Seville is a city that lives and breathes food. From the morning coffee ritual to the late-night tapa, eating is woven into the social fabric of Andalucía’s capital. And while Barcelona and Madrid have their culinary merits, Seville’s tapas scene is arguably Spain’s most authentic — rooted in tradition yet increasingly innovative.

Begin your trail in the Triana neighbourhood, across the Guadalquivir River. Casa Anselma is an institution — not for its food (though the jamón is excellent) but for the spontaneous flamenco that erupts nightly. For tapas proper, head to Bar Las Golondrinas, where the pavías de bacalao (battered salt cod) have been perfected over decades.

Cross back to the old town and navigate to El Rinconcillo, founded in 1670 and widely considered Spain’s oldest bar. The bartenders still chalk your tab on the wooden counter. Order the spinach with chickpeas (espinacas con garbanzos) — a dish so quintessentially Sevillian it appears on nearly every menu in the city.

Modern Seville has embraced the gastrobar movement without abandoning its roots. Duo Tapas, near the Metropol Parasol, reinvents classics with Asian and Latin American influences. Their tuna tataki with miso is outstanding. For a final stop, Bodega Santa Cruz (known locally as ‘Las Columnas’) offers standing-room-only simplicity: fried fish, cold beer, and the kind of atmosphere that money can’t buy.

The golden rule of tapas in Seville: never eat at a restaurant with a menu in four languages. Follow the locals, order at the bar, and don’t be afraid to move on after one or two dishes. The best tapas trails are improvised.