Gourmet Guide to Seville

A truly magnificent city, and one that has been so personally inspiring for me over the years. Visiting Seville as a teenager was an enlightening experience which led me to study Spanish at University and live here for a bit.

It is an exquisite blend of cultures, architecture and vibrancy that’s very easy to love, plus, the food and drink can be wonderful.

Spring and early autumn are great times to visit as the summer is just so hot. Easter or Semana Santa is quite a spectacle, as is Féria, which I personally prefer. Although much of the festivities take place just outside the city, there is still a celebratory feel and the people-watching opportunities are unparalleled, with ladies dressed up in full traje de flamenca or gitana and families travelling around by horse and carriage – not just the tourists this week. The late night fireworks are quite spectacular, too.

So, here are my recommendations…

Where to eat

Local specialities include pringa (slow-cooked pork in crusty bread), montaditos (these can be savouries on top of bread in Valencia, but in Andalucía, they are served in bread, boquerones, jamón ibérico de bellota, berenjenas con miel de caña, and choco (cuttlefish). You’ll usually find some more ubiquitous options, such as croquetas, queso and tortilla Española almost everywhere. Almost all meals are accompanied by a basket of pan y picos (bread and little breadsticks). Local wines were all good, although I had trouble finding out what they were, which I suspect is because they were bought in bulk and not labelled) and of course, the sherry is fantastic. Manzanilla or Amontillado tends to be what is widely served – I had no luck trying to find a glass of Fino.

There is absolutely no shortage of places to eat and drink in Seville. Generally, the standard is pretty reasonable if you take a punt on somewhere you’ve spotted that appeals.

We tried several places to eat, many were recommended before we went, and in all honesty, there are only a very small number of places I’d happily recommend.

The best meal we had by far was at Bodeguita Romero, which we would have returned to had it been open for the remainder of my stay. We tried pretty much everything on the menu, washed down with Manzanilla, and it was really great. Charming service, too.

Taberna La Plazuela turned out to be a great find, just around the corner from the hotel. We went there three times. The square was a great place to people watch, the service was great and the food was really good tapas/café food that is so enjoyable. Think plates of roasted peppers, lovely bocadillos, melva (tuna) salads and so on. Good local wines and cold, cold Cruzcampo on tap.

MITO gelateria was good, and I particularly enjoyed the turrón gelato, which was delicious.

If you find yourself craving a great barista coffee, then Selva, near the Triana Ceramic museum is great, run by a lovely British woman and her partner.

What to do

The trouble with Seville is there is just so much to do there and a couple of days are just never enough.

Seville is a gorgeous city to stroll around, and for anyone who is reasonably mobile, it’s all very easy to manage in a couple of days.

A walking tour is the best way to see the highlights, and it’s all very do-able in a day or two, depending on how long you have.

The Gualdalquivir river is worth taking time to enjoy, especially given its importance to the region and indeed Spain as a country. The bridges offer some great vantage points and the Torre del Oro is a particular landmark to take a look at. The cathedral is highly significant and adjacent squares provide a great vantage point. There are some free entry times each week, but it is worth a look, if that’s of interest to you. The tower is also worth climbing for a great view.

There is a mix of elegant, wide boulevards and tiny, shady streets to soak in as you wander around the city centre, observing the multitude of influences throughout the decades. You may wish to wander up to Setas for a look. It is a pleasant place to take a short pause in the shade, but the standout experience is taking the elevated walk at sunset or after dark. It costs around 15 EUR and is open until around midnight.

Plaza de España is another must-see and is a short walk from the heat of the city. It does get busy and is full of tourists, but is charming and impressive in its scale. There are some pleasant gardens adjacent in which you can stroll in the shade.

For me, the Real Alcázar is pretty essential and very strongly encouraged. It is quite spectacular and offers a unique slice of Seville’s beauty and history.

The Triana neighbourhood is famous for its ceramics and a short hop over the bridge to have a look at this area is interesting. Ceramic collectors like me will likely find it hard to come away without buying at least something to take home.

I found this piece in Vogue very interesting and informative when thinking about things to do.

https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/seville-guide

As a complete Hispanophile, there are several things I like to do when in Spain, apart from eating, drinking and sightseeing. I always stock up on some nice fans (abanicos), both the pretty and ridiculously cheap ones to shove in a bag and not worry too much about them getting broken, and some of the more special ones, which are just so nice. There are some great shops in the city centre that sell a wide range of designs and colours. I always look for a shop that sells peinetas (worn with a mantilla), as they tend to be much less touristy and have more interesting designs. A fan will come in handy in the climate, and you can practice the particular flick of the hand that Spanish ladies do so elegantly.

Flamenco is significant here, and a flamenco show is worth doing if you have never

I am a big fan of proper Spanish espadrilles, and I don’t think you can beat Castañer for quality/style/colours/durability/comfort. Net-A-Porter also sells them though if you’re not heading to Spain any time soon.

If you like the flamenco style, then there are some really amazing traje de flamenca and mantón shops to have a look at. Lina Sevilla is a favourite of mine, and I adore the flowers to wear on the head.

Hats are a big deal in Andalucía and Antonio García sombreros are wonderful. Finally, I don’t think any country does children’s clothing quite as beautifully as Spain, and this is a great place to shop if you have any babies or children to buy for.

Where to stay

My sister and I stayed at Triana House in the Triana district on the south side of the river. We were very happy with the hotel. It’s really stylishly decorated with plenty of character, which felt special. The rooms were really small, and there are a very small number of twin rooms, so we shared a double. One downside is that the rooms don’t have much storage, which could really help to make the small spaces in the room and bathroom much more manageable, especially as we did not bring lots of luggage with us. Rooms are close together and connected by a marble staircase, which does allow sound to carry, so you might wish to take earplugs with you. As we booked directly, we had a free breakfast thrown in, which was brought to our room. It was really good – jamón and avocado with pan con tomate and some fresh orange juice and blueberries. They brought hot coffee too, which was possibly instant. It set us up well for the day though. Triana proved to be a great base for the trip, and I’d not hesitate to stay here again.

If you’re after plenty of luxury and facilities and like grand hotels, the Alfonso XIII is probably your best bet. Staff are very nice and the hotel is very roomy, including the gardens, which feels special given that it is in such a central and convenient location.

Coincidentally, my friend @mrsbilton was in Seville at the same time as me. They stayed at the Hotel Amadeus and really liked it, which I consider to be a trusted recommendation.

Getting there

Flights are regular, and I recommend flying into Seville. Andalucía is sensational, but very large, and takes time to cover ground. You can expect a 2-2.5 hour drive to Malaga or Granada from here, which might feel a bit much for a day trip if you’re not staying nearby.

The train network is somewhat limited if you don’t have a hire car. If you’re on a budget, you might be interested to know that the coach network is actually quite good, if you’re stuck for transport. It is operated by ALSA & Alsina Graells Sur.

There is a regular airport bus which stops all the way in between the city and the central bus station. We got off along the Gualdalquivir and walked as we had very little luggage. The service ran on time when we were there and was really cheap. We even took the first morning service back to the airport to go home. I was a bit nervous about doing this, but it did run on time, although took longer than expected to get to the airport and then check in, so allow plenty of time if you take this option.

I hope you’ll find this guide useful, and please let me know if there is anywhere you’d recommend for next time.