Category: tapas

Tapas Bars Open Sunday & Monday

azahar2 Comments

This is an update of a blog post I wrote a couple of years ago.

Finding good non-touristy tapas bars that are open on Sunday and Monday can be a bit of a challenge in Sevilla. Many of the best family-run places are closed on these days, though some will open for Sunday lunch (1 – 4pm). This is something I always point out to my Sevilla Tapas Tour clients, and so I thought it would be helpful to also post a short list here of my favourite places to eat out on those “difficult days”.

I’ve tried to cover a few different barrios (neighbourhoods) but for some reason the Arenal is a bit of a dead zone on those two days, so I’m giving “honourable mentions” to three bars that are open at least part of the time over Sunday and Monday.

Remember that tapas bars usually close between 4 – 8 pm, or if they stay open all day their kitchen will probably be closed then. Also, some places close for summer holidays during either July or August, so call ahead those months. It’s also a good idea to call and see if you can book a table on Sundays, which tend to get very busy with families going out for lunch, or else get to the bar right when they open (usually 1pm for lunch, 8pm for dinner).

Barrio Santa Cruz
Vineria San Telmo
Paseo Catalina de Ribera, 4
Tel. 954 410 600
Las Teresas
Santa Teresa 2
Tel.954 213 069
Modesto (restaurant not tapas bar)
Cano y Cueto, 5
Tel. 954 416 811
(all-day kitchen)
Casa Roman
Plaza Venerables 1
Tel. 954 228 483
La Azotea Santa Cruz
Mateos Gago 8
Tel. 955 116 748
(all day kitchen)

El Arenal
Bodeguita Romero
Harinas 10
Tel. 954 229 556
Open Sunday 1-4 pm, closed Monday
Enrique Becerra
Gamazo 2
Tel. 954 213 049
Open Sunday 1-4 pm, open all day Monday
Casa Morales
Garcia de Vinuesa 11
Tel. 954 22 12 42
Closed Sunday, open Monday

La Alfalfa
La Bodega
Plaza Alfalfa, 4
Tel. 954 22 783 62
Casa Antonio / Bar Los Caracoles
Pérez Galdos 13
Tel. 954 213 172

Triana
La Primera del Puente
Bétis 66
Tel. 954 27 69 18
Las Golondrinas II
Pages del Corro 76
Tel. 954 33 82 35

La Alameda
Bar Antojo
Calatrava 44
Tel. 955 425 337
Al Aljibe
Alameda de Hércules 76
Tel. 954 900 591
La Parrilla del Badulaque
Alameda de Hércules, 37
Tel. 954 91 55 24
Arte y Sabor
Alameda de Hércules 85
Tel. 954 372 897 / 695 288 450
(all day kitchen)

Tapas & Sherry

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tapas jerez

Organised by the Regulatory Council of the Denomination of Origin Wines of Jerez and Manzanilla, the first Tapas & Sherry “gastronomic tour” of Sevilla is taking place from today until the 17th of November. 62 select bars in the centre of Sevilla are participating and each establishment has selected its top tapa along with the best sherry to pair with it: fino, manzanilla, oloroso, amontillado, cream or Pedro Ximénez.

You can vote for your favourite bar and sherry pairing at www.tapayjerez.com and also become eligible to win a sherry tasting kit. At the end of the voting period the 20 bars with the most votes will be officially certified CRDDO Sherry and Manzanilla and will be featured in a soon-to-be-published gastronomic guide.

Here is a list of bars (below). As I make my way through the list (with the help of my friend Seville Concierge) I’ll mark them in blue and include my rating from one to five stars *****.

To see which tapa and sherry are being offered at each establishment have a look here.
Continue reading “Tapas & Sherry” →

Ensaladilla

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ensaladillas

Ensaladilla de gambas at Puracepa and Petit Comite

Most people who know me also know that I don’t much like ensaladilla (aka ensaladilla rusa). To me it tastes like bland over-cooked potato chunks slathered in cheap mayo, which is supposed to be enhanced by the flavours of either gambas or tuna. Usually it just tastes like a gloopy mess of tired potatoes and commercial mayo that maybe – just maybe! – spent a short amount of time in the same room as a gamba. So yeah, why eat this calorie-laden mess when I could eat other delicious tapas that are totally worth it? And why is it considered to be one of Sevilla’s most prized tapas to the extent that there are competitions to find the Very Best ensaladilla in town? Well, the mind reels.

Happily I have discovered two – and so far only two – ensaladillas in Sevilla that pass muster, which are also featured on the front page of Sevilla Tapas this month. One has been my favourite since I first discovered Puracepa back in 2009, and it has remained my favourite until just very recently. Why? Because it has chunks of nicely cooked potato mixed with a good mayo and an absurd amount of juicy plump cooked prawns, and then it’s topped with hard-boiled quail eggs and strips of roasted red pepper. Heaven.

Then back in June I tasted the fab ensaladilla at Petit Comite with gambones and basil oil. The potatoes are cooked in the water used to boil the king prawns, which adds amazing flavour and is enhanced by the touch of basil. Loved it at first bite.

I can’t say one is better than the other because I actually love both of them – go and try them yourself and let me know what you think. What I can say is that these two ensaladillas are the only ones that have ever made me want to finish the entire dish and to hell with the calories. But I’d be interested to know what ensaladilla is your favourite and where it can be found.

Croqueta Week at Becerrita

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croqueta week
Yesterday my friend Saray and I headed over to Becerrita to sample the seven different croquetas they have on offer during their Semana de la Croqueta. You can order them separately as tapas but we shared a media-ración with 14 croquetas (two of each), which were very prettily presented. Tasted good too, our favourites being the jamón and the bulltail ones. The chistorra croquetas needed to be a bit spicier, the beef & gorgonzola and the mussel croquetas were of the “tastes like chicken” variety, and the condensed milk & anchovy ones were frankly a bit weird – clearly an acquired taste. You still have until Sunday to sample these crispy fried delights, either the entire selection as we did or you can mix & match your chosen croquetas with other tapas.

Semana de la Croqueta
23-29 September
Restaurante Becerrita
Recaredo 9, Sevilla

Open in August!

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summer

Here’s a short list of some of my favourite tapas bars and restaurants that are going to be open in August. Remember that tapas bars usually close between 4 – 8 pm, or if they stay open all day their kitchen will probably be closed then. It’s also a good idea to call and see if you can book a table on Sundays, which tend to get very busy with families going out for lunch.

Barrio Santa Cruz
Vineria San Telmo
Paseo Catalina de Ribera, 4
Tel. 954 410 600
Las Teresas
Santa Teresa 2
Tel.954 213 069
Modesto (restaurant not tapas bar)
Cano y Cueto, 5
Tel. 954 416 811
(all-day kitchen)
Las Sal
Doncellas, 8
Tel 954 535 846

El Arenal
Casa Morales
Garcia de Vinuesa 11 (open 16-31 August)
Tel. 954 22 12 42

La Alfalfa
La Bodega
Plaza Alfalfa, 4
Tel. 954 22 783 62
Casa Antonio / Bar Los Caracoles
Pérez Galdos 13
Tel. 954 213 172

El Centro
La Azotea
Jesús del Gran Poder 31 (open 16-31 August)
Tel. 955 116 748
La Azotea Zaragoza
Zaragoza 5 (open 1-15 August)
Tel. 955 116 748
La Antigua Abacería San Lorenzo
Teodosio 53
Tel. 954 380 067

Santa Catalina
El Rinconcillo
Gerona 40
Tel: 954 223 183
Taberna El Panduro
Doña María Coronel 17
Tel 954 045 751

La Alameda
Bar Antojo
Calatrava 44
Tel. 955 425 337
Al Aljibe
Alameda de Hércules 76
Tel. 954 900 591
La Parrilla del Badulaque
Alameda de Hércules, 37
Tel. 954 91 55 24

Triana
La Primera del Puente
Bétis 66
Tel. 954 27 69 18
Las Golondrinas II
Pages del Corro 76
Tel. 954 33 82 35