20 Friday Oct 2023
Posted in gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla
It’s International Chefs Day! 👩🏻‍🍳👨🏻‍🍳 And so here are some fabulous #Sevilla chefs, many of whom I am happy to also count as friends, who have made my life delicious over the years. Today a chef asked me why there isn’t also a day for cooks, and so let’s include them too. A chef, indeed any bar or restaurant, is only as good as its team. Thanks for all your hard work everyone!
19 Tuesday Sep 2023
Posted in anniversary, friends, restaurants, sevilla, sherry, tapas
Tags
me, Reyes & Javi
As this is ANNIVERSARY MONTH Reyes Morales (tapas bar royalty, owner of Casa Morales) and I went out to celebrate me being here all this time and the two of us being friends. Any meet up with me and Reyes inevitably begins with visiting our friend Manolo “Cateca” and asking him which sherry we want to drink, so we did that, and Manolo never disappoints.
Lunch was… well just have a look. I’ve known Javi Abascal (chef and owner of Lalola Restaurante) since he started his first place back in I don’t remember when in Los Remedios and he is just one of the loveliest people. He also knows how to cook!
While Reyes and I could have enjoyed La PenĂşltima at Lalola we decided a little post-lunch walk was in order. Eventually we made our way to the Plaza Magdalena near my house and the new posh hotel in that square. And look what they had! Gorgeous Brut TortellĂł DO Corpinnat. We sat outside enjoying the early evening air and still talking-talking-talking until we finally decided it was probably time to go home! So yeah, got home from lunch around 8pm. I think that’s a record for us, though all my lunches with Reyes end up being experiences neither of us want to end. I am really so lucky to know so many amazing people here.
07 Thursday Sep 2023
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, instagram, restaurants, sevilla
Not my usual Wednesday! JosĂ© Luis Pastrana, chef at brand new Balbuena y Huertas in the soon to be opened Cavalta Boutique Hotel (5 Star GL), got in touch on Instagram to ask if I would like to try their tasting menu. And so after the usual clarification that I don’t accept invitations in exchange for publicity (fine by JosĂ© Luis, he said he preferred it that way) I asked pal Fiona Flores if she wanted to join me. Lately we’ve become quite a good team when it comes to visiting new restaurants, hotels, etc.
The meal, as you can see below, was quite spectacular and lunch lasted until almost 6 pm, after which we were given a tour of the hotel, which is set to open in a couple of weeks. The six-course tasting menu is actually very good value at 38€ (53€ with wine pairing). The meat course was swapped with tuna for pescatarian Fiona and were given a few cocktails too, with and without alcohol. It was a fabulous experience and so I am happy to do a review for them soon on my website. Have a look…
13 Tuesday Jun 2023
Posted in restaurants, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars, wine
I remember being so excited when my first ever article for Decanter Magazine was published (in print) for their March 2019 Spain issue. Later on it was also published online. But of course it’s been a while and there have been a lot of changes happening here and everywhere, so finally I was asked to update my piece and, well, here it is!
25 Thursday May 2023
Posted in restaurants, sevilla
My lovely friends Fabrizia & Franco opened a new pizzeria in the Alameda yesterday and it’s really something special. Offering different pizza styles from different regions of Italy, along with wine pairing suggestions. Stopped by for the opening and had a couple of snacks… must go back with at least 2-3 other friends to help try all the options.Wishing them all the luck in the world, they really know how to do this right.
casa azahar 