Drinking
Seville is so rammed with places for a caña, it’s hard to make suggestions. But try Alameda de Hercules – a buzzing strip of bars, or a tad further north, two fun places to end up at (near the hotel too) are Bar Alfalfa, a corner joint (c/Candilejo 1 Plaza Alfalfa) with hanging hams and a tiny cucina, or the more quirky Bar Garlochi (c/Postero 26), half funeral parlour, half gypsy caravan rammed with images of Virgin Mary, Greek mythology and oil painting collage. The owner shuffles about irritably saying “no photos” and there’s a bizarre mix of tipsy tourists and locals.
In La Macerena try Bar Tolina on Moravia /juzgado – a shady square basic bar, where you’ll see locals sucking plates of caracoles – little snails. Or for a sundowner head to River Aqua Terraza, a tacky but fun cocktail bar on a boat, perfect to watch the sunset to easy listening Queen cover versions and Spanish classics, as canoes and rowing boats glide past.
It’s hot: eat an ice cream
If it’s 40 degrees day in day out, you’ll need at least one: try Helderia la Florentina Artesana – it’s a corker, and uses Sevillian flavours like flor de azahar (orange blossom) and crema de Sevilla. Best of all? Limon con hierbabuena, zingy and refreshing.
So now, Tapas
Spain is a cheap place to eat out, with tapas around €2-2.50 upwards and wine often €2 or under a glass. A small beer (caña) is often €1. Before we left home, we did a bit of research to see which tapas bars kept coming up online. And the two that featured highly everywhere from food bloggers to, er, Tripadvisor were El Rinconcillo and Dos De Mayo, both in the Centro area. So let’s start with them.
Two classics
Plaza Los Terceros is a lively square to head to once you’ve gawped at the main sights in Santa Cruz. The bar with all the outdoor seating is Huerta Mediterranea, a veggie tapas specialist, and the square is rammed with ancient little places like Los Claveles, some with a view down to Santa catalina and San Pedro church. A croquette’s roll away is the famous El Rinconcillo (c/Gerona), the oldest in Seville, dating back to 1670. On a Tuesday lunchtime a mix of locals and tourists filled the place up almost immediately after opening, its interior all bathhouse tiling. Try the salmorejo (a cold tomato soup with chopped up ham, egg and tuna, €6) or some Jamon Serrano (€5.50). Solomillo (little tender pieces of pork loin) were €2.80. Don’t be tempted by the nearby La Giganta, a more modern-looking place that served us a horrid tuna tartare (cold and wet).
Down on leafy Plaza de la Gavidia, nearer the Guadalquivir, we arrived just in time on a sweltering afternoon (it had hit 40 degrees once again) at Dos de Mayo, a famous corner bar with characterful interior, large terrace and staff who are military in their precision and efficiency. Michelin stickers from recent years crowd the window, including 2012 ones, so we expected good things. And the one dish we ordered was perfectly executed, if packing just a little less flavour than expected: acorn fed Iberian ham with tomato and oil (€8.50) was good but not necessarily better than other cheaper places. Don’t forget to order at the bar, give your name and they shout when the food is ready until you claim it.
Other well-known tapas bars
Other names that kept on coming up in our research? Taberna Coloniales, on Plaza Cristo de Burgos in Centro, all azulejos (Moorish blue tiles) and green wood, set in a beautiful leafy square. Perched on stools at the counter, we watched the burly chef carve huge sides of Iberican ham. We chose vegetarian dishes: carrots with thyme, oil, garlic and lemon were wonderful, peppers grilled and stewed in oil even better mopped up with ubiquitous pan. Just €6.80 including two small cañas too.
Mateos Gago, a little like Long Acre in Covent Garden, is quite a touristy stretch lined with tapas bars and restaurants. Taberna La Fresquita (c/Mateos Gago 29) boasts walls covered with framed cuttings, photos and close-ups of Christ’s face crying. Tasty anchoas con queso was salty and cheesy in equal measures (€3). It’s worth a quick caña too at Bar Giralda, a hoary old tourist joint at 1 Mateos Gago in an attractive old bathhouse. Try the calabacin al horno (baked courgette, cheese, tomato, avocado), like a deconstructed lasagne.
Finally, head to page 3 for our top tips – and some choice accommodation.
