One of Spain’s most historic cities is also one of the best foodie cities in the world.
There are great tapas bars all over Spain, all over the world, really. But, Andalucía is generally regarded as the birthplace of tapas. And, Seville, in my mind, has the best tapas culture.
The story goes that in nearby Cadiz, a windy place on the Atlantic, bartenders began placing a slice of cured meat on top of glasses of Sherry to keep sand out of drink. By giving their customers a salty treat, the bar sold more drinks!
This topping (Tapa in Spanish) on the glass became popular when King Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) was supposedly passing through Cadiz and was served his drink with a slice of Jamon (cured pork) on top of his glass. After that, King Alf, ordered another glass “con la tapa,” or with “with the top.”
There is another story that many Tapa are pork-based in order to aid the Spanish Inquisition.
In the late 15th century, Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity or leave Spain. These so-called conversos (converted) would be offered Tapas and if they took a snack without pork it was used as evidence that they were still practicing their outlawed religion. Surely a very dark time in Spanish history.
There are so many amazing Tapas bars in Seville, it would be impossible to visit them all. My friend Pilar, who has lived in Seville all her life told me that she is still discovering new places, even after all these years. So, the following list is by no means exhaustive, but it does represent my favorites; a mix of traditional and modern tapas places in Seville.