Food · Seville · Spain
What to eat in Seville
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Seville, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Salmorejo, Spinach with chickpeas and Pork cheeks. Sevillanos move from bar to bar, ordering one or two tapas and a drink at each, often standing at the counter. Lunch is the main meal and usually runs from about 2pm to 4pm; dinner starts from about 9pm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Salmorejo
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tipping is modest in Seville: locals round up or leave small change in bars and about…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Salmorejo
A thick, chilled purée of tomato, bread, garlic and olive oil from Córdoba, topped with chopped egg and jamón. Thicker and richer than gazpacho, it is a staple of summer menus.
Where: Almost every tapas bar from spring to autumn; ask for it without jamón for a vegetarian version.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.Spinach with chickpeas (Espinacas con garbanzos)
A Moorish-influenced stew of spinach and chickpeas flavoured with cumin, paprika, garlic and fried bread. It is the classic Seville tapa and usually vegetarian.
Where: Traditional bars in Santa Cruz, El Arenal and around the Alfalfa.
Dish
3.Pork cheeks (Carrillada)
Iberian pork cheeks slow-braised in red wine or sherry until they fall apart, often served with fries or mash.
Where: Tapas bars across the centre and Triana; a reliable order everywhere.
Snack
4.Montadito de pringá
A small toasted roll filled with pringá, the shredded meats, chorizo and morcilla left over from a slow-cooked stew. It is a classic Seville bar snack.
Where: Old-fashioned taverns in the centre and El Arenal.
Dish
5.Fried fish (Pescaíto frito)
Lightly floured and fried small fish, squid, cuttlefish and marinated dogfish (adobo), sold in paper cones in freidurías.
Where: Freidurías in Triana and the centre; take a cone to eat by the river.
Dish
6.Solomillo al whisky
Pork tenderloin in a garlic sauce made with whisky and olive oil, a Seville bar classic despite the unexpected ingredient.
Where: Many traditional bars around the Alfalfa and Plaza del Salvador.
Dish
7.Jamón ibérico
Cured ham from Iberian pigs, often acorn-fed from the nearby Sierra de Huelva and Sierra Norte, sliced thinly by hand and served at room temperature.
Where: Tapas bars and specialist ham shops; Jabugo ham from Huelva province is the local benchmark.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
8.Churros with chocolate
Fried dough sticks dipped in thick hot chocolate. In Seville you will also find calentitos and the thicker 'papas' variety.
Where: Churrerías and cafés across the city, especially on weekend mornings and in winter.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Torrijas
Bread soaked in milk or wine, fried and coated in honey or sugar and cinnamon, traditionally eaten during Lent and Holy Week.
Where: Bakeries and cafés in the weeks before Easter.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Convent sweets (Dulces de convento)
Enclosed nuns in several Seville convents bake almond biscuits, yemas (egg-yolk sweets) and other treats sold through a revolving wooden hatch so the nuns stay unseen.
Where: Convents such as San Leandro and Santa Paula in the old town, and a convent-sweets shop near the Cathedral.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Fino, manzanilla and tinto de verano
Dry sherries from Jerez and Sanlúcar are served chilled with tapas, while locals cool off with tinto de verano, red wine mixed with lemon soda, or a cold caña of Cruzcampo beer.
Where: Every tapas bar; old taverns serve sherry straight from the barrel.
Food experiences
Tapas crawl
Sevillanos move from bar to bar, ordering one or two tapas and a drink at each, often standing at the counter. Plaza del Salvador, the Alfalfa, El Arenal and Triana are the best areas.
Mercado de Triana
The covered market across the river has fruit, fish and ham stalls alongside small bars serving tapas and a glass of wine from mid-morning.
Sherry tasting
Taste fino, manzanilla, amontillado and oloroso in old Seville bars, or take the train to Jerez for a bodega tour.
Late dinner
Dinner rarely starts before 9pm, and in summer much later; plan a long, slow evening of tapas rather than an early sit-down meal.
Quick bites and street food
- Montadito de pringá — Old-fashioned taverns in the centre and El Arenal.
- Churros with chocolate — Churrerías and cafés across the city, especially on weekend mornings and in winter.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Spinach with chickpeas, Churros with chocolate, Torrijas, Convent sweets and Fino, manzanilla and tinto de verano. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is the main meal and usually runs from about 2pm to 4pm; dinner starts from about 9pm.
- Many bars offer both a tapa and a larger media ración or ración; tapas are the best way to try several dishes.
- Ordering at the bar is cheaper than sitting at a terrace table in many places.
- Bread and olives may be charged even if you did not order them; it is normal and inexpensive.
- Some family-run bars close for part of August when owners escape the heat.
Tipping
Tipping is modest in Seville: locals round up or leave small change in bars and about 5–10% in restaurants for good service.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola, buenas | Hello (informal greeting) |
| Una caña, por favor | A small draught beer, please |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Una tapa de… | A tapa of… |
| ¡Olé! | Bravo (at a flamenco show) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Seville famous for?
Salmorejo, Spinach with chickpeas, Pork cheeks and Montadito de pringá. A thick, chilled purée of tomato, bread, garlic and olive oil from Córdoba, topped with chopped egg and jamón.
+Is Seville good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Spinach with chickpeas, Churros with chocolate and Torrijas.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Seville?
Tipping is modest in Seville: locals round up or leave small change in bars and about 5–10% in restaurants for good service.