Good cooking should be enough of a pretext to visit a restaurant. It should not be necessary to put together a gastronomic discourse or have a common thread. This notion of eating well, with guarantees, without the need for empty words is integrated in La Carmela. A single plea, perhaps, comes from our side: its autumn tasting menu, quality and price based on 5 passes for 35 €.
The chef Iván Valero pulls the concept of Basque ‘pintxos’, if you will, with hints of his Catalan origins and French techniques that give it that je ne sais quoi sophisticated and round.
A ‘pintxos’ bar in Los Remedios sounds like a joke but it is, by all accounts, the space that some will need to cross the river. Close, affordable and with a gastronomy adapted to the Andalusian palate.
The dishes that make up the Carmela Experience
Those who have already tasted her cuisine will recognize Ivantxu’s gestures in each pass. That taste for succulent sauces and reductions that call for bread, a conjunction between the refined and the informal, always betting on the product.
The journey begins with a bread made of the Noval bakery’s father dough accompanied by noisette butter, hazelnut butter to open the mouth.
It is followed by the Gilda Ivantxu, the triad from San Sebastian olive, piparra, anchovy that Iván pampers with a marinated salmon, a pickled onion and a kind of sauce reminiscent of the legendary Espinaler. Pure vermouth flavor.
The most appetizing is the scallop. It is served with a remarkable foie gras micuit sauce. It is topped with a dot of green apple cream and apple juliennes that give it an umpteenth refreshing texture.
Another of the undoubted protagonists is the salmon with spinach pil-pil. A dish full of subtleties and herbaceous notes that amalgamates wonderfully with the katsuobushi.
The savory game closes with another classic to which Iván adds his own nuances: Iberian cheeks. In this case, he opts for a Béarnaise foam. The aniseed of the tarragon and the acidity of the vinegar work with the depth of the meat and anticipate a dessert that is both gourmet and personal.
The Carmela experience culminates with a tasty dish that emulates the classic tatin. A bed of crumble, apple ice cream and hazelnut toffee.
A bar of signature pintxos in Los Remedios.
In short, a balanced menu, full of textures and contrasts, that makes sense but also has flavor. Possibly one of the most competent experiences in Seville, capable of making ‘pintxos’ a high concept.
It is appreciated that Los Remedios is shaken with fresh gastronomic proposals. The confirmation that Iván’s cuisine is a delight; now also in a format that abandons the author’s cuisine without baroque protocols or excessive prices.
You can take the menu (it costs 35 € without drinks) or surrender to his letter, a display of interesting snacks that lend themselves to take from the bar or if you prefer, leaning on their high or low tables.