The sounds of hands clapping and creating the rhythm, the sounds of the guitar picking up pace with the song, and the sounds of the shoes stopping furiously on the floor. These are the sounds of flamenco, the sounds of Seville. So it only made sense that we were desperate to combine the two things that you must do in Seville– see flamenco and eat tapas– to make a complete, all in one, experience!
Flamenco: The Sounds of Seville
Since living in Seville I have been captivated by the sounds of flamenco. I don’t mean by playing flamenco music in my house. But more so the sounds the encompass the lifestyle of flamenco, a lifestyle that is truly lived by some people in the city.
The people singing on their balconies in the morning, sometimes waking me up from my night’s sleep. The friends breaking into song after a few late night drinks. So on our quest to share Seville’s flamenco, the first stop was to find somewhere that could best represent this authentic, spontaneous nature of flamenco that is true to life for those who live flamenco in Seville.
To experience an authentic flamenco show in Seville, be sure to join us on our Seville Tapas & Flamenco Tour!
Choosing the perfect flamenco show
I spent a couple of weeks in May going from flamenco show to flamenco show, deciding which place would be the best fit for what we were trying to achieve. In the end, after much discussion, we settled on a great authentic show, which is tucked away in the backstreets of the historic Santa Cruz neighborhood. Aside from an amazingly
Aside from an amazingly sevillano setting (in the internal patio of a 15th-century building) it also happens to be one of the only shows in Seville that doesn’t use amplification or microphones during the performance, giving it a completely raw and natural sound– just the way it should be!
But it’s not just about flamenco…of course, tapas too!
Flamenco was just part of the fun. Of course, I had to figure out the best local bars and restaurants to work with, so what followed what a lot of revisiting old favorites, discovering new ones, and working out which ones would fit best together to create the perfect tapas experience! All that eating and drinking was tough work, but of course, I was happy to be a part of it…
Starting with an aperitif to share the traditions of Seville
We wanted a combination of both old and new, with some classic sevillano traditions worked into the story. And on a mission to share the traditions, at the last moment I stumbled across a wonderful new abacería (part grocery store, part bar), which was typical in Seville during the 1950s– a place where you could go to buy basic supplies, but sample them there too! This tradition almost completely died out, but nowadays there are wonderful new gourmet versions popping up around the city. And this one happens to serve vermouth straight from the barrel, making it the perfect first stop for an aperitif!
This tradition almost completely died out, but nowadays there are wonderful new gourmet versions popping up around the city. And this one happens to serve vermouth straight from the barrel, making it the perfect first stop for an aperitif!
And of course, any experience in Seville has to involve one of the city’s wonderful historic bars!
But aside from these wonderful new finds, no tour is complete without including one of Seville’s most historic places, so I managed to squeeze in an old favorite, that happens to be steeped in 145 years of history. And of course, it’s there that we decided we had to try to things that are compulsory to try in Seville– a glass of crisp, cool manzanilla sherry, and mouth-watering acorn-fed Iberian ham!
And after the aperitif and flamenco show, comes the dinner!
The hard work wasn’t not over– we still didn’t have the perfect place to have a post-show dinner. As a team, we sampled a few different options and thought long and hard as to where would be the best spot to finish off the experience. In the end, we settled on an old favorite of mine, one that I had been taking many happy guests to in my pre-Devour Seville days and was happy to return to.
While Seville has many places serving very traditional food, our dinner takes place in a restaurant that was one of the first to experiment with “modern” tapas, cooking dishes using different ingredients and international influences. And of course, all washed down with glasses of fabulous local wines– the perfect way to finish off the evening!
Sounds like a fantastic time, doesn’t it? Well, get ready to join us on our Seville Tapas & Flamenco tour. This unique experience brings together the magic of an authentic flamenco show and an array of quintessential tapas and wine. Don’t miss it!
Sounds like a great evening Cyra! How far ahead to reserve? My wife and I will be in Seville December 18th through the 26Th…sadly leaving on the 26Th! Thanks for the article and what sounds like a great tour!
Bob Davidson