Nerua

Josean Alija tiene un tipo de cocina diferente al resto de cocineros, si no sabes donde vas quizá no la puedas entender. El restaurante está en el museo Guggenheim, cuando llegas te reciben en la cocina, donde te dan una ligera explicación y te obsequian con un aperitivo, luego te llevan al comedor, en el que no hay ningún tipo de decoración, es todo blanco, muy cálido y luminoso, a mí personalmente me gustó, parece que está preparado para que te concentres en la comida y no te distraigas con nada; el servicio muy bueno, muy profesional, igual que el sumiller; la comida en sí se basa mayoritariamente en productos frescos de la huerta, de primerísima calidad y elaborados de manera que se pueda apreciar su sabor exacto, sin prácticamente salsas ni nada que pueda equivocar sus sabores, como mucho llevan un caldo claro, son 9 o 13 platos, a mi personalmente me gustó bastante este tipo de cocina, quizá excedía un poco en el ahumado de algunos platos, por lo demás está bastante bien; el precio un poco elevado, pero similar a todos estos restaurantes. Repito lo dicho al principio, hay que saber donde vas para no llevarte una sorpresa

We were told to that the Guggenheim had a good restaurant with tasty pintxos we could munch on after touring the museum.
We didn’t realize the museum has two restaurants. When we walked into the sparsely furnished, dimly lit, calm, white space of Nerua — with our casual clothing — we realized quickly that we were in the wrong place. Who knew the Guggenheim had a 1 star Michelin restaurant?
Despite our ragged appearance, they were kind enough to fit us in, and we enjoyed a wonderful meal from the tasting menu!
One highlight: the tomatoes. A variety of small, colorful tomatoes are served in a white bowl with a delicate broth. Each bite produced a burst of tomato and herb flavor, each tomato infused with a different herb. Now this was fun food!
(Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I liked it better than Akalarre…)

If you’re partial to foamed, emulsified, lyophilic, or otherwise chem-​labbed foods THIS IS YOUR PLACE. Now that only sounds like a putdown, for I am a chemist, but not a food chemist. Chefs at Nerua must be those in order to win their 2^nd Michelin star, and they desperately want to do that! Every dish at Nerua seeks to surprise you… pleasantly, of course. If the surprise is potentially UNpleasant, like an hors d’œuvre with a liquid center to spill down your best suit, you are appropriately warned (to pop it entirely in your mouth before biting). So dining here is intentionally adventuresome!
It can be a challenge. If they’re not too busy and you look like a foodie, you may be invited to their open kitchen (see photo) and offered a quelle surprise nibble. (We were.) Then the chips are down. You are hovered over by the chef du jour and his compatriots, eager for confirmation of their wizardry which you feel compelled to supply. Last night, for example, we were presented with cod skin cracklings (I nibbled while wife gorged) and quail eggs en croûte (wife eventually succumbed while I gorged).
But even if you’re not particularly adventuresome (then what are you doing in Bilbao?), you should DEFINITELY try the house Rioja that comes in a Magnum! Well, not the whole Magnum, of course, but they offer it by the glass, and it is not only superb, but it can only be tasted at Nerua. The restaurant contracts with the vintner for his entire (6,000 bottle) supply. It is very deep and complex!
You’ll like Nerua or you will hate it; you can’t be indifferent. I, for example, give it 5 stars. Wife gives 5 for the kitchen tour and their cookbook (the 701^st in her collection) which assumes you are an accomplished chef and so offers few detailed recipes but mostly ingredients and methods.
If you want a meal as innovative as the adjacent Guggenheim Museum, you’ve found it.

partial review
Corn Bread (Complimentary)
[7]
Served fresh from the oven, the bread was so warm, the servers had to wear heat-​resistant gloves just to serve it. This was unlike any other cornbread I’ve had in that it featured the sweet flavour of corn but without the dry chalky texture of cornmeal. The result was a wonderfully hearty crispy crust and a blessedly moist inner crumb. I admittedly ate 3 pieces throughout the meal.
Potatoes with Streaky Bacon (Complimentary)
[9]
Perfectly cooked sweet starchy potatoes paired with salty tissue-​thin bacon and served in a warm, comforting broth. Heaven.
Tomatoes, Herbs, Capers (14 € — Split Portion)
[10]
A selection of sweet slightly smoky heirloom cherry tomatoes that literally exploded into sprightly juices to contrast the briny savoury broth.
Stewed Spinach, Almond Milk and Olive Oil (12 €)
[11]
An unusual dish but tasty nonetheless. The sturdy and smooth greens were bathed in a bowl of what seemed to be curdled almond milk and oil. Simple, mildly flavoured and deeply comforting.
Asparagus, Avocado, Arugula and Green Wheat Extract (15 €)
[12]
A simple dish of bright verdant flavours — the sweet asparagus, the buttery avocado, the peppery arugula and the mild bitterness of the green wheat dressing. Perfect amidst a sea of very rich meals.
Cow Tenderloin (26 € — Split Portion)
Red Beet Gnocchi and Juice of Peppers
[13]
Flawlessly fluffy sweet potato pillows that paired gorgeously with the delicate ripe pepper flavour and the tender rich beef. Something should be said for simple food done well, and here is how a few wholesome ingredients can be done very well.
Early Fig, Mint, Nut Mousse, Early Fig Tree Milk (11 €- Split Portion)
[14]
The best part of the meal, by far. I loved the sweetness of the ripe fresh figs against the satiny ice cream and the ethereal mousse. Absolute heaven.
Petit Fours
Tiramisu Macaron, Kefir, Citrus Doughnut
[15]
A nice selection of sweets, my favourite of course being the fluffy sweet doughnut, though I quite liked the pucker acidity of the kefir, as well.
[5]
Closing Remarks
–For the 3 starters, 1 main, 1 dessert, a gin and tonic and an iced tea, the bill came to 110 € ($ 150 CAD). While the food all tasted quite nice, I did feel it was a touch understated to justify the price– especially since there was only one alcoholic drink involved. I also found the room bland and the service a bit careless and distracted by the VIP next to us in the room.
— Alas, a good meal– just not one that I felt I could justify the price or time commitment for a lunch meal again.

RESTAURANT NERUA
Located inside the Guggenheim in Bilbao, this was a classy Michelin 1-​star that was innovative, stylish, creative AND delicious — exactly what we were hoping for from Mugaritz. Definitely worth a return visit. The food is complex and subtle, but oh-​so-​delicious. The restaurant is quiet, perhaps a bit formal in appearance, but relaxed and casual in practice. Each dish was better than the last, and by the time we got to coffee, we were completely and utterly satisfied. ..

Chef Josean Martínez Alija is making some of the best food I’ve had anywhere. After an amazing stint at the restaurant inside the museum, the Guggenheim commissioned Alija his own space. A protoge of Martin Berasategui and Ferran Adria, he’s paving his own path at Nerua. We had just seen him present at Omnivore in Paris and it reminded me of how outstanding his cuisine is. Im sad to have missed his collaboration with Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance. However having eaten at his home base it’s must for those who love the Basque and Spanish cuisine
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–steamed black radish with raw sheets and dressing of wild herbs.
–confit endives, croquant leaves dressed with walnut and citrus fruits.
–caramelised red onion and «verdinas» lentils stock.
–fleshy grilled root, rustic bread soaked in a seafood jus and red wine.
–sole black olives crushed with sherry, oregan and rhubarb.
–roasted colt chunk with red garlic casein.
–orange, honey and eucalyptus.
–pure chocolate from Venezuela and spicy sand of marzipan
At first I had to ask myself what «colt chunk» was and our captain basically explained it was the «oysters» from the back of a horse, which is supposed to be the most tender cut. What an understatement. This may have been one of the most fantastic cuts of meat ever, which is surprising when Ive heard mixed bags of opinions on horse. Im sad I cant get this in the US! As with the rest of the menu it was spectacular and they’re definitely cooking at some of the highest levels here.
To top that off, the service is also some of the best I’ve seen anywhere. Highly polished, completely professional, but also very kind and comfortable. Definitely a place not to be missed if you’re in the area.