Where to Eat in Osuna: Your Ultimate Foodie Guide
Two months ago, I met a German couple travelling in Seville. We got chatting, and they told me that they were about to go to Osuna. I was surprised—firstly that they had heard of this small town in the middle of nowhere, and secondly, that they wanted to go there! But I blinked through my surprise and told them where to eat when they arrived.
To be clear, I’m glad they went to Osuna. It’s a beautiful town, rich in history and full of the most Andaluz tapas bars you’ll ever eat in.
But it’s pretty far off the beaten path. Most travellers won’t make it there, although they might see it from the train on the way to Malaga. But if you make the time, Osuna is worth it. There’s great food, beautiful palaces, and enough sunshine and siesta to last a lifetime!
It’s an easy day trip from Seville, but it’s worth spending a night there to really get to know the town. It’s also about halfway to Malaga, making it perfect for a quick stop-off!
And to make your time there extra special, check out my foodie guide to where to eat in Osuna.
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Where to Eat in Osuna
Osuna is just over an hour away from Seville by train. It’s also part of the Seville Province, which means we are firmly in tapas country!
Locals like to claim that Seville was the birthplace of tapas, but so do locals in every other part of Spain. Even so, it’s true that nowhere else does tapas culture quite as well as Andalucia!
Go to any bar in Osuna and you’ll be confronted with endless tapas possibilities (or should that be tapasibilities?). The tapas here are bigger than what you’ll get anywhere else in the country, so start with one or two per person and order more as you go (and order platos/raciones for bigger groups).
I’ve written before that tapas is not a type of food, but a way of eating. That’s still true here: it’s not just cured Iberian ham and plates of cheese, tapas in Osuna can be anything from tortilla to stews to steak.
You’ll eat them for lunch and dinner, and still fit in a classic Spanish breakfast and merienda. So, where are the best places to eat in Osuna?
Breakfast in Osuna
Breakfast in Osuna is the same as breakfast anywhere else in Spain. Like all the locals, you’ll just want to stick to pan con tomate.
This simple brekky of toast with olive oil and tomato is a Spanish staple, and far tastier than the sum of its parts. Smack bang in the middle of Andalucia, Osuna is the heart of olive country; so expect delicious Spanish olive oil wherever you look!
You can find this classic desayuno at any bar in Osuna, but here are my favourites.
Where to eat breakfast in Osuna:
- Cafetería El Arco (Plaza Cervantes, 8)
- Meson Plaza Mayor (Plaza Mayor, 14).
In winter, you might want to give churros a try! These fried sticks of dough are decadently delicious, and a great way to start a cold morning. Dip them in chocolate or sugar for a sweet breakfast, or dunk them in coffee if you’re calorie-counting!
Where to eat churros in Osuna:
- Churrería Antonio y Mari (Calle la Cilla, 62)
- Churrería Chari (Calle San Francisco, 10).
Finally, let’s talk about coffee. I believe you should never visit anywhere without knowing where to get the best coffee in town, and that’s true in Osuna too!
While Spanish pueblos don’t have the best reputation for coffee (it usually tastes like burnt garbage water), Osuna is unique. This particular town is home to one of Andalucia’s first specialty coffee roasters!
Don’t miss out on visiting Mr Chava while you’re in Osuna, because you’re in for a real treat.
The best coffee in Osuna:
- Mr Chava Cafeteria (Calle Francisco del Carpio, 1).
Where to eat tapas in Osuna
Welcome to the heart of tapas country!
In this part of southern Spain, tapas aren’t just free plates of tiny food served with a drink (like in Granada). Here, you order tapas from the menu and have a delicious time!
Osuna is known for a couple of local specialities, so seek these out if you want to try something extra authentic. Look out for:
- Cocido ursaonés (a stew of root veggies, chickpeas, bay leaves, chicken, and pork)
- Ardoría (the local version of salmorejo, with added chilli peppers!)
- Repapalillas de bacalao (salted cod fritters, fried with garlic and parsley).
Now that you know what to eat, where are the best restaurants and places to eat tapas in Osuna?
The best tapas bars in Osuna:
- Restaurante Casa Curro (Plaza Salitre, 5). The favourite bar of the Game of Thrones cast when they filmed in Osuna!
- Taberna Jicales (Calle Espartero, 11).
- Cafetería Cervecería Tetuán (Calle Carrera, 62).
- Meson Rey Arturo (Calle Sor Angela de la Cruz, 3).
- Doña Guadalupe Restaurante (Plaza Guadalupe, 6).
Pastries in Osuna
There are four meals a day in Spain. Aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you also have your daily merienda.
This afternoon snack is a great way to break up the time between lunch and the late Spanish dinner (and just another break in the Spanish workday!). Locals flock to cafes and pastry shops to grab a quick coffee and something sweet to tide them over until their evening tapas.
And apart from the regular staples (sweet brioches, cream-filled doughnuts, chocolate cake), Osuna has a couple of local pastries you’ll want to try when you’re in town.
They are:
- Aldeanas de Osuna (similar to a Twinkie, but made with pork lard and filled with a sweet potato cream)
- Bizcochos Marroquies (a simple spongecake topped with glazed sugar)
The aldeanas are only sold in one pastry shop in Osuna: the classic Pastelería Santo Domingo (Calle Carrera, 63). Open since 1750, the bakers here still use the original recipe for these sweet treats. These pastries used to be baked all across southern Spain, but Santo Domingo is the last place left making them!
For your other sugar cravings, your best bet is to hit up a local convent. The best cookies and cakes in Spain are made by nuns, whether you’re in Osuna, Seville, or Madrid! Here are some of the ones to visit in Osuna.
Convents in Osuna (for cookies and cakes):
- Convento de la Concepción (Calle Sevilla, 1). This 17th-century convent might seem like an odd place to buy cake, but trust me when I say it’s a must-visit in Osuna. Among their wares, the most famous is the bizcocho marroqui—a spongecake made with just eggs, flour, and sugar.
- Convento de San Pedro (Plaza Juan XXIII, 2).
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Travelling throughout southern Spain? Don’t miss my other foodie guides! Check out:
Do you have a favourite tapas bar in Osuna, or a different pick for the best restaurant in town? Let me know in the comments below! And if you’ve got any other tips for fellow travellers, feel free to leave them, too.