque produce , means the menu will include dishes with shellfish, pork, and gluten-containing components. Contact the restaurant directly before visiting if you have specific dietary requirements; the à la carte structure may offer more flexibility than the tasting menu, where the kitchen controls the sequence. Hours and phone details are not currently listed in Pearl's data, so reaching out via the address (Henao Kalea, 17, Abando) or through a booking platform is your leading route to confirming what the kitchen can accommodate.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kimtxu | €€ | — |
| Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao | €€€ | — |
| Mina | €€€€ | — |
| Zarate | €€€ | — |
| Ola Martín Berasategui | €€€€ | — |
| Zortziko | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Two to four people is the sweet spot. The taberna format and informal room layout work well for small groups sharing plates at a relaxed pace. Larger parties should check directly with the venue, as the €€ price point and Bib Gourmand-level kitchen suggest a compact operation where big tables may be limited.
Smart casual fits the room. Kimtxu holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024 and 2025), which signals serious cooking in a deliberately informal setting — the taberna design is contemporary but relaxed. There is no case for dressing formally here; clean, put-together casual is the right read.
The taberna concept and contemporary room design suggest counter or bar seating is part of how the space functions. If you are dining solo or as a pair, it is worth requesting when you book — counter seats in this format typically offer a closer view of the kitchen and a more immediate pace.
This is not a traditional Basque restaurant. Chef Iván Abril applies techniques from London and Hong Kong to Basque produce, and the menu shifts with seasonal ingredients — so what you eat will depend on when you go. First-timers wanting structure should consider the 7-course tasting menu; those who prefer to graze should go à la carte and order broadly.
The fusion format — Asian technique applied to Basque products — means the menu is likely to include pork, shellfish, gluten-containing components, and fermented or pickled elements. The Bib Gourmand recognition points to a kitchen with real craft, but this is not a venue built around dietary substitutions. Flag restrictions clearly when booking and confirm options in advance.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
