Casa Morales

Casa Morales is one of the last survivors of a type of business that was once common in Seville: the shop-bar, part grocery and wine shop, part tavern. It was founded in 1850 on Calle García de Vinuesa, a short walk from the Cathedral, and it still feels like a neighbourhood bar rather than a tourist stop, despite its central position.

There are two parts. The front room on García de Vinuesa is the original bar, with high tables, shelves of bottles and a long wooden counter where regulars drink cold beer, fino or manzanilla with a plate of olives. Around the corner on Calle Castillejo is the dining room, a continuation of the old premises where large earthenware wine vats line the walls and the menu is written in chalk on their sides. It is one of the most atmospheric rooms for tapas in the city.

The food is straightforward and good. Expect traditional tapas such as cured meats, cheese, stews and montaditos, small filled rolls that make an easy snack, with pork loin in a sherry sauce among the dishes that guides recommend most. Portions are tapa-sized, so it is easy to try several things and then move on, which is how most locals use it. Prices are lower than in many places this close to the Cathedral.

It suits anyone looking for an authentic, unpretentious stop between sights, and it is good for solo travellers, who can stand at the counter, and for small groups. It is not the place for a long formal meal. Tables are limited and it fills up at peak lunch and dinner times, so go slightly before or after the main rush. Card payment and bookings policies can change, so ask at the bar if you need to plan around them.

Casa Morales is in the Arenal, between the Avenida de la Constitución and the Maestranza bullring, and about three minutes' walk from the Cathedral. Several other traditional bars and bodegas sit within a few streets, making it a natural first or last stop on a tapas crawl through the Arenal, and the river and the Torre del Oro are close by.