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Altamira Bar-Café
With a nice terrace for some al fresco dining or lunching and busy, efficient waiters darting to and fro, Altamira is a decent choice for seafood raciones (meal-sized portions).
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Álvaro Peregil
This tiny bar has not much more in terms of decoration than garlic bunches hanging overhead and a couple of tall tables outside to rest your tapas on. But the food is so good you'll need nothing more. The salmorejo (a thicker version of gazpacho) is particularly good, with strips of jamón sprinkled over the top; try the orange wine, made from Seville's famous (and ubiquitous) oranges.
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Bar Alfalfa
This is one of the most charming tapas bars in town, and it serves excellent jamón, in generous cuttings. The bar is so small that ten is a crowd, but if you get to sit down or perch by a barrel-table, you can enjoy the intimate décor of dark, forest greens, tiled walls, and sip a glass of fino .
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Bar Casa Fernando
This place bustles with punters, most of whom are trying out the good-value menu of the day. There is a variety of options but a small dish of paella, followed by fried fish and a dreamy caramel flan will set you up nicely.
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Bar Horacio
Friendly, bow-tied waiters serve up a great selection of tapas at this bar, which heaves with chattering locals.
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Bar Levíes
The ultimate student tapas bar, crowded Levíes serves a tapa of solomillo al whisky as big as a ración - and beer in big glasses.
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Bar Pepe-Hillo
For no-nonsense, quality tapas head for easy-going Bar Pepe-Hillo.
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Bar-Restaurante Las Columnas
Beefy men and tasty tapas are brought together at this low-key restaurant, which serves down-to-earth fare such as albóndigas (meatballs).
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Bodega Santa Cruz
Here is a place that really turns the tapas on. A focal point for tapas pilgrims, Bodega Santa Cruz has a wonderful choice of flavoursome bites. In the hubbub of Barrio Santa Cruz, its popularity is testimony to its quality.
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Cafe Alianza
Old-fashioned street lights, a trickling fountain and colourful wall plants make this small plaza a charming place to relax with a coffee, and Cafe Alianza is positioned perfectly for just that. Its tapas nibbles are also good.
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Café Bar Las Teresas
Hams dangle proudly from the ceiling and punters are kept happy with plates of traditional tapas.
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Casa Cuesta
Something about the carefully buffed wooden bar and gleaming beer pumps suggests the owners are proud of Casa Cuesta. They should be; it's a real find for food & wine lovers alike.
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Casa Robles
The dizzily bright lights of the restaurants north of the cathedral function to attract and trap buzzing sightseers, so be prepared. One good option is Casa Robles, an upmarket choice that prides itself on its natural food and elegantly styled restaurant. Its dishes, which range from braised bulls' tails to seasonal salads, are beautifully presented.
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Cervecería Giralda
Exotic variations are merged with traditional dishes at this bar in what was once a Muslim bathhouse.
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Corral del Agua
If you're hankering for inventive food on a hot day, book a table at Corral del Agua. Its cool, green courtyard is a lovely spot to sample traditional stews and Arabic-inspired desserts.
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El Patio San Eloy
Hams hang like stalactites at the always-busy Patio San Eloy, where you can sit on the steps at the back and feast on a fine array of burguillos (small filled rolls).
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Enrique Becerra
Enrique Becerra adds a smart touch to the El Arenal area and cooks up hearty Andalucían dishes to rave about and remember long after the eating. The menú is a satisfying caboodle of two courses, bread, dessert, coffee and wine.
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Habanita
This top restaurant serves a winning variety of Cuban, Andalucian and vegetarian food.
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Kiosco de las Flores
Still revelling in the transformation from 70-year-old shack to a glam conservatory (just check the photos), this eatery doles out great pescaíto frito (fried fish).
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La Bodega
Located in the hub of the tapas scene, La Bodega is where you can mix head-spinning quantities of jamón and sherry.
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La Giganta
Despite being fairly new, this place is renowned for its talent with tapas. While you're here, marvel at the weeds sprouting from the roof of the old church of Santa Catalina nearby.
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La Ilustre Víctima
This offbeat place is a popular Alameda hangout, with some curious wall-paintings. The celebrated vegetarian tapas, including calabacines al roque (courgettes with Roquefort cheese), are as tasty as ever, followed by a mint tea.
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La Trastienda
Plaza de la Alfalfa is the hub of the tapas scene, with excellent bars. Start your night at sea-themed La Trastienda, off the eastern end of the plaza.
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Los Alcazares
A perfect, old-world haunt for those who need to fill a gap after visiting the nearby market.
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Los Coloniales
The demand at Los Coloniales is so great that sitting down at one of the terrace tables demands plenty of waiting time. If you're ready to wait, get your name chalked onto the board. If not, get your tapas at the bar or sit down in the back room comedor (dining room). But make sure you eat here at least once: the superb tapas are huge (try the churrasco) and as cheap as they get.
