What to eat in Seville? Tapas, very simple, almost obvious: together with Granada – but also with all the other cities of Andalusia – Seville is the foremost in flaunting its time-honoured culinary tradition, based precisely on tapas, tasty dishes of every kind and flavour that can be thought of as nibbles, and that, in most cases, become true sumptuous meals. The point is… where to eat in Seville? In which venues is it worth tapear?
The range of tapas bars, cafés and restaurants in Seville is endless and, in most cases, of high quality, which is why choosing may be harder than expected. In this article we want to point out a few tapas bars and restaurants that are worth eating at during your stay in Seville. As we all know, tastes are never more subjective than when it comes to food; nevertheless we want to try to gather those restaurants recommended where to eat in Seville.
Of course, we don’t want to take away the pleasure of wandering the little streets of the centre, in search of new, secret, exquisite restaurants in Seville: where to eat will be your choice, but a few tips won’t go amiss!
Contents
- Where to eat in Seville: recommended tapas bars and restaurants
- Cerveceria Giralda, hammam or restaurant?
- Entrecárceles, a former prison where excellent tapas are served
- Los Coloniales, when appearances are deceptive
- Bar Alfalfa: a legendary salmorejo
- El Rinconcillo, the oldest bar-restaurant in Seville
- Vinería San Telmo, one of Seville’s best restaurants
- 100 Montadidos, eating in Seville on a budget
- To finish… a buñuelo at La Campana
Where to eat in Seville: recommended tapas bars and restaurants
Cerveceria Giralda, hammam or restaurant?
Strolling down Calle Mateos Gago, the street that leads from the Cathedral directly to the Barrio Santa Cruz (and we’re talking about the area richest in places of interest in Seville!), it’s common to peek inside the venues to glean a few clues about the quality and tastiness of the food. However, the first tapas bar I mention impressed me above all for its atmosphere: the Cerveceria Giralda (C. Mateos Gago 1) is in fact housed in an ancient hammam, from which it retains walls adorned with hypnotic azulejos and Moorish arches.
The tapas that I savoured, sitting at a small table – accompanied by the ubiquitous vino tinto de verano – seemed delicious: especially memorable was the tortilla. Despite the venue’s very central location, prices are reasonable, and the portions are decidedly generous, especially if you order a ración: in that case, don’t overdo it, because the tapa becomes a proper course, often one to be shared with your fellow diners.
Entrecárceles, a former prison where excellent tapas are served
A little further towards the Town Hall, I recommend the bar-restaurant Entrecárceles (C. Manuel Cortina), which intrigued me, once again, for reasons that go beyond the mere cuisine: this tiny bar stands on the site of one of the countless Andalusian prisons where the great writer Cervantes was imprisoned (the Don Quixote one, that is!).
Apart from the literary allure, you can enjoy excellent tapas here, above all the rabo de toro (oxtail), served with a few chips. You can eat outside: the little street is peaceful and well worth stopping for.
Los Coloniales, when appearances are deceptive
At Plaza Cristo de Burgos 19 you’ll find Los Coloniales , the sort of place you wouldn’t give a penny to, but which, as soon as the plate arrives, convinces everyone of the wisdom of proverbs that warn against judging by appearances. Situated in a little square slightly outside the centre, this very popular bar/restaurant offers wonderful tapas: among the best I’ve eaten are the buñuelos (fritters filled with cheese), the tabla iberica, quail’s eggs on a slice of bread with cured ham and salmorejo, and an excellent pescado tapa featuring octopus served with onion and peppers.
Everything was delicious, but if you can avoid being shown by the waiter into the smelly, cramped little room adjoining the kitchen, you’ll enjoy it all the more…
Bar Alfalfa: a legendary salmorejo
We’re on Calle Alfalfa: the eponymous bar proudly displays its jamones ibericos (the famous Andalusian hams). If you find a spot to sit, order the bruschetta with the salmorejo: we can guarantee you won’t regret it. The venue is located in an area much loved by young people, second only to the Alameda de Hércules, another good neighbourhood where to eat in Seville.
El Rinconcillo, the oldest bar-restaurant in Seville
El Rinconcillo is one of Seville’s historic establishments, now something of a small tourist attraction. It is located at Calle Gerona 40, not far from the Alameda de Hércules. There are two floors, but I recommend eating downstairs, where you can soak up a more authentic atmosphere.
Besides breathing, in a Sevillian restaurant one must tapear, so I recommend you order without hesitation a solomillo al whiskey or a dish of espinacas con garbanzos, a little masterpiece of spinach cooked with chickpeas.
Vinería San Telmo, one of Seville’s best restaurants
Adjacent to the gardens of the Real Alcázar of Seville, not far from the Antigua Fábrica de Tabacos, is the Vinería San Telmo (paseo Catalina de Ribera 4), an institution among Seville’s restaurants. The venue is small and quirky, and blends in with other restaurants (the neighbouring Catalina is also recommended) in a fairly busy area: suffice to say it is chiefly noted for its splendid tapas.
The best of the lot is undoubtedly the rasocielo, a skyscraper-tart of tomatoes, aubergines, goat’s cheese and salmon: you’ll find it hard to resist this splendid local speciality!
100 Montadidos, eating in Seville on a budget
As we’re in the Calle San Fernando area, we take the opportunity to mention an Andalusian establishment (originating in Huelva) that is so well known that it has also expanded to other European countries: the 100 Montadidos. Why recommend such a mainstream place, and one that, moreover, doesn’t distinguish itself for any particular culinary quality?
The reason is precisely economic: the formula offered by this friendly chain of restaurants features a menu made up of 100 small sandwiches – the montadidos – which can be combined as you wish into extremely good-value menus. Thus, although tapas in Seville are generally very cheap, if you want to fill your belly after a tiring walk through the historic centre or in the nearby Parque de María Luisa in Seville, you can sit at one of the little tables in 100 Montadidos, order a beer or a tinto de verano, grab a pencil – without nicking it, as Sevillian students do! – and place your hearty order. You won’t have eaten delicious traditional tapas, but at least you’ll have saved a few euros!
To finish… a buñuelo at La Campana
After the succulent tapas of Seville, dessert. In this case we might be a little unoriginal, but if the ancient Confiteria La Campana is so famous there must be a reason! I visited it by walking up the whole of Calle Sierpes from the Ayuntamento and, in the end, I treated myself to a coffee with a huge pile of buñuelos — little fritters filled with custard and whipped cream. Truly delicious!
Here we are at the end of this tour of tapas bars and restaurants where to eat in Seville. Are you ready to become professional tapeadores?
