Short answer: many of Bilbao's best-known brunch spots ask you to book. ARVO Specialty Coffee does not. At ARVO Guggenheim (Barraincúa Kalea 9, about a 2-minute walk from the museum) you can walk in any day between 8:30 and 15:30 for brunch, with an English menu, English-speaking staff and specialty coffee at the same table.
A typical brunch there, one dish and one coffee, is roughly €10–16 per person (toasts from €7.50, pancakes €10, hot sandwiches €12.50, flat white €3.30). If you are staying near the university instead, ARVO Deusto is open daily from 9:30 to 14:00, also without reservations.
Bilbao's food culture is built around pintxos, long lunches and bars that open early for coffee and a tostada. Brunch in the café sense is a newer addition, and several venues sell it as a set menu that has to be booked in advance. This guide explains how brunch works in Bilbao, how to get a table without a reservation, and what to order at ARVO.
How does brunch work in Bilbao?
A traditional Spanish breakfast is light: a café con leche with a tostada (toast with tomato and olive oil), a croissant or a slice of tortilla, usually taken standing at a bar. Brunch is the café-style version: larger plates such as avocado toast, pancakes, sandwiches and bowls, served at a table. Lunch in Spain is typically eaten around 14:00 or later, so a late brunch can easily stand in for it.
Two practical differences matter for visitors. First, booking: according to Discover Donosti's guide to brunch in Bilbao, most of the places it lists need a reservation in advance. Second, time windows: some venues serve brunch only for a few hours, or only on certain days.
Brunch in Bilbao: reservation policy compared
The table below compares ARVO with the other brunch and breakfast spots in Discover Donosti's guide. The details for other venues are taken from that guide, so treat them as a starting point and confirm hours and booking rules with each venue before you go.
| Venue | Area | When | Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARVO Guggenheim | Abando, near the Guggenheim | Daily, kitchen 8:30–15:30 | Not taken. Walk in; waitlist if full |
| ARVO Deusto | Deusto, by the University of Deusto | Daily 9:30–14:00 | Not taken |
| Cinnamon Coffelab | Abando, near Jardines de Albia | From 9:00 daily | Not needed, per the guide |
| Dupla Specialty Coffee | Casco Viejo, Calle Viuda de Epalza 13 (by the flower market) | Mon–Thu 8:30–16:00 · Fri–Sun 8:30–18:00 | Not needed |
| La Ribera Bilbao | Mercado de la Ribera | Thursday to Sunday | Reservation only |
| Café Iruña | Opposite Jardines de Albia | Breakfast daily 9:00–12:00 | Not stated; traditional Spanish breakfast |
ARVO details are from ARVO. Dupla's hours are from its website (read on 8 October 2026). All other rows are as reported by Discover Donosti and may have changed. Information as read on 8 October 2026; the guide itself may be older.
Brunch at ARVO Guggenheim: what to expect
ARVO Guggenheim is at Barraincúa Kalea 9 in Abando. The kitchen is open every day from 8:30 to 15:30, so there is no separate brunch hour to catch: whatever time you arrive, the full brunch menu is available. The café itself stays open until 16:00 most days and until 19:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: Barraincúa Kalea 9, 48009 Bilbao
Hours: Mon–Thu & Sun 8:30–16:00 · Fri–Sat 8:30–19:00
Kitchen: every day 8:30–15:30
Reservations: none; walk in
Typical cost: about €10–16 per person for one brunch dish and a coffee (toasts €7.50–8, pancakes €10, hot sandwiches €12.50, flat white €3.30)
Good to know: terrace, dog and stroller friendly, cards and contactless accepted, English menu
What if there is no free table?
Tables turn over quickly, so long waits are not expected. If you arrive and every table is taken, the team will take your name for the waitlist. A useful tip: order a coffee at the counter while you wait, so you are drinking something good by the time your table is ready.
Brunch and specialty coffee at the same table.
What to order for brunch at ARVO
All food at ARVO is made from scratch every day. These are the dishes to start with.
Banana Pancakes
€10. Oat and banana pancakes with fruit, agave syrup and house-made granola, with a choice of peanut butter or chocolate and hazelnut sauce. ARVO's menu calls them its most popular brunch dish, and units are limited each day, so they are worth ordering early. The best choice if you want something sweet.
Byron Bay Toast
€7.50. Sourdough with mashed avocado, seeds, sesame, lamb's lettuce and a house-made parsley and lime sauce, inspired by the Australian cafés that gave ARVO its name and its style. Add-ons: a soft-boiled egg (+€2), Spanish ham (+€2), ARVO cream cheese (+€1.50) or tomato (+€1.50). A good savoury option if you want something lighter, and the base toast is vegan.
Açaí Bowl
€9.50. Made with organic açaí imported directly from Brazil, with house-made granola, fruit and shredded coconut. It is vegan, and ARVO describes it as unique in Bilbao. Add peanut butter (+€1.50) or swap to gluten-free granola (+€1).
Pastrami Sandwich or ARVO Club Sandwich
€12.50 each, for a bigger, lunch-style plate. The hot pastrami sandwich comes on sourdough with artisan pastrami, melted cheese, pickles, sauerkraut and ARVO's special sauce. The ARVO Club Sandwich is vegan: sourdough with hummus, roasted mushrooms, tomato, rocket, vegan mayo and red pesto. Both can be made with gluten-free bread for €1 extra.
A brunch table at ARVO: pancakes, a savoury plate and iced drinks.
Add a coffee, and leave room for cheesecake
If you are new to specialty coffee, a flat white is the safest order. Coffee is roasted by Old Town Coffee Roasters in San Sebastián, and there is a rotating single-origin espresso and filter coffee for anyone who wants to try something different. For dessert there is Basque cheesecake, baked in-house. Our guide to specialty coffee near the Guggenheim explains the coffee side in more detail.
Brunch at ARVO Deusto
ARVO Deusto is at Plaza San Pío X 2, next to the University of Deusto, and is open every day from 9:30 to 14:00. It has a few dishes the Guggenheim café does not, including huevos turcos (€10.60: house-made labneh, two soft-boiled eggs and smoked paprika oil, with sourdough) and the Manly toast (€6.90: peanut butter, fruit, coconut, agave and hazelnut). It is a quieter, more local setting, and the English-speaking staff and good wifi make it popular with students and remote workers.
Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free brunch
Allergens and vegan dishes are marked on ARVO's menu at both locations. The açaí bowl, the ARVO Club Sandwich and the Byron Bay, Yamba and Muhammara toasts are vegan, and oat milk is available for coffee. Gluten-free granola (+€1) is available for the bowls, and gluten-free bread (+€1) for the sandwiches at ARVO Guggenheim. Our Spanish-language guide to vegan brunch in Bilbao covers more places.
How to get to ARVO Guggenheim
The café is about a 2-minute walk from the Guggenheim Museum. By public transport, the nearest metro station is Moyúa (lines L1 and L2), the tram stops at Guggenheim, and buses 1, 10 and 13 serve the area. Search for "ARVO Specialty Coffee Guggenheim" on Google Maps.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a reservation for brunch in Bilbao?
It depends on the place. Several of the brunch spots most often listed in Bilbao guides, including La Ribera Bilbao, are reservation-only, according to Discover Donosti's brunch guide. ARVO Specialty Coffee does not take reservations at either location, so you can walk in. If there is no free table, the team puts your name on a waitlist and you can order a coffee while you wait.
Where can I have brunch near the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao without booking?
ARVO Specialty Coffee Guggenheim (Barraincúa Kalea 9) is about a 2-minute walk from the museum. It does not take reservations, serves food from 8:30 to 15:30 every day, and has an English menu and English-speaking staff.
How much does brunch cost at ARVO in Bilbao?
A typical brunch at ARVO, meaning one brunch dish and one coffee per person, comes to roughly €10–16 at ARVO Guggenheim. Toasts cost €7.50–8, the oat banana pancakes €10 and the hot sandwiches €12.50, and a flat white is €3.30. Prices are from ARVO's menu on 8 October 2026 and can change.
What time does brunch start in Bilbao?
There is no single rule. At ARVO Guggenheim the kitchen serves food every day from 8:30 to 15:30, so brunch is available as soon as the café opens. Other venues set their own windows; for example, Café Iruña is reported to serve breakfast from 9:00 to 12:00. Check each venue before you go.
Is there vegan or gluten-free brunch in Bilbao?
Yes. At ARVO the açaí bowl, the ARVO Club Sandwich and several toasts (Byron Bay, Yamba and Muhammara) are vegan, and oat milk is available for coffee. For gluten-free, you can swap in gluten-free granola on the bowls at both locations (+€1) and gluten-free bread for the sandwiches at ARVO Guggenheim (+€1).
Is ARVO dog and stroller friendly?
Yes. ARVO Guggenheim is dog-friendly and stroller-friendly and has an outdoor terrace.
What is the difference between a Spanish breakfast and brunch?
A traditional Spanish breakfast is usually light: a café con leche with a tostada (toast with tomato and olive oil), a croissant or a slice of tortilla. Brunch is a newer, café-style meal with larger plates such as avocado toast, pancakes, sandwiches and bowls, and it is mostly found in specialty cafés. Lunch in Spain is typically eaten around 14:00 or later, so a late brunch can replace it.