26 Days To Travel

Over the years, we have tried lots of bars and restaurants in Sevilla. By now, we have some steady favorites that we nearly always visit when we are in Sevilla. Some are mostly visited by locals, so you might call them ‘hidden’ gems. Others are well known and pretty touristy, but still worth a visit.

A note upfront: I am no food photographer and the photos used in this blog have in many cases been taken whilst under the influence of alcohol, so they are not my best =)

Here we go!

Breakfast

• Levies (C. San José 15). We discovered this place by coincidence on one of our first trips, and have kept coming here ever since. We often stay in a hotel just around the corner in Santa Cruz and have our breakfast at Levies. They have well-priced breakfast deals that include a sandwich of your choice and a coffee or tea. Order a fresh orange juice with it and you’ll be good for a few hours. What to order: try the sandwich with mozzarella, tomato, ham and olive oil (also available without ham). It is served warm and absolutely heavenly.
• Bar Mármoles (C. Mármoles 11). Small place that is run by a lovely lady. Lots of different sandwiches and fresh fruit juices, at a good price.
• Bodega Santa Cruz/ Las Columnas (C. Rodrigo Caro 1). One of Sevilla’s oldest bodega’s, good for a quick breakfast and very centrally located. What to order: pan con aceite y tomate (toasted bread with tomato & olive oil, a traditional Spanish breakfast)

Lunch

• El Patio San Eloy (C. San Eloy 9). This is actually a restaurant chain, but the location on Calle San Eloy beats the others by far. Lots of different sandwiches and a very popular choice with the locals. Especially on Sundays, this place is packed! Families gather here for lunch after attending church. This particular location even has a tribune, a smart use of space to allow more people to be seated. This must sound very vague, but just go see it! What to order: the ‘montadito’ (sandwich) with smoked salmon and cheese and the montadito with chicken, lettuce and aioli are very tasty.
• 100 Montaditos. This sandwich chain can be found throughout the city. It is not particularly special, but has loads of choice (for vegetarians as well) and is very affordable. We often order a variety of montaditos here to take away and eat them in a park or on the riverside.

Dinner

• Taberna Coloniales. As you might have read, I first came to Sevilla at age 18 to study Spanish. I had barely put down my suitcase, when my new roommates were leaving for dinner at Taberna Coloniales and asked me to join. This place impressed me thoroughly and I have taken lots of friends and family here since. The food is super tasty, portion sizes are big and the price is unbeatable! We had dinner here last year for my friends’ birthday and I told her to order whatever she wanted. We had a table full of plates, a few wines each and dessert, and paid around 25 euros – in total. Many locals love this place too though, so you often have to wait for a table. Have the bartender write down your name on the blackboard (waiting list), order a drink at the bar and wait for your name to be shouted. Be aware that there are two locations that each have their own atmosphere. There is one near the cathedral (C. Fernández y González 36), where staff tends to be impatient but service is fast. Then there is one near the Metropol Parasol (Plaza Cristo de Burgos 19) that has lovely staff and a small terrace, but less seating inside, so waiting time is often longer. What to order: our favorites are the ‘salmorejo’ (similar to gazpacho), ‘pollo con salsa de almendras’ (chicken in almond sauce), ‘croquetas’, caramelized goat cheese on toast, marinated tomatoes… and so many more. Oh, and order a ‘tinto de verano’ (‘summer wine’) here. It is strong, tasty and freshly prepared – many other places serve the ready-made variety that sucks.
• El Pasaje (Pasaje Vila 8-10). This place is a bit more expensive than the other places (still very affordable), but very suitable for a romantic dinner. There’s a small covered patio, candles on the tables and a good wine list. The menu consists of both traditional and more modern, internationally inspired tapas, such as burritos, curry and tataki. We had dinner here several times for our anniversary. What to order: mushroom risotto, burrito and toast with goat cheese and tomato marmelade.
• Bar Estrella (C. Estrella 3). Last year, when I was visiting Sevilla with a good friend, we came across this place. The owner was standing outside and asked us if we were twins (we get that a lot!). We started talking and ended up having lunch here. Plenty of vegetarian options and the decor is lovely. What to order: the menu varies, but we liked the ‘musaka de verduras’ (vegetable moussaka) best.

Drinks

• Hotel Doña María (C. Don Remondo 19). Unfortunately hardly a secret anymore,  this hotel features a large rooftop terrace with lounge seats and a good cocktail menu. It is not cheap but the view around sunset or at night is worth it!
• EME Cathedral (C. Allemanes 27). Another rooftop bar, just around the corner of the previous one. EME offers maybe even nicer views and is very trendy, but I personally think the atmosphere is less laid-back and seating is a bit tight.
• Bilindo (Paseo de las Delicias). Okay, I really hesitated if I should include this one, because the quality of drinks here varies and staff is slow and not particularly friendly. However, we keep coming back here because of the location. This place (it is just a huge terrace and a kiosk) is located on the border of Parque María Luísa. It’s a great place to soak up some sun and on Sundays it’s fun to see all the families dressed up for church gathering here – parents having a drink together and kids playing around wearing their prettiest dresses and adorable bows.

We are always looking for new places to try, so let me know if you discover any other good bars and/or restaurants.