Albert C.
Yelp
Small but top-notch tapas restaurant in the center of Seville with hints of modern fusion
My friend and I came here for lunch shortly after she arrived in Seville to visit me. We arrived 10 minutes before they opened at 1:30pm and were promptly seated. The small restaurant looked like the creation of a London hipster who fell in love with Spain. Dark tones and bright accents gave the space a modern feel that juxtaposed with the narrow entrance and neighborhood. Soon it was packed and bustling. Most of the customers were tourists like us, likely due to the early hour (ha) and high Tripadvisor rating. But notwithstanding the occupancy, our waiter did not rush us.
We first ordered drinks: a tinto de verano (red wine spritzer) and a rebujito (manzanilla sherry refresco). We did not care for the rebujito (from no fault of the bartender; it was our first time trying the drink and simply disliked the licorice taste of the manzanilla). But the tinto de verano was refreshing as always, a delightful reprieve from the 45 degrees heat outside.
We asked for recommendations and ordered (over-ordered perhaps) many of the suggestions. But, as it was our first day together in Seville, a large celebratory meal was a necessity. Note, the prices are higher than typical tapas dishes, but the portions are also larger. We barely waddled out of the restaurant.
= Food =
Chicken Chinese ravioli with corean sauce (€5.5): Translation? Pan-fried dumplings over spicy sauce. Rare find, Asian food in Spain, let alone in a tapas restaurant. But all said and eaten, surprisingly authentic and delicious. So much so that we recommended it to the French couple sitting next to us. Beautiful presentation and well-fried dumplings.
Slow braised pork cheeks with mashed potatoes and pig jus (€4.60): Super tender pork cheeks soaked with flavor from pork jus. A pinch over-salted, but perfect when eaten with the potatoes. The mashed potatoes were buttery and silky-just heavenly. One of the best pork cheeks I've had in Seville!
Scallops atop sweet corn soup, pork belly and truffle (€6.90): I loved the combination of sweet corn and scallops; reminds me of Hokkaido in Japan. The thick, sweet-savory corn soup was ambrosial, laden with umami from the pork belly fat and truffle. The scallops were fresh and well-cooked; I just wish they were bigger ;)
Octopus, mashed potatoes and cabbage (€8): Still haven't cracked the code on how the Spanish make their perfectly tender octopus. Again, a satisfying dish. We had enough of mashed potatoes at this point, but the crunch from the cabbage was an unexpectedly perfect foil for the octopus.
Spinach and mushroom lasagna (€4.50): Disappointing dish, but that might be because it came last and we were already stuffed. Nothing wrong with it - tastes like any ol' spinach and mushroom lasagna in America. Good for your daily dose of vegetables, or pasta craving, but otherwise, pass.
At the end of the meal, the waiter brought us a lemon digestive (Spanish limoncello if you will) in test tubes. We cheered to a wonderful meal, took a sip, agreed we still didn't like limoncello, and left them be.
= Verdict =
I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Seville. Although it mightn't be the most Andalusia-representative tapas restaurant, you will surely get a great meal. Get there early if you don't want to wait!