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Shopping for Food in Seville


Many of you may be in Seville long enough to want to buy and prepare your own food. Or perhaps you're looking for a few items to take with you on a day trip or stash in your hotel room. Maybe you're just craving a pastry. Knowing where to go to get what you need can be confusing when you first arrive, especially when looking for international or specialty foods. If you're looking for information on Spanish food, such as typical dishes and what you will find in bars and restaurants, check out the Restaurants or Tapas Bars pages.

 

Topics in this section

Questions about food vocabulary when you first shop or eat out is very common. Restaurant menus can be confusing without knowing the words for all the foods. In the market or supermarket you can often get away with pointing. If you want to look like you know what you're talking about I recommend brushing up a little on food vocabulary. For the food dictionary you'll either have to know what a food is in English, or have seen it in Spanish and wondered what in the world it means, so below you can search for either word. While this dictionary took a while to put together it is by no means complete. If you would like to know a food or include one please drop me an email so I can add it to the list.

Spanish to English Food Dictionary

English to Spanish Food Dictionary

 

For the best fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood I recommend one of the markets close to the center. This is as fresh as it gets, at least with most vendors. We go to the market in Plaza Encarnación at least twice a week to buy what we'll eat that week or the next day. Depending on our needs we'll hit a supermarket for cheeses, deli meats, drinks, etc. Many of the smaller grocery stores are just fine if you're looking for a few of the basics although they tend to be more expensive. When we're low on everything we'll head to El Corte Inglés because they have everything including the hard to find items. We tried doing this at smaller supermarkets but always ended up having to make another trip to El Corte Inglés to finish up our list. If you are looking for pastries or bread there are many bakeries, but a few which stand out from the rest. It's hard to find bad bread or pastries, well, not that hard, but knowing the good places will help you experience the best there is in Seville. Finally, when you're missing home you may want to know what types of foods you can expect to find, as well as what you won't. Keep in mind I am from the U.S. and it would be impossible for me to list the foods you miss from home if you live in another country. 90% of the time the international or hard to find foods can be located in El Corte Inglés and nowhere else.

 


These are my favorite places to go. Much like the farmer's markets you may have back home they offer the best produce, fish, and meats. You generally have your choice of vendors for each, so you can select who has the best each time you go. For fruits and vegetables you wait for the person behind the stand to attend to you and select the produce, although you can always ask for a specific piece. If there are many people already waiting it is common to ask who is the last in line so you know when your turn is. Simply ask: ¿Quien es el último? Someone will raise their hand and then you simply wait until they are done with their order. With meats and fish ask for them by weight or pieces depending on what you want. Keep in mind there is no seafood available in the markets on Mondays (Fishermen take Sunday off in most cases, and this is another reason not to order fish in a restaurant on Monday. A very few manage to get fresh fish on Mondays). Open early in the morning, all of the markets close for the day around 2pm and are never open on Sundays. There are various market locations, both in the center and in some of the outlying neighborhoods. Some of the main markets in and around the city:

Encarnación

Just behind the large construction (and archaeological) site where the new market will eventually stand the current one is in the corner of Plaza de la Encarnación. This is where the large parasols are going up, we like to think of them as mushrooms. ¡Mercado Ya!



Feria

About 10 minutes walk from the market in the Encarnación located on Calle Feria as you head towards the new bridge and neighborhoods further out. This market will soon undergo renovations: it is one of the oldest and most typical looking markets in the city. There is also an organic food stand towards the back. And there is a nice little tapas bar wedged between the market and church, serving up some of the freshest fish in town.

Triana

The newest market, and what the Encarnación will eventually look like when the new construction is finished. It has air conditioning, which makes it easier to shop in the summer heat. This is located just across the Triana bridge to your right in a new brick building. Below the market are some interesting ruins which you can visit, although I'm not sure of the hours.

Arenal

Located on Calle Pastor y Landero, this market is close to the Plaza de Toros. Inside you'll also find a Mas y Mas Supermarket and a few bars which take advantage of the fresh food in the market.

Puerta de la Carne

This is located on c/ Juan de Mata Carriazo, about a 5 minute walk from the Puerta de la Carne. The market itself is fairly ugly, with green cinder block stalls. It's interesting in that it's covered by the roof of the old San Bernardo train station.
The original location, just next to the Puente de Bomberos, was going to be renovated but it seems to just be sitting there!


Larger Supermarkets

Depending on your location the best place to shop for groceries is El Corte Inglés. They are often more expensive but they have everything, including full service deli, cheese, butcher, and seafood counters. Some of these counters require that you take a number and wait your turn. They also have fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats already packaged to go if you don't want to wait. There is a bakery for bread and a separate one for pastries, as well as a prepared foods counter and display if you want to pick up a sandwich, salad or dish which you can eat right away. Liquor and wine are also sold here, as well as the best beer selection in all of Seville. In the last 5-10 years Mexican food has finally arrived in Seville, and there is an aisle with a decent selection. A few middle-eastern and Asian foods can be found in the same aisle as well. The key is the selection. Aside from a few items, El Corte Inglés offers more selection and more options. If you are living in Seville for a while keep in mind the recent changes in their home delivery: orders over 120€ with an El Corte Ingles card are free. For cash, you have to order over 200€ for delivery to your home to be free. Otherwise they add a 6€ delivery charge. Mercadona is another large chain which in general has cheaper prices than El Corte Inglés. The location most convenient to the center is in Plaza de Armas, the old train station which is now a mall. The supermarket takes up most of the basement floor. The Mercadona brand items are where you can expect to save the most money. They have more selection for some items (for example: frozen pizza), while less options for international or specialty foods. If you are in the Sam's Club/Walmart type of mood you can head further out of the center or even to Camas (suburb of Seville) to Carrefour. They have a large selection of foods, similar to El Corte Inglés, as well as furniture, TVs, stereos, computer equipment, kitchen appliances, outdoor and gardening supplies, clothing...you get the idea. It's chief competition is Hipercor, owned by El Corte Inglés, which offers everything Carrefour offers. There are several locations, the closest to the center perhaps being in Los Arcos mall, several blocks past Nervión Plaza.

Smaller Supermarkets:

Depending on where you are there may be a smaller supermarket which is more convenient to you. Expect all of the basics in the smaller places but don't expect a big selection. And in general I have been disappointed in the quality of fruits and vegetables at the smaller supermarkets. They are located throughout the center and outlying neighborhoods, the main chains being: SuperSol, Mas y Mas, and El Jamón. Both Super Sol and Mas y Mas seem to have the most locations in the center and outlying neighborhoods. You will run into plenty of them, with most being on the small side. El Jamón is less common but similar in size. The cheapest of the supermarkets are (Super) Plus, Lidl and Dia, although all generally have a limited selection of foods. Lidl has the largest selection by far, plus a lot of bargain non-food items. We often shop for cleaning supplies at Plus, Dia or some of the cheaper dollar type stores. We also try and bring our own bags, as most charge you 0,03€ per bag. Plus and Lidl are also known for carrying many German brands.

Price comparison

One note on price comparisons. After some careful checking in between El Corte Inglés, Mercadona, SuperSol, Mas y Mas and El jamón I don't see the differences that I've read about in other web sites. Granted that on some weeks I've purchased items in El Corte Inglés only to notice it was 65 cents cheaper in one of the smaller chains. But on other weeks I've seen just the opposite. On one occasion Mas y Mas charged me a full 2€ more than El Cortes Inglés for one item. In comparing prices on things like coffee, milk, sugar, soft drinks, beer and some other necessities I've noticed 1-2 cent differences either way. When all is said and done I am tempted by the offerings in El Corte Inglés, so I probably do spend a little more. If I went straight off a list and bought nothing but what I had planned to buy I may save 40-50€ a year by hitting the smaller chains. For budget conscious folks this may make a difference and I don't frown upon that at all. But for me...I'd rather go to one place and get my shopping done than hop around to several different supermarkets to save 40-50€ a year. Because every time I go to a smaller chain for a large grocery run they have most of what I need, but not all of it. I end up back at El Corte Inglés every time. Shopping at Dia and Plus will save you money, but the selection is probably the worst around. I might save buying an off-brand, but if I find myself avoiding eating certain things in my kitchen because the off-brand doesn't taste the same then I'm losing money. Las cosas barratas salen caras, as they often say here. And while Mercadona is cheaper for several items by a few cents here and there, I did a comparison and noticed while I win on several items by a few cents there were other items (soft drinks being one) where they charged 80 cents more for a 12 pack than in El Corte Inglés. By the time I added up my cents saved on many items it still didn't make up that difference. Mercadona also charges for home delivery no matter what the total spent. So when I finish saving a cumulative 6€ on my shopping bill I then give it back to them to bring it to my door. If you buy less and take it with you then perhaps it's worth it! Oh, and check delivery times. Mercadona once was kind enough to inform us over the intercom (midway through our shopping) that delivery times were backed up 2 - 3 days.

Online grocery shopping

As an avid internet user I have recently tried my hand at online grocery shopping with El Corte Inglés. I had some trouble navigating through the food categories but was able to use the search function (by brand or type) to locate what I needed. They called when two items were missing from our order due to being out of stock. They made two mistakes by selecting the wrong flavor of one beverage and the wrong type of olive oil. Otherwise it worked quite well and in the end we were pleased enough to try it again. As with any good online grocer you can save your last list and create a "habitual" order. This means the next time around you don't have to select everything again. Mercadona also offers online grocery shopping and I don't recommend them versus El Corte Inglés for two reasons. First, they offer no photos which can be important when the description does not provide enough information. Second, their search function does not work properly which means it is more difficult to find products when you are not sure of what category they would fall in.
Maybe they have fixed this recently, but I have not been back to the site since late 2006.


La Campana
What better way to finish off your food shopping than to look for dessert, or maybe breakfast. You can find a place on about every corner offering bread and a few pastries. Depending on what you're looking for below are my recommendations:

San Buenaventura
Address: Avenida Constitución (Center)
Address: Plaza Alfalfa (Center)
Address: Calle Carlos Cañal (Center)
Address: Plaza Jeronimo de Córdoba (Santa Catalina)
Address: La Resolana (La Macarena)
Address: somewhere in Los Remedios (Los Remedios)

With maybe 7 locations this is one of the most common in Seville. A few locations are franchises, but all offer wonderful pastries, bread and coffee. All locations also have a smaller deli and cheese counter, as well as some prepared dishes and a few tapas. Notes on a few central locations:

Avenida Constitución (Center) - across from the cathedral, this is the largest location with two floors
Plaza Alfalfa (Center) - if you like bad service and surly waiters this is the location for you..
Calle Carlos Cañal (Center) - on a side street near Plaza Nueva, this is the original San Buenaventura
which has been recently renovated to finally include some tables.

La Campana
Address: c/ Sierpes (Centro)
Only one location at the end of Calle Sierpes near the Plaza del Duque, this is likely the most famous pasteleria. If you do nothing more at least window shop, although their display windows will likely tempt you inside. Not only do they offer some incredible pastries but have some of the best trufas (truffles) you will find in Spain. As for getting coffee here I don't particularly like the waiters - usually a bit surly and hardly ever nice.

Pasteleria San Pablo
Address: c/ San Pablo (Centro - Plaza Magdalena)
A few locations, but the one in the Plaza Magdalena just down from one of the El Corte Inglés locations is closest to the center. Like La Campana their display window attracts a lot of attention with tartas and glazed fruits that may draw you inside for a closer look.

Ochoa
Address: c/ Sierpes (Centro)
Recently reopened in their famous Calle Sierpes location with a stylish new interior. Ochoa has other locations, including Los Remedios, and is a favorite of locals in search of everything a horno has to offer. But I have to admit after my last two trips to the one on Sierpes I came away less thrilled with their pastries. Perhaps I am picking the wrong things, rather I am almost certainly picking the wrong things, because I've had better pastries out of a bag at the corner store. And I know the reputation isn't all hype.

Nova Roma
Address: (Los Remedios)
In Los Remedios and one of the best places for pastries you will find. I have distant memories of finishing off some sweets in Nova Roma about 5 years ago. It's time for a trip back.

Las Doncellas
Address: c/ Santa Maria la Blanca (Santa Cruz)
Quite possibly the best place to buy bread in Seville it is close to the Hotel Casas de la Juderia in the Puerta de la Carne. Look for a few intricately woven loaves of bread in the display windows.

Starbucks
Address: Avda Constitución (Centro - just next to the Cathedral)
Address: Avda Constitución (Centro - just in front of the Archivo de Indias)
Address: La Campana (Centro)
Address: Puerta Jerez (Centro)
Address: Reyes Catolicos (Centro)
CLOSED
Address: Nervión Plaza (Nervión)
We were invited to the grand opening of Sevilla's second Starbucks just before the Christmas holidays. The second location is in Nervión Plaza on the ground floor close to where the supermarket Mas y Mas is located. This is a little smaller than the first location on Avda Constitución near the Cathedral, but they are serving up the same coffee and pastries. Why in the hell Seville needs 3 Starbucks within 1km of each other I do not know! There are now 3 along Avda Constitucion as you make your way to Puerta Jerez. For those seeking a smoke-free place to enjoy coffee they also have a non-smoking section. The location by the Cathedral offer wireless internet access (WiFi) but at a price.

 


Organic Foods

More options were popping up for shopping for organic foods in tiendas ecologicos. In making some rounds to visit the locations I learned that many of the places offering organic foods are closing their doors or changing from organic to something else. As many have explained the market and demand in Sevilla just isn't there. Sevilla does have a co-op in the center where plenty of organic products are available. There are other specialty stores which I will be adding as I find them. For now:

La Casa de las Especias
Address: c / (Centro)
Just a few blocks from La Campana, this store has been around for ages. If you are looking for a particular spice this may be your best bet - they carry just about everything, including some hard to find spices. They also carry a large selection of organic packaged foods. No fresh meats or vegetables, but plenty to choose from.

La Ortiga
Address: c / Cristo del Buen Fin (San Lorenzo)
On calle Cristo del Buen Fin, a true co-op with over 1,000 products. A large selection of vegetables and fruits according to season. Fair prices in a producer direct to consumer model.

Alacena
Address: Avda. Ciudad de Jardin
Less central with a location on Avda. Ciudad de Jardin, passing Nervión Plaza for a few blocks. Alacena is dedicated to foods and preparation methods for living a with healthy lifestyle. Offering a good selection of organic vegetables, fruits and meats they also offer home delivery. They have cooking classes as well!

Ecotienda de Rosa
Address: c/ Santiago (Santa Catalina)
Just down the street from my house, a smaller store on the corner of calle Santiago offering a small selection of organic foods, herbs and supplements. The fruit and vegetables are some of the best we've found in Sevilla. Hint: go in the morning when the staff seems to be more pleasant. Hint: the nice person working in the mornings is now gone! Still worth the trip.

Gaia
Address: c/ Arjona (Arenal)
On calle Arjona, I only know they sell some organic foods, but nothing else until I make a visit.

La Huerta de la Alegria
Address: c/ Feria Market (Alameda)
The first organic food stand to open in any of Seville's markets. They specialize in produce and other goods which come straight from organic farmers.


International

There are much more international foods in the supermarkets than there were about 10 years ago. Still, there is a lot of searching to be done when tracking down some of the more difficult items.

Contenedor
Address: c/ Imagen (Centro)
Opposite the Facultad de Bellas Artes, Contenedor is popular with out family for a small selection of American foods and drinks, as well as plenty from other parts of the world: Greece, China, Japan, Argentina, India, Italy and more. There are several American items you can't find anywhere else, while some I have located in El Corte Ingles. Some are well priced, while other items are amazingly overpriced! Still, if you can't find them anywhere else you can't complain too much.

Hiper Oriente
Address: c/ Aponte (Centro)
Address: Avda. Kansas City 1-3 (Nervión)
Just a block or two from Plaza del Duque on calle Aponte is a nice Chinese supermarket with a lot of choices. From sauces and oils to 50 types of noodles, rice, frozen dishes, vegetables, drinks, cooking utensils and tea. They also have Chinese newspapers, music, clothing and shoes. Another location which appears to be a bit bigger is on the corner of Avda Kansas City and Luis Montoto, convenient to Nervión and Santa Justa.

El Corte Inglés Gourmet Club
Address: Plaza del Duque (Centro)
Address: Nervión Plaza (Nervión)
There are some nice, but expensive, specialty items in the Club Gourmet on the ground floor of the El Corte Inglés in Plaza del Duque. Beware that it is expensive! But some items you won't find anywhere else, including some pastas, sauces, soups and cheeses. Some of the same items can be found in the basement supermarket as well.

El Corte Inglés Supermarkets
Address: Plaza del Duque (Centro)
Address: Plaza Magdalena (Centro)
Address: Nervión Plaza (Nervión)
If you are looking for some basic international foods you can find a little bit of everything in El Corte Inglés. Mexican foods include jalapenos, flour and corn tortillas, salsas, jalapenos, taco and burrito kits, seasonings, chile con carne, frijoles, and a little more. Middle eastern is limited to some varieties of cous cous, tabouli mix and a few sauces (no falafel mix! no humus!). Chinese foods are a little better, including several varieties of rice, chili oil, sauces, noodles and more. Indian food includes, at times, a few types of bread, rice, and a variety of sauces, including some chutney. Greek options are slim, with feta and maybe some olives, but plenty of pita bread. Italian is always around so I won't go into the details, except you can get (fairly) fresh pasta and can manage to make your own pizza. German is around in the form of sausages, sauerkraut and plenty of mustard.


Tea and coffee

You can always find a few varieties of tea and coffee in about any supermarket. If you are looking for specialty coffee and tea below are the best places to start.

Pasión por el Té
Address: Pasaje de los Azahares (Centro)
Address: C/ Castelar (Arenal)
This is hidden away in the shops of Pasaje Azahares, just a few blocks from the Campana and the main shopping district. They offer over a 100 different types of tea, plus just about everything you need to take it home and brew it in. A more recently opened location is just 3 - 4 blocks from the Cathedral and a little easier to locate.

Asuca
Address: c/ Arguija (Centro)
More than just tea, they are dedicated to the hot beverages in general, including coffee and cacao. Just down the street from Pasión por el Té.

Hiper Oriente
Address: c/ Aponte (Centro)
Address: Avda. Kansas City 1-3 (Nervión)
If you are looking for varieties from the Far East then Hiper Oriente has a good selection.

El Corte Inglés Gourmet Club
Address: Plaza del Duque (Centro)
A decent selection of teas, plus four or five types of coffee in bean form which you can grind in store to suit your preferred brewing method.

I've been successful at tracking down a lot of things but have hit a wall on many others. Sometimes I'm hell-bent on a certain food from a craving that just won't go away. One day I wanted a chili dog and I searched high and low for days and days until realized I was never going to find hotdog chili. So I brought some with me on my last trip from the U.S. As mentioned before, El Corte Inglés will be your best bet when searching for this stuff. Once a year they also have an international food fair where they feature foods from 15 - 20 countries. If you're a good cook (or don't mind getting online and learning the meaning of "making it from scratch") you may be able to put together something resembling what you're missing. The list of food items fall into a few categories:

  • I haven't been able to find them at all.
  • I've found them on rare occasions, they disappear for most of the year and of course they're very expensive.
  • You have a choice of 1 (i.e.: "I want some BBQ sauce, but I'll have to choose between this bottle of Hunts BBQ sauce and that bottle Hunts BBQ sauce")
  • Fast Food restaurants and sandwiches/dishes such as a real cheese steak.

Keep in mind I don't like all of these as many friends have contributed to this page. This list is also specific to Seville. Maybe some of you have found this stuff in Madrid or Barcelona. There are plenty of other excellent foods which are better than anything I could find in the U.S. And last of all, please, please, please let me know if you have found any of this stuff in Seville. The list:

  • oysters - rare and expensive
  • italian sausage
  • hot dog chili
  • Cool Ranch Doritos - flavors are Tex-Mex, Ham, and Salsa
  • sour cream & onion potato chips
  • pancakes or pancake mix - but maple syrup is around
  • breakfast sausage
  • chocolate chips - there has been one sighting.
  • sour cream - quark is close, but it just ain't the same
  • bbq sauce - 1 kind, Hunts.
  • blueberries - very rarely they will appear in El Corte Inglés
  • a really sweet peach - they just aren't the same.
  • corn on the cob, well make that fresh corn on the cob.
  • US micro-brewed beer such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, etc.
  • Gold Schlager - thank fully my days of drinking this came to an end several years ago...
  • Butterfinger
  • okra - just found this frozen in the Hiper Oriente.
  • collard greens
  • donuts - I mean real, fresh donuts and not those in a bag.
  • bagels - but you can get cream cheese - update - The Tequila Connection on Calle Betis is serving up bagels alongside an internet connection, coffee and more.
  • corned beef - found in a can in El Corte Ingles, and this was just not the same.
  • pastrami
  • good cheddar cheese - you can get regular cheddar, but nothing sharp. Recently El Corte Ingles has had a few sharper options, but nothing like I can find back home!
  • american cheese - there are some very close imitations.
  • grits
  • biscuits
  • fresh humus - in a restaurant or two but not on any store shelf
  • falafel mix - supposedly in Hiper Oriente but not on my trips and they didn't know what it was.
  • Wendy's or Subway - we have McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King now a KFC!
  • a slice of authentic NY pizza - there are many decent pizza places, though.
  • a good Chinese meal - there are plenty of Chinese restaurants, but as for a good Chinese meal...
  • Vidalia or any other sweet onion
  • ranch dressing (found once in Lidl during their American food fair, which was pretty lame)
  • a real cheese-steak - I say real because one place here offers one but it just ain't the same
  • a meatball sub
  • pepperoni - a very close alternative, also known as pepperoni, but not quite the same.
  • Breyers ice-cream - but hey, Rayas kicks butt any day over Breyers.
  • Dunkin Donuts - there is at least one in Madrid.
  • KrispyKream - the empire hasn't landed here yet.

 

By no means could I cover every food you may be craving, but below are some I've been happy about. If you have any questions about foods let me know and I'll tell you if I know where you can (or if you can't) get them in Seville. If you can't find some of these in the regular supermarkets head to El Corte Inglés:

  • roast chicken
  • pizza
  • a real steak: now found in several places. A great filet is served up in Restaurante Jano. I've also had good experiences in El Rinconcillo restaurant. I'll add a few more places soon.
  • hamburger - many are ground pork, but you can find a real one in the Tex-Mex bar by the Cathedral or in La Casa de las Costillas in Nervión Plaza.
  • hot dog - just don't ask for chili
  • french fries
  • onion rings
  • pasta - almost any version you have in the U.S.
  • peanut butter - in Cotnendor or El Corte Inglés
  • taco kits
  • burrito kits
  • enchilada kits
  • refried beans
  • tortillas (mexican kind)
  • jalapenos
  • salsa verde
  • tabasco
  • cous cous
  • pita bread - but always smaller in size.
  • ricotta cheese - recently discovered in El Corte Inglés.
  • tortellini, ravioli, etc.
  • humus - in a jar and not fresh in Contenedor
  • cole slaw - usually called "american salad" which is a bit different but I found the real deal one time in El Corte Inglés.
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - in Contenedor
  • Snickers - El Corte Inglés
  • Oreos - El Corte Inglés
  • Honey roasted peanuts - El Corte Inglés
  • Budweiser...but why?
  • Salt & vinegar chips - El Corte Inglés
  • salsa - Contenedor has the best, also in El Corte Inglés
  • tortilla chips - Contendor and El Corte Inglés
  • iced-tea - can, plastic bottle and some off brand instant mix
  • Dr Pepper - in Contenedor (calle Imagen)
  • Coke
  • Sprite
  • Pepsi
  • 7-Up
  • Root beer - in Contendor
  • Grape Soda - in Contendor
  • Mountain Dew - El Corte Inglés
  • Orange soda - Fanta, and much better than the others in the U.S.
  • Gatorade - El Corte Inglés
  • Ben & Jerry's - they just opened a store last year.
  • Kentucky Fried Chicken - 1 location
  • Burger King - several locations
  • McDonalds - several locations
  • Pizza Hut - several locations
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