Seville foodie guide: where locals eat and drink

Best tapas restaurants in Seville

The spiritual home of flamenco, Seville is also the birthplace of tapas. One of the best ways to experience Seville’s fabulous gourmet scene is to engage in your own little ‘tapeo’ – a relaxed wander around some of its many bars. You can also ask for a media ración or ración, which are larger than a tapa.

Eslava

Sixto Tovar’s Eslava bar is at the forefront of innovative tapas in Seville. Park yourself at the counter for must-try honey pork ribs and award-winning huevo tapa, along with a recommended wine. There are plenty of traditional pork and fish dishes, too, and manchego ice cream to finish.

Casa Morales

Founded in 1850, and into its fourth generation, the historic charm of Casa Morales is hard to beat. There are front and back sections, with the latter featuring massive terracotta wine urns. Enjoy some salt cod with salmorejo, tortilla de patatas or lomo en manteca, with vermouth, sherry or house wine alongside them. It’s the perfect place to start a “tapeo” tour in Seville.

Calle Garcia de Vinuesa 11

Bodeguita Romero

This family-run bar is always busy and friendly and serves some of the best traditional tapas in town. Don't miss the pringá (hot toasted pork bun), the braised pork cheeks or the spinach with chickpeas. Pedro and Angeles are in charge of the bar and kitchen, while son Alejandro is responsible for their extensive wine list, including some top quality sherries.

bodeguitaromero.es

Cañabota

A modern restaurant specialising in top quality fish and seafood, Cañabota also has an eclectic wine list that includes international wines (unusual for Spain), and a wine-by-the-glass menu that changes monthly. Food-wise, expect seasonal menus with daily specials based on what's good and fresh at the market; recent hits have included swordfish toasts with garlic and truffle, and razor clams with pancetta and warm salsa verde.

Calle José Gestoso 19

Enrique Becerra

Cross into El Arenal to find this third-generation family-run bar and sample some of the house specialities: albóndingas (lamb meatballs with mint sauce), salt cod in filo pastry parcels, or bacon wrapped langostines in sherry sauce. Many of the dishes also appear in the restaurant’s cookbooks.

enriquebecerra.com

Bodeguita Casablanca

Tucked around a corner from Seville's Cathedral is the sophisticated tapas restaurant, celebrated for its prawns in garlic, whisky tortilla and potato salad tapas.

Adolfo Rodriguez Jurado 12, bodeguitacasablanca.com

Bar Las Terasas

Stop for a drink at this atmospheric bar in the buzzing barrio Santa Cruz. Order a Cruzcampo beer or a glass of fino and a plate of expertly sliced jamón ibérico de bellota, cured ham from free-range, acorn-fed "pata negra" pigs.

Santa Teresa 2; 00 34 954 213069

Best bars in Seville

Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar

Sherry is Andalucía’s most iconic wine, yet is often misunderstood. Versatile and fascinating, there’s a sherry – or sherry cocktail – for everyone. Let José and his expert team at the Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar help you discover yours.

Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre

Pre-lunch is the traditional time for vermouth, and at Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre it’s made in-house by owner Estebán, using a sherry wine base and his own secret herb recipe. Try it served over ice with a snack of jamón.

70 Gravina, 00 34 619 470 784

Lama La Uva

Boutique wine shop Lama La Uva has an excellent selection of regional wines to sample or take away, and English-speaking owner Ana Linares is happy to arrange small, casual tastings. She also sells artisanal olive oils and preserves, and can slice and vacuum-pack top-quality hams and cheeses for you to take home.

Best cafés and breakfast spots in Seville

Bar Europa

A quick coffee, a glass of freshly pressed orange juice, and a slice of olive oil-rubbed toast is the classic Sevillano breakfast. This narrow bar with pretty tiles and local punters is the ideal spot.

Siete Revuelta 35, bareuropa.info

Suitcake

Take a break from sightseeing with merienda, the Spanish equivalent of afternoon tea, at Suitcake, a quality café and pastry shop that makes everything on the premises. Try the chocolate truffle cake with orange, or a lemon curd palmera.

Confiteria la Campana

Stop for a coffee at this renowned pastry shop and choose between its delectable array of handmade sweets and cakes.

Sierpes 1/3; confiterialacampana.com

Best restaurants in Seville

Fargo Restaurante

At Fargo Restaurante, in Seville’s trendy Soho Benita neighbourhood, you’ll find locally sourced organic meat and fish, and a terrific selection of regional wines. The menu changes weekly, so check with owner Yann for what’s fresh from the market.

La Moneda

Tapas are not the only way to eat out in Seville. This classic old-school restaurant specialises in seafood from nearby coastal towns like Huelva. Don’t miss the coquinas – fingernail-sized clams sautéed in garlic and olive oil.

Almirantazgo 4, 00 954 223642

Sahumo

Sahumo means to perfume with smoke in Spanish, which classically-trained owner/chef Dario Dominguez does to perfection with his wood-fired grill. The small but varied menu includes smoked salmon from the Canaries, grilled aged Galician beef with bearnaise sauce and tender grilled whole squid.

Zaragoza 18

Best food markets and shops in Seville

Feria

Seville’s oldest market, Feria, is the preferred option for local chefs. Try tapas in the new food court, set in a magnificent fish hall, or eat delicious seafood at La Cantina, which boasts a 13th-century church wall as part of its terrace.

Plaza Calderón de la Barca

Lonja del Barranco Gourmet Food Market

Set a few hours aside to try all the food on offer at this indoor food market, from steak to seafood, tacos to croquettes. Dig into a bowl of spicy paella or try over 150 artisan cheeses from all over the world. If you're visiting in the summer, make sure to grab a few scoops of fruity sorbet from Mascarpone.

Calle Arjona, s/n, 41001 Sevilla, Spain

Salsamento

A modern version of the traditional abacería (food shop with a small bar), at Salsamento you can relax with a drink and some chicharrones de Cádiz (like pork scratchings) while deciding what to take away with you from a range of quality charcuterie and seafood preserves.

C. Jerónimo Hernández, 19, 41003 Sevilla, Spain

Triana and Taller Andaluz de Cocina

A two-in-one experience, at Taller Andaluz de Cocina you can combine a Triana market tour with a hands-on cooking class with chef Victor and his team. Learn how to cook dishes such as spinach with garbanzos, or authentic paella, with ingredients fresh from the market, then enjoy the fruits of your labours.

Mercado de Abastos de Triana, Pl. del Altozano, S/N Locales 75-77

Metropol Parasol food market

Nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’ Metropol Parasol dominates the Plaza de la Encarnación with its futuristic-looking wooden structure. Underground is a museum displaying some of the city’s Roman walls and artefacts while above it is one of Seville’s best daily food markets. Make sure you visit the stalls selling jamón de ibérico bellota; it can be vacuum packed to take home (from €60-120 per kg). On the upper levels there is a 30-metre high walkway with panoramic views which you can access through the Antequarium below.

Plaza de la Encarnación; espacio-metropol.com

Seville Concierge walking tour

Ex-Londoner Peter Tatford has called Seville home for the past 15 years. He combines a love of history and local culture with his knowledge of food and wine, offering a variety of informative walking and tapas tours that will get you started the way you mean to go on.

sevilleconcierge.com

Where to stay in Seville

Looking for places to stay in Seville? Here are some boutique hotels in the area.

Corner House

Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square.

Doubles from £86, check availability at thecornerhousesevilla.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Hotel Palacio Conde Torrejon

This four-star boutique hotel is set in a baroque palace just off the Alameda, near the city centre. Lovingly restored by a local interior design firm it looks fresh and modern while retaining original arched columns in the courtyards and timbered ceilings in some of the rooms. The excellent in-house restaurant, Origen, is run by chef Javier Abascal.

Doubles from £75, check availability at hoteloneshotpalaciocondetorrejon09.com/en/, booking.com, expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com

Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza

The Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza is a charming hotel housed in a beautiful 18th-century ‘corral de vecino’ (characteristic of the city, these are apartments built round a courtyard) in the barrio Santa Cruz.

Doubles from €135 per night, check availability at hospes.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Corral del Rey

Splash out with a night at this super-stylish hotel on a cobblestone street of the picturesque barrio Alfalfa, close to the Cathedral and Alcazar.

Doubles from £282, check availability at corraldelrey.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Alfonso XIII

Dating from 1929, this neo-Mudéjar-style building is Seville’s grandest hotel. Its restored art deco American Bar is the perfect backdrop for a sophisticated sip before dinner; try a Mimosa - a blend of champagne and orange blossom.

Doubles from £482, check availability at marriott.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk

What else to do while you're in Seville

Seville’s historic centre is dotted with architectural treasures but the Unesco World Heritage-listed CATHEDRAL is the real showstopper. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque and its iconic bell tower, the Giralda, is one of its predecessor’s only remnants. Around the corner, the stunning Royal Palace, the ALCAZAR, spans Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque periods through its dazzling azulejo-tiled interior and fabulous gardens fragrant with jasmine and orange blossom.

Stroll down towards the riverbank to the majestic ochre and white PLAZA DE TOROS DE LA MAESTRANZA or bullring, the setting for Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Afterwards head to Calle Sierpes, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, where the shops reopen in the late afternoon.

Monasterio de Santa Maria Del Socorro

Many of Seville’s convents are known for their handmade pastries and sweets – dulces and yemas - and this is no exception.

Bustos Tavera 30; santamariadelsocorro.es

HOW TO GET TO SEVILLE

Return flights from a range of UK airports to Seville start from £50 (ryanair.com).

TRUST OLIVE

Shawn Hennessey has lived in Seville since 1993 and is a certified sherry educator. She is also the founder of Azahar Sevilla, and offers unique food and wine experiences in her adopted city (sevillatapastours.com).

Photography: lonely planet magazine/yadid levy, alamy, ken scicluna/Awbi-images