Now that these are times in which New York Rolls, Flat Croissants and smash burgers are a huge success, it seems only fair to return to the classics. It goes without saying that although all of the above may seduce much more so do the ensaladillas, which in Seville are prepared with skill and without fuss.
And it is even more revolutionary that the ensaladilla continues to lead the gospel of tapas. Around its origin there is a whole mystique. The one that roots with the mysterious recipe of the Hermitage restaurant by the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier or the one that says that it was the cook of Queen Victoria who popularized this dish.
What is clear is that to prepare a good ensaladilla you need few ingredients, a good hand with mayonnaise and perhaps some license to enhance an essential that these Sevillian bars and restaurants have been able to promote with care.
1. La casa del tigre
The tiger salad is another roll. In this case they prepare it with hake and pickles, a very light mayonnaise that crowns some fried capers (no fail) and piparras capable of closing this tapa with verve.
Luis Plaza Crespo is in charge of this project with a succinct gastronomic proposal that they know how to build with panache. Within its unique walls nothing is conventional or left to chance. The service is close, impeccable and the dishes are one success after another. That it is one of the best restaurants in Seville is not trivial. You will have fun; you will want to repeat.
📍 c/ Amparo, 9
2. La Tizná
A handful of tables inhabit this space that is at the same time pantry, store, food house and breakfast. La Tizná -by the way, the best sustainable restaurant in the country with a ticket under 50 euros – is a very serious business.
Local produce, seasonal menu and traditional recipes elaborated with personality. As is their ensaladilla de la Dolores.
They prepare it at the moment -also the mayonnaise- and it is studied to the millimeter to compile the precise amounts of potato, peas, carrot or melva. One of our favorite salads in Seville: majestic and served in a measuring jug.
📍 c/ Amparo, 9
3. Becerrita
The ensaladilla, if the criteria is good, is one of the simplest things you can put in your mouth. Embroidering it for decades is a feat that must be given much credit to Becerrita.
Since the late 80’s they have been cooking Sevillian tradition between Puerta Osario and Puerta Carmona and it is infallible for many reasons. Their prawn salad is the first of them. Of minimalist tenacity, three ingredients will be the culprits that will make you remember it over time.
📍 c/ Recaredo, 9
4. Zurbarán Tavern
In October 2023 the Tribeca group dared to give life to this square collected as a miracle among the bustle of the Setas. Orange trees give shelter to diners who manage to make room on the terrace.
Otherwise, in this tavern you can breathe the atmosphere of the classics with a slightly renovated appearance in which there is no lack of wooden bars, high tables and a counter in the purest style of grocery stores.
And as far as the tapa in question is concerned, the Zurbarán is one of the best ensaladillas in Seville. The prawns here fulfill their function: to enhance the flavor of a balanced mayonnaise. The reader should not miss the chapter dedicated to stews: quails with garlic and meatballs will delight any palate.
📍 Plaza de Zurbarán, 2
5. La Isla
At number 25 of the busy Arfe street, La Isla refers directly to the sea, a landmark business as far as quality fish is concerned. The suggestive exterior showcase gives a good account of the product that is served here and that you can taste at the bar, lounge or terrace.
Of course, its salad is one of the most applauded in Seville, prepared with shrimp from Huelva. In fact, last 2023 was one of the finalists in the national championship San Sebastian Gastronomic.
📍 c/ Arfe
6. Donald Restaurant
Walking past Bar Donald one has the impression of traveling back to the eighties. This brewery retains that air of yesteryear that sometimes scares and other times, as appropriate, surprises with flavor.
And his is an essential tapa for those who drop by the city, for the locals who have not tried it, one of the most iconic ensaladillas of Seville. For anyone, in short. The recipe is the same as always, minimalist cut and choosing a tender potato for its preparation. Mayonnaise, carrots and enjoy. You will eat the same as always,
📍 c/ Canalejas, 3
7. Emilio Seafood
Mariscos Emilio’s remains unscathed over the years, which are not few, and is one of the best salads in Seville. This consolidated catering group treasures more than 50 years at the helm of spaces dedicated to seafood. The one they prepare here is prawns, although they also add carrots.
📍 c/ Génova, 1
8. The flower of my vineyard
At La Flor de mi viña they masterfully elevate the casquería and its melva salad. Thus, the “menudo” or “higaditos” marinate wonderfully with their salad that they prepare with potato, carrot, hard-boiled egg, mackerel and homemade mayonnaise.
Standing since 1968, it is one of those bars with tradition in the center of town that have been able to resist the challenge of new gastronomic concepts. Its breakfasts and stuffed eggs are also worthy of mention.
📍c/ José de Velilla, 7
9. La barra de Cañabota
La barra de Cañabota, along with its starry neighbor, constitutes a more casual concept of tapas and dishes to share without renouncing the undisputed quality of its preserves, salted fish, fish and seafood.
The fact that its appearance is reminiscent of a fishmonger’s shop is an indication of the kind of experience you will have in your mouth. And among their food, the prawn salad could not be missing, which they naturally serve on a shell plate and handle with skill.
📍 c/ Orfila, 5