{"id":97602,"date":"2024-01-20T12:33:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T11:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/?post_type=rutas-y-planes&p=97602"},"modified":"2024-09-24T10:03:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T08:03:47","slug":"fried-squid-bilbao","status":"publish","type":"rutas-y-planes","link":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/filtrado-rutas-y-planes\/fried-squid-bilbao\/","title":{"rendered":"In search of fried squid in Bilbao"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s definitely not a\u00a0pintxo<\/em>, but if it\u2019s Sunday then you have to try some\u00a0rabas<\/em> (fried squid)\u00a0as an appetiser<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sunday just isn\u2019t Sunday if you don\u2019t have some rabas with your friends. These pieces of squid, also known as calamari, are cut into strips or rings and fried in plenty of oil until the batter is golden and crispy. By far the most popular appetiser in Bilbao<\/strong>, they go perfectly with a ‘marianito’ (prepared vermouth) and they also pair wonderfully with txakoli or a\u00a0crianza\u00a0<\/em>red wine.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find this exquisite delicacy in practically every bar in the city, but beware! It\u2019s reserved exclusively for Sundays<\/strong> and public holidays and is simply not served on other days.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we start recommending a route that will let us enjoy the best rabas in Bilbao, perhaps we should explain – especially to our visitors – that rabas are not the same as\u00a0calamares a la romana<\/em>, Roman-style calamari, because they don\u2019t have egg in the batter. Also because some people use beer or sparkling water to make the batter thin and crispy although to tell you the truth, every bar has its own secret and they are certainly not going to let us in on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the places that are renowned for their rabas and are a must-visit every Sunday; and as they say, more or less, in Spanish: not all the good ones are here, but the ones that are here are all good<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rabas
Rabas del Sorginzulo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the heart of the Casco Viejo and Bilbao\u2019s pub-crawl zone par excellence, is\u00a0SORGINZULO<\/a> (Plaza Nueva 12. Casco Viejo<\/strong>), a place of pilgrimage where both a more traditional client\u00e8le and foodies and food critics alike can enjoy tasty and crispy rabas. Believe it or not, they cook more than 40 kilos every Sunday and their menu includes both classic fresh squid rabas in rings served with a wedge of lemon and rabas in a bread roll with aioli and squid ink.\u00a0Sorginzulo never stops winning pintxo competitions, but rabas are still their signature dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right next door to Sorginzulo is\u00a0GURE TOKI<\/a> (Plaza Nueva 12. Casco Viejo<\/strong>), another temple of creative pintxos and plates of rabas, which attracts swarms of people eager to enjoy these crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside squid delicacies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>Another place not to be missed is\u00a0CAF\u00c9 BAR LAGO<\/a> (Correo 13. Casco Viejo<\/strong>) , whose rabas have won first prize several times in the Rabas Competition organised by the\u00a0Asociaci\u00f3n de Comercios y Empresas del Casco Viejo<\/a>. What makes this place special is the fact that they serve them in strips along with onion rings, a combination that gives them a smooth and caramelised finish, reminiscent of Japanese tempura. Locals and visitors alike simply adore them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rabas
Rabas Caf\u00e9 Bar Lago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you’re in Indautxu, you really must visit the\u00a0 ASADOR INDUSI <\/a>(Garc\u00eda Rivero 7. Bilbao Centro<\/strong>) to enjoy their\u00a0rabas de txipi<\/em>, and in this case, you don\u2019t have to wait for Sunday, as it\u2019s one of the few places that always has these seafood delicacies, served with lemon and mayonnaise, on the menu.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Rekalde, one of the best places for rabas is the\u00a0CAF\u00c9 BAR TOBOG\u00c1N<\/a> (Plaza Rekalde 4. Rekalde<\/strong>): they serve them in rings and they make their tempura batter with chickpea flour. And to savour them to the full, what could be better than enjoying them with their prepared vermouth, an unbeatable combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rabas
Rabas del Caf\u00e9 Bar Tobog\u00e1n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our route draws to an end, almost, at Otxarkoaga, in\u00a0 MENDIPEKO<\/a> (Traves\u00eda Arbolantxa 2. Otxarkoaga<\/strong>). Their rabas are out of this world and every Sunday they are the most sought-after appetiser for the locals in this Bilbao neighbourhood. If you live in the area, you\u2019re bound to know all about them, and you probably recommend them to your friends from other districts and visitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rabas<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


RABAS FROM THE MARKET GARDEN<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before bringing this route in search of Bilbao\u2019s most popular rabas to a close, we have a little surprise in store for you: some very special rabas in which vegetables take the place of the squid. We\u2019re talking about the so-called \u201cmarket garden rabas\u201d, strips of vegetables (carrots, onions, courgettes…) with a crispy batter that you will adore no matter whether you\u2019re a vegetarian or not. And where can you eat them? Without a doubt, at\u00a0LURRINA<\/a> (Barrenakale Barrena 16. Casco Viejo<\/strong>), where they also serve traditional squid rabas.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s definitely not a\u00a0pintxo, but if it\u2019s Sunday then you have to try some\u00a0rabas (fried squid)\u00a0as an appetiser. The most popular appetiser in Bilbao<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":97579,"template":"","meta":[],"destacado":[1103],"tipo":[809],"tematica":[796],"class_list":["post-97602","rutas-y-planes","type-rutas-y-planes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","destacado-destacar-en-megamenu-en","tipo-route","tematica-gastro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rutas-y-planes\/97602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rutas-y-planes"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rutas-y-planes"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"destacado","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destacado?post=97602"},{"taxonomy":"tipo","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tipo?post=97602"},{"taxonomy":"tematica","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bilbaodendak.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tematica?post=97602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}