Yes, you've discovered Confitería Campana! Glad to know your daughter arrived safely.

The Fine Arts Museum is spectacular....I love it, but I'm a lover of Spanish Baroque...native sons Murillo, Velázquez, Valdés Leal and it has a large collection of Zurbarán saints. Be sure to visit the adjacent chapel while you're at the museum.

Cervecería Salmedina is very close to the Plaza de la Alfafa. I think you'd like it. Seafood and beer heaven.
https://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/salmedina/

Irice, sounds like you're having an amazing time! wish we were there again.................

Cerverceria Salmedina is the place we were heading on the day we happened upon La Barra, so we made a quick pivot! we were sorry we weren't around long enough to go back and try Salmedina.

Yes, we are immersing ourselves in this city! It took us a few days ... mostly because I was sick and didn't get out to walk the streets! ;) It also is bigger than I expected.

But we now know El Arenal quite well, where our local grocery market is, the Farmacia, visited the lovely Hotel Alfonso XIII and got their jazz schedule for the bar there (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10pm-midnight), and shopped until we dropped today after a lovely and highly recommend breakfast at La Azotea Vinos & Tapas on Calle Mateos Gago. The restaurant was empty at 11:00 am. In fact, I'd say this week has been quite moderate regarding tourists. We shall see tonight as we tackle Restaurant Row on a Friday night.

Trying to decide where to book Christmas Eve dinner. That's my next priority! I wanted to make reservations at Petite Comte but it appears they are closed on Christmas Eve.

The food presentation at La Azotea was beautiful! Forgive our poor picture-taking quality. Food photographers - we are NOT! But this is a picture of our delicious pancakes served with walnuts, bananas, and currants.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14bd7b971.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f76d224ad.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4700ba703.jpeg

Wow, it´s so nice that Mateos Gagos has been light of tourists so far (amazing!) and the city in general. Breakfast at Azotea Mateos Gagos looks lovely!
If memory serves, you've booked at Taberna del Alabardero for Xmas Day followed by flamenco, or I may be confused. If you need options for Christmas Eve, let me know.

Didn't know they do jazz at Hotel Alfonso XIII, so thanks for that tip!

Yes, we have a Flamenco show booked at 7pm followed by dinner at Taberna del Alabardero at 9 pm on Xmas Day.

But, we need to make a holiday dinner plan for Christmas Eve. Apparently, everyone is out on the streets in the evening, then goes home to dinner. So we will go to a restaurant! My seafood eaters don't come in until the next day so perhaps a more traditional recommendation would be nice!

We will go to midnight mass at the Cathedral on 12/24! It starts at 11:30 pm. VERY EXCITED!

The midnight mass will be wonderful.

Casa Robles is open on Christmas Eve but they're not taking reservations online. It's getting quite late to make reservations, so I would go by the restaurant and inquire.
It's at Alvarez Quintero 58--you've probably walked past it by now, maybe several times :)

https://www.casarobles.es/en

About the Giralda, guides don't generally accompany visitors. There's not room. You go up on your own via a. ramp (not stairs). You'll just be going up for the views.

Another idea
Becerrita, a locals’ favorite outside of the tourist zone but walkable is open on Christmas Day I believe and bookable online. It’s very traditional, not innovative , but much loved, serving the classics.
www.becerrita.com

Oh no! Hotel Taberna del Alabardero just sent an email saying they are not going to open on Christmas Day and canceled our reservation.

Back to the drawing board!

We have had that exact same dilemma in Madrid and Lisbon for the 24 and 25th when booking tables on The Fork. We once had 5 cancellations as the restaurants didn’t notify the Fork that the’d be closed or…at the last minute they decided to take on a private holiday party.
Try Casa Robles and Robles Placetines and the Seville member of the Sagardi group whose name escapes me now. And El Pintón.
Gruposagardi.com
It’s ORIO and bookable on line. The Sagardi group restaurants are always open, ime.

I booked Casa Robles for Christmas night! Still need to work on Christmas Eve. More restaurants are closed that day than Christmas Day.

For Cordoba, I am booking train tickets to go this Saturday. Maribel, thank goodness you told me to get them, because the Tourism Office here said there is no need and that I can just buy them at the train station Saturday morning!! They also told me that I can get tickets to the Mezquita there that day!

Looking at a bit of a plan:
Arrive Cordoba: 10:30 am
Mezquita
Lunch
Jewish Quarter a bit
Depart Cordoba on the 4:12 pm train?

The train after the 4:12 pm is at 6:30 pm, and I think an 8-hour day of touring is too much for this group. What do you think?

Also, is the official website this: https://www.mezquitadecordoba-entradas.org/en/

I believe this is the correct website to buy tickets to the Mezquita and audio guides: https://tickets.mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es/en
Right?

Thanks guys!

Three weeks In Sevilla, what a dream!!!

Maribel knows the entire scene, but I will add the La Azotea off Conde Barajas is my favorite restaurant in the city.

lrice,
Yes, that's the official web site for the Mezquita/Catedral.

Are you going to book the AVANT train that arrives at 10:31? And the MD that departs at 4:12? Since I don't know how much touring your family wants to do in Córdoba, I can't say whether you should take the later Torre de Oro train at 6:36 pm. Although the Torre de Oro is quicker, it's also a bit.more expensive.

The last reservation for 4 that ORIO GASTRONOMIA VASCA is taking for Christmas EVE is at 4:30. I suppose you could make that a very early dinner.
https://gruposagardi.com/restaurante/orio/sevilla/

It's also bookable on www.thefork.com

The train on 12/23 is Avant 8295. And the return at 4:12 is MD 13083. I typically book tickets through Trainline.

La Azolea is not open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but we are going later this week!

That’s what I thought regarding your trains and you’ll save lots of money not taking the much more expensive AVE.
Have fun!

Just had lunch at Tradevo Centro in the Center! Thank you, Maribel and Plambers -- the shrimp taco was the best item that my husband has had on this entire trip so far (we are on Day 14!)

It was perfect after seeing thebelén at the town hall, Ayuntamiento, roaming the Christmas Market at Plaza Nueva and wandering the halls of Museo de Bellas Arts de Sevilla!

We made a late lunch reservation there for Christmas Eve!!
https://www.tradevo.es/tradevo-centro/

That's fantastic that Tradevo is going to be open for lunch on Christmas Eve----much better option than Orio!

Lrice,
Two stand out dishes that I had in March at Tradevo Centro: canelón de gambón and baked corvina (sea bass). The food there is so very good!

Yes, the food was very good. My husband wanted the tuna and it was out so he had the Red Snapper. My and my daughter both had beef dishes, side vegetables and fried eggplant. YUM!

Shoot! Renfe says the MD train on 12/23 at 4:12 is available but it won't let me book three people together for some reason. Trainline says it is sold out. I'm going to Plan B! :)

Aargh,
On Renfe.com that MD train is already sold out! This week is extremely busy with people on the move!

At renfe.com the 6;36 Torre de Oro is still available (59 min.) and the later and cheaper 6:39 MD (1 hr, 27 min,)

I would grab tickets on either before they disappear. This holiday season is extraordinary busy, as I've found!