SEVILLA FOR 2025? Plus Vejer, etc

Regional Dining Discussions Italy, Spain, Portugal
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I plan to have five nights in Sevilla in mid-March. I’ve booked hotel (Don Ramon) but not airfare, since we all know that restaurant planning is more important than flight planning. So I could possibly stretch my time in Sevilla and even add an overnight in Sanlucar before heading to my usual spot outside Vejer de la Frontera. where I will be for about two weeks.

I’m pretty aware of places I want to eat near Vejer, which include returns to ANTONIO, EL CAMPERO, LA CASTILLERIA, VENTA PINTO first visit to LA DUQUESA in Medina Sidonia and VENTA EL TORO near Vejer. All recommendations sought.

Sevilla is pretty wide open and I’ve not been there in 5 years when I combined the city with a stay in Cadiz. I did book two restaurants already, but can change that. Maribel is my guiding light, and I also read Azahar’s superb blog. But there are SO MANY restaurants that are calling me!!!

I will eat a lot of tuna near Vejer so will probably not be sampling in Sevilla.

I love:

Artichokes; shrimp of most types; those tiny clams that seem to go by several names which I cannot keep straight; lamb chuletas. I’m not a fan of crudi or barely cooked shellfish, except in the case of ventresca, clams and oysters. I have no allergies and am willing to try almost anything on a Spanish carta. but I’ve not had great luck with pig’s ears or tripe. Steak is great but in small portions.

This is my list, with notes or concerns:

BARRA BAJA (booked for night of arrival, Sunday)

BARRA DE CANABOTA (booked for Monday night: I’ve been to his restaurant adjacent and had mixed feelings, but I love shellfish)

That leaves only three nights for dinners; I can’t fit in lunch but I do plan to have pringa at BODEGUITA ROMERO (been there before) and any other tapas or snacks at other places that you all deem essential. I’ll be solo so while slightly formal dining is ok, it’s more fun to go to more casual places where I can get half raciones, or tapas which allows sampling many dishes.

BARRA DE ENCHAUSTI. (Is there an e-mail for booking?; this place sits near the top of the “maybe” list. I can always have hotel phone them if there is no online booking method.

SR CANGREJO (not a big fan of fusion and the shortness of the carta gives me some pause)

EL DISPARATE

AZOTEA (I’ve been here a number of times and want to return if at all possible; but they do have a sibling close to Vejer but that has different menu from the AZOTEA in Sevilla.

CASABLANCA (I’ve never been to this classic spot that seems very popular with locals…worth devoting a dinner to, or should I stop by for a tapa or two around 3pm?). As I write this, I think I already know the answer: Tapas.
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I realize I’ve missed many places. I did not list these for various reasons but could, if you all feel I’ll be missing out:

LA LOLA due to the short carta and predominance of meat.
AMARA seems like it’s meat focused

SOBRETABLAS. looks on the “fancy” side

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To add to the list of “possibles:”

TAVERNA ZUBARAN (afternoon tapas)?
CON TENEDOR

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@erica1,
As you know, we only go to where our friend, you-know-who, takes us as no one knows the current Sevilla food scene as well as she.

With her we had wonderful recent seafood-centric meals at Salmedina (the family supplies the fish to Cañabota)
and La Barra de Inchausti (note the spelling) , which I love, where I wouldn’t leave without having their sopa de galeras, which is one of the best renditions I’ve ever had. And it’s great for a single diner to sit at the bar, to order as little or as much as you like (I went there solo)…

Our friend also took us to Taberna Zurbarán for tapas before Salmedina, and for my husband’s birthday lunch to a wonderful impromptu “tasting” menu at Barra Baja (we LOVED this place, sitting at the counter).

For fish/shellfish, we enjoy much more the lively atmosphere sitting at the bar at La Barra de Cañabota. It’s very handy for the single diner, and one can partake of as little or as much as one likes.

Casablanca would be place to drop into for a tapa. We go for breakfast, but I know you’ll have scrumptious breakfasts at Don Ramón.
Ditto to Bodeguita Romero for their pringá, but go early as it gets packed.
But I don’t think you’ve been to Bodeguita Antonio Romero on Calle Antonio Díaz 19 for their piripi. That’s a must, in my book.

We’ve dined at Sobretablas but it´s ¨fancier, in a beautiful mansion in the El Porvenir neighborhood, with a sommelier from El Celler de Can Roca, who is Camilo Ferrero, the female chef’s partner. It’s not a place I would enjoy so much as a single diner.

I’m surprised at the mention of Con Tenedor, as I think I remember your sister not particularly enjoying it.

Although our friend does praise La Lola, we haven’t yet been because neither of us is a great fan of offal. But we still do have it on our “to do” list.

We haven’t been yet to Sr Cangrejo, but we’re big fans of Disparate. His huevos estrellados are fantastic–a calorie bomb, but what the heck!

My friend says that on our next visit, our MUST should be AUGURIO. I would put it high on your list. If you meet up with our friend, she might take you.

I did like Amara very much—went as a solo diner, as I wanted to try this talented Basque chef’s cuisine. I wouldn’t say that it’s meat focused at all. It’s a seasonal driven menu, and you’ll see plenty of fish plus winter vegetables on the winter menu. (I’m attending Madrid Fusion right now but when I get home, I’ll look up my bill to see what I ordered----must reserve, as it’s small, only seats 30 diners.).

Here’s our friend’s review of Amara

More later…

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If you feel like “branching out” during your Vejer stay, I would definitely try Venta la Duquesa, a quite sophisticated venta with a female chef who trained at El Celler. It shouldn’t be a long drive for you, as it’s on the road to Medina Sidonia, before entering the village, on the highway.

Another highway venta, which is equally sophisticated is the Venta Melchor, just beyond Conil de la Frontera en El Colorado (Maribona recommended it). Quite stylish, recently redecorated. I think you would like it. It would be about a 25-minute drive from your hideaway.

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Maribel your memory is better than mine! You are correct that sister did not like Contenedor and I did not strike it from my list when she told me. They have as many reviews soon “that” site in English as in Spanish so that tells me something.

Will move DISPARATE to the “must book” list, and now take a look at AUGURIO.

And add the piripi at BODEGUITA ANTONIO ROMERO.

And then there is PALOCORTAO (?)

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My spy says that AUGURIO is a must!!

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Maribel: Yes! Venta la Duquesa is on my “definite” list, and it’s an easy drive that I could even do after dark. Will now take a look at Venta Melchor, a new name for me. And another look at Augurio. Do you see a carta anywhere online for Augurio? Or maybe their dishes change too often for that, which is great.

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Take a look at Maribona’s review of Venta Melchor.
It may or may not appeal.

I’ll get back to you about Augurio.

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AUGURIO´s carta is on their Instagram.

You can see more dishes by clicking forward to the photos.

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A little more about Augurio: this young chef couple decided to move from their successful venture in Punta Umbría, Huelva, to Sevilla in the spring of 2024, as their clientele on the coast, in a beach resort, was seasonal.

Dishes that the Gurmé Sevilla reviewer enjoyed:
a Russian salad of spider crab, “bombitas” filled with steak tartar, truffle mayo and fried quail egg, a ramen of sea bass, a triptych of blue fin tuna, and for dessert, individual cheesecakes and a tartaleta of chocolate ganache and mango ice cream.

It’s on Calle Julio César 12.
Azahar’s 5 oranges review

erica,
You probably have shopped in the top floor Gourmet Experience of ECI in Sevilla, which is just across the street from your new hotel, but if you return, some of the city´s best pastries can be found at the beautiful stand of MANU JARA, gorgeous croissants and other delights.

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Looks excellent!

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Yes…I added it to my list!!!
And I will certainly pick up a few pastries for dessert. Sometimes I skip desserts tin restaurants so I can have “something to look forward to” once I return to the hotel at night!
Maribel, you are a STAR!

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@erica1
Manu also has a shop in Triana, but his gorgeous stand in the ECI Gourmet Experience will be so handy for you.

I checked my bill at AMARA. I didn’t take the tasting menu but instead ordered artichoke flowers with sherry butter and chicharrones, the nigiri croqueta de putxero with sashimi of red tuna and kimchi, then garbanzos with langostinos. No dessert. To accompany this, I had a glass of El Sueño del Niño from the Condado de Huelva. (During this trip I decided to stick with Andalusian wines only, generosos y DOs).

The bill, with the water, bread, aperitivo charge of 2.50 came to 40.30.

erica,
Does this trip include Madrid? If so, I’ll leave a few notes on what we discovered at Madrid Fusión on the long Madrid dining thread.

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Maribel, so far I am not planning to stop in Madrid on this trip, but if all goes well, I may pass by in June. (I booked about 10 days at La Toja, solo, for that time).

As usual, I have too many restaurants for too little time, so I’m thinking about canceling the booking at Barra de Canabota so I can fit in Augurio. I’ve been to Canabota and while it is certainly a good restaurant, It was not among my favorites. And I will have so much seafood later on the trip, so… Do you agree with canceling?

By skipping Barra de Canabota, I have enough space for these five dinners, plus tapas at Navarra and other bars that you mentioned:

BARRA BAJA
AZOTEA
BARRA DE INCHAUSTI
AUGURIO
EL DISPARATE

I’m sure I willl dine at AZOTEA EL PALMAR, but the cartas are different there than in the city.

I also nixed Señor Cangrejo. (That name keeps reminding me of Carlos and Charlie’s–I know you know that name from Mexico of the distant past.

I’ve never heard of piripi! BODEGUITA ANTONIO ROMERO will be a lunch stop for that, but there seems to be more than one location; I’m guessing I should head for the BODEGA AR, the original, at Harinas, #10?

https://www.bodeguitasantonioromero.com

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Yes, I agree with canceling because…you´ll have plenty of wonderful seafood on the Costa de la Luz, and their seafood comes from Rota and environs anyway.

Tapas at Navarra? I don’t know it. Where is it???

My spy didn’t insist that we dine at Sr. Cangrejo on our last trip, so we skipped it.

The “piripi” that you want to try is available at all 3 bodeguitas A Romero but the atmosphere we like best is the original (ORIGEN):
BODEGUITA ANTONIO ROMERO at Antonio Díaz 19. It’s very close to the bullring and has lots of atmosphere, with a strictly local crowd, including the evening arrival of the flamenco dancers during their break between performances.
https://www.bodeguitasantonioromero.com/origen/

It’s not to be confused with BODEGUITA ROMERO (not Antonio Romero) on Harinas, where you’ve had their famous “pringá”.

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Oh, Maribel, I wrote “Navarra” when I meant Taberna Zurbaran…can’t figure that one out!

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Now I understand! :grinning:

The (3 locations) Bodeguita Antonio Romero´s famous “piripi” consists of 5 ingredients: pork loin, cheese, bacon, a slice of tomate and a bit of alioli. They serve it cut down the middle, and a couple can share.

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I know you’re overbooked but I want to put in a word for Tradevo, which was the best food we had on our last visit to Sevilla (eating mostly from Azahar recommendations).

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@erica1
Yes, you’re overbooked (lol) but put TRADEVO CENTRO on your list for a future trip. I had a great meal there as a single person in March. And it’s received. an Azahar 5 oranges rating.

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We loved Tradevo Centro, too. That and Barra Baja.

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