Tags
jaded, life, restaurants, tapas, work
After five years of running the Sevilla Tapas blog and more than two years doing the Tapas Tours, I’ve been wondering lately if I might be getting a bit jaded.
Sure, a plate of perfectly sliced jamón Ibérico de bellota is still an exquisite thing of beauty to me, and I continue to enjoy trying new places and dishes, but more often than not these days I end up feeling a bit let down. Could it be me?
NAAAH! It’s them! Seriously, I am getting so sick and tired of tapas bars that open up out of nowhere and think that just because they have light fixtures made out of coat hangers or bring your cutlery to the table in a Hello Kitty pencil case that this somehow allows them to charge you outrageous prices for ordinary food (the 5€ tapa is becoming the norm in such places), and then add a mysterious “cubierto” charge that can include anything from bread to napkins to who knows what. In spite of the economic crisis here, new tapas bars seem to be opening every week and most of the new ones are trying to “out cute” each other, focusing more on style than substance.
Very glad now that I changed my reviewing policy back in January as it seems that more than ever people should be warned about these places. Frankly, there are very few (maybe two) tapas bars in Seville that can get away with charging 5€ for a tapa. The rest are just bullshit. And it’s spoiling what going out for a tapa is really all about. It’s about meeting friends, or even just going out for a quick bite on your own, knowing you’ll get a nice snack and a drink that is more often than not cheaper than what you could have whipped up at home.
Is this sort of pretentious dining trend happening where you live too?
casa azahar 
Don’t let it get you down. You’re doing a wonderful job of showing people like me better alternatives to the ripoff joints.
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Yebbut it gets expensive! At the last two “gastrobar” places I tried with my friend Fourat we spent 30 euros each time (15€ pp). Then yesterday I met Fourat and her mother at one of my all time favourites – Vineria San Telmo – and we were happily stuffed with lots of wine and excellent food for 30 euros (10€ pp).
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Helllo Kitty? Are you s***ting me?
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It’s no joke…
Mojigata
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I don’t go out enough here in Toronto to know.
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Luckily, we have a lot of really good places springing up in Ottawa. It’s the burger spots that I find rather expensive. There’s a chain called The Works. They are really good, not overly expensive, with about 70 different burger options on the menu (Elk, beef, veggie and an incredible variety of add-ons). My usual burger is the Elk Field of Dreams (field mushrooms, goat cheese, with add-on of guacamole). The priced are reasonable. The ingredients, including the Elk are locally sourced.
However, there Is the American import of 5 Guys Burgers which, while good, are rather more expensive and you have a choice of burger, cheeseburger (single patty or double), hot dog, or grilled cheese and fries. Toppings are limited to the usual toppings and some peppers, etc. The restaurants don’t have any particularly nice decore
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Drat…
Other take-outs are basically the same. Over priced.
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I cannot believe places are charging 5 euros for a tapa! That is bonkers. The style over content problem has been around for some time now in London (or rather, had been, when I lived there). While it is a shame, and a rip-off, I am very glad you wrote this post to bring it to our attention, as I had noticed so many new places opening up around town and, without having time to check them out, wondered what they were like – so now I know (at least about some of them). As ever, you’re the eyes and ears of the tapas world!
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I’m planning to write a more detailed post about this on the azahar Sevilla blog, along with a bit of naming and shaming that will make more sense over there. But yes, it’s ridiculous that the 5-euro tapa is almost becoming the norm.
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