Where to Eat in Seville: Your Ultimate Foodie Guide!

If you don’t travel for food, then what’s the point?

Sure, sightseeing is great and culture is important. But the real meat and potatoes of any trip to Spain is, well… the meat and potatoes!

And when you’re in Seville, you need to know where to eat. This city has more than 3,000 bars to choose from, making it pretty hard to narrow it down for dinner. But you’re in luck!

I’ve made it my life’s mission to visit all 3,000 of these places, from the hole-in-the-wall granddad bars to the white tableclothed restaurants. There are some real hidden gems, and some spots out in the open that aren’t worth your time.

So let’s dive into my ultimate foodie’s guide to where to eat in Seville!

Where to Eat in Seville: The Ultimate Guide!

Seville has everything!

From early-bird breakfasts to midnight snacks, there’s so much to enjoy about Seville’s food and drink scene. You might think that this city is all about tapas, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

So what things should you eat, and when should you be eating them? You can’t eat tapas all day, and you don’t want to order churros when everyone else is chowing down on chorizo.

Let’s break it down, one meal at a time!

Eating Breakfast in Seville

Forget what you’ve been told. In Spain, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day.

Don’t get me wrong, brekky here is delicious and satisfying, but it’s not the main event. In a place where tapas is the culinary king of the jungle, breakfast is more like the court jester. It’s fun and entertaining, but never it’s never going to sit on the throne.

That being said, you can still enjoy your breakfast in Seville. Just don’t go in expecting bacon and eggs—those are strictly lunch and dinner food here. The first time I cooked breakfast for my Spanish friends, I decided to make an Aussie brekky classic: eggs benedict with smashed avocado. They looked confused and angry, like I’d served them the Baby Jesus’ big toe.

There’s a certain rhythm to mealtimes in Spain, and locals will look at you with horror if you order the wrong thing at the wrong time (“Lentils? After 3pm???”).

So what should you eat for breakfast in Seville?

And don’t forget to check out my seven favourite spots for breakfast in Seville!

Tostadas: An Everyday Breakfast

In Seville, breakfast is all about toast. Each morning, locals gather at their favourite bar to chow down on hunks of toasted bread covered with fresh tomato and lashings of peppery olive oil.

These tostadas are the perfect way to start your day! They’re simple, delicious, and so incredibly satisfying. Sure, you can go a bit more modern and get some avocado or tahini, but why change the classics? I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

For the best and simplest pan con tomate in Seville, head to:

• Bodega El Picadero (Calle Arguijo, 6).
• Bar Santa Marta (Calle Angostillo, 2).

Churros: For Special Occasions and Heart Attacks

That’s right: in Spain, churros are a breakfast food!

You won’t see anyone getting churros for dessert here. Sure they’re a great midnight snack, and as good as a kebab when it comes to late-night drunk food. But really, it’s all about breakfast.

And they’re not as sweet as you might think! The dough is just made of olive oil and flour, with a bit of baking powder thrown in to help them grow crispy ridges of fried deliciousness.

Fried golden brown in yet more olive oil, they’re as seductive as they are dangerous. You can sweeten them up with sugar or chocolate, or dunk them in your coffee instead.

I’ve got a list of the best churros in Seville, but my favourite spot is:

• Bar El Comercio (Calle Lineros, 9).

Specialty coffee in Seville

Finding the best coffee in Seville is no easy task.

Spanish coffee is infamous among baristas, feared for its cloying bitterness. Its dark, ashy flavour comes from a process called torrefacto.

Before they’re roasted, the raw coffee beans are coated in a layer of sugar. When the roasting starts, the sugar burns on top. The flavour is… burnt.

It’s beloved by locals, but hated by pretty much everyone else! So if you’re looking to not kill your taste buds, it’s worth checking out some specialty cafes. Third-wave coffee is a recent immigrant to Spain, but a welcome one!

My favourite place for actually enjoying coffee is:

• Parcería Café (Calle Calderón de la Barca, 9).

Food Markets in Seville

Spanish food markets are like Disneyland for adults. They’re so full of joy, I’d spend all day in one if I could.

There are plenty of traditional food markets in Seville that you can visit while you’re in town. Whether you want to shop, sample, or just enjoy the sights, there’s no better way to get in touch with the produce of the neighbourhood.

Locals do their shopping daily, not weekly. You’ll see that the stall owners know their customers’ names and orders by heart! The colours in every market will change every few months as a new season begins, and you’ll often find things you didn’t quite expect. Was that snails I saw?

Every market is different, but locals all have their favourite. Mine is the Mercado de Feria!

All About Tapas: Where to Eat in Seville (and what to order!)

Seville is the home of tapas. No matter what anyone else in Spain says, this is where tapas was born.

We’ll save the history of tapas for another day, but let’s answer one important question: what are they?

All over Andalusia, you’ll see that bars treat tapas as serving sizes. Go into a restaurant and you can order tapas (small boys), media raciones (medium boys), and raciones (big boys). They’re all the same food, just in different portions.

But to me, that’s not really what tapas are. In Seville, tapas is a way of eating. It’s the idea of going out and socialising over small plates of shared food with friends, no matter the size!

So what are the local dishes that you can’t miss?

For a more detailed list, check out my guide to the best tapas in Seville!

Jamón Ibérico

Iberian ham is God’s gift to the world.

This sweet, nutty jamón is the stuff of legend, and locals spend a fortune on it every year. Iberian pigs are native to Spain, raised on a diet of acorns to achieve a flavour that brings tears to your eyes!

A tapa of ham is the best way to start a meal, and bars will display their legs with pride. You’ll see ham hanging like lightbulbs from the ceilings of most of Seville’s bars! There’s even an annual ham fair where people can relish in their love of porky perfection.

It’s the most expensive item on the menu, and worth every penny. Find out where to eat ham in Seville!

Spinach and Chickpeas

It might sound simple, but Seville’s spinach and chickpea stew is delicious. Espinacas con garbanzos is as unique to Seville as any dish can be, dating back to the time of the Moors.

First introduced by the Arabic people of southern Spain, it’s filled with their favourite vegetarian ingredients. Take spinach, chickpeas, loads of cumin and garlic, and you’ll have one serious taste explosion.

Pickled Shark

Bear with me. I know that “pickled shark” doesn’t sound like the most appetising way to spend your days, but trust me when I say that this will change your life.

Adobo de cazón is a speciality of this region, and after you try it you’ll wonder why you ever ate anything else! School shark (also known as tope shark, or a shark that does its homework) is a pretty meaty beast. It can be tough and rough, and not particularly appetising.

But Spaniards have never found a sea creature they haven’t wanted to eat, so they figured out a way to deal with the seemingly inedible cazón. Just pickle it! Leave the shark overnight in a marinade of sherry wine vinegar, salt, garlic, cumin and bay leaves, and then fry it up the next day.

Think fish and chips, but with the salt and vinegar on the inside.

Slow-cooked pork cheeks

In case you haven’t realised yet, Spain is the kingdom of pork. Not only do Spaniards eat a hell of a lot of it, they’ve also reached the peak of pork perfection.

It’s even a bit mean to call it Iberian “pork”. This is to pork what authentic Napolitan pizza is to Dominoes. There’s no comparison!

No part of the pig is spared in Seville. The ham might be the most famous part, but you better believe that here, we eat everything. Each cut has its own merits, but I’m pretty fond of the cheek (the face cheek, not the butt cheek).

Slow-cooked to tender perfection in red wine, aromatic herbs and garlic, carrillera is the warm remedy to a cold winter’s day.

Montadito de pringá

Sandwiches are one of the world’s most perfect foods. They’re handheld, filling, and endlessly customisable! And like all countries famed for their food, Spain does some good sandwiches.

Here they’re called montaditos, and they’re the perfect pre-lunch snack. You can get them with a range of fillings, but the most local choice is pringá. This smoky stew of shredded pork is full of the spices that make your mouth happy. There’s cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, and every type of pork you’ve ever heard of, and plenty you haven’t!

Pringá is also a bellwether dish for me. If I’m trying out a new bar, I always order it to see if the place is up to scratch. If the montadito is good, then I’ll trust the rest of their tapas, too!

Where to eat tapas in Seville

So now you know what to order, where should you eat tapas in Seville? Here are some of my favourite tapas bars in town:

• Bodeguita Antonio Romero (Calle Harinas, 10).
• Freiduria La Isla (Calle García de Vinuesa, 13). Fried fish heaven!
• Eslava (Calle Eslava, 3).
• El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 40). The oldest bar in Seville, opened in 1670!
• Casa Ricardo (Calle Hernán Cortés, 2).
• Bar Las Teresas (Calle Santa Teresa, 2). Ham as far as the eye can see.
• La Fresquita (Calle Mateos Gago, 29).

You might also want to check out my guide to where to eat in Triana, the off-the-beaten-path neighbourhood in Seville.

Best Restaurants in Seville

If you’re looking to go a bit bigger than tapas, then you might want to check out some of Seville’s best restaurants. These places serve larger plates, but still designed for sharing.

Bedecked with white tablecloths, these places are a little more formal, and a little more expensive. But if you’re looking to splurge, or try something a bit more modern, then they might be right up your calle!

Here are my picks for the best restaurants in Seville (booking essential):

• ConTenedor (Calle San Luis, 50). This is modern Spanish cuisine at its finest, in a “slow-food” environment that invites relaxation!
• Petit Comité (Calle Dos de Mayo, 30). Modern Spanish with international twists.
• Abantal (Calle Alcalde José de la Bandera, 7). The only Michelin star restaurant in Seville, and worth the extra spend!
• Palo Cortao (Calle Mercedes de Velilla, 4). The flavours of the south prepared with finesse, and the best sherry wine list in the country!

Where to Eat Dessert in Seville

Let’s face it; Spain is not known for its desserts.

The only thing that might come close to a famous Spanish postre is flan—and I just can’t accept that. I hate flan. It looks and tastes like something that’s already been eaten, and then regurgitated back up. *Flan* is the sound it makes when you throw it against the wall.

But don’t despair! There are plenty of ways to get your sweet tooth on in Seville. Some of the best Spanish desserts are right here, if you know where to look.

Best Ice Cream in Seville

Anywhere as hot as southern Spain develops a natural love for ice cream. Being a foodie’s paradise, in Seville you can find local versions of gelato as well as the familiar texture of regular ice cream (if you’re wondering what the difference is you can find out right here).

So, where do you find the best ice cream in Seville?

• Créeme (Plaza del Museo, 2). Authentic gelato, with local flavours. The 70% Tanzanian dark chocolate sorbet is the stuff that Greek gods would eat.
• La Fiorentina (Calle Zaragoza, 16). Weird and whacky flavour combos, like flor de azahar; orange blossom.
• Bolas (Cuesta del Rosario, 1). Richly textured ice cream with real fruit flavours.

Pastry Shops in Seville

Sevillanos have one helluva sweet tooth! Dentists shouldn’t watch when locals add sugar to their coffees; just when you think they’re done, they go in for another packet.

And they even have a dedicated mealtime for indulging in their sugar cravings! Merienda is a wonderful time of the day, at the end of those long Andalucian afternoons that seem to stretch on forever. Most locals will hit up a pastry shop, grab a coffee, and order something sweet and baked.

Check out these pastry shops in Seville to enjoy merienda like a local!

• Confitería La Campana (Calle Sierpes, 1). The oldest pastry shop in Seville, at the end of its busiest shopping street.
• Manu Jara (Calle Pureza, 5). The most popular bakery in the Triana neighbourhood, and for good reason!
• Ofelia Bakery (Calle Huelva, 5). Modern bakery specialising in decadent cakes and glamourous cupcakes.

The Sweetest Nuns: Convents to Visit in Seville

Like a lot of traditional Spanish cities, Seville is home to some seriously devilish nuns. Devilish, because they are one of the main causes of my inevitable weight gain.

How, you ask? Well in Spain, nuns love to bake. And not only that, but they’re some of the best bakers in the country. There are half a dozen traditional, cloistered convents left in Seville, all of them selling freshly-baked pastries, jams, cookies and a variety of soaps and candles.

Here’s my list of the best convents sweets in Seville! Keep in mind that buying nun-buns is limited to the hours of 10am-1pm at most convents.

• Convento de San Leandro (Plaza San Ildefonso, 1). The old-school convent; you buy your cookies without ever making eye contact with the nuns! Put money on a lazy-Susan, spin it around, and get your cookies when it comes back to you.
• Convento de Madre de Dios (Calle San José, 4). Famous for naranjitos—traditional marzipan balls topped with candied bitter orange.
• Monasterio de Santa Paula (Calle Santa Paula, 11). Pastries, jams, and other sweet treats!

Where (and What) to Drink in Seville

Sure, knowing where to eat in Seville is a good start. But no trip to Spain would be complete without a healthy amount of wine and beer.

So what are the local specialities you need to try while you’re in town? And where should you go to drink them?!

Local Wines in Seville

Like any old-world country, Spain makes a pretty respectable amount of wine. In fact, it’s the third-biggest producer of wine in the world! And with so much land under vine, every region has some distinct specialities, including Seville.

Orange Wine

A Seville speciality, vino de naranja is a local favourite. “Seville orange wine” is not like the natural wines you find in other parts of the world. Here, orange wines are a sweet, sherry-like wine, oxidatively aged in massive oak barrels full of the peels of bitter oranges.

It’s sweet, seductive, and goes perfectly with nutty Manchego cheese. Try it at:

• La Goleta (Calle Mateos Gago, 20).

Vermouth

Vermouth is the way Spaniards across the country start their evening tapas-crawl. It’s so tied to aperitif culture that there’s even a part of the day named after it!

La hora del vermut is that magical pre-dinner time where you start to whet your appetite with a glass of sweet, spiced vermouth and some salty olives. If you’re looking to drink vermouth in Seville, then head to:

• Maestro Marcelino (Calle Hernando Colón, 9). Homemade red vermouth served straight from the barrel!
• Casa Vizcaíno (Calle Feria, 27). Get shoulder-to-shoulder with locals at this old-school favourite in Seville’s more artistic district.

If you start missing “vermut” at home, why not make your own? Check out my authentic Spanish vermouth recipe!

Sherry wines

Andalusia is the kingdom of sherry wine. But this ain’t yo’ nanna’s sherry. Sherry wines are so much more than that sweet, sticky raisin juice that my grandmother used to drown a Christmas cake in—in fact, they’re some of the driest and most interesting wines in the world!

From crisp fino paired with garlicky olives, or nutty oloroso served alongside Iberian ham, there is a sherry wine for every tapa, and every occasion.

Try some sherries for yourself!

• Casa Morales (Calle García de Vinuesa, 11). The second-oldest bar in Seville, good for sherry and even better for tapas!
• Bodega Soto (Calle San Luis, 101). You might be the only non-local in this bar, with sherries served straight from the barrel for insanely cheap prices.

Wine Bars in Seville

Sevillanos are stubborn folk. They stick to their traditions like glue, and mostly that’s for the best. Local dishes like pringá might not survive if local people didn’t seek them out.

But sometimes it means that innovation is hard to come by, and that’s certainly true of local wine. Most Spaniards are comfortable with dry sherries and Rioja reds; and you won’t find much else on a Seville wine list.

So if you’re looking to try some more modern wines, you need to dig a little deeper. And it’ll be worth your time!

In the last 50 years, a new style of Andalusian wine has started to win acclaim around the world. Using both local and international grapes, these wines are made in a big, bold style that’s even more in your face than some of the classic Spanish choices!

If you’re looking to try something a little more interesting, go to these amazing wine bars in Seville.

• Lama la Uva al Sol (Calle Sol, 3). A hip modern wine bar with an insane range of by the glass (and half glass!) options.
• Abaceria Los Carros (Plaza Monte Sión, 9). A modern deli with some tasty snacks to go along with your local wine of choice.
• Salsamento (Calle Jerónimo Hernández, 19). Cute and modern-looking bar with a variety of cooked tapas and trendy tinned food, alongside a decent local wine list.

Craft Beer in Seville

Did you know that Spaniards drink more beer than wine? The country ranks pretty high among top beer-drinking nations, despite having a relatively small number of producers.

Every city in Spain has their own favourite beer; from Mahou in Madrid, Alhambra in Granada, and Estrella Damm in Barcelona. Here, you’ll find it hard to get anything apart from Cruzcampo! No matter where you eat in Seville, you’ll get this golden nectar every time.

But if you’re looking to get a little more adventurous in your beer choice, you should head to some of the best craft beer bars in Seville. Mostly found in Seville’s trendier Alameda neighbourhood, they’re a welcome relief from the glasses of Cruzcampo served up in the rest of the city.

Some of my favourites are:

• Maquila (Calle Delgado, 4). Seville’s only brewpub, with a great menu inspired by modern diner food.
• Bierkraft (Calle Correduría, 35). A trendy bar that feels right out of Brooklyn, with a huge range of local beers on tap.
• La Jeronima (Calle Jerónimo Hernández, 14). Library-come-bar with comfy armchairs and dim lighting.

Read more

If you follow my Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been vegetarian for a while now! Check out my vegetarian guide to Seville if that’s the type of thing that floats your boat.

Looking to take some foodie souvenirs home with you? Check out my tips on where to buy olive oil in Seville. And for that matter, why exactly should you be buying Spanish olive oil, and not Italian?

Travelling around Spain? I’ve got foodie guides to other places, too! You can see all of them right here.

Have I forgotten anything in my guide to where to eat in Seville? Let me know in the comments!