EL RINCONCILLO: GET TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME AT THIS 350-YEAR-OLD SPANISH TAVERN IN SEVILLE
The Cost -$35
The Atmosphere – If El Rinconcillo was ever to shut down, the building it occupies might just become a museum. The restaurant, which is now over 350 years old, still has some of the ornamental décor from the 17th century and features a beautiful wooden bar, Spanish tile work, high ceilings, and other Spanish decorations and architecture. The multi-level restaurant and bar seats a good number of people, but there are almost always even more people trying to get in. Reservations are now possible though through the restaurant’s website showing that, at least in some ways, El Rinconcillo is keeping up with the times.
El Rinconcillo was first opened as a Spanish tavern in 1670. Back then, it wasn’t as big (an adjoining townhome was purchased and added to it in the 19th century) but it surely had the charm that it still has today. The restaurant’s menu focuses on traditional Andalusian food with many tapas available both in the restaurant and at the bar. In addition to the tapas, El Rinconcillo serves a variety of seafood and meat dishes as well as charcuterie.
The Order – Gazpacho Andaluz, Lomo de Lubina a la Cazuela, and Tocino del Cielo.
The Great – The best dish of the meal was the Lomo de Lubina a la Cazuela and I was very happy about that because it was a daily special and the waiter aggressively pushed me to order it. The lubina, which is sea bass, was cooked in a nicely done stew featuring red peppers; it also contained green peppers, onions, tomato, and a seafood sauce. Inside the stew were chunks of potatoes, which were soft from cooking for so long, and clams and shrimp, which added even more of a great seafood flavor. The fish was cooked in the stew for a long time, making it absorb so many of the great juices and flavors from the stew’s base. Overall, this dish was very enjoyable and I’d be happy to order it again.
The second-best dish from my three-course lunch at El Rinconcillo was the Tocino del Cielo. A typical dessert of Southern Spain, tocino del cielo, which translates to bacon from the sky, looks and feels very similar to a typical flan, but it’s actually made with different ingredients. Unlike a flan which is made with eggs and milk or cream, tocino del cielo is made only with egg yolks, sugar, and water, leaving out the dairy. El Rinconcillo’s tocino del cielo was served alone on a beautiful plate and was very tasty. This dessert is definitely very sweet though, so if you don’t like sweet desserts this one is not for you.
The Good – Surprisingly, my least favorite dish of the meal was the Gazpacho Andaluz, a cold soup dish I normally love and was excited to have because it originates from Andalusia, the region in which Seville is located. El Rinconcillo’s gazpacho came out with the chilled tomato-based broth in a bowl and was accompanied by a plate of diced raw vegetables that included green and red peppers and onions to mix in. The soup was good, but there was nothing about it that blew me away.
The Verdict – The experience of being transported back in time and sitting amongst decorations and architecture from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries is one that not many restaurants can offer. That is what truly makes El Rinconcillo special. The food is good, but the truth is that you can find better food at other restaurants around Seville at the same price point. What you can’t find elsewhere in Seville, however, is the history, allure, and charm that is present at El Rinconcillo and that makes this restaurant worth a visit.