Category Archives: tapas tours

new year 2025!

01 Thursday Jan 2026

Posted by in casa azahar, seasons, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours

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Happy New Year! In keeping with tradition (or one of them anyhow) I hobbled over to Barrio Santa Cruz at lunchtime with Peter to visit my two favourite bars there. First up was Las Teresas where we arrived just in time to grab a couple of bar stools in front of the jamón cutting station (my happy place). Ordered some cava and raised a glass (and some jamón) to Dan Jamón as that was his happy place too. Then we went around the corner to Casa Román for some sherry and tapas. 

I don’t get over to the ol’ hood much these days – I used to be around there at least 2-3 times a week on my tapas tours – because what should be just over a 20 minute walk now takes almost an hour of slow painful hobbling. So while it was lovely to see everyone, and they were all so happy to see me too, it made me realise how much I miss my “old life”, and the people in it, and being able to, you know, walk. 

While at Casa Román I was chatting with Manolo (he’s just behind the sherry glasses in the pic below) and later remembered that he’s had surgery for either his knee or hip, can’t remember. And I thought, well he’s a big guy, must weigh at least as much as me… so then I wondered why I am being fat shamed by doctors and denied proper treatment when a large (not fat) man weighing the same or more than me isn’t. It would seem that weight isn’t the issue after all. Anyhow, I will start that fight up again after my birthday. Because I really really really want my life back. 

katie & co

06 Monday Oct 2025

Posted by in sevilla, sherry, spain, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours

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Remember Katie & Paul? We met back in 2023 when Katie (a twitter/insta pal, that’s her on the right) looked me up while they were in town and we spent a lovely sherry-filled afternoon together. Then they came back in February this year for the first Bowland & Bay Sevilla Getaway and last week we did the second one. And you know what? I think we’re getting good at this! Apparently round three is going to happen in March.

Katie runs her adventure food company Bowland & Bay out of Lancashire UK so if you happen to live near there, or will be in the area, look her up. Below a couple of “after” shots from the Sherry Tour on Friday. On Thursday we did a Market and Tapas tour in Triana (both modified from the usual tours to accommodate a larger group and my limited mobility). A job well done!

Pam & Gibert

29 Friday Aug 2025

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

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Vaughn, Nora Frances, Pam & Gibert

It’s always so lovely when clients become friends. Pam & Gibert were first here in April 2024 and came out with me on both a Flamenco Tour and for a Sherry & Tapas Tasting. We’ve stayed in touch since then and so when I heard they would be stopping in Sevilla briefly at the end of August with another couple we had to do something. But what? I could have offered them a Triana Tour for something different but of course I CAN’T WALK. In fact, the only work available to me since last August has been the tastings because they take place in one bar and I can hobble there and back again at my own snails pace. So then I had a think and put together the “Off The Beaten Path ON CRUTCHES Tour”. And it was actually fabulous.

All the bars were about a five minute walk (ten minute hobble) apart and – most importantly – not far from my house. We started off early at Sevilla’s sherry temple Manolo Cateca in order to get The Table (there’s only one) and while Manolo doesn’t take bookings he agreed to hold the table for me if we got there right at 12.00 noon. Deal! After that a few posh seafood snacks at La Barra de Cañabota followed by the “main course” of traditional tapas at Taberna Zurbarán (who also don’t take bookings but did me a favour). And well, it turned out so well I am tempted to offer it as one of my regular tours, except other than Cañabota I would have to call in a favour each time at the other two places and I don’t want to take advantage. It would work with just two people as we could always squeeze in without having to book everywhere. Hmmm… maybe something to think about.

Anyhow, Pam & Gibert will be back AGAIN next March (“I’m like a bad penny, Shawn”) and I really can’t wait to see them again. Even if just to hear Pam’s wonderful southern accent again… I could listen to her all day.

a good day

21 Thursday Aug 2025

Posted by in bitesize sevilla, flamenco, life stuff, sevilla, tapas, tapas tours

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I almost didn’t go out today but, as I did stay-at-home yesterday, I gave myself a push and ended up so happy that I did. It wasn’t so blisteringly hot, down almost 10 degrees from last week, but I still hopped on the 32 bus for one stop to cut down on painful walking. On my way to the Flamenco Museum (researching an upcoming Bitesize Sevilla article) I was surprised to see Ultramarinos Lucas open. My friend Roger had told me about this place ages ago but every time I passed by it was closed. So of course I had to go in. An ultramarinos is a small grocery store / wine shop where you can often have a glass of something and a snack. So I went in and met Pablo, whose grandfather had started the shop more than 100 years ago. We had a nice long chat and I promised to come back to do a write up. 

In spite of the quick bus ride it was still a bit of a hike to the Museo so we decided to stop off for a quick Beer O’clock at Salmedina along the way. 

At the Museo I met with Carlos to get some help with how to structure my article and while I was there I was hit with such a feeling of… almost like homesickness? I’ve been taking people there on my flamenco & tapas tours for almost 15 years, but of course not since last summer when I started needing crutches to walk. I guess it was a combination of missing both the place and my old life. Anyhow, Carlos was super helpful and I came away with tons of notes, plus he sent me extra info by email.

By then it was lunchtime and, as I hadn’t updated Catalina La Barra in over a year, we headed over there. Even managed to find stuff on the menu I hadn’t tried! And then it was time to hobble home. Got back around 4 pm, took a shower and just felt… so happy. I don’t know, it doesn’t sound like anything special but it really was. Meeting and chatting with different people, feeling purposeful, a nice meal. A good day. 

bowland & bay

27 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in gastronomy, sevilla, sherry, tapas tours

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You may remember Katie & Paul, who visited here back in the fall of 2023. We’d met through social media and then also got to meet in person and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. Katie runs food adventure company Bowland & Bay in Lancashire UK and this week she hosted her first “trial run” Sevilla Getaway with six close friends, and of course Paul (aka Sherry Boy) came along too.

At first Katie had wanted a Triana Tour and a Sherry Tour but of course I CAN’T WALK, which I didn’t think was still going to be an issue when we first started organising things last October. Well okay, I can’t walk much. So since there were going to be eight of them requiring a slightly modified itinerary anyhow, I basically came up with two new “experiences” for them which would require less walking (and taxis home) for me. And both of them went so well I may start offering a version of these shorter tours on my website. Because, other than still being able to do my Sherry Tastings, the tours have been on hold since last summer. We shall see.

Meanwhile, Katie is already organising her next Sevilla Getaway for next October and I’m already looking forward to it.