Food Markets in Seville: 7 Places to Bring Out Your Inner Foodie Child

Seville’s food markets are like Disneyland for adults. But unlike Disneyland, it’s not creepy if you go by yourself!

Walking into these places is a feast for all the senses. There’s the electric neon colour of all the fruits and veg, the smell of the produce, and if you’re lucky, lots of free samples to taste!

I always get a feeling of childlike joy when I walk into a food market for the first time. Exotic fruits, alien-looking fish you’ve never seen before, all the cheeses that I need to get samples of… there’s so much opportunity for taste bud adventure!

And no matter how much I try to exercise restraint, I always come away with my wallet feeling a little lighter. Luckily, the food doesn’t last long enough for buyer’s remorse to set in!

So if you’re wanting to bring out your own inner foodie child, check out a food market when you’re in Seville. I’ve done the hard work for you, and found out the best ones to take a look at while you’re in town!

Food Market Culture in Seville

Like most Spanish cities, Seville has no shortage of local food markets. Before the arrival of supermarkets less than a century ago, these were the only places that locals would come to get their fresh fruit, veg, meat, and fish.

But while supermarkets might be everywhere in town today, you’ll still lots of sevillanos doing things the old-fashioned way. Why? Well, it’s just a better way of living! And if there’s one thing that Seville locals know how to do, it’s live.

The food at these markets is way better than the stuff you find in supermarkets. I mean, that’s kind of obvious, right?

It’s pretty hard to ignore the difference in quality, even just from the rainbow of colours at any of the fruit stalls. While supermarket fruit and vegetables look like sad, sick things, fading and wilting under neon lights, food markets are something else entirely.

The produce here looks as beautiful and proud as a flamenco dancer, and just as colourful, too! And the flavour… there’s no comparison!

But quality aside, there’s another reason locals prefer to do their shopping at markets.

When Shopping Turns Social

The woman who lives a few floors above me in my apartment building goes to our local food market every morning. She’s called Maria, and she’s well into her 80s, but this is something she’s done every morning for as long as she can remember.

Locals here don’t do a weekly shop, they go to the market every day. And if you go somewhere every day, it starts to feel like home. Other shoppers start to recognise you, and one day they’ll ask your name. The next day, they’ll come over to say hi and ask you how your day is going!

The stall owners get to know you, too. It won’t be long until they remember your face, and more importantly, your tastes. The guy you get your fish from every morning might even start to put some special stuff aside for you, knowing that you’ll appreciate his special catch.

Every market also has a bar serving coffee, breakfast, and even a cold midday beer. You’d better believe that after a hard morning’s shop, there’s nothing you want more than to join your fellow shoppers for a quick snack!

This is Maria’s daily routine. Her fellow shoppers are her friends, and the market bar is her social club. Food markets aren’t just shopping centres in Seville, they’re something more.

Here, markets are community centres. They belong to a tradition that’s quickly vanishing from Spain. They’re places where locals get together to socialise, but also places where they look out for each other.

The first morning that Maria didn’t turn up at the food market, her friends knew something was wrong. They tried calling her, and when she didn’t pick up, they called her neighbour. Maria had fallen down, but thanks to her market friends, was able to get help.

The Best Food Markets in Seville

By now, I’ve hopefully convinced you to visit a food market when you’re in Seville. (If not, I’m really confused about why you’re still reading.)

So now what?

The next step is deciding just which markets you should visit! Check out my top tips on my seven favourite foodie Disneylands in the city. Be warned, you will feel hungry!

Mercado de la Encarnación

Address: Plaza de la Encarnación.
Hours: 8am-3pm, Monday to Saturday.

This is my local food market, and I come here as often as I can!

The Mercado de la Encarnación has a pretty unique location, wedged between Seville’s oldest and newest pieces of architecture! Above the market, you have the towering edifice of the city’s “mushrooms” monument.

Officially called the Metropol Parasol, locals all call this weird and whacky structure “Las Setas”—the Mushrooms! It’s kind of obvious when you think about it…

But hold on, it gets even more impressive! Beneath the market, you’ll find the city’s oldest Roman ruins. Fish salting vats and stores were built here by the Romans over 2,000 years ago—making this Seville’s oldest market!

You’ll find this mercado in the middle of the city, so it’s pretty easy to get to. Have a walk through the 70 or so different stalls and discover some of the biggest swordfish and Bluefin tuna that you’ll ever see! There’s also my favourite shop in the building… my snail guy!

Locals love eating snails in Seville, and during spring you’ll see them flying off of store shelves, sometimes literally! These little shell boys are all sold alive for maximum freshness.

Mercado de la Feria

Address: Calle Feria, 98.
Hours: 8am-12am, Monday to Saturday.

If you find yourself in Seville’s trendy Feria neighbourhood, you can’t miss out on its local mercado. The Feria food market is one of the busiest in town, known not just for its products but its buzzing bar scene too!

The fresh produce here is sensational, and during summer you’ll see figs sold fresh from a neighbourhood garden. You can’t get much more local than that! This is where I come to buy fresh spices, as well as dried lentils and chickpeas.

If you manage to catch the market at lunchtime, you’ll be able to grab a bite at one of the popular market bars. There are a few different things to try here, from tasty arepas to mouth-watering fried chicken. There’s even a daily paella served up!

(But if you’ve read my post on paella, you’ll know that only schmucks eat paella in Seville!).

And one last tip for the Feria market: don’t forget to duck inside Parcería Café for one of the best cafes in Seville!

Mercado de Triana

Address: Calle San Jorge, 6.
Hours: 9am-12am, Monday to Saturday. Open 12pm-5pm on Sundays.

It might not be in the centre of town, but the Triana Market is the most famous food market in Seville.

This one is across the bridge from ‘mainland’ Seville, in the enigmatic Triana neighbourhood. Triana is the old ‘barrio gitano‘ (Gypsy Quarter) of the city, and has an even more laid back vibe than the rest of the city!

You’ll find Triana’s local market inside the Castillo de San Jorge, an old Moorish fort. Under the Catholics, this building was later used as the headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition. You can still visit the Inquisition Museum in the castle dungeons today!

This is one of the most beautiful food markets in Seville, and the quality of food here is second to none! Get as many free samples as possible at the olive and cheese stalls, you won’t be disappointed.

And when you’re done shopping, grab some food at one of the tapas bars in the market!

Mercado del Arenal

Address: Calle Pastor y Landero, 8.
Hours: 8am-3pm, Monday to Saturday.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

“Sure, David” you’re saying in your brain. “That’s a food market in an old creepy castle. But do you have anything in a prison?”

Well, don’t you worry, because the Arenal Market is just what you’re after! This market is only about 70 years old at the moment. But before becoming the site of gastronomic wonder, it was the old district prison.

It’s probably haunted. But if you can get past the ghosts and ghouls, you’ll find some delicious produce for sale! It’s also the home of one of Seville’s best vegan cafes, too—make sure to check out Veganitessen when you’re there.

Mercado Puerta De La Carne

Address: Avenida de Cádiz, 33.
Hours: 8am-3pm, Monday to Saturday.

The mercado Puerta de la Carne is one of the most local food markets in Seville. It’s well of the beaten tourist trap, but only just outside the old town. When I first moved to the city, it was my local market, and has a special place in my heart.

It’s where I first really understood the idea of seasonal food, and learnt what I call ‘produce patience’. This is the kind of patience you need to wait 9 months until strawberries are back in season, and to not give in and buy the limp, lifeless knock-offs from supermarkets.

There’s nothing ‘gourmet’ about this market, just the old-fashioned stalls and the one standard bar in the corner dealing out glasses of piping hot coffee. Given that it’s a bit out of the way for most non-locals, prices at this market tend to be a bit cheaper, too!

Mercado Los Remedios

Address: Calle Pedro Pérez Fernández, 4.
Hours: 9am-6pm, Tuesday to Friday; 9am-3pm on Monday and Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Seville’s smallest food market is tucked away in the backstreets of the Los Remedios neighbourhood. This is an area you’re not going to stumble upon by accident, since it is well out of the way of any of the main landmarks in the city.

Except for the Feria, that is! During Seville’s annual Spring Fair, Los Remedios is home to all of the main events, and the district becomes one giant party! But outside of this wild week, the main thing you’ll be looking for in Los Remedios is its local food market.

Check it out for a real slice of local life, and a good range of organic produce to boot.

Special Mention: Mercado Lonja del Barranco

Address: Calle Arjona, 28.
Hours: 10am-12am, Sunday to Thursday; 10am-2am on Friday and Saturday.

I hate food courts trying to pass themselves off as ‘gourmet markets’. There’s something completely inauthentic about them, as if all the money has gone into the branding rather than food quality.

They mostly cater to tourists, and offer a hollow shell of local cuisine. They sell a range of microwaved paellas, international beers, and seafood that looks more suspicious than a trench coat at a swimming pool.

Unfortunately, they’re becoming more and more common in Spain. After the chaotic success of Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel, savvy businessmen across the country have tried to replicate the winning formula.

The Mercado Lonja del Barranco is Seville’s version of these hipsterised places of inauthentic Spanishness. The food here is some of the worst in the city, with price tags that make no sense to anyone!

But, the market has one of thebest views in the city. You’ll find it on the banks of the river, right next to the beautiful Triana bridge. The market itself is truly beautiful, using the wrought iron facade of the fish market that was once here.

Wondering why it looks so familiar? Well, it was designed by Gustave Eiffel! You know, the guy who did the tower. Not bad, Seville, not bad.

So, while I’d never recommend eating here (and you can’t buy any fresh food), it’s not a bad spot for a drink. There’s a not-too-bad wine bar inside, and if you can stand the sight of sweaty tourists contemplating their cold patatas bravas, you might even have a good time admiring the building.

Read more

If reading about the best food markets in Seville has made your mouth water, then why not check out my picks for the best tapas in Seville? And for everything else, head to my ultimate foodie guide to where to eat in Seville.

And if you can’t make up your mind about what to buy, maybe I can convince you to buy more Spanish olive oil than you ever thought necessary.

Have you got favourite food markets in Seville? Or for that matter, favourite markets anywhere else in Spain? I want to hear about them (and eat their free samples), so leave me a comment below!