Friday, 15 January 2016
Plaza Nueva
Plaza Nueva
It's pouring. After an unusually dry December, Bilbao has come back to its natural state - rain. There is only one solution if we want to continue with our Quest tonight: seek beers and refuge under the arches of Plaza Nueva.
Full of cafes and restaurants on each of its four sides, this monumental Plaza is full with people day and night. It hosts a flea market on Sunday mornings and is a favourite spot for children and their parents when the weather is good. It is also intimidating for us BBQuesters, since once started we have no idea when we'll be done with it...
Ready and steady to face the rain? Let's go!
Our first bar in 2016 is ZUGA, a small corner place crammed with pintxos and customers. We stay outside, observing a group of tweens sitting on the ground playing videogames on Ipad, while their parents drink nearby - ah, the joys of parenting in the twenty first century! The beer served here is San Miguel, but someone leaves it unfinished: it's not too good, alas - but by now we know that neither Alex nor Ivan is partial towards this brand.
In the photo below: we are proud of our beer bellies.
San Miguel awaits for us at the bar ZAHARRA, too, and it's only slightly better. Wine is ok, though, and bartenders chatter friendly to each other and to customers. We meet several fellow expats as well as locals hanging around, proving once again that people living in Bilbao are not afraid of a couple of drops (or a drizzle... or a storm) when it comes to go out and socialize.
The bar-charcutería JAM TOKI is the following stop, although Alex and Bea are not too happy to step in a place redolent of ham and salami. On the bright side, the beer served here is Mahou! Holding the cold glasses is becoming harder while the temperature goes down, however, so the couples (Jon and Giedre, Ivan and Alex) share two pairs of gloves among them to keep the beer hand warm.
It's 11PM. Several places are closing down by now. Luckily, VICTOR tavern is not! Inside, we find warmth and room to accommodate our ever-growing group. The guys order Mahou again, served in nice handled glasses, while Bea finally enjoys a black IPA (Black Feet by local Milana brewery). The bartenders comment that evidently we are not yet real Bilbao people: if we were, we would have stayed outside in short sleeves without a problem!
We cross the square to get to CHARLY, where we are informed that the bar will close in 20 minutes. It's more than enough for our needs: the beer knights drink cañas of Amstel, others have wine, someone hot tea or Colacao (well, if we are not bilbaínos after all, why bother?). Also, Bea and Ivan manage to get a cheesy profile picture...
Plaza Nueva is done for tonight, so we walk some minutes to Calle María Muñoz and enter SOIZ 3. There's a round of Heineken, and then another, as it's too late to change more bars but too early to part just now that things are getting happy and awkward. They also have a better selection of bottled beers, so Bea enjoys two products of Laugar brewery: EPA Pale Ale and Kiskale Brown Ale (that Ivan orders asking for la cerveza con perro, "the beer with the dog", and the barmaid surprisingly understands).
Also worth mentioning: the boards put up by the bar staff.
As usual, by now only two options are left: continue the evening at some clubs like Mitote and Antzoki for more beer, shots and goofy dancing, or surrender to the late hour plus rainy weather and go home.
Guess what happened, judging by the following photograhic evidence.
Full of cafes and restaurants on each of its four sides, this monumental Plaza is full with people day and night. It hosts a flea market on Sunday mornings and is a favourite spot for children and their parents when the weather is good. It is also intimidating for us BBQuesters, since once started we have no idea when we'll be done with it...
Ready and steady to face the rain? Let's go!
Our first bar in 2016 is ZUGA, a small corner place crammed with pintxos and customers. We stay outside, observing a group of tweens sitting on the ground playing videogames on Ipad, while their parents drink nearby - ah, the joys of parenting in the twenty first century! The beer served here is San Miguel, but someone leaves it unfinished: it's not too good, alas - but by now we know that neither Alex nor Ivan is partial towards this brand.
In the photo below: we are proud of our beer bellies.
San Miguel awaits for us at the bar ZAHARRA, too, and it's only slightly better. Wine is ok, though, and bartenders chatter friendly to each other and to customers. We meet several fellow expats as well as locals hanging around, proving once again that people living in Bilbao are not afraid of a couple of drops (or a drizzle... or a storm) when it comes to go out and socialize.
The bar-charcutería JAM TOKI is the following stop, although Alex and Bea are not too happy to step in a place redolent of ham and salami. On the bright side, the beer served here is Mahou! Holding the cold glasses is becoming harder while the temperature goes down, however, so the couples (Jon and Giedre, Ivan and Alex) share two pairs of gloves among them to keep the beer hand warm.
It's 11PM. Several places are closing down by now. Luckily, VICTOR tavern is not! Inside, we find warmth and room to accommodate our ever-growing group. The guys order Mahou again, served in nice handled glasses, while Bea finally enjoys a black IPA (Black Feet by local Milana brewery). The bartenders comment that evidently we are not yet real Bilbao people: if we were, we would have stayed outside in short sleeves without a problem!
Sugar rush caused by cocoa and caffeine excess in tea...
Plaza Nueva is done for tonight, so we walk some minutes to Calle María Muñoz and enter SOIZ 3. There's a round of Heineken, and then another, as it's too late to change more bars but too early to part just now that things are getting happy and awkward. They also have a better selection of bottled beers, so Bea enjoys two products of Laugar brewery: EPA Pale Ale and Kiskale Brown Ale (that Ivan orders asking for la cerveza con perro, "the beer with the dog", and the barmaid surprisingly understands).
Also worth mentioning: the boards put up by the bar staff.
As usual, by now only two options are left: continue the evening at some clubs like Mitote and Antzoki for more beer, shots and goofy dancing, or surrender to the late hour plus rainy weather and go home.
Guess what happened, judging by the following photograhic evidence.
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