The following day, which happened to be our last in Spain, we set off to explore more of Bilbao, starting with a visit to the local market. This market, a major highlight of Bilbao, had been closed for a while but was recently transformed into a mix of fresh food stalls and a restaurant/tapas bar area.
We continued our walk through Bilbao’s streets, pausing now and then for some sweet treats once the buzz from breakfast started to fade, before making our way to the Guggenheim Museum.
Having visited the Guggenheim just a few months earlier, there were specific exhibits I was eager to revisit, some I was okay with skipping (I’m one of those who reads everything in museums, which made this easier), and others I was happy to see again.
We spent the next few hours exploring, focusing especially on the works of Bill Viola, which had caught my interest after seeing it featured around Bilbao the previous day.
Oddly enough, I approached Bill Viola’s work with some skepticism about how much I’d enjoy it, but I ended up really liking it! I’m not an art critic by any means, but I believe visual art, much like music and food, is meant to be enjoyed. The real test is how much you enjoy it, and for me, it was just what I was looking for.
Lunch that day was quite the experience! Right next to the Guggenheim is the Nerua restaurant, a Michelin-starred place we wanted to try on our last visit but couldn’t because it was closed. It wasn’t exactly nearby our Airbnb either, so we couldn’t make it back in time. But this time, it was open and ready for us.
Surprisingly, for a restaurant essentially part of an art gallery, Nerua has very little in terms of art or décor, yet its minimalist style works well.
We started with some appetizers before being seated at our table, where we kicked off with tomatoes served with aromatic herbs and capers juice. Each tomato was filled with the juice, bursting with incredible flavor – truly delicious!
We moved on to a dish of beans in a vegetable broth. While it might sound and look simple, it was absolutely divine, and that’s saying something from someone who isn’t a big fan of broth!
Next, we had fried hake with txoricero pepper strands. This was my favorite course; the fish was perfectly flaky and thinking about it now makes me hungry all over again.
The meal continued with an outstanding rack of lamb served alongside rice germs (which I still need to look up) and sherry.
For dessert, an apple and cinnamon flan with sheep’s milk curd ice cream was served. Although curd ice cream might sound odd, it was a brilliant combination!
The meal was perfect from start to finish! I was so excited that I was messaging our friends back in London, telling them what they missed when we didn’t have the chance to visit this restaurant during our previous trip.
After wrapping up with coffee, tea, and a few glasses of wine, we made our way back to our hotel. We crossed the bridge for one last spectacular view of the Guggenheim before leaving Bilbao and heading back to London.
Campo Viejo had promised a summer full of color, and based on the last couple of days, along with the delightful Riojas we packed to share with friends, they definitely fulfilled that promise!