Eat Seville
Brunch and coffee in Seville: from toast to specialty cups
Seville has breakfast at the bar with toast and a milky coffee, but it has also learned to enjoy a slow brunch. This guide tells you where and how.
For a Sevillian breakfast, order toast with olive oil and tomato in any bar, with ham or with manteca colorá, and a coffee. For brunch and specialty coffee, head to the Alameda de Hércules, Calle Feria and Calle Regina, the area around the Setas and Triana, where most new-style cafés are found.
The Sevillian breakfast
The traditional breakfast is eaten at the bar and is simple: toasted bread — a soft mollete, a roll or a pan de viena — with olive oil and grated tomato, with ham, or with manteca colorá, pork lard with paprika that Sevillians eat with its shreds of meat. It comes with a black coffee, a cortado or a café con leche, and fresh orange juice in season.
On Sundays and special days churros rule — many Sevillians call them calentitos — with thick chocolate or coffee. And mid-morning, offices and shops empty for a while for a second breakfast: a good time to see the city in its daily routine.
The arrival of brunch
In recent years new-style cafés have opened in Seville with specialty coffee, their own pastries, eggs, sourdough toast, pancakes and fruit bowls. They are open all day, but it is at weekends, mid-morning, when they really fill up.
The interesting thing is that they coexist with the old bars: on the same street you can have toast with oil at a traditional counter and, the next day, a filter coffee with a homemade cake. Both are Seville.
Where to look for brunch and coffee
| Area | What you will find |
|---|---|
| Alameda de Hércules | Wide terraces and cafés with a young, alternative feel. |
| Calle Feria and Calle Regina | Small cafés and independent shops, on the way to La Macarena. |
| Around the Setas | Cafés between the Encarnación market and the shopping streets. |
| Triana | Neighbourhood breakfasts and terraces near the river. |
| Centre: Alfalfa and Sierpes | Classic pastry shops and long-established cafés. |
| Arenal and Plaza Nueva | Breakfast before visiting the monuments. |
How to choose
- Weekends: go earlyOn Saturday and Sunday mornings there are queues at the best-known places.
- Specialty coffeeAsk about the origin of the beans and the filter methods: good places will happily explain.
- Special dietsNew-style cafés usually have plant-based and gluten-free options; always ask about cross-contamination.
- In the heatIn summer, have breakfast early or sit indoors: by mid-morning sunny terraces get hot.
Something sweet: pastry shops and convents
Seville has classic pastry shops and a baking tradition linked to its convents. Some enclosed communities still sell sweets through a revolving hatch, without seeing the buyer: egg-yolk sweets, cakes or biscuits that vary by convent and season.
Each season has its own: torrijas in Lent and Holy Week, pestiños and roscos at other festivities. If Sevillian recipes interest you, read our guide to tapas and food.
A morning plan
A perfect morning: brunch on the Alameda or Calle Feria, a walk to the Setas to go up to the viewpoint, and back through the shopping streets of the centre. You will find the full walk in our guide to alternative Seville. If you prefer something more classic, have breakfast in Triana and cross the bridge towards the centre while the city is still waking up.
Frequently asked questions
What do people have for breakfast in Seville?
Toast with olive oil and tomato, with ham or manteca colorá, and a coffee. Churros, which many Sevillians call calentitos, are the breakfast for special days.
Where can I find specialty coffee in Seville?
Mainly on the Alameda de Hércules, Calle Feria and Calle Regina, around the Setas and in Triana.
Do I need to book for brunch?
Rarely on weekdays. On Saturday and Sunday mornings some places fill up: if you can, arrive early.
What time is breakfast?
From eight, and many Sevillians take a second break mid-morning. Brunch is mostly served between ten and midday.
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