Albareda, a laconic street next to Plaza Nueva, boasts a peculiar bustle. Where the mythical Zelai once stood -a reference point for those of us who have lived on this street, which had to close down- today a project that does not seek to cannibalize the neighborhood is making a niche for itself. Gloria is a promising restaurant headed by the chef Jesús Maya, precursor of the extinct Enea, reason enough to venture with dishes that breathe an avant-garde Sevillian cuisine.
Ovejas Negras is behind this firm that, we confirm, is at the height of the historic Zelai and could well be positioned in the top openings in Seville this 2025.
The first clandestine restaurant in Seville
A picturesque abacería welcomes you to this place, if you want to start with wines while observing the midday hustle and bustle. On the other hand, the main course is hidden behind a shy curtain that you would not think that hides this imposing gastronomic bar.
A whole display of stimuli that in no way resembles the appearance of the old restaurant. Gloria struts her stuff in this play of lights, music and sounds -the hubbub of the clientele, the starts and continues sung by Jesús or the crackling of the embers- and a menu of the most appetizing .
A servant is meat of bar, watchtower from which one is able to glimpse and soak up the atmosphere as a whole. Beyond the bar, small marble bars and low tables, ideal for gatherings of friends in front of the huge window at the end of the restaurant.
Talent, fire and forgotten recipes
Gloria’s menu is dominated by the familiarity of flavors in dishes that convey a restrained avant-garde. The other great protagonist is the Japanese robata that presides over the kitchen: pure fire perceptible in almost all the gastronomic content of the restaurant.
There is something in the hand (and in the look) of Jesús Maya that flees from stereotypes in the kitchen. Where techniques and ingredients abound, the chef pulls from the primitive recipe book, almost forgotten, to transform it into delicate pieces.
From the start, the lettuce aguaillo , an ode to the day laborers that is at the same time a refreshing explosion of flavors and textures, catches the eye. Grilled tomato, caper, sardine and onion make their effect and prelude simple dishes, compatible with emotion.
Pure sweetness is their version of Andalusian carbonara with a veil of Iberian jowl: grilled button mushrooms with bacon and egg yolk. Things get lively and the bread service starts to multiply.
Gloria, towards a creative gastronomic Seville
The substance arrives with the fried hake, a favorite on this first visit, which plays at being a complex codfish pavía. The pieces, first in brine, then fried, rest on a beurre blanc that in this case is made with manzanilla. A round dish far from the classic recipe that is able to elevate it so that memory does the rest.
Meanwhile, the service flows despite the hustle and bustle, a nameless hubbub through which dishes are filtered with the grill in the foreground. Because there is no need to skip this block, which includes the tasty glazed veal sweetbreads, which Jesus leaves with a tartar sauce with aniseed.
Maya’s sauce is tender and begs to be dipped at all times. So is the onion soup that accompanies the tuna taco, even if it is the simplest dish of all.
In the same line closes the journey his grilled cheek with amontillado that combines with success with a roasted sweet potato puree with butter and vanilla. An aromatic transition to dessert.
The final chapter includes some classics: rice pudding, chocolate cake or its fantastic vanilla and whipped cream flan. One of those toppings that do not lean excessively towards sweetness, but rather are silky and spicy.
Maya accuses a marked Sevillianness in the mouth without hiding its predilection for the Frenchified and its gastronomic references. Good news, if you ask me, to stand out from the ordinary to make Sevillian gastronomy more competitive, more complex bites.
It all makes sense, moreover, when it is supported by a solid team that appreciates the spirit of enjoyment and is committed to service with affection. Jesús explores the limits between the mundane and the exquisite in this enormous 14-meter bar where you can sit for a long time.
The best thing: in spite of the aesthetic prolegomena that would warn of an outlandish average ticket, in Gloria you can leave eaten for 40 € per diner.