casa manolo

When Bar Manolo closed its doors after 85 years it left a huge chunk of Sevilla bereft. I wasn’t actually one of them because, although I liked the bar and had to admit they had one of the best terrazas in the city, the food and service was at its best “okay” (don’t kill me Sevilla, it’s just one woman’s opinion). Then earlier this year it was taken over by Grupo Spala, given a snazzy sprucing up and reopened as Casa Manolo. The menu has been kept traditional, and in some ways it’s been improved. There’s also a decent wine list. But the service on two occasions was not very welcoming. I don’t know if they thought I was a tourist (though of course that shouldn’t matter!) but the waiters are either badly trained or just don’t care.

Open for breakfast with an all-day kitchen it seems like Grupo Spala is aiming for the tourist trade, so perhaps they don’t expect people to visit more than once? The thing about the original Bar Manolo is that it was about as far from “touristy” as you could get. Us locals pretty much expected the rough and ready service, and at 2€ a tapa we also weren’t expecting gourmet fare. But there’s really no excuse here now at this new upmarket version.

We liked the food. And I’ve enjoyed having a beer inside overlooking the terraza, as well as having lunch outside. But I don’t really feel like going back.

Bread/Service Charge: 1€