The rooms worth a reservation in Seville, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Seville. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
El Rinconcillo on Calle Gerona in Seville is the city's oldest tapas bar, open since 1670 and run by the De Rueda family since 1858, with the cuenta still.
Signature: Espinacas con garbanzos, Pavias de bacalao, Jamon iberico
Order: Espinacas con garbanzos, the city's canonical tapa, then pavias de bacalao with a glass of fino.
Tip: Open daily 13:00-01:30. Squeeze into the standing bar in the front; the dining room behind is a reservation room with full plates.
Canabota on Calle Orfila in Seville earned its Michelin star in the 2022 guide and runs an open-grill counter where the day's whole fish from Cadiz.
Signature: Grilled fish of the day, Sea urchin, Lengua de mar
Order: The tasting menu built around the day's catch from the Cadiz lonja.
Tip: Two sittings nightly Tue-Sat, 14:00 and 21:00. Book three weeks ahead by phone or web. La Barra next door is the walk-in option without reservation.
Espacio Eslava on Calle Eslava in Seville's San Lorenzo is the modern-tapas room since 1988, with the egg-on-mushroom-cake and the honey-glazed costilla.
Signature: Huevo sobre bizcocho de boletus, Costilla con miel, Cigarro de pringa
Order: The huevo sobre bizcocho de boletus and the slow-cooked costilla con miel de cana sirope.
Tip: Walk-in only; queue at 12:30 for lunch or 20:00 for dinner, closed Sunday evening and Monday. Tables come up at the back; bar plates come faster.
Bar Sal Gorda on Calle Alcaiceria de la Loza in Seville is the Cabrera Fernandez brothers' creative-tapas counter, with anemone cones and ox-tail donuts.
Signature: Pork cheek tacos, Anemone and plankton cone, Ox tail donut
Order: The anemone and plankton cone, then the slow-cooked ox-tail donut on the daily blackboard.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat from 12:30; closed Sunday. Walk-in only; tables for two come up fastest at the bar after 14:30.
La Brunilda on Calle Galera in Seville's El Arenal quarter is the modern-tapas room that runs a quietly inventive menu of risottos, rices and small plates.
Signature: Mushroom risotto, Goat-cheese salad, Squid-ink rice
Order: The mushroom risotto and the goat-cheese-and-fig salad; the squid-ink rice on weekends.
Tip: Open Tue-Sun 13:00-16:00 and 20:30-23:30. Reservations by phone only; queue from 19:30 for a bar seat if you arrive without booking.
Vineria San Telmo on Paseo de Catalina de Ribera in Seville is the Argentine-owned tapas room beside the Alcazar gardens, the pioneer of the modern-tapas.
Signature: Squid-ink spaghetti, Mollejas, Pluma iberica
Order: The squid-ink spaghetti with seafood and the wood-grilled pluma iberica from the daily blackboard.
Tip: Open daily 13:00-16:30 and 20:00-24:00. Book the back garden room a week ahead in spring; bar plates run faster on weeknights.
Casa Morales on Calle Garcia de Vinuesa in Seville's El Arenal is the bodega since 1850, the city's archetypal wine-cask room with vermut pulled.
Signature: Solomillo al whisky, Carrillada en salsa, Vermut from the barrel
Order: The solomillo al whisky and the carrillada en salsa with a copa of vermut from the cask.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00 and 20:00-24:00, closed Sunday Booking recommended for weekends.
Las Teresas on Calle Santa Teresa in Seville's Santa Cruz has hung jamones from the ceiling since 1870, the venerated old-school tabernero that anchors.
Signature: Jamon iberico de bellota, Solomillo al whisky, Salmorejo
Order: A racion of jamon iberico de bellota sliced from the leg overhead and a copa of fino En Rama.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-24:00. Order from the standing bar at front for the fastest plates; the wooden tables at back fill from 13:30.
Bodeguita Casablanca on Calle Adolfo Rodriguez Jurado in Seville is run by the Casablanca cousins Antonio and Tomas near Puerta de Jerez, lauded.
Signature: Huevos a la flamenca, Carrillada iberica, Tartar de atun
Order: The huevos a la flamenca and the carrillada iberica con salsa de oloroso.
Tip: Open Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00 and 20:15-00:30, Sat 12:30-17:30, closed Sunday. The bar is faster; the back dining room takes reservations.
Casa Robles on Calle Alvarez Quintero in Seville is the Robles family's flagship since 1954, with wood-panelled dining rooms beside the Cathedral.
Signature: Pork fillet in oloroso sauce, Roasted lamb shank, Salmorejo cordobes
Order: The pork fillet in oak-aged oloroso sauce, then the slow-roasted lamb shank with potatoes a lo pobre.
Tip: Open daily 13:00-17:00 and 20:00-01:00. The terrace fills fast on Cathedral-tour days; book the upstairs dining room for quieter Sunday lunch.
Casa Modesto on Calle Cano y Cueto in Seville is the Modesto family's fried-fish flagship since 1971, with the city's canonical pescaito frito.
Signature: Pescaito frito, Cazon en adobo, Tortillitas de camarones
Order: The pescaito frito mixed plate and the tortillitas de camarones, with a glass of manzanilla.
Tip: Open daily 12:00-17:00 and 20:00-00:30. The downstairs bar is the working-day spot; the upstairs dining room takes reservations.
Bar Alfalfa on Calle Candilejo in Seville's Alfalfa quarter is a tiny standing-room tapas counter with Italian leanings (bruschetta, carpaccios).
Signature: Bruschetta with jamon, Sun-dried tomato carpaccio, Salmorejo
Order: The bruschetta with jamon and the salmorejo cordobes, washed down with a copa of house red.
Tip: Open daily 09:00-24:00. Standing-room only at the bar; arrive before 13:30 for lunch or after 22:00 for dinner to find a slot.
Bodega Santa Cruz, called Las Columnas by locals, sits at the threshold of Santa Cruz in Seville and serves the city's canonical montadito de pringa.
Signature: Montadito de pringa, Tortillitas de bacalao, Solomillo al whisky
Order: The montadito de pringa casera and the tortillitas de bacalao, with a cana of local Cruzcampo.
Tip: Open daily 08:00-24:00. Standing-only at the counter; the staff chalk your bill on the bar in front of you, paid at the end.
Casa Placido on Calle Meson del Moro in Seville's Santa Cruz is the sister bar of Las Teresas, reopened by Luis Sanchez Garcia in 1988 in an 18th-century.
Signature: Jamon iberico, Carne mechada, Anchoas y tomate
Order: The carne mechada (slow-braised pork) and a racion of jamon iberico, with a tinto.
Tip: Open daily 12:00-24:00. Standing bar at front with hams hanging overhead; small wooden tables behind for sit-down service.
Bar El Comercio on Calle Lineros in Seville is the Rivera-family breakfast bar since 1904, the city's canonical churreria with thick hot chocolate.
Signature: Churros con chocolate, Vermut from the barrel, Tostada con tomate
Order: A racion of churros con chocolate (five churros, 2.50 euros) and a vermut for second breakfast.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 07:30-21:00, closed Sunday. The standing counter is fastest in the morning rush; the upstairs room is a quieter sit-down.
Bar Casa Ruperto on Avenida Santa Cecilia in Seville's Triana is the city's canonical fried-quail counter since 1970, with the marinated codornices fried.
Signature: Codorniz frita, Espinacas con garbanzos, Carrillada iberica
Order: Two pairs of codorniz frita and a half-racion of espinacas con garbanzos.
Tip: Open Tue-Sun 11:30-16:00 and 19:30-24:00, closed Monday. The standing bar is the local way; the back room takes small groups.
Taberna Coloniales on Plaza Cristo de Burgos in Seville is the local-favourite tapas room near Casa de Pilatos, with the solomillo al whisky and honey-glazed.
Signature: Solomillo al whisky, Berenjenas con miel, Pollo al curry
Order: The solomillo al whisky (the city's quintessential pork-in-whisky-sauce tapa) and berenjenas con miel.
Tip: Open daily 13:00-16:00 and 20:00-24:00. Walk-in only; expect a 15 to 30 minute queue at peak hours.
La Azotea on Calle Mateos Gago in Seville's Santa Cruz is the modern-Andalusian counter that started in San Lorenzo in 2008 and now runs three city locations.
Signature: Atun rojo de almadraba, Salmorejo trufado, Crujiente de morcilla
Order: The atun rojo de almadraba (red tuna from the Cadiz trap) and the crujiente de morcilla with apple compote.
Tip: Open daily 13:30-16:30 and 20:30-24:00. The Santa Cruz location is the loudest; the Conde de Barajas branch is quieter for tasting menus.
Tradevo Centro on Calle Cuesta del Rosario in Seville is chef Gonzalo Jurado's modern Andalusian counter since 2016, listed in the Michelin Guide.
Signature: Tartar de atun rojo, Carrillera al PX, Croqueta de chipiron
Order: The tartar de atun rojo and the carrillera de iberico en salsa de Pedro Ximenez.
Tip: Open Tue-Sat 13:00-16:00 and 20:30-24:00. The Plaza de la Pescaderia terrace is the best seat in shoulder season; reserve at thefork.es.
Vega 10 on Calle Rosario Vega in Seville's Triana, opened in 2014, marries Andalusian tradition with Asian and South American influences, with bull's tail.
Signature: Canelones de rabo de toro, Tartar de atun, Tapa de cochinillo
Order: The canelones de rabo de toro and the tuna tartare from the open kitchen.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 13:00-16:00 and 20:30-23:45, closed Sunday. The terrace between Triana and Los Remedios fills from 21:30; book by phone a week ahead.
Las Golondrinas on Calle Antillano Campos in Seville's Triana is the tile-walled tapas counter since 1962, with the punta de solomillo on toast and grilled.
Signature: Punta de solomillo, Champinones al ajillo, Lomo a la pimienta
Order: The punta de solomillo on toast and the champinones al ajillo.
Tip: Open daily 12:00-16:00 and 20:00-24:00. Standing-room only and tiny; arrive before 13:30 or after 22:30.
Az-Zait on Plaza San Lorenzo in Seville is a Michelin Bib Gourmand modern Andalusian room (Bib since 2004), with the wood-grilled octopus and confit cod.
Signature: Pulpo a la brasa, Bacalao confitado, Tartar de presa iberica
Order: The pulpo a la brasa over potato puree and the bacalao confitado en aceite de oliva virgen.
Tip: Open Tue-Sat 13:30-16:00 and 20:30-23:30, closed Sunday evening and Monday. Book a window seat overlooking Plaza San Lorenzo a week ahead.
Bar Santa Ana on Calle Pureza in Seville's Triana is the bullfighter-themed taberna opposite the Santa Ana church since 1912, with the canonical tortilla.
Signature: Tortilla espanola, Carrillada, Salmorejo
Order: The tortilla espanola and a racion of carrillada en salsa, with a copa of fino.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00 and 19:30-24:00, closed Sunday. The bullfighter-photograph walls fill from 14:00 with regulars.