We have been living the good life in Seville, eating and drinking up a storm. Now that our time here is coming to an end, here are our six favourite restaurants. The majority of them are tapas places, because that’s what they do here and that’s what we like.
Ovejas Negras
These people own several restaurants in Seville, some of them quite fancy. We love this one, because it’s an informal tapas place. But informal doesn’t mean careless: they have a ton of clever takes on standard dishes. We can’t get enough of the spicy margarita, but they also do a great job on pork (pulled pork slider) and beef (small steaks). And scallops (below).
La Brunilda
La Brunilda offers two lunch and two dinner seatings. Which means you really can’t get in without a reservation. We live in the building right next door, so we always see people lining up outside, and – even if we’ve just been there the day before – we’re always jealous. The space is airy, and they have John’s favourite salmorejo (beet-flavoured!) and Laurel’s favourite cod fritters, plus splendid squid and duck. The staff is very friendly.
Bar Postiguillo
This is the first restaurant we had dinner in (it’s large and open continuously, so a good choice if you aren’t ready to have dinner at ten). We were taken aback by the bulls’ heads everywhere, but it turns out this isn’t the only place that features them as decoration. Bar Postiguillo has all of the basics, done like we imagine abuela would make them. We especially love the bacalao and the fried things (shrimp fritters, fried cheese, croquettes…).
Bar Pelayo
Pelayo Bar is right near the Cathedral, so you might think it’s overpriced and touristy. But two different people encouraged us to try it, and we loved the food! Good vegetables (especially the artichokes and spinach with garbanzoes) and excellent eel (above). Plus you can watch the guys cut ham!
El Traga
This one is, by a lot, the fanciest of our Seville restaurants, introduced to us by a friend. El Traga is also fairly pricy, but the experience is worth it: everything they serve has taken a significant bit of effort and creativity, and it’s impeccably presented. Take the tuna tataki, something you’d see on menus all over the place. This one was delicately spiced, and came with roe and melon, on a crunchy piece of toast. Or the marvellous deconstructed cheesecake: cookie crumb, yogurt and mascarpone ice cream, strawberry gel, and puffed rice.
Mokambo
This is not Spanish food at all, but Mokambo offers fabulous breakfasts and lunches: omelettes and other egg dishes, pancakes and waffles, plus salads, bowls, juices and smoothies. The wait staff is lovely, and the vibe is relaxed. And they make excellent fried things too!
Jester Juice and Coffee
This is not a restaurant, so consider it a freebie! Jester is a coffee shop near our house where we spend a couple of hours just about every single day. It’s cozy and the wait staff are fun and don’t mind our terrible Spanish. And, while it would be a mistake to think of the below as an actual bagel, the coffee is very good.
These are our six favourite Seville restaurants (plus one): we hope you get to Seville to try them soon!
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