The Best Breakfast in Seville: A Tale of Two Toasts
This might come as a surprise:
Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day.
At least not here in Seville, where lunch and dinner reign supreme. In a place where tapas is king and beer is queen, breakfast is more of a lonely stepchild. We give it attention, sure, but it’s more out of pity than any genuine affection.
That being said, I do love breakfast in Seville.
It’s more of a snack than a meal—just something to keep your stomach happy until you can crack into the plates of fried food and cheese that make up a balanced lunch. But as with all things food and Spain, this snack is gooood.
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What to eat for breakfast in Seville
Just because breakfast is a bit lighter here than in other parts of the world doesn’t mean it’s boring.
Sure, you might get some weird looks if you ask for eggs (they’re a lunchtime food) or bacon (isn’t that just bad ham?). But what you get instead is simple—and in that simplicity lies perfection.
On tostadas old…
The classic breakfast in Seville is the humble tostada. It’s toast, by any other name.
Now, you will find tostadas throughout Spain. Generally, they come topped with fresh tomato, garlic, and enough olive oil to make a cardiologist faint.
It’s so common that you’ll find the same thing across regions and the different languages of Spain! Look out for: pan con tomate (in Andalucía, Murcia, Madrid), pa amb tomàquet (in Catalonia), and pa amb oli (in Mallorca).
Some parts of the country like to use only trace amounts of tomato, by rubbing a slice on bread to leave a thin red smear. Andalucía is all about big and bold, so here you’ll find the tomato flesh pulped with a dash of tart sherry vinegar. If a bar doesn’t serve this for breakfast, there’s something very wrong and you should leave immediately!
Find my recipe for pan con tomate here.
But don’t forget: Andalucía loves pork. It loves pork so much that it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sometimes dessert, too.
So aside from the beautiful tomato, you’ll also find a range of porky toppings to your toast. They range from difficult-to-not-think-about-when-you’re-eating-it manteca (pork lard, sometimes seasoned and coloured with paprika), to delicious jamón, to smoky sobrasada (soft pork sausage), to homey pringá (pork meat stew with chickpeas and spices).
They are meaty, they are filling, and they are delicious.
…and new
As with any old tradition, sometimes a little experimentation can be good.
And thus it is with tostadas. While pan con tomate is a great way to start any day, Seville is also rapidly becoming home to a variety of new and gourmet toasts.
But first:
Don’t worry. These aren’t the $20 avocado toasts preventing millennials from ever buying a home/giving Baby Boomers something other than themselves to blame house prices on.
In the style of the humble tomato on toast, these newer additions to the tostada scene are simple, tasty, and affordable. While the classic old-man bars of the city centre will churn out pan con tomate all day, every day; venture to the trendier parts of town and you’ll find everything from avocado to hummus, and pomegranates to goat’s cheese.
Churros: a story of love and chocolate
There’s a common misconception that churros are the breakfast of choice for Spaniard.
If that were true, the average age of Spain would be a lot younger—because eating this for breakfast every day would kill you after about 20 years.
But that’s not to say that churros aren’t one of the greatest breakfast foods of Spain. They definitely are, and are a great choice for special occasions and any vacation where calories don’t matter (which is every vacation).
Thick sticks of doughnut dough deep-fried and dipped in chocolate? Yes please!
(Get your own carbohydrates fried in fat and dipped in sugar by reading my tips on where to get churros in Seville!)
Before we get into exactly where to go for your breakfast, there’s one last thing to settle. When does it happen?
What time is breakfast in Seville?
It happens like clockwork. You’ll be at work, and suddenly the clock will strike 10:30 a.m.
Without a word being said, everyone will rise from their desks and march out of the office as one, in search of their tasty tostada. And yes; you read that right.
Half past ten means breakfast time.
Seville has a late-night culture, where dinner sometimes finishes after midnight. So, if you want to get your full 8 hours of beauty sleep before getting to work at 9 a.m., you have to skip having your cornflakes at home in the morning.
It’s a great trade-off, because it means that come 10:30, it’s completely normal to stop working for half an hour so that you can go and find something to eat (and enough caffeine to keep you sane).
Where to have breakfast in Seville
Armed with this information, you’re ready to strike out for yourself into the breakfast badlands of Seville. But where to go? Well, it depends what takes your fancy…
The classics
Looking for the simple and classic toast options, paired next to a piping hot café con leche?
If you’re based around the old town, check out:
- Casa Moreno (Calle Gamazo, 7). It’s standing room only in this traditional bar adorned with bullfighting regalia and cured meats.
- Bar Er Carlo (Calle Gral. Polavieja, 5). Traditional bar on a quiet back alley, with orange juice at no extra price!
- Otto Café (Plaza Monte Sión, 8). Cute café offering some classic combos with a variety of extra virgin olive oils.
- Bodega El Picadero (Calle Arguijo, 6). Try the homemade pringá!
Across the river, in Triana, try:
- Bar Santa Ana (Calle Pureza, 82). Across the road from Triana’s main church, covered in its memorabilia.
Modern toast for the modern world
Once you’ve done the traditional, you’ve gotta make time to see the future of toast in Spain. Given that these bars are a bit more modern, you’re also more likely to come across a better cup of coffee than in the traditional bars.
And if that sounds like something you’d be into, check out my guide to the best coffees in Seville!
Get your gourmet toasts at:
- Parcería Café (Calle Calderón de la Barca, 9). Trendy craft coffee house with solid. breakfast. choices.
- La Cacharreria de Sevilla (Calle Regina, 14). Rustic and cozy breakfast bar with daily juice and smoothie specials.
- Café Mamá Inés (Plaza Zurbarán, 4). Don’t miss the homemade marmalades, especially on top of some cheese!
Have your say
Do you have a favourite place for breakfast in Seville, or a favourite tostada topping? Let me know in the comments below!
Looking to eat more local food while you’re in town? Check out my ultimate foodie guide to where to eat in Seville!