How to do Seville, Spain like a local: Late lunches, flamenco nights and easy walks

Few European cities combine history, beauty and walkability as seductively as Seville in southern Spain, balmy even in winter and perfumed by the blossoms of some 40,000 orange trees. It’s been home to Romans, Moors and finally the Spanish, who in 1503 made the city Spain’s principal port, vastly enriching it. The capital of Andalusia, Seville ticks many boxes for travellers seeking quintessential Spain — flamenco, gazpacho, bullfights, equestrian culture and colourful ceramic tiles. Monumental sites like the Cathedral, Royal Alcazar palace, and the Archive of the Indies collectively merit their own UNESCO designation. New additions include an expansion of the city’s contemporary art centre CAAC; a replica of the Nao Victoria, the ship that departed Seville in 1519 and the first to circumnavigate the globe; and a crop of new hotels, including the just-opened boutique Cristine Bedfor and the Four Seasons, planned for 2027.

FRIDAY

3pm | Lunch late like a local

Life slows down for lunch in Andalusia. Steps away from the Setas de Sevilla, the popular mushroom-shaped observation decks rising above Plaza de la Encarnacion, La Casa del Tigre’s eclectic decor blends oil paintings with folk-art evocations of tigers. Its tapas menu also mixes and matches, combining classic Spanish ingredients and flavours with innovative preparations. A juicy pork taco de puchero is served alongside a steaming shot of rich, savoury broth. Two Andalusian staples — eggs and shrimp — meet in a delicate open-face omelette topped with a piquant citrus mayo. Stellar desserts include a stack of crisp ginger wafers layered between spiced pumpkin mousse. Lunch for two, without drinks, about 80 euros, or about $95 (S$120).

5pm | Stroll the shops

Central Seville’s maze of narrow streets still recalls the souks of Andalusia’s medieval Moorish past. Among the global retailers today, there’s a surprising array of crafts, including jewellery, textiles and elaborate silk and gold fabric trimmings used to adorn religious sculptures and altar cloths seen in city churches. At Tenderete, the owner, Pilar Gavira, curates local ceramics like candleholders (from 32 euros) and tableware (10 euros to 55 euros) in colourful glazes. Heritage hat makers Sombreros Antonio García’s (founded 1847) custom flat, wide-brimmed cordobes hats (290 euros) are favoured by Andalusian equestrians, but their more practical styles (60 euros to 120 euros), crafted of waterproof Spanish wool in colours like garnet or loden green, roll up for easier packing. After shopping, treat yourself to a scoop (2.50 euros) of pomegranate or cinnamon-spiced vanilla ice cream at Gloria & Rositas.

7pm | Get swept up in flamenco

The newly opened Casa Inquieta has made itself heard — and not just with the plaintive notes and rat-tat-tat footwork of its pre-dinner flamenco performances in its multiple floors and spaces. After the show, one could make a meal of traditional Andalusian fried starters like calamari, tortillitas de camarones — crisp pancakes flecked with tiny shrimp — and ham or porcini mushroom croquetas. Heartier fare includes tender fried hake or Iberian pork cheeks braised in red wine. Dinner for two (not including flamenco performance, 32 euros), about 100 euros. Keep the party going with a short walk to Sissi, which combines a retro piano bar with mirror balls, lasers and ‘80s and ‘90s dance tracks for the 35-plus crowd. Cocktails 10 euros to 15 euros; reservations accepted.

SATURDAY

9am | Return to a Golden Age

Stop for an acai bowl (7.90 euros) or eggs Florentine (9.40 euros) at Billy Brunch, or traditional Spanish morning fare, like toast with jamon iberico (5 euros) and churros con chocolate (3 euros), at the nearby Bar Papanatas. Then stroll over to the Museo de Bellas Artes (1.50 euros), amid the cloisters of two stunning former convents and perhaps second only to Madrid’s Prado Museum in terms of the quality and range of Spanish art on view. Seville was the birthplace or training ground of many of Spain’s Golden Age painters, like Velazquez, Zurbaran and Murillo, whose work is displayed at the museum. Contemplate the sculptures, still-lifes and suffering saints, and then stroll the tree-shaded patios.

11.30am | Fall in love with vintage maps and prints

At the peak of Seville’s turn as Spain’s trade capital in the 16th and 17th centuries, the city also lured a new class of artists — engravers and printmakers — who came, largely from northern Europe, to depict its singular beauty in works that could be easily reproduced and collected. In his charming shop, the print dealer and vintage map expert Laurence Shand can explain the subtleties of antique maps and hand-coloured historical views of Seville and other Spanish and European cities. Many such prints, ranging from 50 euros to 750 euros, were originally bound in large collectible albums, such as “Civitates Orbis” (1572-1617), which served to show the urban marvels of the world (and confer a certain worldliness to one’s library).

12.30pm | Cross the river

Triana is the once-hardscrabble, working-class neighbourhood across the Guadalquivir River from Seville’s monumental districts. Cross the Isabel II Bridge for gorgeous views, then walk up Calle Pureza, a street offering a concentrated dose of Triana charm. Buy ceramics (or, with an advance booking, join a class and make them yourself; 25 euros to 40 euros) at Arte y Pureza, or pick up some pates, olives and other local delicacies at La Antigua Abacería. Then visit the royal parish church of Santa Ana (4 euros); begun in 1266, it got a Baroque facelift after being damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The splendid altarpiece features scenes from the life of the Virgin surrounding 13th-century polychrome wooden sculptures of Mary and her mother, Saint Anne, often depicted as a sort of gentle giantess, considerably larger than her daughter to make clear that she’s the mother. Don’t miss the small treasury in the vaulted basement gallery.

2.30pm | Enjoy a seafood lunch

Back at the foot of the Isabel II Bridge (also known as the Triana Bridge) stop for lunch at María Trifulca, set in a 1920s steamboat terminal for ferries shuttling locals, or sevillanos, downriver to the Atlantic beaches of the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Perched over the riverbank, the restaurant has three levels and exquisite seafood displayed in cases on the bar. Try delicacies like sweet white prawns from the nearby port city of Huelva and the prized bluefin tuna caught near the Strait of Gibraltar. Weather permitting, book the upper terrace (reservations can be made up to a month in advance) for sweeping views of the river, the streets of Triana, and the spires and rooftops of Seville. Lunch for two, without drinks, about 140 euros.

5pm | Find a retro fashion treasure

The long street known as Calle Feria in the Alameda area still retains a strong neighbourhood vibe, with many bars and businesses geared to residents (there is also a long-running Thursday street market). Among the mix is a surprising density of quality vintage clothing stores: Find well-curated and moderately priced selections at Antro and Wonder Vintage, while Jueves-Ropero Sevilla Vintage tilts more to statement pieces, including some flamenco ensembles. Nonna’s Vintage specialises in designer bags and Romula, has unexpected finds like leather cargo pants from the hunting label Swedteam (140 euros), ’90s Armani jeans (45 euros) and an Ellesse tennis dress (60 euros) amid the stylish, colour-coordinated displays.

9.30pm | Have a market-style dinner

Also on Calle Feria, the new Lebanese restaurant Zoco continues the marketplace vibe (“zoco” is the Spanish translation of “souk”). Translucent arches hint at a souk’s arcaded stalls and, like a food market, the kitchens and the menu are organised in distinct zones. Most of the starters are innovative takes on Lebanese classic salads and dips like tabouleh, fresh man’ouche flatbreads served with spiced hummus, labne and toppings like sizzling cubes of grilled lamb. The open kitchen’s grill offerings tilt more Spanish with octopus, leeks with spicy romesco sauce, roasted eggplant with hazelnuts and pomegranate or beef and marrow albondigas (meatballs). Dinner for two, without drinks, 80 euros.

SUNDAY

10am | Fuel up for more walking

Brunch is suddenly trendy in Seville — several new restaurants incorporate the word in their name. La Cacharreria is not among them, though it specialises in a wide breakfast and brunch menu, which includes distinctive gourmet toasts (12.50 euros) like dense, seeded brown bread topped with avocado, mango, roasted chicken and mozzarella or cloud-like Japanese-style brioche bread beneath brie, caramelised banana, chopped almonds and honey.

11.30am | Experience the pinnacle of Sevillian palace style

By now, you’ll have noticed many doorways lead to gorgeous flower-filled gated courtyards. Few retreats could be dreamier than the Palacio de Las Duenas (12 euros), the palatial home of the Alba family, one of Spain’s most enduring aristocratic dynasties. In Andalusian tradition, the blank exterior walls give no hint of the earthly paradise within — a blend of Gothic, Renaissance and Mudejar architecture, seen in its horseshoe arches and elaborate plaster reliefs. Eleven patio gardens, fragrant with myrtle, magnolia and lemon trees, feature fountains galore and some are furnished with beautiful antiques, tapestries and paintings hanging in the arcades. Nearby is the fabulous Casa de Pilatos (12 euros, plus 6 euros to see the private second floor), still home to the aristocratic Medinaceli family and displaying vibrantly coloured mosaics throughout its multiple patios. Decide for yourself which opulent family home deserves top prize as the epitome of Andalusian indoor-outdoor living.

By Emilio Parra Doiztua © The New York Times.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.