Good Eats in Sevilla

[npwest]

Greetings, all--

I will be in Sevilla during Semana Santa and am wondering if any of you had personal recommendations for tapas bars in barrios Santa Cruz or Triana. I´m not looking for blow-the-budget places, just ones with good quality AND good value for a fun tapear. Gracias!

[SnackHappy]

I'm bumping this thread because we will be in Sevilla during Semana Santa, this year. I'll be reading up on all the things chowish there and will come back to submit my list for criticism. But in the meantime, I'd just like to know if anyone here knows what the opening hours for restaurants and bars are like in Sevilla during Easter weekend.

[Aleta]

The blogger from Seville Tapas (see sparkalina's reference above) is based in Seville. It's a fantastic site and she gives a gmail address there. You could ask her about Easter hours.

[azahar.sevilla]

Thanks for suggesting me, Aleta. I'm always happy to help out. This will now be too late for SnackHappy (hope you had a great time!) but just to let people know for future reference ... during Easter week most tapas bars keep the same schedules, but many in the centre only offer raciones (plates instead of tapas) due to the sheer volume of customers. On Easter weekend some bars close but most of the central ones stay open, even those that usually close on Sundays.

[Aleta]

According to Azahar.sevilla:

<<A couple other good Santa Cruz bars are: Cervecería Giralda (near the cathedral) and Vineria San Telmo (near the above mentioned Modesto). The latter has become one of my favourites, serving some very innovative tapas at reasonable prices. >>

Thanks AZ! I hadn't read of this place before but it sounds like we'll have to squeeze it into our schedule. The website is so much fun. I like how you can interactively click on the items of the menu and see the actual pictures. Next time you go there (or if you have time to call them), could you please ask if the crust of the lemon tart contains nuts? In some pastry crusts, nuts are added to give the crust more flavour and crispy texture. If it has nuts, we'll have to avoid it because one of us has nut allergies. Thanks for your help.

http://www.vineriasantelmo.com/

[PBSF]

Sadly, I have not found too many good tapas bars in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. Most caters to visitors and the partying crowd. An exceptions is Bar Las Teresas, simple and good; Modesto (also a restaurant) and Bodega Santa Cruz are not bad. Many good ones are just outside of the Barrio. The above mentioned Enrique Becerra is excellent though the bar itself is very small. Don't miss the garlic mushrooms, the stuff fried mussels, the minted lamb meatballs and the honey lamb cheeks. The restaurant also serves excellent traditional dishes, some influenced by the Arabics. Nearby is Casa Morales. Just off the c/Sierpes is Bar Europa where the tapas are more creative excellent. Around Plaza de la Alfalfa are La Bodega and La Tastienda. Becerrita, just north of the Barrio, serves some of the best tapas in Seville.

[azahar.sevilla]

Just wanted to update that Enrique Becerra has expanded the bar area, so now it is not quite so "cosy". A couple other good Santa Cruz bars are: Cervecería Giralda (near the cathedral) and Vineria San Telmo (near the above mentioned Modesto). The latter has become one of my favourites, serving some very innovative tapas at reasonable prices. Agree that Becerrita (run by Enrique Becerra's brother Jesús) is worth the walk from the centre.

[PBSF]

Thank you for the update on Enrique Beccera. Regrettably, I have not been able to get back to Seville for couple of years. Did he expand the tapas bar area by removing tables from the dining room? Sit down meals were better suited in the cozy upstair rooms. And also for your recommendation of Vinera San Telmo, We'll also have to give during our next visit, hopefully this fall.

[azahar.sevilla]

Yes, the bar now takes up about half of the downstairs diningroom too, with high stools and tables. I agree that the dining rooms upstairs are much nicer. I once had a birthday dinner in the small private room (one table only) and it was lovely.

[sparkalina]

2 of my favorites on c/Gamazo (just East of the Plaza de Toros 5 min walk)
are Enrique Becerra http://www.enriquebecerra.com/
and Bodega Antonio Romero II. He has 2 or 3 locations but I usually stay at a hotel on c/Gamazo so this is the one I go to the most. At A. Romero you MUST try the raw bacalao with olive oil and roe. I swear I eat it once (or twice) a day when I am there.

Here is a site I just found all about Seville tapas. It takes a little while to load but looks like I have been to a lot of these places for tapas.
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/

Happy eating! I am jealous!