El Arandia de Julen

Fantastic menu!!!

We weren’t sure we had the right place as the restaurant looked shut from the outside. However once we got in we met the host who was just lovely and very warm. There was no one else in the restaurant for a good while so it felt a bit quiet. However we were really blown away by the service and food. We ordered a la carte but were brought appetisers which showcased the beautiful Basque food which the host told us a lot about. The local house wine was great and the starter and main were excellent quality .... we even got to fry the veal steak at the table. The portions are large and it was good value for money. We’ll be back.

Everything was very good, almost perfect.

Very warm and friendly welcome. Good quality for all dishes. The best carpaccio bacalao and chuleton that you can finish at your leisure on the stone plate heated by the flame

Our 2nd visit to this wonderful restaurant for dinner and it was just as we remembered it. Set in a little square off a main street next to a lovely church. The restaurant itself is fairly small but well laid out and diners have plenty of space & privacy. The lady who is front of house is a real asset! We have heard her speak several languages fluently and she is extremely knowledgeable about every dish on the menu, taking the time to explain how dishes are prepared and how the ingredients are sourced. All throughout service she (and the other staff members) were available in the background if needed but not intrusive - just perfect! The food is absolutely delicious and fantastic value for money. The menu is extensive with options to suit every budget. There are various set menus as well as a la carte options. We ate a set menu costing 55 euros each and this included water, bread and a very drinkable bottle of house red wine. The menu we chose had about 7 or 8 courses and all were perfect for us - we left feeling very satisfied. The main meat course was brought to the table with a small burner for us to cook ourselves to our liking - fabulous! A really lovely touch was that the chef came round the tables for a quick word to make sure everything was ok and diners were enjoying their meal. The lady host came for a quick word as we were finishing and was keen to ask if we were enjoying our stay in the city. When we told her where we were from she shared that she had visited our country last year and we had a lovely conversation. We mentioned it was our 2nd visit after enjoying it so much last year and she was delighted we had decided to come back. Our visit coincided with a special birthday for me and we chose to go back here specifically for this. I’m so glad we did. This restaurant has it all - great atmosphere, staff and food. We were there for 3 hours in total and enjoyed every minute. If you’re looking for the whole experience and a night to remember as we were, then this is the place for you. We will definitely be back.

We had an absolutely outstanding traditional Basque meal with excellent service. Warm ambiance and convenient location to the old town of Bilbao.

Materia prima excelente

Extraordinärt, mat, personal o lokal

Superb! The meat was just so tender... massive portion, could not finish it and glad I did not have a starter! The servers were super, very attentive and not at all intrusive, took an interest in their guests and the chef came out to check on the guests as well. Fantastic value for a fantastic evening!

Great service Great value Incredible T-bone steak Wonderful place

Sensacional comida , trato familiar. Lugar recomendable

Excellent robust fare. The tasting menu requires a good appetite and is great value. Chef and staff charming.

Polpo superlativo !

Amazing anchovies, probably the best I have ever had. Fish dishes outstanding. Service warm/friendly and the staff went out of their way to ensure we were happy. Will be recommending to friends and family.

Fantastic. Excellent ingredients cooked to perfection. Very generous in both portions and hospitality. Highly recommend!

Chose El Arandia from previous Trip Advisor recommendations and we weren't disappointed. We had smoked sardines and octopus to start and hake and monk fish for the main courses. All were excellent and we'll cooked. The waitress spoke excellent English and was very informative and friendly. Well worth trying.

Fantastic traditional food and plenty of it.

One of the best steaks our party had ever eaten. The service was prompt and fun. You can tell they love what they do here.

Very nice service and food. A little bit “old stylish”, but we had a very good dinner.

Modest looking from the outside, all you can see is the small bar. The dining room is cozy with about 10 tables/30 seats, in traditional style. Mix of tourists and locals. The set menus are mostly for 2 people, because the main dish is a txuleta that weighs more than a kilo (with bone). There are also several fish dishes and daily specials that they can explain to you in 3 or 4 different languages. The main event for me was the meat, and it did not disappoint. Simply seasoned and quickly grilled and sliced, you finish cooking it to your own taste right on the table. It gets a little smoky in the dining room because this is happening at every table. The accompaniments (fried potatoes and marinated sweet red peppers) are also perfect. Unfortunately I did not see any of the desserts, so I have to go back for that.