One of the thing I love doing whenever I travel to a new place is to explore interesting places for food or drinks. I especially love places which are either ancient or has modern or amazing architecture. I was strolling around Seville in 2015 with my friends when we chanced upon this very old tapas bar.
El Rinconcillo literally meaning the inside of a little corner takes its name from being situated on a corner of the adjoining roads Calle Gerona and Calle Alhondiga located near Plaza los Terceros. It is the oldest bar in Seville since 1670 and some might even say the whole of Spain.
Once you step into the bar, it is a blast to the past. Everything here looks like it is frozen in time and remains untouched by the modernisation around us. The walls are beautifully decorated in traditional Andalusian tiles and the carved wooden bar shows a wealth of history right down to the cigarette burns where people would have laid them down to take a sip of their drink
The bar has its old telephone on the wall which still rings even though it is not used and there is also an old telephone book hanging above. Everything just adds on to the character of the bar.
You can see jamon legs hanging from the ceiling just like how it used to be from the past.
You can see dusty bottles of alcohol and wine right at the top of the shelves and some of these are limited addition and is more of an antique than a beverage. Some of these bottles right at the top are no longer made or exist except in this bar. Even the brewery that made them has been known to try and buy them back.
For bigger groups or parties, there are also 2 private rooms available for booking on the 2nd floor which exudes the same traditional Spanish look.
One of the most exciting experience at the bar is communicating with the waiters who speak very little English and actually making your tapas and drinks order. All the waiters and bar staff are men dressed in white shirts with black waistcoats and black ties giving an air of being smooth, suave and sophisticated gentlemen and following traditions, they do not have any ladies serving the front of house. Instead of the current billing system, the waiters will write your bill in chalk on the wooden bar and the most you order, the longer the bill and it is amazing to see the servers add up the bill mentally at the end of the session. (Trust me, they don’t get it wrong)
Most of them are extremely friendly and helpful despite the lack of a common language and the taps was absolutely fantastic with an equally great atmosphere. I definitely recommend visiting this bar if you are in Seville to get an experience you cannot get anywhere else. When we visited in 2015, it was mainly locals but with more people writing about it, it has become packed with tourist so be prepared to wait for a place.
Address: Calle Gerona, 40, 41003 Sevilla, Spain
Operating hours: 1 pm to 1.30 am
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