At the end of November, I spent a long weekend in sunny Seville with my mum, my first time in the capital of Andalucía. We had three full days in the city, which gave me enough time to visit a few of the speciality coffee shops on my list — without inflicting too much coffee on my mum, who doesn't like coffee (or even the smell of it). I will be blogging separately about all of the other things we got up to during our visit; stay tuned!
Parcería Café
After two days of glorious sunshine, the drizzle set in on our final day in the city, which meant it was a good day for popping in and out of coffee shops, as well as churches and other historic buildings on our self-guided walking tour of the Macarena district in the north of the city centre. Located opposite the Mercado de Feria, a bustling indoor food market, Parcería made a great stop between visits to the market and to Palacio Marqueses de la Algaba, just around the corner.
They serve locally roasted coffee from Alquimista Coffee Lab, as well as breakfast, cakes and other light bites. We arrived mid-morning on a Monday to find the cafe almost full, but my mum secured us a table while I deliberated among the five single-origin coffees available as hand-brewed filter coffee (Aeropress, Chemex, Clever and V60).
I opted for a washed Peruvian Neuva Florida coffee, brewed through the V60, while my mum had what she declared to be the best tea of the trip. Both came beautifully presented in unique ceramic cups, and the coffee plants on the tables were a nice touch too. My coffee tasted great with chocolate and brown sugar flavours balanced with a sweet acidity. Were my tiny carry-on bag not already full, I would have bought some beans, from the wide selection available, to take home
Parcería Café is located at Calle Calderón de la Barca 9. Website. Instagram.
Torch Coffee Roasters
After a stroll through the Plaza de España on our first morning, I was in need of more caffeination, and happily, Torch Coffee Roasters, was only a short walk away. Owned by Guatemalan sisters Sara and Victoria Parish, Torch has been serving up speciality coffee to Sevillanos since 2015, with a focus on quality, sustainability and community. The café-roastery is located near the Puente San Telmo, Torre del Oro and Real Alcázar, and so very convenient for those who prefer their sight-seeing with a side of speciality coffee (or vice-versa).
Arriving late morning on a sunny Saturday, we struggled to find a table in the busy, lively cafe. Luckily, while we waited to order, a table opened up next to the small annexe containing the roaster. As for the coffee, as well as the usual espresso-based drinks brewed on the beautiful blue La Marzocco, there are hand-brewed filter coffees (V60, French press, Chemex and Aeropress), iced coffees and freshly squeezed juices on the menu. On the counter, they have cards explaining the different types of coffee and process — handy, given that a fair few other customers appeared not to have fallen down the speciality rabbit hole (yet).
There were two single-origin coffees available on filter, and I went for the washed Ethiopian Sidamo, which had lovely orange and peach notes that came through very nicely as the coffee cooled. I also bought a bag of Guatemalan Finca El Paraíso beans, which I've been enjoying at home, the Aeropress bringing out the chocolatey, nutty notes very well.
Torch Coffee Roasters is located at Avenida Paseo de las Delicias 3. Website. Twitter. Instagram.
Virgin Coffee
Love them or hate them, you can't ignore the Setas de la Encarnación, the huge, mushroom-shaped wooden structure that spored in Plaza de la Encarnación in 2011. There are plenty of cafes and other eateries nearby, but for the best speciality coffee option in the area, look no further than the diminutive but delightful Virgin Coffee.
The coffee shop punches well above its tiny weight, with both espresso-based drinks and hand-brewed filter coffee on offer, as well as bags of retail beans for sale in a distinctive yellow colour. There were two single-origin coffees available on espresso, and I went for the Colombian San Miguel as a cortado. Although lacking in latte art, the coffee was well-balanced and smooth, and tasted great. There are a couple of seats inside but this is primarily a take-away joint. Do also note that only single-use cups are available, so it's worth bringing along your favourite reusable cup if you have one.
Virgin Coffee is located at Calle Regina 1. Website. Instagram.
Jester
In need of a quick breakfast close to our hotel on the first morning, my mum and I stumbled upon Jester, near the northern end of the Jardines de Murillo. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of the coffee but my cortado was very nicely brewed. The pastries were good too, although there was so much pistachio custard in mine that it was quite challenging to eat (I'm not really complaining).
Jester is located at Calle Barcelona 3. Facebook. Instagram.
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