Category Archives: restaurants

the antiinfluencer

18 Wednesday Dec 2024

Posted by in restaurants, sevilla, social media, tapas bars

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A few months ago Santi Temblador, local chef and owner of “fine street food” tapas bar El Cuelge, put this up on his Instagram mentioning the few “foodies” in the city who come to his place of their own accord and PAY THEIR OWN BILLS. Yep, I’m one of them. His disdain for so-called influencers is well-known by now. A few short years ago these shysters were bold enough to ask for a free meal for themselves and “a few friends” in exchange for some Instagram publicity, but now it’s even worse. Along with free grub they also want to be paid!

Anyhow, Santi went viral (again) this week when a couple of “influencer content creators” got in touch for the usual freebie and he said fine, named a date and time, and these two guys showed up. Santi filmed the whole thing, with him making a big production of preparing a mortadella montadito (basically a bologna sandwich) which he plated as if it were michelin-star quality and then presented it with a flourish along with a couple glasses of tap water. When the two influencers looked confused Santi explained that whenever people come to his door asking for a food handout this is what he gives them.

Santi, I salute you! And I look forward to visiting you and your bar again soon.

a dantastic afternoon

28 Thursday Nov 2024

Posted by in christmas, food & drink, friends, restaurants, sevilla, spain

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deb graceDeb & Grace

Deb is back! This time with her friend Nina. And so we met up at Manolo Cateca, along with Grace (who is soon to be neighbour) for a pre-lunch sherry and to also delivery their Sevilla L’Armanaques. Peter also joined us as I wasn’t actually able to carry the two almanacs on my own (they’re quite heavy this year!). He then took home all the lovely loot Deb brought for me from London: mince pies, the latest Decanter mag (with my article in it!), a lovely card to add to my collection and a mystery gift which I am trying not to open until Christmas Day. Afterwards Deb, Nina and I went on to have lunch at the fabulous Lalola Restaurante. And oh my, what a lunch it was.

This is becoming a lovely tradition that I hope continues, with Deb returning to Sevilla every year to revisit the places she and her late husband Dan (aka Dan Jamón) used to go to in their favourite city. Today, as in the past three December visits, we met for what inevitably ends up being a very long, very boozy and very emotional lunch, and this was no exception. The restaurant choice was perfect because Dan loved his jamón, really anything Ibérico, and so going to Lalola, and having chef Javi Abascal, El Rey de la Casquería (the Offal King, sounds better in Spanish) prepare a special Ibérico tasting menu just for us was… well, Dantastic.

lalola (1)🐷 starters: buñuelo de bacalao, jamón croqueta, chicharrón de cádiz topped with scallop tartare

🐷 sautéed boletus topped with seared foie

🐷 arroz Ibérico with jamón, presa, asparagus, topped with papada

🐷 grilled abanico Ibérico with potatoes

🐷 jamón baklava with pistachio ice cream and white chocolate crumble

🥂🍷 Sumarroca, Ossian Wines, Cortijo Los Aguilares, Bodegas Baron

lalola (2)chef Javi Abascal

beirutina

15 Tuesday Oct 2024

Posted by in friends, gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla

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beirutini

My friend Fourat has just opened a restaurant literally a stones throw from my balcony. Stopped in for a first quick visit and omg it’s fabulous. Lebanese food, full of flavour and textures… as soon as you walk in you are enveloped in the fragrant aroma of all the gorgeous spices. Also beautiful décor designed by Fourat. Review coming soon on Sevilla Tapas.

orange days 2024

09 Wednesday Oct 2024

Posted by in gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla

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orange days-001

When it comes to choosing an emblematic image for Sevilla it has to be the orange. The more than 40,000 orange trees lining the streets and squares throughout the city provide both shade and beauty, and for those few glorious weeks in early spring the air is filled with the delicate scent of azahar when the trees are in blossom.

The Sevilla Hotel Association’s 23rd Jornadas Gastronómicas will take place October 10th to November 10th with 29 establishments participating with a special dish or menu paying homage to the Sevilla Orange. 

fish plates!

25 Wednesday Sep 2024

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fish plates

After Monday’s GP visit we decided to stop for a quick Beer O’clock at Los Claveles, a very popular traditional bar that just happened to be half-way between the health centre and the bus stop home. After scoring a table in front of the large open windows we decided to stay for lunch, since it was actually lunchtime by then and I hadn’t updated their review on Sevilla Tapas since 2015 (!).

Anyhow, the tables were all set up with these pretty fish plates and when I asked our waiter where they came from he said he had bought them at a little shop in Marbella. Dang. But later on, after paying I went up to the bar and cheekily asked if I could buy a couple of the plates… then was totally surprised when the owner told his son “just give them to her!”. Score! I mean I was happy to pay for them, but it was a lovely gesture on their part.

This reminded me of many bar owners I know who “lose” their glasses, plates, cutlery on a daily basis because of assholes who want a “souvenir”. One bar I know lost two dozen monogrammed sherry glasses on one night when a bunch of drunken tourists decided to take them home and got away before the staff noticed. I also know a michelin starred place that had to change their fabulous cutlery because clients were making off with sets of them. Wtf guys… JUST ASK. Often the bar is happy to let you have the item(s) at cost price, and sometimes, yes, as a free souvenir. But just taking them… well, that’s stealing isn’t it. Show a bit of respect.