to add to what ekc said, we too enjoyed the tapas bars very much. one evening we tried the ones near our hotel [to the north of the centre, can't remember its name] and another evening we explored the area over the other side of the river.

honestly, it's difficult to go wrong.

Thanks ekscrunchy and annhig! I so appreciate it. Leaving in less than a week and so excited!

Aha - found it! el Rinconcillo - the oldest tapas bar in Seville - allegedly.

http://www.elrinconcillo.es/

there is a bar, and also a room at the back where I assume you can have a full meal. on the bar is a list of tapas and [i think] drinks as well. we had sherry and rioja. At the top of the street there are about 1/2 a dozen other tapas bars, each slightly different from the others.

one of the best experiences we had was at a flea-bitten bar up by the Church of the Macaranas - we had the sweetest [and cheapest] jamon and manchego plus other tapas that were as good as any. off the beaten track can be good.

Thank you for all the dining suggestions, I just booked our flights for an Andalusia trip March 2014. Deborah

Eks,
Thanks for suggesting La Catapa....a great spot. Very cosy, friendly ,the chef was mingling with the patrons every now and then. The food was terrific....best Pâté this side of Paris.
We also liked Couzapin on the same street( further east.) Friendly service, a
neighbours feel , excellent food.
The menus in both places in Spanish only...no tourists in sight.
Our friends who live in Aranjuez took us to Chinchon. for lunch at Cafe de la Iberia .
The oven roasted lamb was memorable. Chinchon is a very nice little town with beautiful parador, small
winery , and a bullring in the centre of town. It is a popular weekend getaway for Madrid residents.

For those who like staying near Retiro , our favourite hotel Jardin de Retiro has been completely
renovated....huge rooms , a kitchenette, minutes from Harina and Mallorca , metro and Cercania.
...still under. 150 euros.

Hey ek,

>... with much distress, was forced to cancel our long-anticipated dinner at El Club Allard on the third night in Madrid. <

That's too bad.

Now you have a good reason to return.

Great post ESK, et al. We love the tapas, and can't find enough info on a tapas bar in Malaga. We read a lot about dinner places, but very little about lunch. We know where to go for dinner. Should we just take pot luck for lunch ?

What month will you be there?

My daughter and I will be in Sevilla in a few weeks, staying in a Triana apartment for a week, so I'm very glad this popped up now. Small bars will probably be our style. Thanks, eks and ann too, for the good information.

@ekscrunchy
take note of this brand for great Pacharán: Baines
http://www.pacharan.com/index-idi-en

Would greatly appreciate a restaurant recommendation in Seville for April 21st (Monday)for a 40th bday celebration!..but we will have our two kids aged 4-6 with us as well..!!

on another note, are kids allowed at tapas bars?

EKS-we will be in Malaga during April. Lots of talk about supper places, but little discussion about lunch.

EKS-Sorry I cut off my previous post. Wanted to say that lunch with a glass of wine is our favorite meal. And many thanks to you.

Thanks for your wonderful trip report! Makes me very excited to visit Spain for the first time this fall.

Glad this was interesting! We often skip lunch, so I did not mention many lunch spots. The best lunch we had was at Caserio Ananda (see above) but from the website, it appears to be temporarily closed; there is a rumor that it had changed hands. Most of the places we had dinner are open for lunch.

ekscrunchy , where would you consider a good place for a bday celebration..its my husbands 40th..! we will have our 4 and 6 year olds with us..and this will be our last night in seville!

I was thinking of Azotea..but... would love some recommendations from some one who has been to Seville..looking for place with great food with good atmosphere..

Nikidi:

I think Azotea would be an excellent choice. My other option would be Pura Tasca, which will take reservations for tables if you commit to tasting menus..not too pricey..

I found the food in SEvilla to be exciting, and much more varied/modern than it was a decade ago....

enjoyed your report as always... thanks for the passion and the honesty!

Bookmarking this for my upcoming trip --

A question -- does one make reservations for dinner in restaurants when eating tapas for dinner? Or do you just arrive and wait to be served? Is it only when one eats from the standard menu that one should make reservations?

I'm a bit baffled by the tapas/restaurant experience -- there are so many wonderful-sounding places, but I'm a bit overwhelmed. We are generally not late night eaters, but we're willing to do so when we travel to Spain, but I'd like to have an idea of where and when to go before we arrive. Otherwise, I can see us making poor choices and missing out on the better places. We're not generally high-end foodies (though we do splurge from time to time), and would prefer having great tapas for supper than a large, sit-down meal for dinner.

progol - we've never made reservations for a tapas-type dinner. it is really a "pub crawl" type of experience - a drink and a tapas or two here, then move on and have another one somewhere else. quite often there are a number of tapas bars near each other so that's pretty easy to do; for example where we stayed in Seville, there were at least half a dozen bars within spitting distance of each other.

if you particularly like one of them, there's nothing to stop you staying and making a night of it, of course.