Albert C.
Yelp
Deeply satisfying tapas with a rare combination of great portions and great variety.
I was studying Spanish in Seville for a month and my close friend was visiting from the States. We had just watched the sun set over the beautiful Plaza de España and hankered for some traditional tapas. We came across this restaurant on our way back into city center. We put our name down and were told the wait would be half an hour. Although it was well past 9pm, we were completely immersed in the Spanish life of eating late and letting things be, so wait we did. Luckily we did not wander far. In five minutes, several tables opened up, and we were promptly seated in the restaurant.
We sat next to the glass wine cellar. Twenty, maybe twenty-five, customers shared the cozy amber hue. Most of the customers were tourists, but there were a few larger tables of locals. The décor was unabashedly quaint.
As customary, the waiter took our drinks order first - a tinto de verano (red wine with spritzer) and a clara (beer with lemonade). Both were refreshing reprieves from the 40 degree heat outside. Then we looked at their extensive menus (printed in both Spanish and English) and went to town. Most dishes were offered in tapa, medium, and large. As everything we ordered was tapa-sized and more substantial expected, we can only fathom the absurdity of a "large" portion.
= Food =
Starters:
- Homemade fois gras mi cuit with vanilla oil and caramelized peanuts (€5.20): more of a terrine texture, but still great flavor without being too heavy. Absolutely loved the caramelized peanuts - crunchy, honeyed, and light! It was a great start to the dinner.
- King prawn carpaccio with sesame seeds and soy reduction (€4.50): my first time trying prawn carpaccio. Not a fan of prawns generally, and this dish did not change that. But my friend enjoyed the dish and it tasted fresh.
Main courses:
- Squid ink spaghetti with garlic, pesto and grilled scallops (€4.20): only one scallop for the tapa size, which is to be expected. Unlike other squid ink pasta that tastes solely of squid ink, the garlic and pesto flavors complements and elevates the briny squid ink. Great dish for those who always crave a small portion of carbs for dinner, without ordering an entire plate of pasta.
- Grilled "Pluma Ibérica" (Pork) with curry oil pumpkin and fried rocket (€4.70): my favorite dish of the night. The pork was cooked to perfection - tender, moist, and flavorful. I'm not sure I've had better pork before - and I've had a lot of pork growing up in Hong Kong. The curry oil was a surprising addition to the traditional garlic-centric Spanish flavor. I would definitely order this again!
- Grilled Argentinian beef fillet with a sweet mustard sauce (€4.70): solid steak, cooked perfectly to medium rare as we ordered. Well salted, but otherwise a standard steak.
Stewed oxtail in crispy filo pastry (€4.90): I love oxtail, so I had high hopes for this dish. But I was disappointed. For me, oxtail is still best served on the bone, with the tendons. However, the sauce and the pastry were great. If you've never had oxtail, and are not willing to work your mouth through an oxtail bone, this could be a good dish.
Dessert:
The dessert dishes were mostly cakes and torts, displayed in a cart by the door. Nothing jumped out at us, so we were content to nurse our food babies with a second round of drinks.
At the end of the meal, our waitress forgot our coffee. After we followed up, she apologized and quickly shuffled to the bar to make the coffee herself. She also left the coffee off the bill, and told us it was on the house.
= Verdict =
I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Seville. Authentic Spanish tapas without being traditionally heavy on olive oil. Both my friend and I had a wonderful night, and left very satisfied.