Tapas Originated in Andalucia and There’s Plenty of Great Tapas Bars in Seville:
We learned about the art of “tapeo” when we landed in Madrid so by the time we got to Seville, we were already quite well versed in the gastronomic art of tapas tasting – moving from bar to bar trying small portions of a range of dishes.
Tapas in Seville
Andalucia is the birthplace of tapas and in its capital Seville there are plenty of great places in the city to “ir de tapeo” (do the tapas crawl). Tapas bars can be found along the main streets of Seville, in the compact plazas of its historic quarter and tucked away in the side alleys.
As visitors, there is no way we can be as cool as the Sevillanos in the art of tapeo, as we are in too much of a hurry to see and taste as much as possible. However even if you’re only in Seville for a short stay, trying a few tapas bars and cafes will give a small taste of how tapas is part and parcel of the local culture.
Wander around the neighbourhoods of Alfalfa, Santa Cruz, the Plaza San Salvador end of Tetuán, or the districts of Triana and La Macarena and you’ll find tasty tapas bars everywhere. Typical tapas dishes include cured Iberian ham, Iberian cured pork sausages, olives, patatas, garlic prawns and a range of fried fish such as anchovies, marinated dogfish, puntillitas (small squid) and montaditos (small toasted sandwiches).
Atmospheric Tapas Bars
A few tapas bars/cafes worth looking up include:
Bar Giralda at No. 2 Calle Mateos Gago in Santa Cruz is popular for its wide variety of tapas. The bar is set in the remains of an old Moorish bathhouse. While in Calle Mateos Gago, also try some of the tapas bars in the street such as La Fresquita at Mateo Gago 29. This busy place has great tapas and plenty of local atmosphere.
Las Columnas on Plaza Alameda de Hercules, 19, is the most popular tapas bar in Barrio de Santa Cruz district. It has great tapas and great atmosphere.
El Rinconcillo at Calle Gerona 40 is Seville’s oldest bar and has been in business since 1670 – the bill is still written in chalk on the bar. As they’ve been in business for over 340 years, they know how to serve good tapas and the atmosphere is charming and authentic.
For more Seville Info, see HERE.
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