53. Fri 14/4/17: La Fabrica, Seville, Spain

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Another old market hall turned into an overpriced glitzy food and drink… market.

This, however, is home to another Cruzcampo Origen tank pub! Look, see, the tanks overhead?!

And it’s alright. Tastes better than the bottled stuff we had over the river. Perhaps it is better. In any case the Origen glasses look different – and the allusion that this is something new and improved does pique the interest in idiots like me. They may have a point… on the other hand, this could be an exercise in turd polishing.

This market though… it’s one for your millennials, it's virtually imploring us old farts to depart. We’re reasonably happy to oblige.

355. Sat 17/3/18: Café Central, Seville

Beer: Paulaner Hefe-Weissdier 5.5%
The over friendly bloke who arrived (late) to show us our apartment was, as they tend to be, something of a tour guide – marking places on the map that we should go to/see. We explain that, though we’ve been to Seville a number of times, we’ve never really explored the Macarena area. He points out an excellent tapas bar near Alameda de Hércules, which has prompted this Saturday afternoon expedition in inclement conditions. We’re bedraggled and miserable – but find the place. It looks awful. It looks like a TGI joint, an “all you can eat” diner or summat.

But it’s pissing down. We’re cutting an increasingly forlorn smear through what seems like a potentially trendy area; and Café Cental (the next port in a strorm) seems quite a trendy bar. We don’t feel we belong. It’s way too young and cool for us – but not achingly/archingly so. It’s nice and relaxed, and the beer is very nice – and only twice as expensive as the local brew.

We have a couple. We discuss whether this place (and possibly Alameda de Hércules in general) is another gay bar (in the gay area). We’re not sure. We don’t care. We’re too damp to care (and not in a sexy way). We think on going somewhere closer to our digs – somewhere closer to our budget, and back amongst our trendless aged demographic.

48. Thu 13/4/17: Bodeguita Cerrillo, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

On previous visits we’ve stayed at an apartment just around the corner from this little (acutely angled) corner bar, and have popped in for first and/or last drinks. There’s room for half a dozen folk inside, at a push, and a similar number outside being served from bar window. We’re outside this afternoon and, mercifully at odds with other establishments today, it’s nice and quiet – just a couple of black widows* and their beaus.

It’s not a bad bar – there’s not enough room for it to go too far wrong. Very basic tapas and no religious or bull fighting flim flammery on the walls.

* A costume relating to Semana Santa: the women (of all ages) dress head to toe in black gowns, with elaborate head pieces. It may just be a Maundy Thursday thing – there certainly seemed to be a lot of them about that day.



No pictures

66. Sunday 160417: Enoteca El Arena, Mercado de Arenal, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Just round the corner from the Meeting Point (see no.65), but in the central aisle of the market; where the natural light streams in to illuminate the Rick Stein endorsed fish restaurant and this – the only other bar that’s open. It’s more wine than beer centric; bottled Cruzcampo the only concession to cerveza, but punters can sit up at the bar - which is a bonus.

On the little telly in the corner they’re showing bullfighting highlights. It’s fascinating and appalling in unequal measure. I am impressed by the Spanish peoples’ love affair with it, but the more I see (particularly the gory finales) the more bemusement/distaste increases and empathy fades.

64. Sun 16/4/17: Bar Europa, Seville

Beer: Estrella Galicia 5%

After yesterday afternoons (thru to this mornings) unfortunate incident, it’s almost 14:30 before we’re back to “back in a bar” normality. After the trauma it’s hard to get into the mundanity of the cups.

The Bar Europa is a nice enough place though. It seems to harbour some memory toward a past age of decadence – Art Nouveau and/or Deco? – I don’t know. But it’s a nice quiet and relaxed pub on the corner of the bustling square round the corner from us.

It’s nice. Nice to be back although I, let alone Steph, am exhausted.

SA insight: Very traditional. Nice tiles.

361. Sun 18/3/18: Mariatrifulca, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Don’t be fooled, this is the rat bar. We saw rats around the riverbank – under the Triana Bridge - from this place a few years ago. This bar has been gentrified since – as, apparently, has Seville - I bet the rats have been asked to move on from this stretch of the Guadalquivir. Seville seems more affluent, generally, than a few years ago. There’s loads more tourists too.

Good for Seville, I suppose… we liked it a little more shambolic.

Is this a Cruzcampo tank pub now? I’m not sure, the bar area seemed to be bedecked in brass fittings. The seafood looked lovely… again, they could more than likely do without scumbags like us – only here for a beer – these days.

I forgot to take any pictures with my phone – something I only realised once we’d left – so the picture is a snap taken from the other side of the bridge. Mariatrifulca is the building partially obscured by the lamppost. That big window was the one from where we saw the aforementioned rats.

364. Sun 18/3/18: El Rinconcillo, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Still, after all these years, the oldest tapas bar in Seville. It’s quite packed in here, as usual, and all fried fish appears to be off the menu.

Love these creakingly aged places; places where the patina has patina… but it’s getting very crowded and the staff seem to be having trouble coping. It’s a pity. There’s another guided tour in here. The fact that English speaking parties are being herded into places we’re visiting, and being spoon-fed “local culture”, is getting ticklish. And painfully embarrassing: one can’t help listening in, learning a little, wincing a lot.

We should probably stick to places off the tourist track… there are some perfectly adequate, and empty, bars in the area (serving the same dull beer). But this is a fantastic place – I wouldn’t want to miss it. When in Seville, do as the tourists do – just try your best to avoid the rush.

We eventually get to order some squid – which is unremarkable. On my insistence we also get chickpeas and spinach which (and it’s not the same outside El Rinconcillo) is, for me, possibly the best tapas dish there is.

347. Fri 16/3/18: Pérez Santos Ventura, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

The signs and the canopy say Bar Arenal Ventura – but Google Earth namecheck Pérez Santos.

Anyway, this is a small bar near the bullring. It’s quiet at the moment, but it’s looking pretty plush… actually, that goes for Seville itself. It seemed a bit run down, down on its heels a few years ago – it’s now looking far brighter and better maintained. There also seem to be far more tourists now than there was before – and that can’t just be down to easyJet's new route flying direct from Luton.

A group of a dozen or so blokes are having a whale of a time – and eventually start getting on my nerves. Steph suggests I stop being stupid, and get another round in.

This bar, this area generally, is fervent bullfighting territory – and walls are festooned with framed black and white shots of bulls and blokes in camp costume preparing to stick a sword into them.

363. Sun 18/3/18: Cerveceria el Tremendo, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

An affable English speaking fellow at the party we gatecrashed in Cádiz (see episode 332) agreed that Cruzcampo is indeed an inferior product now – but there were still places in Seville that sold the good old traditional beer of yore. He gave us some names, which I jotted down in my Czech penguin notebook – and this is one of them.

There certainly seems to be something about this place. It looks clean and bright enough, but generally just bog standard – but it’s extremely popular with the locals. The bar probably has a long tradition as a community hub – but there are no shortage of establishments in this area (including El Rinconcillo, the oldest tapas bar in Seville, just round the corner), not many of which are nearly this busy… (El Rinconcillo is busier – but it is considerably bigger, and better represented on guide books and on telly).


I’m not sure about the beer. I don’t think it’s a relentlessly fizzy as normal, and maybe tastes a bit different/better. Stephanie remains sceptical of that opinion.

I’ve also noticed a sign saying “Cerveza Cruzcampo de barril” in this and, it turns out, several other places (including Casa Morales). The untranslated blurb I’ve managed to look up on the internet since does suggest at a non-pasteurised version – and this is probably it.

58. Fri 14/4/17: El Cangrejo, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Untrendy bar in Rinconcillo environs. The area is packed, but this place has ample room at the bar. It appears to be run by a young couple, whose kid sits on the beer kegs – tapping away, bored, on a device.

Nice tiles – too clean – no patina.

Suffice to say that this bar really wasn’t too noteworthy – although the notes that do exist convey some sympathy with the owners of an empty bar in a busy area. They also have a pop at their serving Cruzcampo, which seems more than a little uncharitable – what was I expecting? London Pride?

365. Sun 18/3/18: El Cangrejo, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Escape El Rinconcillo, which is a fantastic place – but too much, and back to the Cerverceria El Tremendo environs. Right next door to that – looking though it’s mostly employed to cater for the overspill from its more illustrious neighbour, is El Cangrejo.

We’ve been here before (see episode 58), and been somewhat underwhelmed. El Tremendo is small and basic, and El Cangrejo is a step down from that. It’s just a very small, nicely tiled and brightly lit, bar dispensing “Cerveza Cruzcampo de Barril”. This, I’m starting to believe, is the premium variety of the brew – as endorsed by the bloke in the market in Cadiz – that is only available in a handful of places: here, next door, Casa Morales etc.

It really does taste different… I try and persuade myself. Stephanie (and, to be honest, my age addled tastebuds) aren’t convinced.

Anyway the ceramic sign on the wall, which suggests they sell CCdB, leads me to believe that this bar has something going for it – so (whoever is running the place these days) is this time spared the pity I dumped upon it/them eleven months back.

45 Wed 12/4/17: Café Santos, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

From Triana we return back to our apartment by a tortuous route through Semana Santa crowds and processions. We get lost, but eventually find our bearings – and our way back to our accommodation; which is in itself right in the centre of all the activity. Our apartment faces Calle Cuna through which many processions, returning from the cathedral, pass.

The crowds and congestion and fear of getting lost again - leave us wary of going too far away in case we get stranded. We get stuff in from the supermarket, and decamp to this bar – on the street/alley where our apartment’s situated. The procession is due to pass at 10pm. It’s 8.30pm when we get to Café Santos, but we’re not risking going any further.

Rowland serving C'campo

The bar is more back street than we’d normally consider. It’s perfectly alright, bog standard basic, tables and plastic chairs and beer served in wine glasses. The barman, I reckon, looks like Kevin Rowland.

At the table over the way sit a very matriarchal family. The blokes are left holding the babies while several generations of women hold court… seemingly in an air of perpetual mild disapproval. Matriarchs are great. It’s noticeable how the Madonna is venerated, apparently more than her boy. Almost all the processions have two pasos: one, the first, will feature Jesus suffering during some part of his last few days and hours. The Mary paso is the main attraction. It’s almost as if Jesus’ suffering was secondary to Mary’s grief… there’s a theological debate there somewhere; the apparent backlash against the inherent sexism of plans hatched between father and son, with scant regard to the emotional wellbeing of the mother.

A glass smashes somewhere in the bar. Nobody cheers. Idiot foreigners.

47 Thu 13/4/17: Casa Morales, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

The second oldest bar in Seville is an exceptional pub near the Cathedral. We need it quite a bit quieter than this in order to enjoy it though. The whole world and his widow* are in. Casa Morales has two bars, quite different, and the only place we manage to secure this time round is a small bit of shelf in the back bar – with the giant Romanesque (or Roman) wine amphorae.

The front bar is generally nicer, usually more spacious - and certainly lets in far more light.

* relates to the fact that, perhaps only on Maundy Thursday, Andalusian ladies are wont to dress all in black (albeit very glamorously, with a big tall headpiece).

348 Fri 16/3/18: Bodega San José, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%

Is this the quintessential Seville bar? Possibly. Probably. It had more character before it was shut down – it’s reopened, it’s much cleaner: doesn’t seem to require a health warning, but it’s lost some colour in the wash.

Seville, I suppose, is blessed with a number of pubs that just seem “must visit”, in our opinion. This place, Casa Matias, Casa Morales, El Rinconcillo, Bar Santa Ana over the bridge – and we keep finding others. The beer is all the same, and it’s not very good, but a fair few of the bars are excellent all the same.

Anyway, on this visit, it's late afternoon and the bar is quite quiet – until it starts raining and folk come in to avoid it. It’s instantly very busy and very noisy in here.

Among the recent intake a Spanish lady interrogates an Australian chap about his relationship with a lady workmate, who accompanies him. They’re both drinking sangria, which seems a little clichéd. We, like she, assumed the couple were a couple – but apparently they’re not. They look pretty close though… still, we’re not going to pry – but we’ll gladly listen in while somebody else does.

51 Thu 13/4/17: Café Santos, Calle Lagar, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Back in very localest bar – hemmed in by the crowds. It’s quieter (in the bar) than yesterday. The bar still has some Christmas decorations up… I notice this while being roundly ignored, waiting to be served. My petulant bar-rage protestations are vocal enough to warrant a telling off from Steph… and I’m eventually served.

Our beer tonight is served in beer, rather than wine, glasses.

Back at the apartment, the processions tonight, leading into Good Friday, are spectacular.

There’s been a horrible nagging worry throughout (given recent events at home) that the festival could be open to terrorist attack. The Silencio procession passes through at around 4am Friday morning. Most processions include one or two bands but, because this one is so quiet, it is quite eerie. At some point as it passes through, a wave of panic grips the crowd. Steph watches from our balcony vantage point overlooking Calle Cuna as public and penitents flee. I’m on the sofa watching telly at that point - and just hear the stampede. It’s a horribly scary sound. It rolls through quickly – gradually followed by (hushed) reassurances that things are fine… and the parade continues. There are a couple of similar disturbances afterwards – each subsequent time lessening in intensity.

We glean, from later reports on the internet, that there were false rumours of cars running down pedestrians – of fights causing panic, and kids deliberately making sudden noises to scare the crowd.

We’ve seen all the parades pass from the second floor, but go down at about 6am to watch the Macarena procession pass by at ground level. It’s spectacular; we’re almost asphyxiated with incense, but air is just as thick with lingering fear of what’s happened (and equally what didn’t/what might’ve) earlier. Folk seem jumpy, but the procession passes by peacefully.

65 Sun 16/4/17: The Meeting Point, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

We’d planned to take in the atmosphere outside the first bullfight of the year in Arenal – but since yesterday there’s also the theory that Arenal has it in for us, as we’re generally anti-bullfighting, so we need to get back there. We even go to the shop where the accident happened – they’ve fitted their marble step with anti-slip tape (we’d been encouraged via texts/messages from back home to sue but, like bullfighters, we’re disdainful of ambulance chasers).

Our first stop is the generally deserted (one-time Rick Stein patronised) market. We manage to get hawked into a very basic market bar and served up Cruzcampo. Unlike the other (trendier) markets in the area, everything is at service counter level here (or at least at this bar). There are no high stools at the bar, and it misses out as a result. We’re sat on wobbly chairs at a wobbly table wondering where to wander to next…

42 Wed 12/04/2017: Bar Santa Ana, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Best bar in Triana which, to my mind, is the best area of Seville. There’s a sense of brotherhood and community in the gypsy quarter which (although it almost certainly exists) isn’t quite so apparent across the Guadalquivir. This side of the river seems more laid back, and not so touristy, as the other areas we frequent. The bars, I find, have a different character – with service which sometimes seems withering towards us idiot English speakers. I quite like that, it reminds me of Czech.

Anyway “our bar” in Triana has been found by others during Semana Santa, although it isn’t unbearably packed. Almost all the pictures (and most of the tiles) on the walls are Semana Santa based – the church is right next door, and the local peso hangar is just over the road. There are also a few Toro photos and a huge bulls head on the wall.

There was an ad on Semana Santa telly for a bread product that is clearly part of the tradition. There’s some of it on the bar – and a bloke sitting at the corner of the bar orders a slice. I’m gazing, in a world of my own, at the transaction and wondering how the bloke will tackle the unctuous slice. With the spoon… it looks soft… and then the bloke starts talking to me – and pointing me out to the barman. I thought, at first, he’d noticed how my miserable bar presence was floundering. You’ve got to shout at the bar people here when it’s busy – but I’m an Englishman, and particularly reserved example at that. But, no, he’s asking (and preparing to pay) for a slice of the bread for me. A charming gesture… once I’d sussed out what he was up to. The bread appeared to have been soaked in syrup, and is/was extremely sweet. Nice enough though and, again a lovely gesture. Anyway, he offered monies, but the syrup bread was gratis.

My notes on the visit include two other observations: 1) Young gentlemen wearing beards, as is the fashion these days, mean there are lots of fellows around these days who look a little bit like Jesus. 2) Bars go big for coffee over here. There are those who’d argue a good coffee is better than a good beer (and you don’t get a good beer over here). I prefer beer intoxication over caffeine, but maybe it’s a dialogue that deserves exploration…. but not here and now.

62 Sat 150417: Bar Santa Ana, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Our second and last visit to Bar Santa Ana this trip. Outside the tables are full of sartorially exquisite extended families, but there’s room at the bar for us tourist sloths.

Even so (or because of this) it takes ages to get served – and when I do get to ask, the order doesn’t take. When the beer does flow its back to crappy Cruzcampo.

Still, this is still a fantastic place.

43 Wed 120417: Taberna Miami, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Triana’s main drag, leading to the bridge over the river, isn’t an area we’ve fully explored, we’ll always take side streets in preference; but we’re in a general mooching around mood on a Wednesday afternoon. Most places, inevitably, are packed. Taberna Miama looked the best of the bar bunch – all tiles and lager barrels on show – and crucially not wedged. Quite empty actually.

There’s a small crocodile suspended from the ceiling (reminiscent of Brno town hall). There’s other quirky touches in this sprawling hostelry; lots of wooden barrels, interesting pictures, vintage bullfighting memorabilia and general ramshack. It’s the kind of place, I suggest, that we might have latched onto and decided we liked: a half decent place… so, asks Steph, why’s it empty? She has a point.

There’s no-one in apart from us, but it’s extremely noisy – with the air con and/or fridge buzzing loudly. And, Steph adds, it’s smelly. Still, given all that, I quite liked the place. We didn’t stay for a second.

46 Thu 130417: Casa Ruiz, Seville

Beer: Cruzcampo 5%

Gold and white tiles. Just a few hams. Central drag.

We’re in for a few mid-afternoon beers before siesta in preparation for the Semana Santa processions which last all through the night and Good Friday morning.

Bar is a bit too clean and non-descript. There’s a picture of black pigs on the wall, another of a man inspecting ham.

Low key on the religious front: one Madonna behind the bar…