13 Wednesday Nov 2024
Posted in sevilla, tapas bars
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The Repsol Sol is the Spanish version of the Michelin Star and, like the Michelin guide “recommended” category, they also give out different “soletes”. Last night in Córdoba six traditional tapas bars in Sevilla were awarded Soles con Solera, for bars with history and integrity. Very happy to see some of my friends included.
San Pablo is the only one that isn’t on my Sevilla Tapas website. I have actually been there for a Cold Beer O’clock but not to eat. Yet. Congratulations everyone!
30 Wednesday Oct 2024
Posted in casa azahar, friends, sevilla, tapas bars
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The other day my friend Javier (who was once my flatmate a million years ago) sent me this photo. Javi and his wife Laura have led quite a nomadic life these past years but they continue to keep a storage unit back home and he said random finds like this make it all worthwhile. This t-shirt is from 1999 when Javi did a brief stint working at Bar Campanario.
My first time at Campanario (which no longer exists) was when I drove down from Salamanca in 1993 with a friend and with all my worldly belongings in the back of his car, along with some precious cargo – my cats Lua and her son Sunny.
We arrived in Sevilla at 8 pm, as previously arranged (to meet landlord and pick up keys), and miraculously found parking almost in front of my new home in calle Mateos Gago. But there was no landlord. And as this was 1993 there were no cell phones, so we just waited. And waited. Finally we asked the bar we were parked in front of if we could get something to eat and drink, but we didn’t really want to leave the car because of the cats and all. And bless them, the people at Bar Campanario actually brought food and drink out to our car, like we were at a drive in, and it was lovely. The landlord finally showed up at 11pm full of apologies, but we were fine (and the cats were happy to see their improvised litter box!).
Bar Campanario ended up becoming my local, heck it even became my living room (my studio apt across the street was tiny). The owners became friends and still are. This photo from Javi brought back a flood of memories, which I’ve shared with the family.
25 Wednesday Sep 2024
Posted in restaurants, sevilla, tapas bars
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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.
22 Thursday Aug 2024
Posted in history, sevilla, spain, tapas bars
I don’t know how I never knew this. I had Cervecería Internacional on my “to do” list of tapas bars to update after I noticed that the last time was in 2012 (!!!). So checked their website to see when they would reopen after their summer holidays and there was also a link to page on Casa Moreno. What the heck? And so I started googling around and found out that both places were started by Francisco Moreno (!!!). Casa Moreno was founded in 1945 and then in 1987 Francisco was offered the space a few doors down and decided to expand on his collection of international beers that he sold in his small bar at the back of the food shop.
Francisco Moreno’s daughter Antonia, along with her husband Antonio, took over running the cervecería while Francisco junior and his wife Carmen ran the abacería. Still with me? These days the grandchildren are in charge, with Antonio junior at the beer bar with his right hand Carlos and Marta Moreno with her brother Fran running the shop and bar along with the venerable Emilio, who has been with them for 40 years.
To think that a week ago I knew nothing of the family connection between these two bars, despite Casa Moreno being one of the places I consider home here. Anyhow, loved doing the research, both online and in person. Since it looks like I’m going to be on enforced leave for a while to come (can’t walk!) maybe I should get onto writing that book!
Carlos, Antonio Jr & Antonio Sr (2024)
Juanma & Antonio Sr (2012)
13 Tuesday Aug 2024
Posted in food & drink, sevilla, spain, tapas bars
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Here’s Peter with a pumpkin that weighs more than he does. We stopped in for a snack at Doña Emilia yesterday, which is the riverside restaurant/tapas bar of the Manolo Mayo family. This 100 kilo specimen was apparently their runner-up in the largest veg-fruit competition held annually in Los Palacios (where the Mayo family is from and where they have their original restaurant and their own vegetable garden). So the even bigger pumpkin and giant watermelons (also winners) stayed in Los Palacios.
casa azahar 