Seville Cafe Bars

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Photo: Helen DavenportPavement cafes thrive on the streets of Seville

Sit at pavement cafes and enjoy copas of sangria or oloroso as you people watch
Try chocolate con churros at least once - there's a stand near Murillo Gardens in Santa Cruz
Many bars are found close to the city centre and in the Triana area
Enjoy a chilled dry sherry before your meal - there's a wide range of brands

Seville is the ultimate late-night holiday city - hardly surprising given the searing summer heat and the near necessity of taking a siesta.

In the evenings the city comes alive and the Seville bars are packed, often overflowing onto the streets. In Seville bars and cafes the tapas are consumed in quantity.

Apart from beer, the drinks of choice in Seville are fino and manzanilla sherry, often from the barrel. Bar staff certainly know what they're doing - providing a swift and professional service in most Seville bars.

In summer, tinto de verano, a mix of red wine and lemonade and similar to sangria, is very popular. Most places also serve tapas so you can eat while touring the Seville bars.

Bars usually open from 6pm until 2am on weekdays and a couple of hours later at weekends, staying open until 4am. Partying in Seville tends to get under way around midnight. In summer, the Seville river bank becomes a popular area with lots of open-air bars along both sides of the Guadalquivir.

Barrio de Santa Cruz bars and cafes

The main areas to head for on a Seville holiday are around the Cathedral - several streets, such as Mateus Gagos, are packed with bars and small restaurants.

The P Flaherty Irish pub next to the Cathedral exit is always busy while Antiguedades is a big draw, although the skewered bread rolls hanging from the ceiling are an odd feature.

The Plaza del Salvador, the streets focused on Gamazo and the Plaza Alfalfa area all have their fans.

Try the popular Bar Giralda in Mateos Gago, in a converted Moorish bathhouse while the Casa Morales in García de Vinuesa serves sherry and wine from the barrel. La Sacrista on Calle Mateos Gago is also popular for its tapas.

Carbonería in c/Leviés is also worth searching out. It's Seville's most famous bohemian bar and past visitors include Picasso and Peter Gabriel. There's sometimes great flamenco and, on Thursday nights, capable young Seville musicians perform.

El Arenal Seville

El Capote (c/de Arjona) is a popular spot next to the Puente de Triana. It has great music and appeals to a young, stylish clientele for al fresco beers and cocktails.

Cafe Isibiliyya (Paseo de Cristobal Colon 2) is a gay music bar with drag-queen shows on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Further north, near the Museo de Bellas Artes, Anima is popular, with its old tiled bar, while near the river, La Barqueta is a great summer venue.

Close to the Plaza del Salvador is El Refugio, while the square itself offers half a dozen bars that are often packed.

Triana Seville

Across the river is the Casa Cuesta in c/de Castilla 3-5, a delight for wine lovers and with good food. In summer, a wide choice of Seville riverside bars are also open.

You'll also find a selection of decent restaurants on this side of the river. Try the intimate Ristorante Cosa Nostra - despite its name it's a friendly spot serving good quality pizza and pasta. It's in c/del Betis 52.

Kiosco de las Flores at c/del Betis is a long established Seville restaurant - it used to be a shack, but has been modernised and serves great fried fish.