Seville Food and Drink Guide

Guide to the Best Food and Drink Options in Seville

Like the majority of the South of Spain, Seville has a vibrant food and drink scene, and eating out is a large part of the local life and culture.

Seville is famed for its tapas and I can quite confidentially say that it has some of the best food in Europe and is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the city.

This guide will help you find some of the best places to eat and drink in Seville, and to help fuel that busy itinerary of sight-seeing!

Guided Food Tours in Seville

For any food lovers who want to experience the best food that Seville has to offer, a guided food tour is an excellent choice.

For me, I find that Seville tapas bars can sometimes be very overwhelming for tourists not familiar with the culture or local language. I found myself sometimes missing out on the best dishes or best locations because places were too busy or I just struggled to understand a menu.

A guided tapas tour means you are accompanied by a local guide, who knows all the secrets, the culture, and the language. They effectively sort everything for you – choosing the dishes, ordering the food, and finding you places to sit etc. This allows you to have a more relaxed experience – and for me meant trying more delicious dishes I never knew existed!

So when people ask for food recommendations in Seville (especially if they are here for only a few days) I often steer them to the tours above to allow them to get the most from their trip!

Tapas in Seville

The city of Seville is renowned for its tapas culture – small, savoury dishes that are perfect for sharing and pair excellently with a glass of local wine or beer.

It is rumoured that Seville has the largest amount of bars per square feet than any other city in the world, with new places opening every single day.

With such a large choice of bars to get tapas, it can get quite overwhelming, especially as many of them can get very busy and difficult to order in for tourists who don’t speak Spanish. Check out our guides to get the best possible Tapas experience in Seville.

Breakfast in Seville

Breakfast (Desayuno in Spanish) is one of my favourite meals to have in Seville. There is a ridiculous amounts of cafes and breakfast bars across the city centre.

Check out our breakfast themed guides in Seville to know where to get the best coffee and churros, especially if you are looking to fuel yourself for a day of exploring the many attractions the city has to offer!

Drinks in Seville

With the hot Mediterranean climate, and all the delicious tapas on offer, it comes as no surprise that Seville offers an excellent range of drinks.

When it comes to beer there is a clear favourite in Seville, with almost 90% of the city’s bars and restaurants serving Cruzcampo – a refreshing, crisp, and light lager.

As you would expect in Spain, there is a large variety of stunning local wines available in most establishments, with the famous Rioja a staple in Seville.

In more recent years, Seville has also seen the rise of craft beer and cocktails, with sepcialised bars serving a variety of classic and modern drinks.

What Time do People Eat in Seville?

In Seville, dinner is more of a late-night event compared to many other places. The locals usually start thinking about dinner around 9 PM, and it’s not uncommon to see restaurants busy even at 11 PM or later, especially during the weekends and in the summer season. Lunch in Seville is usually enjoyed around 3PM.

This late dining culture is partly because of the hot climate in Seville, with temperatures often being too high to enjoy a meal during the earlier parts of the evening. Of course there is also the Spanish tradition of enjoying a late afternoon siesta, which pushes back the dinner time.

It’s best to keep these later times in mind when looking to eat out in Seville, as finding a good place to eat dinner before 7pm can be very tricky, with many places closed or severely lacking in atmosphere. In our opinion it’s best to hold on and enjoy a late night dinner in Seville to get the most enjoyable and traditional experience.

How Do I Book a Restaurant in Seville

A lot of the more traditional tapas bars actually can’t be pre-booked and you need to turn up and try your luck. If the tapas bar you’re looking at can’t be booked beforehand, it’s best to get there early or expect to face long waits.

More modern ‘sit-down’ restaurants can be booked traditionally either through calling the restaurant or booking online.

We also recommend trying OpenTable for an online pain free booking.

Traditional Seville Food and Drink

A traditional dish to try in Seville is Gazpacho – a cold tomato-based soup that is helps you cool down in the hot summer months.

Another favourite is Salmorejo – a thicker, richer cousin of Gazpacho, usually topped with hard-boiled eggs and jamón (cured Spanish ham).

For meat lovers, ‘Carrillada de Cerdo‘ (pork cheeks) is a must-try; it’s slow-cooked to perfection, making the meat incredibly tender. ‘Secreto Ibérico‘ is another popular pork dish known for its juiciness and flavour.

Seafood enthusiasts can indulge in dishes like ‘Chipirones‘ which are small, fried squids, a popular choice in local bars. ‘Gambas al ajillo‘ (garlic prawns) are also a favourite, often served sizzling hot in the classic tapas terracotta dish.

Seville is also famous for its olive oil, with the sunny Mediterranean climate making it a perfect location for olive growing.

If you’re interested in learning how to cook traditional Seville dishes, why not looking into a Seville cooking class.

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