Two casual recommendations are Becerrita and El Rinconcillo. Becerrita has a nice tapas bar in the front. Very quaint and very good. http://www.becerrita.com/ . El Rinconcillo has delicious home style cooking. It's the oldest tavern in the city. http://www.elrinconcillo.es/

A bit more upscale, Restaurante Egaña Oriza is another one of my favorites. Near the old city wall it's a much nicer setting and it's worth the trip. http://www.restauranteoriza.com

Taberna del Alabardero is probably one of the best restaurants in the city. It's just a few blocks from the cathedral. It's very well known so I'm not sure how much luck you'll have getting in. You should try to make reservations now. Good luck!

Those from northern climes take great joy from seeing the sun in winter: Sevilla is beautiful, with skies as bright as Australia and laden orange trees lining every street. The Alfonso XIII is a wonderful old relic, once the finest in Spain and now a 'Westin'.


Superbly ornate public areas and spacious bedrooms and bathrooms but the poor waiters now bring you 'American coffee' when you ask for 'café con leche' (strong expresso with hot milk on the side) and there's a Starbucks right outside the gates (and two more within 200x of the cathedral…..).




The cathedral's a magnificent Gothic creation which started life as a mosque like Agia Sofia; so huge that 'Notre Dame could walk the nave with her head bowed'. Midnight mass was a disappointment - too many priests and too few carols, but the structure is awesome. Sadly we didn't spot a single Don Juan aspirant despite expecting to defend our daughter's honour…We couldn't stomach a bullfight and had Japanese food on Christmas Day to avoid a nine-course spread in the hotel. There is a separately owned Japanese restaurant - Kaede - in the hotel garden beside the swimming pool - a nice touch. Another welcome idea was a Martini-themed pavilion on a terrace in which smoking is allowed and where 'le tout Sevilla' gatherered for tea and drinks in the afternoons. There we had the best Manhattans that we had ever had and proper 'pan con tomate' - toasted bread rubbed with tomato and topped with the wonderful local Jabugo ham - the incomporable Jamon Iberico de Belotta.

Finally, the gardens - especially the beautiful Alcazar Palace next to the cathedral - were worth a day in themselves

It wouldn't be the first time a Westin screwed up a café con leche.

It's unfortunate when a hotel like the Alfonso XIII moves to less experienced hands. It seems to happen more and more these days. Do you think you'd stay there again on your next visit? I think it's still considered to be the best in Seville.

Herry - thanks for your report about your trip to Sevilla.

My wife and I stayed at the Alfonso XIII a few years ago and, despite the fact that the Starwood organization had taken over operation of the hotel, we enjoyed our stay there immensely. (I agree with Bailey that it is probably still considered to be the best hotel in Sevilla.) In addition to the "...superbly ornate public areas and spacious bedrooms and bathrooms..." that you described, we were very pleased with our room and the overall service. Also, having both the cathedral and the Alcazar gardens just a few blocks away from the hotel was extremely convenient. (We spent about four or five hours in the Alcazar gardens one day, and we both felt that they were even more beautiful than the gardens we had strolled through at the Alhambra.)

As I remember it, while in Spain, when it came to hot libations, we went for hot chocolate with churros, so we had no complaints about the cafe con leche.

Incidentally, Herry, when we were last there, the city of Sevilla was in the process of constructing "Linea 1" (the city's first subway line) on one of the avenues that adjoined the Alfonso XIII. Was it completed when you were there and, if so, did you get a chance to experience it?

I would stay there again. Despite my negative comment about the coffee, the hotel is well-run in a standard sort of way and still has a great atmosphere. I'm sure it's still the best in Sevilla.

Like DonPablo, we loved the Alcazar Palace and the gardens

No, I didn't see any evidence of the Linea 1, but prehaps I just wasn't looking. But we did use the futuristic tram that runs just outside the hotel and down Constitution St to the Plaza Nueva, though. It was cool!