Discover the Best Tapas in Triana With Devour Tours

Seville is home to more than 3,000 tapas bars, ranging from vibrant spots on bustling street corners to charming hideaways tucked in quiet alleys and everything in between. So, how can you be sure you’re experiencing genuine, authentic tapas? 

I joined a tapas tour with Devour Tours, a company I’ve grown to trust through multiple fantastic experiences all over Europe.  

In this article, I’ll give you the heads up on exactly what to expect and why I think this tour is a great way to discover the historic neighbourhood of Triana while enjoying some of the best food the city has to offer. 

If you haven’t checked out the Triana district in Seville yet, you’re in for a treat! It’s got a more authentic and chilled-out feel than the historic centre. 

Even if you don’t go on a tour, it’s definitely worth wandering around and trying some of the spots I talk about to discover the best tapas in Triana for yourself.

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Is It Worth Doing a Tapas Tour of the Triana District in Seville?

Triana is one of Seville’s most historic neighbourhoods, it feels like walking into a living history book. 

Did you know that this was where the Gitanos first settled, bringing with them the soul-stirring rhythms of Flamenco? This district is considered the birthplace of this passionate dance.

As you wander around, you’ll spot loads of artisan ceramic shops each filled with vibrantly coloured tiles. 

The tile-making tradition started when the Muslims brought their ceramic skills over, using the local clay and river water. Triana is where a lot of tiles you will have seen on buildings around the city were produced.

I recommend checking out the Centro Cerámica if you want to learn more about it!

Aside from flamenco and tiles, Triana has some of the best tapas in Seville. 

This neighbourhood has more of a local vibe that’s different from the tourist-heavy historic centre. Generations of locals have been coming to these spots – if a place has lasted this long, the food’s got to be good, right? 

Reasons To Choose Devour Tours

If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably come to realise that there are an insane amount of food tours in Seville. So, how do you choose the right one?

Here’s why you should choose one of the food tours by Devour to discover the Sevilles food scene:

• Devour Tours is top-rated, with over 150,000 happy guests since 2012! 
• Group sizes are kept purposely small – our tour had a capacity of 12, but we were only a group of 7.
• You know what you’re getting is truly authentic. Devour Tours supports locally owned and often family-run businesses – many of these places have stood the test of time and have been firm favourites for generations. 
• The guides are passionate locals who make you fall in love with their city and its food giving you tons of insider information.
• All tours are offered exclusively in English.

Still not convinced? Then read more reviews of Devour Tours here.

Dietary Requirements for This Tapas Tour in Seville

I’m a lifelong veggie. Even in this jamon-heavy part of Spain, there are plenty of options for vegetarian tapas in Seville. 

I was the only vegetarian in the group. There was also one pescatarian. 

Although a lot of the traditional foods focus on pork and seafood, there are plenty of choices if you do have a dietary need.

However, this tour isn’t suitable for vegans or anyone with celiac disease. 

Make sure to state your dietary requirements when booking. You’ll also be asked again at the start of the tour for any food restrictions.

“This tour is adaptable for vegetarians, pescatarians, gluten-free (not coeliacs), dairy-free, non-alcoholic options, and pregnant women.” 

We love providing delicious options for those with dietary needs. If you have a dietary requirement or food allergy, please note it when booking. This tour is not recommended for vegans and, due to the risk of gluten cross-contamination, this tour is not recommended for those with celiac disease.” (Devour Tours)

Can I Do a Self-Guided Tapas Tour in Seville?

Yes, of course you can. I mention all the names of the places we visited during our tour as well as what we ate. 

The downside of doing this independently is that you don’t get all the interesting bits of information about the food as well as little hidden gems in the neighbourhood. 

Also, it’s nice to just let someone else do the organization and ordering of food – especially if you’re not sure what the items on the menu are. You just get to relax, chat with the others in your group, and eat and drink.

Tapas in Triana Tour Itinerary

1. Santa Ana Tapas Bar

Santa Ana Church is the oldest church in Triana dating back to the 13th century.

Opposite the church is Bar Santa Ana – not quite as old as the church but still has a long history. It’s been here since 1912. 

The traditional bar is popular with locals, and until recently was locally owned for several generations. It switched ownership to a London couple a few years back – don’t worry, they have ties to Seville! 

They’ve kept the integrity of the previous decor and even uncovered the gorgeous original wooden ceiling. 

Inside, you’ll see a blend of styles paying homage to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, beautifully representing all three religions.

What We Drank at Bar Santa Ana

Our first drink of the evening was Vermouth. A 15% wine-based drink and is usually drank as an aperitif.

The base is mixed with caramelised sugar which has been fortified with neutral alcohol.  It’s then flavoured with botanicals – but there’s no exact recipe. 

Each bar which serves Vermouth uses their own recipe and this is never revealed.

This is my favourite Spanish drink and have gradually been working my way around Seville to find the best Vermouth in the city. The Vermouth served at Bar Santa Ana was pretty good, although I prefer a little less ice in my drink.

What We Ate at Bar Santa Ana

We started with Payoyo cheese which comes from the Sierra de Cádiz in the Cadiz region just south of Seville. This hard cheese is from a special goat here – the Payoya goat. It was tasty, although I thought it had quite a mild flavour for a goat’s cheese.

Those who were eating meat then got to try the Chicharon. This is pork belly, thinly sliced and served with a light dressing of lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil and salt. This dish originates from Cadiz.

The vegetarian option was Salmorejo. This is a thick tomato-based soup which is served cold – perfect for a hot summer day!  It’s made from ripe tomatoes, bread, extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, and garlic – LOTS of garlic, so got the thumbs up from me! 

The Salmorejo came dressed with grated egg on top – quite often it will come with jamon (ham) sprinkled on it instead – remember to ask for the egg if you’re a vegetarian! 

2. Las Golondrinas Triana 

Even after several years of living in the city, I had no idea this gorgeous little restaurant in Triana, Seville existed, for whatever reason it had totally passed me by!

It opened in 1962 and has become a bit of an institution here in Triana.

One of the quirkier things here is the size of the kitchen – it’s tiny. So small, that there is only space for limited cooking equipment. 

Everything you’ll eat here comes from a grill!

And because everything here is grilled, Las Golondrinaa focuses on using top-quality ingredients making it one of the best tapas bars in Triana to go to if you’re not a fan of fried food. 

Since its opening, the menu has only changed once. By that, I mean that only one item has been added. In 1992 (the year of the 92Exposition) lots of internationals came to the city. 

The story goes that some Norwegians came here to eat tapas one day, and they asked why there was no salmon on the menu. They spoke to the owner and said if they added salmon to the menu then they would supply them with the fish for the whole year!  

So, salmon was added, and it’s remained there ever since. 

What We Drank at Las Golondrinas

Here we had the Tinto de Verano – which translates to red wine of the summer.

Most tourists associate sangria with Spain. In reality, the Spanish don’t really drink this – it’s more of a gimmick. Instead, they will have this drink which is a mix of red wine and lemonade which tastes similar, but without all the fruit floating in it.

What We Ate at Las Golondrinas

We shared a large platter of Champiñones con Alioli Verde which are mushrooms grilled and stuffed with parsley Alioli – Alioli is a very strong garlic mayonnaise. 

Those who ate meat then had the Punta de Solomijo which is are sirloin tips. Both of these are specialities at Las Golondrinas.

As a vegetarian, I had Pimientos Asados, roasted – or grilled – peppers served with a garlic and olive oil dressing. I also had the Ensalada de Zanahoria which is carrot salad with a manzanilla (dry sherry) and parsley and olive oil dressing. 

I’m a huge fan of garlic – I’ll put it on everything. Because of this, the mushrooms were my favourite dish here – the garlic was insanely strong. That said, everything I ate here was delicious – and some of the best vegetarian tapas I’ve ever had in Seville! I’ll certainly be back here again.

3. Reina Victoria Pescaderia y Freiduria

This was a pit stop along the way so we could experience what a traditional Freiduria is like. 

A Freiduria serves up fried fish. Stepping inside, the smell took me back to my childhood visits to our local fish and chip shop back in the UK.

During busy times, there’s a small ticket machine. After you enter, you’ll take a ticket and wait until your number is called to be served. However, it was quiet when we visited, so we went straight to the counter.

What We Ate from Reina Victoria Pescaderia y Freiduria

As a veggie – I don’t eat fish, so I skipped trying this. 

The others shared a portion of Cazón en Adobo which is marinated dogfish. It’s then battered and fried.

Adobo is a marinade made from vinegar, salt, garlic, lemon, and cumin. These flavours reflect the North African influence the Moors left on Andalucia.

It’s an Andalusian speciality – although typically you’ll find it in Cadiz which is about an hour’s drive south of Seville.

4. Bar Bistec

When it opened in 1932, this bar only specialised in small sandwiches and snails. They then started making dove stew. No one in our group tried snails or doves!

This is another bar which hasn’t really changed much since it opened. The walls are covered with small azulejo tiles and high wooden chairs and bench-like tables. 

What We Drank at Bar Bistec

We started with a Manzanilla which is a 15% dry sherry. 

To be called sherry it must come from Jerez de la Frontera, often it’s just called Jerez. The word Jerez translates to sherry in English.

Vino de Jerez ranges from being very dry to very sweet. 

Manzanilla can only be made in one town Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It’s located near the river and coast so the area has a high humidity. The humidity causes the flor (a thin layer of yeast) to form on top and protect the wine from oxidising. This gives a very pale and very dry sherry. 

We tried a brand called Solear – it’s one of the more popular brands here. It had a sweet smell but was a little bit oakey.

I found it a little too dry by itself, but it pairs well with salty foods like olives and jamon. A bowl of green olives was brought out which helped to balance the flavour.

We also got to choose a second drink here, I opted for another Vermouth. Some of the others tried the sweet Pedro Ximenez. 

What We Ate at Bar Bistec 

The others in the group got to try another Andalcian classic – the Gambas Al Ajillo which is a bubbling hot dish of shrimp covered in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and chilli. 

They also tried the Croquetas de Jamon. These bite-sized eats are made from pork meat –  in particular, puchero which is the leftovers of a pork stew. From the broth of carrots, onion and leeks, everything is mixed to make a bechamel sauce. These are then covered in breadcrumbs and fried. 

I had the Calabacín Fritos (fried courgettes). Usually, I’m not a huge fan of fried foods, but the batter on these was incredibly light – they weren’t greasy or heavy at all!

We also ate another popular Andalucian dish, Espinacas y Garbanzo which is a stew-like dish made up of spinach and chickpea. It’s another dish with a heavy influence from North Africa, and flavoured with garlic, cumin, paprika, and on occasions a tiny pinch of chilli.

Espinacas y Garbanzos is a firm favourite of mine, especially in winter. It has that comfort food feel. This one had a good balance of fragrant spices.

And this finished off our evening of exploring Triana, learning about its fascinating history and tasting some amazing food in the neighbourhood.

With our bellies full, our tour had come to an end.

Tapas Tours in Seville FAQs

So now you know what to expect on a tapas tour in the Triana district in Seville. Of course, you can visit all of these places by yourself, but the main advantage of joining a tour is all of the interesting bits of information along the way. Even after living in Seville for a few years, I learned so much. 

If you want to discover more about tapas in Triana as well as the history of the area then check out Devour Tours for more information. 

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