Category Archives: tapas bars

madrid fusion 2018

17 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in andalucia, events, food & drink, gastronomy, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars

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Madrid Fusión is an international gastronomy fair aimed particularly at chefs, but also at other industry professionals. As well as the main exhibition area, the highlights are the cooking demonstrations and master classes, wine tastings and competitions, and seminars on a wide range of topics from new cooking techniques to environmental issues.

This year’s event is the 15th edition and runs from the 22nd – 24th of January, and is extra special for Sevilla because the City Council and Tourism Board is promoting the city and its tapas, including a Tapas Jam Session “show cooking” on the opening day. This fabulous video features the four bars taking part in this presentation and I am so proud to be able to say that they are not only four of my favourite bars, chefs, owners and teams, but they are also my friends. I’d love to be there to cheer them on, but I have a previous work obligation so will be there in spirit instead.

The featured bars are: La Azotea (chef Santiago González) Cañabota (chef Marcos Nieto), El Gallinero de Sandra (chef & co-owner Nacho Dargallo) and Lalola Taberna (chef & owner Javier Abascal). Watch the video – it’s gorgeous.

[also posted on Azahar Sevilla]

amigas & más

10 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in food & drink, friends, sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars

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chef Javi Abascal & Cinta Romero

I love this chica. I was fortunate to meet Cinta Romero a year ago when I visited her unique private catering venue La Cochera del Abuelo. And I was even more fortunate when shortly afterwards she became a part of my fabulous We Love Tapas team. Since then we have become friends as well as colleagues, and she is always an inspiration to me.

As Cinta and I share a passion for gastronomy in Sevilla we also make great “tapas research” partners. But yesterday was an extra special outing as we finally managed to meet up at La Lola Gourmet Tapas, which is run by a friend of Cinta’s, chef Javier Abascal. We were treated to a special tapas tasting menu, which was outstanding.

Later we were joined by Cinta’s daughter María (who had the burger) and later still by her husband Javier (for a penúltima). It was a fantastic afternoon, with lunch finally finishing around 6.00 pm. Great food and wine, even better company, and lots of interesting conversation. Mostly “talking shop”, which could have continued for a few hours more. Instead we made a date for a “tapas dinner” next week to pick up where we left off. Really looking forward to it.

manic monday

04 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in christmas, food & drink, friends, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars

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The last time Ania @ania_marchlik and I got together for lunch was far too long ago, so on the eve of her heading home to Poland for the holidays, we decided to meet up for what ended up being quite an exquisite tapeo. I checked my “to do” list of places I needed to update for Sevilla Tapas and thought it had also been too long since I’d been to Cañabota. Turned out Ania had never been there, but had always wanted to go, so I got in touch with the owner Juanlu to see if there was any way to squeeze us in and, although fully booked, he found us a “hueco” before another booking for us to have lunch.

It was actually perfect timing, and we didn’t feel rushed in the slightest. The food was even better than I remembered it, perhaps in part because Juanlu is now focusing on a strictly seasonal menu. Check it out…

Afterwards we took a walk over to La Azotea on calle Zaragoza for dessert and (of course) a penúlitima. Somehow we always end up at one Azotea or another. And somehow “dessert” ended up including some crispy filo filled with cheese and prawns, and a plate of jamón, along with Ania’s choice, the lovely orange cream you can see up there. Anyhow, it was a great afternoon and my first “Christmas lunch” of the season. Looking forward to a few more, and also meeting up with Ania in Málaga when she is briefly back in Spain.

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joel & kelly

30 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by in friends, sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars, twitter, twitter friends

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Just over four years ago Joel & Kelly first came to Sevilla and we went out on both a Market & Tapas Tour and a Gourmet Tapas Tour together. This time no assistance from me was required, other than to give them a few tips about some new (or new to them) bars they might want to visit. But of course we had to meet up for a bit of sherry, tapas and chat. It was great to catch up. xx

willie & venetia

18 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by in andalucia, day trips, friends, gastronomy, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, wine

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This story begins in April 2015 when Venetia @vblebus got in touch with me about my trip planning service as she was organizing a family trip to Andalucía. I recognized the surname and saw that I had been following her husband Willie @willielebus for quite some time, as a “person of interest” on the London wine scene. Anyhow, Venetia and I got to work on her trip and, after the first draft was completed, she said her (adult) kids had decided they preferred a beach holiday that year, so we put things on hold because V said that she and Willie would surely be coming to Andalucía on their own. And just over 2.5 years later… they came!

And it really was like meeting up with old friends. I knew they were interested in excellent food and wine – the “real deal” rather than wanky michelin star stuff – and so it was a delight to take them out on a couple of tapeos while they were in Sevilla, as well as recommend other great places for them in Córdoba and Granada. I also worked out itineraries for them and helped them choose their hotels and arrange transporation.

All of which made me realise that I should be pushing the trip planning thing a bit more. This project started taking shape around the same time I came up with We Love Tapas, and so it ended up on the back burner. But now that WLT is up and running I can turn my attention to developing this service, which is a great way to diversify and continue working in my fields of expertise.

Meanwhile, already making plans for Willie’s & Venetia’s return trip, which will definitely include visiting a few sherry bodegas.