Seville

My posts on my European Vacation 2011 are so delayed – sorry!

Here is a recap of Day 1 – Seville, Spain.

Now to continue, my husband and I headed to the El Arenal district looking for a place to eat. Unfortunately, most of the places did not sit well with us due to the lack of vegetarian/chicken items on the menu. We walked a little further and stumbled upon Casa Pepe Hillo.


RESTAURANT REVIEW: CASA PEPE HILLO



LOCATION: Calle Pastor y Landero 24, Sevilla 
MENU: n/a 
COST: $$
CUISINE: Spanish
RECOMMENDED TO: Everyone

We were served Complimentary Bread which we used for dipping into our half portion items.

And of course, we ordered a pitcher of Sangria – it was wonderful, however Bar Toro Toro had slightly better Sangria than Casa Pepe Hillo.
Again, we ordered the Spinach and Chickpeas dish since it was familiar and vegetarian. Very good, however again, Bar Toro Toro was better.

Next was the Gamba de Croquettas (Shrimp Croquettes) which are fried and crunchy on the outside, creamy mashed shrimp on the inside. They were good, but way too many for us to finish. The sauce was tasty which tasted like a Southwestern dip.

VERDICT for CASA PEPE HILLO: 3 / 5
Although this place was good, it was about a 5 minute walk away (it was extremely hot) from the El Arenal district and I don’t think it was exceptional.  Let me also reiterate that my choices were very limited in Spain since I don’t eat red meat, you may have better luck here if you eat red meat.  You are better off considering a place in the heart of Santa Cruz or in El Arenal.

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My husband and I then walked along the Guadalquivir River to burn some calories and enjoy a stroll by the calm river.  It was really hot on that particular day, easily over 95 degrees.  We crossed the Triana Bridge and made our way into the Triana district.
Most of the shops were closed since it was past noon… a cute and quaint neighborhood, but I wouldn’t recommend staying in the Triana district as it can be a bit boring during the evening hours.
After a late afternoon nap while the Seville heat subsided, we enjoyed a drink on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel – Vincci La Rabida. The views were splendid and at the very least worth checking out.
We then walked over to our first ever Flamenco Show – Tablao El Arenal.  The concierge at our hotel recommended this show and the tickets were purchased directly from the hotel.   The other show that received great reviews was the El Palacio Andaluz.  Click here for a list of shows with all the information - I would recommend doing a show with a drink, but the food didn’t look that great.


For every show you have the choice of 1 drink per person, or tapas/drink, or a full meal, we just went for the drink – Sangria.  And I believe this is the Sangria that got me “terribly” sick the next morning.  You must be wondering did I eat the fruits?  Oh.Yes.I.Did!  SIGH!

If you do consider watching a flamenco show, you must see it in Seville where they say Flamenco originally originated from, of course it is one of the many theories.
Enjoy the following Flamenco video below - lots of clapping of hands, stomping your feet, and intense singing.

Tablao El Arenal Flamenco Show (Seville, Spain - 9/2011)

After the show we enjoyed a quick Tapas meal and some copa (house wine).  I can’t recall the name of the restaurant, but the food was good.

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OVERALL:
Seville is a beautiful and romantic city where you get a sense of the real Spain. The city has an old and historical look with a modern feel. The life here is a bit slower, a bit calmer, and the people here are extremely warm and friendly.

Having said that, I do believe the food in Seville was the most expensive out of all the cities I visited in Spain (Madrid, Seville & Barcelona), possibly since Seville isn’t as commercial as Madrid and Barcelona. The choices in food are pretty limited if you enjoy vegetarian/chicken/shrimp. When in Seville, try some authentic Andalucían cuisine – Sangria, Fried Fish Spinach & Chickpeas.

In addition, when you do visit Seville I strongly recommend spending 2 days (1 or 2 nights) here so you can get a true sense of the culture.  And if you are just passing by, then spend most of your time in the Santa Cruz district, stroll through the beautiful cobblestone streets, take a buggy ride, opt to dine right outside a restaurant so you can people watch, drink Sangria, and truly get a sense of Seville.

Lastly, when staying in Seville, you can easily do a daytrip to Granada where you can visit the Alhambra.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to visit.


TELL ME: Have you been to Seville? If so, where did you stay? Where did you eat? What sights did you see? Share with us!