Going for tapas in Seville
Seville is considered by many to be the cradle of tapas. We couldn’t tell you if this is true or not for sure, but what we do know is that tapas in Seville is not just a part of the city’s gastronomic culture, but also a way of life – one to be enjoyed in outdoor terraces, or by having a drink with friends.
In contrary to the system in Granada, tapas in Seville is not often free. It’s generally served in generous portions, at a good price, so this isn’t too much of a problem. It’s easy to eat well in Seville with very little money, so there’s no excuse not to try the typical dishes of the area.
There’s so many excellent tapas restaurants and bars in Seville that it would be practically impossible to make a list of all of them, so I’ll just pass on some of our favourites.
• La Goleta (C/ Mateos Gago, 20) – A small, traditional bar, run by Álvaro Peregil. We recommend ordering a glass of the delicious orange wine with your food. The most popular tapas dish is the “Islote Perejil”, named after the island a zone of conflict between Spain and Morocco. The Spanish omelette and tuna with pink sauce is also delicious.
• Sidonia (C/ Calatrava, 16) – This creative tapas bar and restaurant offers avant-garde cuisine with an oriental touch. It’s located in the Alameda de Hércules garden, and has become very fashionable of late. The cream of beetroot soup, truffle sirloin steak and chicken satay skewers are incredible.
• El Rincón de la Buhaira (C/ José de la Cámara, 3) – A restaurant with an infinity of tapas dishes, which is considered done of the best in Seville. While you wait, you’ll be offered complementary seasoned potatoes. Of all its dishes, we like the sirloin steaks, the fried sprats and the seafood courgette with dressing. It’s advisable to reserve before you go.
• Bar Antojo (C/ Calatrava, 44) – A pleasant establishment in the centre of Seville where you can enjoy tapas dishes with a great price/quality ratio. You shouldn’t miss the Iberian pork cannelloni with red wine sauce.
• Eslava (C/ Eslava, 5) – Surely one of the best tapas bars in Seville. This place is very simple, and is often quite full, but it’s worth waiting a bit to try the honeyed ribs, dill steak, home-made croquettes and cockles.
• Vinería de San Telmo (Pº Catalina de Ribera, 4) – Offers a spectacular variety of wines and tapas with an original Mediterranean flavour. Here, you should order the grilled tuna, creamy mushroom buckwheat and chicken pieces.
• Bar Antonio Romero (C/ Harinas, 10) – This is one of the oldest establishments in the city, where traditional, everyday tapas dishes are served. The house specialities are slow-cooked meat and the “Piripi” sandwich which contains bacon, tomato, cheese and mayo.
• Casa Manolo (C/ San Jorge, 16) – A classic of the Triana neighbourhood, which offers a wide range of tapas in a retro atmosphere. Particularly noteworthy are the homemade stews and fried sprats, as well as the croquettes and seasoned peppers.
And now we’ve made everyone’s mouths water… Will you tell us which are your favourite places to go for tapas in Seville?
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