Start off with the ensalada de ahumados, a seafood salad served cold, before diving into generous plates of tortillitas de  camarones (shrimp fritters), garlic shrimp, caracoles (snails) and crowd-pleasing chocos fritos. You’re sure to get a bona fide Spanish dining experience.

 

Update notice: This article was updated on August 18, 2023. 

You know how and where to enjoy lunch in Seville like a local. Now it’s time to step up your game and head out to lunch with a local. On our Tastes, Tapas & Traditions Tour, you’ll spend the morning exploring the Andalusian capital with a foodie guide who knows the city like the back of their hand—as well as a small group of fellow curious travelers who will soon start to feel like lifelong friends. Come hungry!

 

In a city with another bar around every corner, how will you ever decide where to have lunch in Seville?

From charming traditional bars with handwritten menus hung up behind the counter to chic, modern establishments with a flair for interior design, your options for lunch in Seville are limitless. To help narrow down your search, we’re here to give you the lowdown on lunch in the city and insight into our top five spots to grab a bite.

How to lunch like a local in Seville

Want to blend in with the locals during mealtime? Lunch in Seville is typically from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., although most bars and restaurants will open their doors by 1 p.m. so guests can sneak in a caña or two before their meal. Make sure to prep for this later lunchtime by embracing the Spanish meal schedule, including a leisurely breakfast and a post-breakfast, or pre-lunch, snack to tide you over. 

Most places in Seville don’t take reservations, so you’ll want to check the restaurant’s hours beforehand. Try not to arrive right in the middle of their lunch schedule unless you’re prepared to wait a little bit at the bar or outside the restaurant, albeit drink in hand, for a table!

If you look around you at other diners, most will have either a small beer, a tinto de verano, or a glass of wine in hand, but it’s just as common to order a soft drink or sparkling or still water. 

Our 5 top picks for lunch in Seville

Bodeguita Antonio Romero

A Seville mainstay through and through, Bodeguita Antonio Romero is where you’ll find a perfect sampling of all of the city’s most traditional dishes, including their two most renowned montaditos, or small sandwiches: the pringá and the pirípi. While you playfully argue over which is better, be sure to also order a tapa of tortilla al whisky and espinacas con garbanzos, as well as a plate of the chocos fritos (fried cuttlefish). 

Heads up: They’ve got multiple locations, but we prefer the one tucked away into a corner on Calle Harinas, with its jovial waitstaff and authentic ambiance.

Las Golondrinas

The neighborhood of Triana is essentially a city inside of the city—with enough restaurants of its own to be worthy of an article dedicated to it—but if you can only eat at one place, go to Las Golondrinas. 

The bar’s specialty is its punta de solomillo, a thin slice of pork atop a piece of fresh bread. While it sounds simple, it will delight your taste buds in ways they’ve never known. (You’re going to want to order more than one per person, trust us.) 

To accompany it, grab a tapa of the mushroom caps topped with a flavorful green garlic sauce, and the chipirones a la plancha (grilled squid), too.

Salsamento

Your trip to Seville wouldn’t be complete without trying a variety of quesos, chacina, and conservas—or cheeses, cured meats, and preserved seafood—at Salsamento. 

Veritable experts on charcuterie and wine, this stylish restaurant’s menu has something for every type of palate, from tame to adventurous. Our favorites include the cured payoya cheese with rosemary, the chili-spiced goat’s cheese, the chicharrones de Cádiz (slow-roasted pork belly), and the spicy preserved sardines.

Al Ajibe

The feel of an upscale dining experience, but with bargain prices, Al Ajibe is the place to go for Spanish food with a twist. This restaurant, located in Seville’s bohemian Alameda neighborhood, is home to the city’s tastiest risotto and barbecue ribs. But we also love the tataky de atún, grilled salmon with avocado mayonnaise and pork shoulder served with potatoes, mojo picón, and pimientos del padrón. 

Local’s Tip: They have an upstairs terrace, but you can’t order tapas if you sit there, so grab a seat outside or inside on the main level to get to taste more of what they have to offer.

Blanco Cerrillo

If you’ve come for for seafood, look no further than Blanco Cerrillo.

This no-frills spot serves up big plates of fried and grilled seafood at modest prices that will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief. Given that you can order individual tapas, half portions, and heaping full portions, this family-style restaurant is great for groups – everyone can order what they like!

Start off with the ensalada de ahumados, a seafood salad served cold, before diving into generous plates of tortillitas de  camarones (shrimp fritters), garlic shrimp, caracoles (snails) and crowd-pleasing chocos fritos. You’re sure to get a bona fide Spanish dining experience.

 

Update notice: This article was updated on August 18, 2023. 

You know how and where to enjoy lunch in Seville like a local. Now it’s time to step up your game and head out to lunch with a local. On our Tastes, Tapas & Traditions Tour, you’ll spend the morning exploring the Andalusian capital with a foodie guide who knows the city like the back of their hand—as well as a small group of fellow curious travelers who will soon start to feel like lifelong friends. Come hungry!