Mina

Mina, Bilbao: The Verdict

The move says something. When chef Álvaro Garrido relocated Mina from its original address along Bilbao's estuary to a larger venue in the Indautxu neighbourhood, he was making a statement about ambition rather than comfort. The Michelin star (held since at least 2024) came with him, the local supplier network came with him, the open kitchen that puts the creative process on full display came with him too. If you are planning a tasting menu dinner in Bilbao, Mina should be on your shortlist. Book it.

The Experience

The atmosphere at Mina is shaped by the open kitchen as much as by the room itself. Sitting at the counter gives you direct sightlines into the kitchen's operation, which is worth requesting when you book. The space combines stone and wood, with the bar cut from a single piece of oak, the energy is purposeful rather than theatrical. This is not a restaurant that performs for the room. It works, you watch it work. The sound level sits in the range that allows conversation, which matters when you are working through a multi-course tasting menu over two to three hours.

Sensory register here is measured and deliberate. Nothing about the new Indautxu space feels casual, but it does not tip into the stiffness you can encounter at restaurants carrying this level of recognition. Lara Martín manages the dining room, her presence keeps the service grounded. That combination of a technically focused kitchen and an attentive but human front-of-house is what separates Mina from peers that match it on paper but lose something in the room.

Sourcing and the Menu

Editorial angle here is ingredient sourcing, at Mina that is not a marketing position but a structural commitment. Garrido works with a network of trusted local suppliers who bring fresh fish from the Cantabrian Sea, select meats, seasonal mushrooms, game. The menu shifts with what those suppliers deliver, which means the menu you eat is genuinely tied to the season and the week. This is the mechanism that makes a tasting menu format make sense: the dishes are built around what is available and at its finest, not around a fixed concept that can be printed once and run for months.

Two tasting menus are available, one shorter and one longer. For most visitors, the longer menu is the better investment if you have the time, since it lets the kitchen develop the sourcing story across more courses. The shorter menu is a reasonable option if you are combining Mina with other Bilbao restaurants in a single trip and want to pace your appetite. Either way, expect Cantabrian seafood to feature heavily, with seasonal produce filling in around it depending on timing.

The wine list has received two Star Wine List recognitions in 2025 (ranked #1 and #2), which is a concrete signal that the list is worth paying attention to. In a city with serious Txakoli and Rioja access, a strong wine programme adds meaningful weight to the overall value case.

Ideal time to visit

Mina is closed Monday and Tuesday. Service runs Wednesday through Sunday, with lunch from 2 PM and dinner from 9 PM. The Friday and Saturday dinner service is the hardest to book and the most energised in terms of room atmosphere. If your priority is a quieter, more focused experience at the counter, a Wednesday or Thursday lunch sitting is the practical choice. Spring and autumn are when the Cantabrian sourcing model is at its most varied, with game coming in through autumn and the full range of Cantabrian seafood available in both shoulder seasons. A summer visit is perfectly viable, but the seasonal ingredient range is narrower.

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty is hard. The combination of limited covers, a single open-kitchen format, a recently relocated venue that is generating fresh attention means availability is tight. Book as far in advance as your plans allow, treat a last-minute slot as unlikely. Reservations: Required well in advance; book at the earliest opportunity. Budget: €€€€ per head; expect full tasting menu pricing at Michelin star level, with wine pairing on leading. Dress: Smart casual is the safe call for a room at this level. Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, lunch from 2 PM, dinner from 9 PM; closed Monday and Tuesday. Getting there: The address is Ercilla Kalea, 37, in the Abando district of Bilbao, well served by the Bilbao Metro.

How It Fits in Spain's Modern Spanish Scene

Mina sits within a broader conversation about creative Spanish cooking that includes restaurants across the country. If Bilbao is one stop on a wider Spanish itinerary, the comparable conversations are happening at Arzak in San Sebastián (a short drive east, with three Michelin stars and a longer track record), Azurmendi in Larrabetzu (also close to Bilbao, three stars, sustainability as a structural commitment), and further afield at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, DiverXO in Madrid, and Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona. For Modern Spanish creative cooking with comparable sourcing principles, Ricard Camarena in València and Casa Marcial in Arriondas are worth knowing. Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María is the most direct parallel for a seafood-anchored tasting menu built around a specific regional ingredient philosophy.

Within the Basque Country specifically, Mina is operating in genuinely competitive territory. Garrido has built something at the one-star level that holds its own against larger, more established names, the relocation to Indautxu suggests he is building toward more, not consolidating what he has.

For more on eating, drinking, staying in Bilbao, see our full Bilbao restaurants guide, our full Bilbao hotels guide, our full Bilbao bars guide, our full Bilbao wineries guide, and our full Bilbao experiences guide.