Seville city guide: your weekend break sorted
Tapas, flamenco and art await in Spain’s romantic southern city
With its fairytale palaces, flower-lined alleyways and emotionally intense flamenco, Seville is arguably Spain’s most romantic city, and it has bounced back from pandemic-related damage to the tourism sector with more vida than ever. The gastronomic scene is in rude health, with creative menus springing up alongside traditional tapas, while new contemporary art spaces show off ancient architectural treasures to perfection. Year-round sunshine and a compact historic centre make the city a good weekend destination at any time of the year, although the warm days and mild evenings of spring and autumn are especially enticing.
What to do
● Even if you’ve been before, soak up the splendour of the Alcazar, the oldest occupied royal palace in Europe, and its subterranean baths named after María de Padilla. The palace was built by Muslim craftsmen under Peter the Cruel, the 14th-century Catholic king. María — who supposedly liked to walk naked through its spectacular salons to get to the baths — was his mistress (£12; alcazarsevilla.org). You’ll see the influence of the palace all over the city, in masterful stucco arches and dazzling azulejo tiles.
● Return to the 21st century at Las Setas: six 26m-high wooden mushroom-shaped parasols designed by Jürgen Mayer, an architect from Berlin, and completed in 2011 on the Plaza de la Encarnacion. Take the mirrored lift up to the swooping, curving walkway for 360-degree views of numerous bridges and domes, as well as the mighty Catedral de Sevilla, the largest gothic cathedral in the world (£13; setasdesevilla.com).
● Las Setas were partly inspired by the ficus trees on the nearby Plaza Cristo de Burgos, which is also home to Espacio Derivado, a bijou new art gallery. The building was built by José Espiau y Muñoz, the architect of Seville’s neo-mudejar Alfonso XIII hotel, and the original tiles, Moorish walls and courtyard summer house with its pillared arch and green windows are a unique backdrop for exhibitions (£3; espacioderivado.com).
● Across the plaza, the Tenderete store has a covetable array of handcrafted Andalusian ceramics and rural antiquities. Its owner, Pilar Gavira, also stocks colourful straw mats and baskets made by African women’s collectives, along with agua de azahar — orange blossom water — to use in Seville-scented baking and cocktails back home (tenderete-sevilla.negocio.site).
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● Five minutes’ walk to the south in the neighbourhood of Alfalfa, La Milonga is an intimate flamenco venue, or tablao, owned by two Argentinian dancers, Charo Fernández and Julieta Santi. It may be small — the 50-minute shows consist of one singer, dancer and guitarist performing for a maximum of 35 guests — but the atmosphere is electric. Fridays are reserved for female performers, which makes this one of the few tablaos to feature female guitarists (£17; lamilongatablao.com).
The coolest neighbourhood
San Lorenzo isn’t packed with hipster coffee shops and it doesn’t aspire to be; a low-key barrio west of trendy Alameda, it feels nicely off the beaten track. Start at Espacio Santa Clara, a converted monastery with a historic tower that shows work by contemporary artists such as Luis Gordillo (free; icas.sevilla.org). Tuck into no-fuss dishes such as eggs, chorizo, tomato and peppers in Antigua Abaceria de San Lorenzo, a classic neighbourhood joint (mains from £7; antiguaabaceriadesanlorenzo.com), and sample the craft beer at Hops & Dreams (small glasses from £1.65; fb.com/hopsanddreamssevilla). From June, the magnificent 17th-century Palacio Bucarelli will open its art and antique-filled private quarters — still home to the 14th generation of the same family — to the public. You can already stay in one of 15 apartments, featuring a small pool and the Honesty Bar (B&B studios from £140; palaciobucarelli.com).
Where to eat and drink
De La O
This kilometro-zero restaurant with its flower-filled riverfront terrace in Triana offers an innovative spin on Andalusian dishes. The owner is a former architect and ingredients are carefully sourced and, where possible, organic. Standouts include the black rice and cod cupcakes, and prawn and guacamole tacos (mains from £10; delaorestaurante.com).
Eneko Basque
The superb restaurant of renowned chef Eneko Atxa sits in the urbane surrounds of the Radisson Collection Hotel on the Plaza de la Magdalena. The cuisine is modern Basque-Andalusian and the service flawless: the tuna and caviar tartlet in mushroom casing is superb. Book a bottle-green velvet booth for the full-luxe vibe (mains from £13; enekoatxaseville.com).
Condende
Inside the buzzy Feria Market, this Brazilian-owned stall is known for its tantalising pastries. Try the arepas with aubergine, smoked cheese and basil, or a pao de queijo (cheese bun) filled with gorgonzola or pork belly. Order healthy orange-flavoured white-tea kombucha — or a glass of equally aromatic albariño — while you’re at it (mains from £5; condende.pedidosweb.es).
Casa Morales
Dishing up cerveza and superior tapas since 1850, this Seville institution near the cathedral is always packed. Prop up the carved wooden bar and order classic Iberian pork cheek or cod with tomatoes, or snuggle up to vast clay wine jars in the cave-like back room (tapas from £3; casamoralessevilla.es).
Terraza Atalaya
For the ultimate bird’s-eye view, shoot up to the circular bar on the 37th floor of Torre Sevilla, Andalusia’s tallest building, 180m above the city and river. The view is so mesmerising that you may spill your negroni (£7 in the day, £14 at night, including one drink. Cocktails from £12; atalayatorresevilla.com).
Pan y Circo
Feast your eyes on the vibrant wall-to-wall art, ceramics, furniture and rugs in this new gallery-shop-restaurant off Calle Sierpes — the latest venture of Cristina Galeote, a local artist. Everything here is for sale. The cuisine is Spanish and international: try the Thai seafood curry or beef croquettes and kimchi cauliflower with a glass of Micaela manzanilla (mains from £11; panycirco.es).
Where to stay
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Hotel Tayko Sevilla
In the narrow streets of Seville, rooms this gloriously light-infused are almost unknown. The 1920s building on Puerta de Jerez has high ceilings and wrought-iron balconies facing the palm-lined square, the majestic Hotel Alfonso XIII, and the Moorish Torre del Oro. Free-standing baths enhance the elegant feel and there’s a decent seafood restaurant, Mareantes, downstairs (room-only doubles from £141; mains from £16; taykohotels.com).
Joya del Casco
In a pretty 19th-century building close to Plaza Nueva, this small, stylish hotel has 15 neat rooms, a relaxed patio with stylish tubular pendant lights and low-slung armchairs, a rooftop terrace with pool and a library. Add friendly service and free afternoon snacks, and you’re on to a winner (B&B doubles from £185; shiadu.com).
Hotel Don Ramon
The city’s newest five-star Grand Luxury hotel is a beautifully decorated mansion next to Plaza del Duque de la Victoria with only 23 rooms. From the jasmine and orange blossom scent that wafts through the air as you enter to the cut-glass tumblers, baby-soft cotton dressing gowns and exquisite wall coverings — Arabic stucco, a lemon-tree fresco — the mood is one of tasteful opulence (room-only doubles from £270; hoteldonramon.com).
If you only do one thing
Cycle along the riverside bike lane. You’ll pass a Moorish tower, a replica 16th-century ship, the city’s oldest bridge and the seat of the Spanish Inquisition (£16 a day; rentabikesevilla.com).
Fiona Flores Watson was a guest of Hotel Don Ramon (hoteldonramon.com), Hotel Takyo Sevilla (taykohotels.com) and Mareantes
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