perro viejo

Updated April 2019

A stone’s throw from the Metropol Parasol, Perro Viejo is yet another venture by chef Ernesto Malasaña and his Equipo MpuntoR, the force behind other popular Sevilla spots Bar Antojo, Seis and La Niña Bonita, as well as Pez Tomillo in Pedregalejo, Málaga.

It’s actually a lovely space extending over three floors, with cosy nooks, dining areas and a bar, arranged around a small open courtyard that lets in plenty of natural light. The décor relies a lot on exposed brickwork and wood and matte tile floors, along with some cool artwork on the walls. Aside from the indoor seating there is also a spacious terrace out front.

It had been awhile – almost two years – since my last visit here. Mostly because that experience had not been a happy one. But I was with a visting friend and she wanted grilled meat, and we were nearby. Since the char-grill features prominently here, I decided to give it another go. To me the food ranges from very good to okay good, a bit of a curious range. The char-grilled ribs are the former, the chicken skewers the latter. But mostly it falls into an appealing “something for eveyone” category. Just don’t order the “caesar” salad if you’ve ever experienced a proper one.

Service varies. This latest visit we were shuffled to an upstairs area (although there was space downstairs) and then our earphone-wearing waiter disappeared, leaving us to flag down passing wait staff. The crispy fried lagrimitas de presa were as nice as I remembered, and then we asked for the grilled beef tenderloin, with a substitution of sweet potato fries (which comes with their burger) instead of the potato parmentier. We had asked for the meat just a touch above medium, just so it wasn’t bleeding, but what came was dried-out and tasteless, so we obviously pointed this out. As the kitchen was about to close we were told we could have the same dish again, but by this point we were feeling a bit put upon, so we declined. We weren’t charged for the inedible beef dish but – what? – were charged 5€ for the sweet potato fries.

I’ve always respected chef Ernesto since his early days at Gastromium, and the gastronomical empire he has built up over the years is indeed impressive. But there is a feeling that he has lost touch with the day-to-day operations of his locations. These days Perro Viejo feels like just another corporate gastrobar.

Service Charge: 1€ PER PERSON