The Best Bars in Seville, Spain

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If you want to tap into the pulse of Seville, start here. La Carbonería is an unusual, raw space. The entrance feels more like the courtyard of somebody’s house, while the expansive interior – a ramshackle mix of concrete floors and bare brick – is still redolent of the space’s past life as a coal warehouse. Seating is at long, shared wooden tables, or outside on a terrace filled with wizened old trees. The free flamenco most nights is among the best in Seville.

What better way to travel than by combining history, gastronomy and a good drink all into one? El Rinconcillo, a bar founded in 1670, allows you to do just that. The formal dining room upstairs is a lovely space with high ceilings and large windows, but it’s downstairs around the bar where the history and atmosphere can best be appreciated. Its profusion of varnished wood and tile is a study in timeless interior decoration. And what better way to nod towards tradition than with a glass of sherry in hand?

You’ll find a special type of flamenco theatre called a tablao in Seville. The city is considered to have been the epicentre of the art form during its 19th-century heyday, and over in the bohemian neighbourhood of Triana you’ll find some of Seville’s most unique flamenco tablaos upholding that tradition. Pura Esencia is a real highlight, showing up the performances of some of the more touristic venues in the centre with an authenticity and passion that really gives flamenco its emotive power.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that drinking alcohol at Garlochí feels inappropriate. After all, the place is decorated like a slightly sozzled interior designer’s impression of the Pope’s living quarters – with gilded imagery, statues of vaguely ecclesiastical figures and cherubim aplenty. There’s a cocktail called sangre de Christo (the blood of Christ, made with grenadine, whisky and cava), and even the brass band music played on the stereo has a strange solemnity to it.

It’s pretty difficult to beat a rooftop bar at sunset, particularly when that bar has a premium view of La Giralda and Seville Cathedral. And although you’ll pay for the pleasure, La Terraza de EME – atop the five-star EME Catedral Mercer Hotel – is worth every cent. There’s a huge selection of gins and whiskies, although cocktails seem most apt in a setting like this – try the El Pirata de Sevilla, made with brandy, apple liqueur, lime juice and ginger beer. Alcohol-free cocktails are also available.

There’s a bathroom inside a telephone box at Urbano Comix: it’s part of a bizarre and wonderful interior that is designed to look like an exterior street. This themed pub lies slightly off the beaten track and is a great place to go with friends, owing to the pool tables, darts, table football and 80s arcade games dotted around the bar. The music is more Motörhead than Mariah, and there’s a good selection of beers from across Europe.

One of the most vibrant night spots in Seville is the Alameda de Hércules, a vast plaza around which you will find at least 50 different bars and restaurants. Gigante is a trendy cocktail lounge set opposite the square’s two large columns, which were transported here from a nearby Roman temple. During the day, Gigante operates more as a coffee house, also selling tea infusions and generous slices of cake. By night, jugs of sangria, bottles of cava and classic cocktails take centre stage.

Another great spot on the Alameda is frozen in a year that is clearly considered to be the pinnacle of human achievement by the proprietors. The level of dedication that has gone into amassing memorabilia from 1987 to make this lively disco pub what it is, will very likely impress: a yellow Freddie Mercury leather jacket, stickers, posters and other memorabilia all make for an intriguing wander around – that is, if the stream of 80s classic songs doesn’t draw you straight to the dance floor instead.

If you appreciate a cocktail bar that treats mixology like a sacred art form, then take a first look at the Second Room. Located a mere block away from Seville Cathedral, the miniscule bar is usually packed, a tacit approval of the bar staff’s work. There’s an ever-changing cocktail of the week, otherwise you can make your selection from a few dozen classic options with a Second Room twist, such as the strawberry daiquiri topped with a scooped-out ice cube filled with fresh berries.

While the city is certainly not short on fascinating drinking spots, no list of the best bars in Seville would be replete without a good, traditional tapas bar. The truth is, Seville has a great tapas bar on practically every corner, so it takes a time-tested place like Casa Morales – founded in 1850 and run by the same family throughout – to really stand out. The local specialty here is the montadito de pringá, a mix of tender, slow cooked meats and sausage served on crusty bread.

This is an updated rewrite of an article originally by Max Leak.