Touring tapas bars in Seville: Traditional

Seville is one the most beautiful European cities with history so vibrant that it attracts million of tourists from all over the world year after year. The city never stops. Whether the culprit of sleepless nights and energy-boosting locals are the thunderous bells of the cathedral reminding you every hour, not, every 15 minutes that time passes with their powerful ding-dong, remains a mystery to me. But, I would bet that the almost always-open tapas bars may play a substantial role in Sevilla’s lively scene.
Seville's breathtaking CathedralEl Rinconcillo Sevilla

Having an opportunity to eat and drink out any time of the day one would possibly desire to, is a subject of imagination of many outgoing travelers. Seville brings it to reality.
The locals can have a little bite as early as 7am before they get to work, continue with a stand up lunch and a song or two, and right after work – whether at 4pm or 8pm – jump once again straight to one of the hundreds of tapas bars in the town.
If you look for traditional atmosphere and authentic cooking, head to one of the older establishments. Some of these with history spanning over three centuries and a vibe that the cool hip new places cannot match up with! Look at the hot dancers bellow spontaneously twirling around. Hola!
Flamenco in Spain

El Rinconcillo

El Rinconcillo has been serving food since 1670 making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, tapas bars in Seville. Its ‘back in the times’ atmosphere will transfer you back to Seville of the 17th century. Busting, life-full, beautifully decorated and with upbeat staff serving hundreds of hungry and thirsty excited tourists and locals alike. The fact that you find locals at El Rinconcillo is assuring of its quality and authentic atmosphere.

El Rinconcillo
Stand-up "table" at El RinconcilloOnly in Spanish menu & chorizo

The only minus is that you will have to stand while nibbling on your tapas and sipping on your drink. There are sit-down tables only for the restaurant, and who wants to eat a restaurant in a city famous for its tapas bars?? Also, you have to be quick to grab your spot at one of the tables along the wall or at something reminding a kitchen sideboard as we did at first. Then swiftly wave over the heads of customers at the bar at the bartender for some food. Do not expect any knowledge of English so just order whatever looks good to you on others plates or the staples such as tortillas and aceitunas (olives) and all kinds of Jamón, chorizo and queso (cheese).
We have started with Aceitunas Gordales, the local soft and juicy olives and a tapa of Chorizo Cular Iberico. Both simple and good, especially the spicy chorizo. Later, he waiter handed us over the heads of the bar-diners a plate of Queso Puro de Oveja, hard cheese similar to Manchego from the nearby La Mancha region. The cheese is excellent with a glass of a nutty (oxidation) dry sherry.
From the warm tapas we got Espinacas con Garbanzos, spinach sautéed with chickpeas and walnuts. A nourishing, yet very oily dish. Our favorite was one of the daily suggestions the Berenjenas Rellenas, a baked eggplant stuffed with chopped meat (often pork – ham), vegetables such as peppers or tomatoes and bechamel sauce with a touch of manchego cheese. It is in this recipe, where you can see the Moorish influence in the region once under the rule of the Islamic culture.
There are also plenty of desserts (postres) so if your sweet tooth desires you can taste one of their flans (caramel-based custard cake).
Slicing jamon at El Rinconcillo
The atmosphere is the main reason to come to El Rinconcillo, the food is also good, yet very rich and oily, so be prepared to splash it down with a couple of beers or wines. The Spanish are of beer and there are many local breweries to choose from. The wines by the glass selection is not wide enough for me, but a glass of red Rioja or Ribera del Duero and Tio Pepe sherry is not a bad although a limited choice to enjoy with two or three tapas.
Address: The Rinconcillo: C / Gerona 40 and Alhóndiga 2, SEVILLA 41003.
Contact: +34 954 223 183; info@elrinconcillo.es
Opening hours: 1pm to 1:30 am in the morning

Bar Estrella

is another ‘star bar’, in this case its name bears the translation as Bar Estrella means Star Bar. Open since 1936, it is also a grandmother between the tapas children all around Seville.

Bar Estrella
Bar Estrella
It is a lovely place tucked away from all the hustle of the cathedral and other historic sites. Its advantage can turn into a drawback since it might be difficult to find it. I bounced into it by accident while lost in the maze of Seville’s narrow cobbled streets. What a discovery though! Its cosy small rooms decorated with old black and white photographs of old Seville and its inhabitants may overwhelm you with a bit of melancholy, but the great food, wine and beer will surely cure all sorrows.

Bar Estrella is famous for its Bacalao con Tomate, cod-fish with tomato sauce. The fish is very delicate and soft, the sauce is real – not a ketchup kind of stuff – as it is made from quality tomatoes, otherwise it would not taste so deliciously! With a glass of local dry white wine (Garrido Fino grape) with soft hints of green walnut Marques de Eliche from Bodegas Gongora, it is a light and healthy option after all these greasy tapas elsewhere.
Address: Calle Estrella, 3, Seville, Spain 41002
Contact: +34 95 456 1426
Opening hours: Noon-midnight
Bacalao con Tomate

If you are curious about more contemporary gastronomic flavours then check my post on Modern Tapas Bars in Seville or Young and Cool for a more hip scene.


Walking tapas bars in Seville

Seville is known as a stunningly beautiful city where plenty of tapas bar lure you away from the crayon architecture. Here, the locals are always on a hunt to eat something small, then perhaps twirl around a bar in a dance, and stroll over to another. Let’s take a round or two of its colorful outdoor canvases layered with some tapas in Seville.
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As in the Northern city of San Sebastian, the vibrant tapas bar scene seduces to frequent resting and snacking. After touring the magnificent cathedral, the tiled avenidas and other colorful and shapely sights of Seville, a glass of Spanish wine feels so – hey, I can have a dance with this handsome Spaniard! No wonder that this Southern Spanish destination thrives – its history, blend of cultures and prevalent sunny weather, attract millions of visitors in all seasons. Beware though, the summer sun is scorching, so you better hydrate with plenty of aqua and keep the alcohol to more lame evenings.
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You can try some more traditional, but it is more fun to adventure into the gourmet gastronomic fusion tapas. With so many styles, ambiences and price points, it is useful to look for advice from someone who has eaten at a great many of them as we did. Plenty of walking between makes such a hedonist pursuit a guilt-free pleasure.
El Rinconcillo tapas barSeville cathedral

I divided my guide to Seville’s tapas bars into three parts: Traditional Tapas Bars; Young and Cool Tapas Bars and Modern and Gastronomic Tapas Bars.
I hope you will find my favorite picks in each category helpful and you will roam through Seville as excited about its creative and inspiring food as I was! And I cannot wait to return.


Ribera del Duero: the rediscovered gem of Spanish wines

A state-of–the-art architecture, modern winemaking techniques and giant underground cellars – If I forgot to mention the name of the region in the title of this piece of writing I dare to assume that most of you would not identify the place I have just described. Many Spaniards though would today proudly call this region the wine hero of the Iberian peninsula.
And they, indeed, have a compelling reason to boost about the Ribera del Duero’s wines. The region hides the most precious gem from all of the Spanish wineries – the bodega of Vega Sicilia. Interestingly, when it was founded in 1864 it earned its fame status for production of brandy, the spirit made from grapes favoured by the European royalty at that time. It was decades later, that the premium red wine started to be made there.
Vega Sicilia: crossing strictly forbidden
You could not miss its majestic building while trailing the almost desert-dry hills of Ribera. Not because it would stick out from the horizon after you leave the curvy roads you had to pursue after exiting the highway from Madrid. But its alarmingly tight security in a no-man’s land speaks loudly, that this must be some kind of an exceptional place.
Indeed, it is. The pioneer of high quality winemaking in Spain, Vega Sicilia, releases its Único wine only in great years. If the vintage doesn’t seem good enough for the wine maker, there will be no wines produced under this label in that specific year. Ageing is also regarded as one of the top priorities there. Wines stay in large casks made mostly at the winery’s own cooperage located inside the estate. In the case of Único a minimum ageing period of seven years before they are bottled. Then they are kept in the winery’s cellars for as long as necessary so they can be ready to drink once they leave the winery. It can take even 10 and more years for this to happen. Such a cost-demanding approach to winemaking is surely reflected on the final price of one bottle. In some years it can exceed even the premium Bordeaux depending on the vintage.
Bodegas Protos below the Penafiel castle
Ribera is not just about Vega Sicilia though. There are many other, more affordable, magnificient producers in the vicinity of the region’s most important industrial town Peñafiel. Right below the eye catching hill crowned by the Peñafiel castle is a bulding that will once certainly be in the texts inside history books. A recently built ultramodern winery housing Bodegas Protos still remains in accord with its surroundings. It was designed by a renown English architect Richard Rogers.
This winery has made its mark in the region’s history already. Its original name was Ribera Duero, the motherly term which gave birth to the entire wine region. The new label ‘protos’ means first in Greek, therefore its prominent role is sealed in the current name.
Over time it became one of the regions biggest wineries bosting with vast underground cellars built in the rock under the castle. Over 11,000 barrels are lying in the depths below the old (picture above) and new Bodegas Protos winery today. The new building (picture below) transmits you to the 21st century wine making.
Bodegas Protos
Protos Roble
I have tasted samples from most of their range. A smartly priced Roble is the most popular from the Protos’ range. And, I understand why – it is not complicated, it is rich, fruity and smooth – it surely pleases many palettes. It is made from Tempranillo grape and equally six and six months in oak and bottle.
The Crianza is fresh and youthful as is typical for this style. The Reserva is more pronounced with wood accents. The Gran Reserva is as big as its name suggests perhaps due to its source – a 60-year-old vines. And, finally the newly released special selection Selleción made also from very old vines was my personal favourite.
Ribera del Duero has so much to offer that I would recommend anyone passionate about Spanish wines to visit it. One of the newest projects is a hotel and winery in a former monastery Abadia Retuerta, which will start accommodating guests this fall and it looks already very promising. The restaurant inside the Abadia Retuerta is excellent. It offers the highest sophistication of dining, privacy and truly magic atmosphere.


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