A getaway weekend to me isn´t about museums and churches. It’s about exploring the flavour of the place. A taste of what life is like for the locals. Exploring Seville is flavour and taste, and it starts with a tapeando and ends with “la marcha".
After checking into a hostal or pension, get a map and find your bearings. Maybe have a coffee and pastry at one of the bars in “Plaza Alfalfa”or the more touristy but nice “Santa Cruz area. Find the bar E. Morales in “El Arenal” and enjoy a couple of glasses of home bottled manzanilla surrounded by large and dusty clay wine jars. The seafood tapas are especially good and the atmosphere is friendly and authentic.
Around the corner from E. Morales is Bodega Diaz Salazar where you can sample several local Sherries with tapas standing at the bar. It’s worth ordering a ½ racion cumin scented lamb skewers here.
Wind your way through the streets to “Plaza Salvador”and grab some beers with the students and street musicans. Chips and peanuts suit the early evening crowd here. By this time you will probably need a seat so head to nearby “Plaza Alfalfa” and hang out on the terrace of one of the many bars. Montaditos, little sandwiches or croquttas with different fillings help soak up the
beer and fino.
The sounds of guitar and the smell of weed will lead you down a little alley to El Churinguito. bottled Cruzcampo is your only option so sit on a stoop outside and sing along with the artifice until late.
The sounds of guitar and the smell of weed will lead you down a little alley to El Churinguito. bottled Cruzcampo is your only option so sit on a stoop outside and sing along with the artifice until late.
Tapas Tips
- almejas, boquerones or other marinated seafood goes well with mananilla
- a media racion is a larger portion of tapas. A racion is larger still.
- croquettas are deep-fried potato balls with various fillings and sauces
- montaditos can have almost any selection of meats or cheeses inside
Where to stay:
Hostal lis II definitely recommend Hostal Lis I near the Plaza Alfalfa area, cheap and atmospheric. We had a great stay there. www.sevilla5.com/hotels/seville-hostels.html has a good selection of cheap options also.
Hostal Lis Site
Where to eat:
Duque's outside eating counterwww.exploreseville.com/tapas-bars.htm has a great page on tapas listed by area. I recommend:
- El Patio de San Eloy c/ San Eloy 9, for montaditos
- Bar E. Morales c/ Garcia de Vinuesa, for manzanilla and seafood tapas
- Coloniales c/ Plaza Cristo de Burgos, 19 (near Hostal Lis) for an early dinner
- Bar Duque c/Plaza Duque , for chocolate y churros in the morning.
Triana nightlife- El Rincóncillo c/ Gerona / Plaza de los Terceros , bar dating from 1670
- Several other good spots on Plaza de los Terceros for beer outside
- Cabo Loco Bar c/Pérez Galdós , for Tinto de Verano
- The boardwalk in Triana on weekends for beer by the river
- Manzanilla is my favorite, but you should try Fino or Oloroso also. For information and history on Sherry visit www.costadelaluz.biz/sherry.html
- Cruzcampo on tap or in bottles with olives or potato chips on Plaza Salvador always tastes great
- Tinto De Verano (red wine and a Sprite type mix) means "red wine of summer" it tastes great, but watch out the next day
Sevilla market- The mercado behind Plaza de la Encarnación is not as grand as the ones in Valencia or Barcelona, but a cool place to walk around if you love food.
- Cathedral Giralda looks great and the Reales Alcazares is a must even if your not into tourist sites. the gardens are a great place to relax
- Plaza de España is a strangly grandiose place to walk around. No wonder they used it for a scene in one of the "Star Wars" movies
- Real Fabrica de Tabacos is a fantasic building, the second largest in spain. Bizet based his 1875 opera "Carmen " on the women who made cigars here.