seville | Azahar Sevilla

Sherry & Tapas Tasting Menu

June 3, 2014July 14, 2014 azaharLeave a comment

It’s International Sherry Week and, along with offering my Introduction to Sherry & Tapas Tours, I also worked with Vineria San Telmo owner Juan Tarquini on this fabulous Sherry & Tapas Tasting Menu which I was invited to try yesterday along with friends and fellow bloggers Fiona @Seville_Writer and Rai @ComiendoporSVQ. The four-course menu features four sherries from four different bodegas:

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota and cured sheep’s cheese
Manzanilla La Guita
Bodegas Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín

Bacalao a la Roteña
Amontillado Botaina
Bodegas Lustau

Pluma Ibérica with curried pumpkin
Oloroso Gobernador
Bodegas Hidalgo

Chocolate cake (by @Gollerias)
Pedro Ximénez Nectar
Bodegas Gonzalez Byass

The Vineria San Telmo has long been one of my favourite tapas bars in Sevilla with consistently good food and an excellent wine list. This is a beautifully balanced menu with well-matched wines, and great value at 25€. You can try it yourself at the Vineria until Sunday June 8th. Be sure to book ahead and let them know that you’ll be wanting the menu.

Vineria San Telmo
Paseo Catalina de Ribera, 4
tel. 954 410 600
Open 7 days a week 11.00 – midnight
Kitchen closed 17.00 – 20.00 with cold snacks and desserts available

The aftermath! Fiona, Rai and Vineria San Telmo owner Juan

Toro de Lidia 2014 Winners

May 23, 2014July 14, 2014 azahar1 Comment

Today the winners of the Toro de Lidia 2014 competition were announced.
Congratulations everyone!

Best Tapa
Vega 10
Macarrón filled with Toro de Lidia tongue and vegetable sofrito
Best Gourmet Tapa
A tie between:
Zarabanda´s
Stewed Toro de Lidia cheek with “Thai style” with red chillis & coconut milk
El Giraldillo
Toro de Lidia “false” solomillo over beetroot creme with yucca and yam chips

Sevilla Feria 2014

May 9, 2014 azahar1 Comment

feria sevilla 2014 (1) Looks like this is as close as I’m going to get to Feria this year. Slow-healing feet and ankles from my spectacular fall during Semana Santa has kept me less than mobile, including not being able to do all of my Sevilla Tapas Tours. But I did take out a tour last night and on the way home spotted the usual parked horses in the centre of town. It’s kind of a tradition that people trot over from the fair grounds and have tapas and drinks at Las Columnas in Barrio Santa Cruz – I used to live across the street and saw this every year. I also saw a group parked outside a bar in Cuesta del Rosario. Really it’s a long way to go just to show off, when you think about it…

feria sevilla 2014 (2) cold beer on a hot night… with horses

feria sevilla 2014 (3) parking Sevillano style

feria sevilla 2014 (4)

iPhone photos from my Instagram account

Toro de Lidia 2014

April 24, 2014July 14, 2014 azaharLeave a comment

The second edition of the Lidia bull gastronomic days is on from April 24th until May 4th, with 19 local bars and restaurants participating. You can enjoy tapas based on the famous toro de Lidia meat for either 2.75€ (classic tapa) or 4.00€ (gourmet tapa) including a drink. The establishments will also be visited by a select panel of judges who will choose their top three.

click on image to enlarge

Signs of Spring

April 18, 2014July 14, 2014 azaharLeave a comment

Or more specifically, signs of Easter Week in Sevilla. For the first time this year I noticed these new signs up and thought – Aha! City Hall must’ve been sued over falling down accidents (this was just before my own non-wax related falling down incident). But in fact the accumulation of wax on the streets from thousands of penitent’s candles is no laughing matter. Just today (on the way home from getting my ankles x-rayed at the hospital) I saw TWO ambulances next to wiped-out motorbikes and as we got close to one intersection a policeman slowed down a guy on a motorcycle and told him to be very careful as that bit of road was very very slippery. Curious that there are no signs with motos on them.