Sevilla’s Best Tapas

San Sebastian and Barcelona get the praise when it comes to Spanish cuisine, but pound-for-pound, Sevilla offers some of the best meals around. Here are my Top 10 favorite tapas dishes in Sevilla:

1.  Cuttlefish cigar, Eslava

• Cigar-shaped puff pastry filled with cuttlefish and black cuttlefish ink, then garnished with algae.
•  This tapa sounds much stranger than it is. It’s a delicate and creamy Spanish egg roll, straight from the bottom of the sea.

2.  Orange-wrapped duck tacos, Az-Zait

• The ultimate Spanish infusion, borrowing flavors from Spain, Morocco, France, and Mexico.
• This is not a regular menu item so we were lucky to try it. If you go, it’s worth asking the friendly Scottish waiter to add this for you.

3.  Egg and mushroom cake, Eslava

• Slow-cooked egg yolk served on a caramelized wine reduction Boletus mushroom cake.
• Admittedly, this one is an acquired taste but it’s heavenly.

4.  Corvina tartare, Seis

• Corvina tartare with garlic and truffle oils, red onion, watercress, and horseradish aioli.
• This special menu item was a pleasant surprise; a perfect cut of fish with variety of unexpected flavors, which is exactly what I crave when it comes to Sevillana cuisine.

 

5.  Tenderloin in creamy dill sauce, Eslava

• Beef tenderloin coated in a fresh, cool dill sauce.
• The dill sauce alone might put this dish in the Top 5.

6.  Manchego cheese ice cream, Eslava

• Savory Manchego cheese ice cream served with tomato jam and quince.
• This is the best savory desert I’ve ever had: salty, creamy, and sweet goodness. I still have dreams about it.

7.  Patatas Bravas, Az-Zait

• Patatas Bravas is Spain’s most typical dish, so you may be surprised to see this on the list; however, Az Zait (“olive oil” in Arabic) brings some Moroccan flair to this Spanish classic.
•  Az Zait’s crispy potatoes are coated in cumin and accompanied with a fresh yogurt sauce, in lieu of the more traditional tomato sauce.

8.  Scallops and pork belly, Ovejas Negras

• Seared scallops and pork belly, served over sweet corn grits and topped with shaved truffle.
• This is an incredibly rich dish that you shouldn’t save for last.

9.  Salmorejo with olive oil ice cream, Az-Zait

• I’m a little surprised this one fell to #8.
• Southern Spain’s cold tomato soup, Salmorejo, is similar to Gazpacho but more smoothly pureed.
• At Az-Zait, they drop a scoop of olive oil ice cream into this bowl of deliciousness. Az-Zait took a great dish and made out of this world.

10.  Calamari and saffron mayo, Ena

• The safest dish on our list, but when calamari’s done right and topped with saffron, it’s worth a mention.
• Ena is a well-known restaurant at one of Spain’s best five star hotels, Hotel Alphonso XIII. However, the conservative nature of this property doesn’t allow Ena to take the culinary risks that make Spainsh cuisine, and the rest of the list, special.