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Seville

El Garlochi - order a bright red Santa Sangre and gawp at the Catholic tat:View attachment 57618

I ate at loads of amazing places but i did not record the names of the places. :oops:
There was one that served veal steak with foie gras on top that made me think of you, Spy.
Went to a few tapas bars - careful you don't over order - it really is possible - there's a lot of pig.
I'll do a bit of googling to see if anything jogs my memory

You are a gentleman and a Woodcraft scholar.

El Garlochi has gone to the top of the list and I promise pics and a report.
 
Casa Robles Laredo was the veal steak place I think. Good booze too and you can sit on the square.

I wish I could remember the best place we atr tapas at. It was next to the one that was supposed to be the best in town and was somewhere on Av Menendez Pelayo I think. Anyway, Santa Cruz is the area for it. Bar Alfalfa was one good tapas iirc, further into Santa Cruz in the back streets between the avenue mentioned and the Alcazar. Loads of tapas places there and fun to just wander around. Loads of flamenco places to go to round there if you want to see Andalusians yelling and stamping.
 
quimcunx BA fly city to Granada now so you could avoid the time/cost/detour of Malaga if you wanted (though central Malaga is surprisingly nice- castle is worth a look, as is the Picasso museum)

Cordoba has the Mesquita (spelling?) which is incredible but I fell for Seville. The old town, the cathedral, the Alcazar (again, spelling?!), climb la Giralda, go to the Plaza Espana (even if you just coo at the tiles, snigger at the gondola things and then run away from the hawkers). The Metropol Parasol is bonkers. Bullfighting museum is fascinating (if a teensy bit grim). Lovely, lovely city. Great food too.
 
Yeah, I saw that. I suspect they will be more expensive. I'm not a happy flier but for some illogical reason I am often better on smaller planes - I occasionally fly LCA - dundee, but I've not flown so far in one and it will be slower, I think, and this might give me more time to be nervous and convince myself I'm going to die. hmm. Cost will probably be the deciding factor and from a quick look at malaga the other week it did look nice enough for a day's stay anyway.

I feel cordoba is being sold short as it is not mentioned in the title. We shall see, we shall see. I'm sure it will be lovely wherever.
 
Yeah, I saw that. I suspect they will be more expensive. I'm not a happy flier but for some illogical reason I am often better on smaller planes - I occasionally fly LCA - dundee, but I've not flown so far in one and it will be slower, I think, and this might give me more time to be nervous and convince myself I'm going to die. hmm. Cost will probably be the deciding factor and from a quick look at malaga the other week it did look nice enough for a day's stay anyway.

I feel cordoba is being sold short as it is not mentioned in the title. We shall see, we shall see. I'm sure it will be lovely wherever.
Yeah, they are all lovely cities. Only thing on flight cost, IMO, is factor in transfer cost/time. Flights into both have been fine, though there is often a little turbulence before landing because of the mountains and the sea. On the Malaga flight there were people screaming which didn't add to the experience :rolleyes:. It always happens, is very slight and really isn't anything to worry about.

We picked up a car in Malaga and drove to Granada, which didn't take that long and was a lovely drive, but would be a bit long to Seville or Cordoba IMO.

Cordoba is my mother's third favourite city in Spain. Make of that what you will :D
 
turbulance? screaming? *cancels holiday*

That is a good point on internal travel costs. . I'll be in granada either before or after seville/cordoba. I'd be training it. I've not driven for 10 years and I didn't like it then!
 
turbulance? screaming? *cancels holiday*

That is a good point on internal travel costs. . I'll be in granada either before or after seville/cordoba. I'd be training it. I've not driven for 10 years and I didn't like it then!
Spanish trains are very good. I went Valencia to Barcelona about 18 months ago and it was quick, clean, and the ticket price included a glass of Rioja :D

Check connections, routes etc before you book- the airport in Malaga is a way out of the town so you'd need a cab I think. I honestly can't remember where the airport in Granada is. Old age or baby brain or something.

I always wonder about mentioning things like turbulence. I'd rather know, as I hate surprises.... It's really not bad, it just surprises people. And it gives you a chance to see how good your crew are- last flight the stewardess (I don't think I'm supposed to call them that any more) was walking down the aisle with a tray of glasses and kept walking without dropping a single glass or touching a single seat to steady herself- she just sort of swayed in counterpoint :cool:
 
Spanish trains are very good.

Not so good for Granada unfortunately. Bus is always by far the best option. Buses here are excellent value, very comfortable, normally with WiFi. Check alsa.es

Alsa pretty much has the monopoly on national bus routes in Spain. Their website is all you need. They are owned by National Express BTW. Not sure why I mentioned that.

The airport which serves Granada is a 40 minute/€3 bus ride from the centre of the city. It is a very nice airport. Expect to be on the bus within 15 minutes of landing.

The bus station in Cordoba is a fair trek from the old town. You need to allow a good 45 minutes if walking. I always really enjoy Cordoba. Seems to have a perfect balance of old and contemporary. I generally use this place when staying there. Cheaper options, but it is well located and good value.

I still haven't returned to Sevilla since the start of this thread. It will be pretty hot and humid still in September. I am not a fan of humidity - I am realising that now in 26 Degree Ibiza. I would far sooner be in the dry 36 Degree heat of Granada. September temperatures in Granada are perfect. If it rains it just rains HUGE for a few minutes to wash all the cars off the streets.

I will almost certainly revisit Sevilla at some point, but I will wait until early Spring.
 
My other tip for eating out anywhere in Andalucia is don't be afraid to ask locals for a reccomendation. It can be very hit and miss, but in most cities you find a good 'menu del dia' during lunch hours for less than €10. It is best to avoid any other option during the day. Granada is famous for free taps, and if you know where and when you can live very healthily on tapas for the cost of a drink.

I found it difficult to get good service and food in Cordoba for being English until I learned Spanish! Make the effort - it gets respect.

A typical menu of the day will offer a choice between half a dozen first and second dishes. Includes wine, whatever drink you would like (sometimes branded colas etc are extra). A desert, or coffee to finish. Por example; you could start with a good sized salad, or gazpacho, followed by paella, or fish, or meat with potatoes, or chips, washed down with as much red wine as you care to drink, finish with a cafe con leche, flan, or fruit salad all for €8 if you know how to ask the locals where.

Evening meals are very different. This is when most places make their profit! Best to eat well for lunch and do tapas at night.
 
I think most people are going to advise you to go to Cordoba. I haven't been but I've heard it's amazing. If you were going for longer I'd say stay in Seville and do the trip out to Cordoba.
I live half way between Seville and Cordova. Cordova is nice. But I often get lost there! It is worth the trip IMO.
 
I found it difficult to get good service and food in Cordoba for being English until I learned Spanish! Make the effort - it gets respect.

Seville is great for food, but dont expect this! even if you can speak spanish, expect to be ignored, served slowly and to receive fairly average at best service. cos in all honesty, 90% of bars are like that, and it's pretty normal. Generally, people don't tip much. Maybe a euro or two if you get good service, Spaniards will never add 5-15% IME. Occasionally it is included automatically, but best in cash to the staff.

Speaking Spanish just means you might understand the specials and recommendations better. generally people are super honest in seville and it's worth listening to what they recommend. when in doubt, get a tapas and try it. Menu of the day is usually a good bet too, and even if the food's average, well you get some booze and a coffee or pudding for about 8 euro. So....

The place on Mendez Pelayo mentioned earlier is probably La Vineria San Telmo. It's in front of jardines de Murillo, on a street behind Santa Maria La Blanca. Expensive but big n decent tapas. Lots of places are good value and decent food however.

I would also recommend:

Bar Catalina (next door to San Telmo)
La Chaparrita (Mexican restaurant on Eduardo Dato, across the road up the bridge and straight on from Santa María La Blanca. Excellent.)
Bar Levies (SHIT service. but fairly cheap and wide selection, some veggie options. food sort of tasty and varied, somewhat basic, but it's a great location. nice outdoor seating. just down the street is La Carboneria for touristy flamenco and piano sing-a-longs, v. fun.)
Los Coloniales (cheap, good grub, very busy usually, 2 locations -- the one up from Encarnación has outdoor seating)
Bodega Santa Cruz Las Columnas (on mateos gago, street up from cathedral into santa cruz. super traditional, great banter, good place for drinks and tapas or montaditos)
La Oveja Negra (in centre near cathedral, good wine)
La Azotea (more expensive, but good tapas. towards alameda)
Eslava (Plaza san lorenzo. posh, small tapas, got a big reputation)
La Chunga (big reputation, great tapas, posh nosh, near plaza de torros)
Las Columnas Alameda (greasy chips and typical unhealthy spanish tapas before posh food came along. get a serranito!)
Casa Paco (Alameda - some great food and outdoor seating. best in the evening but gets busy. good beer on tap for a change, has leffe)
La Madrassa (towards the end of alameda, street off to the right, up past a kebab place on a corner)
Paladar (towards the end of alameda, street off to the left, street from the cop shop. some good fish and veggie-ish options)
Duo Tapas (end of alameda, calle calatrava, some excellent food)
Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion tapas on Calatrava at the end of Alameda. AMAZING!)
Antojo (Calatrava, at end. apparently not as good as used to be, but ive had some stunning food there. posh nosh).
ConTenedor (On San Luis, posh and expensive, amazing food apparently but i've never been. know people who have)


There are tbh, loads more, and plenty of Sevillanos would never go to some of those places. Not all are typical food, but not all "typical tapas" are always amazing. Some are! Sometimes variety is nice, and jazzed up tapas has hit Sevilla big in the past 10-15 years. I think it's probs one of the best places to eat out in Spain. Far better than Granada and Málaga, IMO. Generally don't expect much understanding or options if you're vegetarian, and if you're strict, RESEARCH online and expect them to try and serve you fish, jamon, chicken etc as veggie options. You need to be quite demanding basically! It is not easy in most places in Seville.

I'll try and make a list of "things to see" but quite busy atm, and lots is already on this thread. DON'T MISS La Alcazar, it's awesome. Going out to Italica in Santiponce is also a good bet if it's not too hot, as there's little shade there. Great restaurant in front that serves big dishes of meat, has a big reputation. Se come bien en santiponce!
 
oh and people are generally really honest in seville. they have various other flaws and drawbacks i cant be fucked to go into, but...

there arent many places in europe...

the bar staff will tell you which booze is crap and which is great
which food is the freshest and you should go for
you can order a coffee and stay for a day without being asked if they could possibly bring you anything else (ie, when are you leaving)
you are not just a walking wallet to rip off. people will rarely try to short change you, taxi drivers dont drive you the wrong way to clock the meter etc. none of that kind of shit like happens in parts of Italy.

yes, dont leave your bags or stuff lying around. someone will steal them eventually. that goes for most of Spain IME (or indeed the world_), and remember there is an unemployment rate of 35% in the city. better that than violence and aggression, which you almost certainly will never encounter.

btw. To do, a summary...

Alcazar (amazing, seriously. great gardens too. free entrance on monday at 4pm I thiiiiiink)
wander around santa cruz and la juderia
Parque Maria Luisa (great for exploring, amazing trees etc, 2 interesting museums in plaza america on the other side. archaeology and ethnography)
CAAC modern art museum in an old monastery on the cartuja (get bus or taxi)
Museo de belas artes (amazing building and worth going for that alone)
Cathedral (BIG. great views from la giralda. free entrance to another big church too, with some good bars in front of it)
Las Setas mushrooms or metro parasol. Go up before sunset and have a drink, it's included in the ticket, look out over the city etc.
Flamenco (best place IMO is el nino de alfalfa on calle castellar, usually weekends. Or La Caja Negra on Mondays has a show at the end of Alameda)
get out to Italica to see the Roman stuff.
Go to La torre del orro, cross the river and explore triana.
La Alameda (more 'alternative' area, good for a wander, check out the columns of Hercules
Go and see the historic walls of Macarena. Memorial there to the thousands shot there when the facists took the city. the nationalists went through the neighbourhood raping women and throwing grenades into houses. dont expect anyone to mention that.
Try and find out what NO8DO, the sign of the city means. I challenge you ;)

there are good walking tours of the city, mostly free (tips innit) and twice a day, leaving from Plaza Nueva near the cathedral where the tram stops. might be a good bet. Enjoy!!
 
Yeah nice one Riklet

It wasn't San Telmo though. They were closed and we walked further up the street to this place wot I can't remember
 
i'm just looking at hotels. This one is lovely with a pool and a bargain but a bus ride from the centre.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_...el-Seville_Province_of_Seville_Andalucia.html

Or stay centrally. The main advantage of being very central is I can go back to the hotel for a little while and head out again. If it's less central I might go back then not be bothered venturing out again.

I'll be on my own the first couple of days an I'm not very good at getting myself up and out.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/pas...d4ecaca8050e0311ac40X1;highlight_room=1624210
 
Ignore me if you've booked already, but the al andalus is quite far out. Although there are regular buses.

I'd generally recommend somewhere more central though, you will get more out of Seville that way, in terms of atmosphere etc.

Then again it is gonna be super bloody hot for the next 2 months, so a swimming pool etc might well come in handy. You will want air con etc!

I'd recommend looking again around the santa cruz /juderia historic area, there are some decent hotels by the cathedral n up that way. the posher ones are generally out of the centre tho, with one or two exceptions.

Definitely bargains to be had. For 50e a night or less you should be able to get somewhere pretty great. Airbnb is also worth a look, some great places n deals on that.

Even if you have a pool, a day trip to Cadiz for the beach n the city would definitely be in order!
 
bump!

My wife and I are heading to Seville in March to celebrate our anniversary, the stuff on the thread is gold so is there anything to add to the list?

Also we're staying in Triana, is there anything round there worth exploring, eating, drinking?
 
Just re-read this thread and am yearning to go back. The best thing about living in the UK is that France and Spain are on the doorstep.
 
bump!

My wife and I are heading to Seville in March to celebrate our anniversary, the stuff on the thread is gold so is there anything to add to the list?

Also we're staying in Triana, is there anything round there worth exploring, eating, drinking?

Triana market is good and there's some nice bars on the nearby streets. Hiring a bike and cycling to Italica is what I'd recommend. Just work out where to cross the river on a quiet road !

I preferred Triana as it's a more locals place and not touristy but within walking distance of the centre.
 
I left last year and can't wait to g9 back.

Got a love hate relationship with the place/people. But mostly love haha. Bloody weird place though.
 
Been speaking to a friend and she recommends spending some time in Jerez and Cadiz if I go to Seville (which looks very likely).
 
Been speaking to a friend and she recommends spending some time in Jerez and Cadiz if I go to Seville (which looks very likely).
I lived in Jerez. It’s ok. If you go visit the Williams and Humbert bodega. They do a dancing horse show and tour of the winery. Don’t drive if you do this. Beware of where you eat. The tourist places inflate their prices.

The year I lived there was miserable so I have no really good things to say about it, but that’s not the fault of the city.
 
Bumpity Bump!

Going to Seville in early Nov, staying in Triana. 3 day break so no excursions out of the city.

Any further recommendations?

I absolutely love sherry.
 
Bumpity Bump!

Going to Seville in early Nov, staying in Triana. 3 day break so no excursions out of the city.

Any further recommendations?

I absolutely love sherry.
It’s my last day in Seville today. Petra does great tapas - you’ll need to book though. We tried to go to Habinita for lunch but they had a power failure. Wouldn’t bother with either of the food markets that now have food halls. The one by the river is ridiculously overpriced and other other one has gone really downhill and hardly anything open I’ll dig out a couple more restaurant recommendations when my Monzo is working again so I can remember where I’ve been!

Triana great for bar hopping. Great city to bimble round.
 
I lived there for several years. This is a list I've previously sent to foody friends:
Álvaro peregil for orange wine and tapas;
Bar santa cruz las columnas for breakfast;
Las Teresa's for cold tapas and acorn fed Iberian ham;
Freiduría la isla for fried fish;
El atún for honest, made with love comidas caseras;
Maestro Marcelino for sweet local delicatessen vibes and local wines from the cask;
Heladería Olmo for freshly made ice cream.

They're all locally owned places and the food is excellent.
 
I lived there for several years. This is a list I've previously sent to foody friends:
Álvaro peregil for orange wine and tapas;
Bar santa cruz las columnas for breakfast;
Las Teresa's for cold tapas and acorn fed Iberian ham;
Freiduría la isla for fried fish;
El atún for honest, made with love comidas caseras;
Maestro Marcelino for sweet local delicatessen vibes and local wines from the cask;
Heladería Olmo for freshly made ice cream.

They're all locally owned places and the food is excellent.
Oooh, I’ll keep that list for my next trip
 
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