Mistakes almost everyone makes in Sevilla

I see them every week. None of them ruin a trip, but avoiding them makes it a lot better.

1. Eating on your home schedule

Lunch in Sevilla is from 2 to 4 pm and dinner starts around 9 pm. Many kitchens close in the afternoon. Sit down for dinner at 7 pm and you’ll end up in a tourist place or a bar whose kitchen is shut.

2. Ordering paella

Paella is from Valencia, not Sevilla. If a restaurant in the centre has paella photos outside and a waiter calling you in, that’s your sign. Here you go for tapas: spinach with chickpeas, pringá, pork cheeks, fried fish, salmorejo…

3. Eating next to the monument

Bars with a Cathedral view or on the main street of Santa Cruz are rarely the best. Walk two or three streets away and you’ll notice the difference in quality and price.

4. Taking the rosemary sprig

Near the Cathedral, women will offer you a sprig of rosemary “as a gift” and read your palm. Then they’ll ask for money, sometimes insistently. Say no politely and keep walking.

5. Turning up at the Alcázar without a ticket

The Real Alcázar is probably the best thing in the city, and the one with the longest queue. Buy your ticket in advance on the official website, and be wary of resellers with inflated prices.

6. Walking in the midday sun in summer

From June to September, between 2 and 7 pm, do what locals do: find shade, take a long lunch or rest. Always carry water.

7. Ordering full portions for one

A ración is a sharing plate. If you’re on your own or a couple, order tapas or half portions (medias raciones) and try more things.

8. Never leaving the tourist centre

Triana, the Alameda, the Macarena or a neighbourhood market show you the Sevilla we actually live in. Go to at least one of them.

9. Drinking sangría

It’s not what we drink here. For something cold and local, ask for a tinto de verano or a very cold beer. If you like wine, try a fino or a manzanilla.

Bonus: tipping isn’t mandatory in Spain. If the service was good, round up or leave some change. Nobody will be offended if you don’t.