Yesterday I finally got over to visit Rompemoldes, which opened last November. It’s a bright modern space just off calle San Luís where local artists and artesans live and work, reminiscent of Sevilla’s old “corrales de vecinos”. The ground floor studios and shops open onto a large plant-filled patio, which is also used for special events such as concerts and workshops. Apartments are located on the first and second floors, some with rooftop terraces. I think it’s a great concept, having your workspace and home together, and also having like-minded neighbours. And the people I spoke to were all very enthusiastic about this new initiative.
There are general opening hours but individual studios may not always be open to the public. Some have shops to sell their art and crafts, others work strictly on commission. So each visit you can find something different.
There is going to be an “open house” weekend April 5-7 and I’m told that on Saturday the 6th most, if not all, of the studios will be open and there will be food & drink on offer too. Check the Rompemoldes Facebook Page for all upcoming events. You can also ask to be put on their emailing list to stay in the loop.
In case you didn’t already know, I am no fan of the mini-burger (aka slider). Which is strange because, in theory, it shouldn’t be any different than a tapa-sized version of a regular burger, and I LOVE tapas. But to me a mini-burger is just a squashed meatball on a small bun, usually being sold for 4 – 5.50€ a pop. Unlike montaditos, which are little hot toasted buns stuffed with fabulously flavourful fillings for about 2.50€.
I mean, if you tried to get away with selling a one-meatball tapa at those prices – with bread and maybe a few chips on the side – well, you wouldn’t. People would laugh in your face and rightly send the offending overpriced ball of meat straight back to the kitchen for the rest of it. Yet mini-burgers have become an unfathomable craze in Sevilla over the past two-three years. There are at least two establishments I know of that specialise in these things. And I keep asking myself… WHY??? As in, why do people go to these places and pay a stupid amount of money for a meatball in a bun?
bulltail burger from Manzanilla in Málaga
Some argue that these little burgers are worth it because of the “gourmet” toppings, but seriously, how much extra can you fit inside a mini bun before it becomes an unmanageable mess? At times I have ended up with more toppings than burger meat, such as the “forest mini burger” I tried last week. I was told it came with mushrooms, goat cheese, arrugula, cucumber & celery but all I could make out visually was “a bunch of stuff” on top and all I could taste was cucumber. And then I had to ask for condiments because the bun was so dry.
As with everything, if it’s worth making it’s worth making well. Also, there are always exceptions.
These three mini burgers pictured here are exceptional indeed. The bulltail burger by super-chef Dani García at Manzanilla in Málaga was the first time a slider blew me away (though I actually first tried it at La Moraga – Dani has since moved on but his burgers remain). It’s a gorgeous combination of slow-cooked oxtail topped with melted havarti cheese and – get this – mayonnaise made from the oxtail drippings. Sublime. Later on I got to try the langoustine burger at Al Aljibe, which some sticklers may argue isn’t a true burger as it isn’t served in a bun. I don’t care, call it a minimalist burger or whatever you like, but just go and try one. The grilled langoustine burger is perfection, served with a poached quail egg and spicy huacaína sauce on the side.
langoustine burger at Al Aljibe
Last but not least is the AMAZING beef mini burger at La Brunilda. The meat is lightly spiced (or herbed?) with I don’t-know-what and is served on a soft brioche bun with a dollop of soy mayo and a bit of sun-dried tomatoes. And it is heaven. I call it the “crackburger” because once you have had one you have to keep going back for more. Though the same could be said for all of these exceptional exceptions.
As for all the others you’ll find scattered about on Sevilla Tapas… well, I ate them so you didn’t have to. But if you have a favourite you think I should try let me know.
It’s been just over a year since I wrote here about the Sevilla Tapas Policy Change and yesterday I had my first experience of someone trying to gag me. I received a Threatening Email from the lawyers of a tapas bar I reviewed last December on Sevilla Tapas. They cited various laws and articles before coming out with their DEMAND that I remove all photographs and text, saying that some of the photos included images of their customers and also “marketed products” (the tapas?) that were taken without permission. They then went on to say that some other law protected their client from any “value judgement” that may adversely affect their reputation and professional image and insisted that I remove any references to this bar from all my blogs, websites and social media accounts.
I mean, WTF??
It wasn’t even a scathing review. I basically just said that I’d gone there twice and was disappointed both times. And well, they can’t really blame me if their tapas look like crap.
Anyhow, I’ve been threatened with legal action if I don’t comply. But while I can see their flimsy excuse for wanting photos of customers removed to be somehow “justifiable”, it seems way over the top to insist that I remove any mention of this place from everywhere on the Internet. Protesting far too much, don’t you think?
Oh, and for the record, I did ask permission to take photos and, after the first disastrous visit, spoke to the manager who apologised for the bad service and food and said she hoped we would come back again. She also knew about my Sevilla Tapas blog and that we had a friend in common who had recommended the bar (which is why I went there twice – I thought my friend couldn’t be that wrong!). Well, they won’t be able to remove the Trip Advisor review that’ll be going up shortly…
You don’t have to spend much time wandering around Seville to appreciate how much the city owes to its long past, and to wonder what it actually looked like hundreds, or even thousands, of years ago. The other day my friend Peter (aka Seville Concierge) and I had the opportunity to take a glimpse back through the curtain of time, thanks to a new type of guided tour that uses a “virtual reality” headset to show how the city looked in the past.
Past View Sevilla has only been up and running for a couple of months, operating from its base next to the antiquarium in the Metropol Parasol where we were kitted out with goggles, earpieces and iPhone, and as far as I know it’s the only tour of its kind in the world, which makes you wonder why nobody thought of it before.
There are two tours available at the moment (morning and afternoon); a short tour which takes advantage of the walkways on top of the parasols for panoramas of the city back to Roman times, and a long tour (the one we did), which lasts about two hours, and takes you to some of Sevilla’s best known landmarks, like the Plaza San Francisco, the Torre del Oro, and the world heritage site of the Cathedral and Alcázar (without going inside), and although I know a fair bit about Sevilla I still learned some new things about the city’s history.
Past View price list and times
As well as being able to overlay the present day views with computer generated images of the past, we were also treated to three short videos featuring CGI backgrounds and real actors in period dress (like the rest of the presentation in either Spanish, English or French). So, in Plaza San Francisco we were accosted by friends of Miguel de Cervantes, recently arrested on charges of financial irregularities in the conduct of his work as a tax collector, and imprisoned behind the grim walls of the Royal Prison on the corner of the square. In the Plaza Triunfo it was the turn of the architect of the alminar (the minaret, now the Giralda Tower), and the changes that have happened in this area are fascinating, from the Caliph’s hidden passageway to the lost wall around the Grand Mosque. Finally, down on the docks, we met up with the servant of the great painter Murillo, searching among the ships for a consignment of lapis lazuli for his master, and a few of the shadier characters on the wharves, and given a warning about the looming walls of the Castle of San Jorgé, the headquarters of the Inquisition, at the end of the bridge of boats on the other bank of the river. The tour ended at the Torre del Oro.
Not surprisingly, given its novelty, there are still one or two rough edges to be smoothed out – the equipment felt a little clumsy to use at first, though it got easier as the tour went on, and Sevilla’s bright sunshine sometimes interfered with seeing the images clearly – but our English speaking guide Lide was patient and helpful throughout, as well as giving us plenty of information between stops.
Peter wearing his time travel kit
It was well worth doing, and I’ll be back for the second tour sometime soon. For more information, including a preview video, you can go to Past View’s website
I have long been looking for a Spanish cooking class in Sevilla that is offered in English because so many of my Sevilla Tapas Tour clients and visiting friends ask me about this. With friends I can oblige with a quick and casual “class” at home, but I really wanted to find a reputable place that could also show people a good time while learning about Spanish cuisine.
A couple of weeks ago I happened to mention this to my friend, tour guide Sam Lister @AndaluciaSam, and he told me about a local company called Travel & Cuisine @TravelCuisine1, run by Amelia Gómez and her husband, chef Jorge Rideo, along with their colleague Meli Rubio. And as my journo friend Fiona Watson @Seville_Writer also has clients who would be interested in cooking classes we arranged to do a class with T & C to see if we would be comfortable recommending them personally.
Well, we not only had a great time – and a great lunch – but we were also very happy with the quality of the class and Travel & Cuisine’s fabulous kitchen classroom. It was exactly what I had been looking for…
Yesterday I finally got over to visit Rompemoldes, which opened last November. It’s a bright modern space just off calle San Luís where local artists and artesans live and work, reminiscent of Sevilla’s old “corrales de vecinos”. The ground floor studios and shops open onto a large plant-filled patio, which is also used for special events such as concerts and workshops. Apartments are located on the first and second floors, some with rooftop terraces. I think it’s a great concept, having your workspace and home together, and also having like-minded neighbours. And the people I spoke to were all very enthusiastic about this new initiative.
It’s been just over a year since I wrote here about the 
