Gotta say that people are getting quite inventive when it comes to working with (in and around) Covid-19. This year not only is International Sherry Week going virtual, but for the first time people organising events at home can also register online and be put on the Global Sherry Map. I’m going to have to think of a few things to do. Stay tuned! 🙂
Big news! The Michelin gala for the presentation of the 2020 guide for Spain and Portugal will be held in Sevilla on November 20th at the Lope de Vega theatre. I was invited to the press conference announcing the event, which took place in the beautiful Alcázar gardens. 
The inauguration of Sevilla’s newest art museum in the Casa Fabiola, housing the collection of Mariano Bellver and his wife Dolores Mejías, took place on October 11, and a week later I went to see what was on offer. I have to say I was very impressed.
Casa Fabiola is an excellent choice for the collection, and can be found opposite the upper end of Mateos Gago, on the edge of the old Jewish quarter (a short section of the remaining wall can be found just along the street) in the heart of the historic centre. It’s a late 16th century Casa Palacio built around a typical courtyard with marble columns and floors and decorative tiling, and takes its name from the novel Fabiola, written by Nicholas Wiseman, who was born in the house in 1802 and went on to become the first Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
The Bellver collection is housed in the rooms around the courtyard on the ground and first floors, and consists of 567 pieces: 299 paintings, 112 sculptures, 57 figures in ivory and bone, 44 pieces of furniture, 42 pieces of porcelain and ceramics and 13 clocks. And the building itself is a work of art – be sure to check out the ceilings in each room.
The museum has a great atmosphere, small enough to avoid art fatigue, large enough for a good variety of styles and types of art. For me it particularly managed to encapsulate something of the essence of Sevilla in its paintings of patios and street scenes, and the decorations and furnishings of a typical upper class house, so that I was constantly reminded of the reasons why I made Sevilla my home, and the things I love here. It’s a delightful homage to Sevilla and Andalucía.
I will certainly be paying this one another visit in the not too distant future, can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone visiting Seville. A few photos below…
Museo Bellver
Calle Fabiola 5
Open: 11.00 – 20.00
Closed Monday
Continue reading “Museo Bellver | Casa Fabiola”
Thursday evening (October 4) saw the inauguration of the new Quimera bar-restaurant on the rooftop of the Hotel Melia Sevilla, and since I’d been invited, and am ever curious to discover more about the facilities available for tourists, I went along to join in the fun.
As well as the new rooftop, the Meliá has recently undergone a major renovation of all its facilities, and although this was my first visit (so no before and after comparisons) I was impressed by what I saw. We started with a tour of the main reception area and downstairs bar, which are very cleverly designed with “open frame” partitions that preserve the feeling of spaciousness, while giving a sense of intimacy to the different areas, followed by the various conference rooms, this obviously being a major target market for the hotel.
We then went upstairs to see a couple of the new rooms, a very nice standard double, and a distinctly luxurious suite with separate bedroom and living room, with a distinct “I could live there” feel to it. As a bonus there are great views of the back of the Plaza España, and also of the new rooftop bar (which is on the lower roof above the reception area, not on the top roof), complete with swimming pool).
Finally to the new restaurant-bar Quimera itself, where we got to spend a pleasant couple of hours by the pool, sampling the food (actually pretty good) and wine, and listening to the entertainment – a not too intrusive disco, and a rather fun singer Juanlu (borderline lounge lizard – crooner, but skilfully done, and with just enough tongue in cheek). A nice place to unwind for an hour or two if you’ve been at a conference all day, or for a final drink before turning in. This is a side of what’s available in Sevilla that I don’t see very much of, as my own focus is on a different area, so it was a fun and interesting experience, and the hotel is certainly one I can recommend.
Hotel Meliá Sevilla
Dr Pedro de Castro 1
Tel: +34 912 764 747
The new Restaurant Orio has been open for a few weeks, but the official inauguration for a select group of press and hospitality professionals was held this week (October 3), and I was fortunate enough to be invited.
The Sagardi group also has Orio locations in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, which are aimed at a more day to day market, incorporating a Basque style pintxo bar (Sagardi was founded in the Basque country) as well as a restaurant featuring Basque cuisine.
The front of the premises is a spacious pintxo bar opening onto Calle Santo Tomas, with a terrace facing the Archivos de India, and the bar itself on one side, with a very appetising array of Basque style pinxos so typical in Bilbao and San Sebastián, but something of a novelty in Sevilla. We got to try a few as an appetiser, my favourite being the chistorras (small spicy sausages).
Beyond the bar are two dining rooms leading out to a second terrace on Calle Miguel Mañara, with space for around thirty diners. Decoration is minimalist, but with lots of wood, and a big mural of a fisherman (Orio is the name of a Basque fishing village).
Lunch was a nine course tasting menu (including dessert), starting with oysters and working through a prawn carpaccio, salad, monkfish, and roasted piquillo peppers to the grilled beef finale. The quality was excellent throughout, and it looks like Orio will be a welcome addition to dining out in Sevilla. Check out the photos below (but only if you’re not hungry!)
Continue reading “Orio Basque Restaurant”