If there is an area of Seville known inside and outside our city, it is the Alameda de Hércules. Sevillian life and, above all, its nightlife, would not be the same without this cosmopolitan and bohemian neighbourhood where everything has a new flavour, although preserving the aftertaste of the history and tradition of the Seville capital. What is the oldest and largest public boulevard in Europe, as we told you in a previous post on our blog, has multiple leisure and gastronomic options that attract both Sevillians and tourists for its avant-garde and creative atmosphere.
If you are going to travel to Seville soon and want to visit this central space of the city, remember that several of our accommodations are in the area. We are referring to our buildings Singular Alameda, Singular Gran Poder or Singular Peral. All of them equipped with all kinds of comforts that will make you feel at home and with an unbeatable location so that you can experience the city without having to worry about long journeys. And if you have forgotten something in your luggage, don’t worry, in the Alameda you will find everything.
And what is it that you can’t miss experiencing or savoring about the Alameda de Hércules? Keep reading, we summarize it.
A day in the Alameda
To begin with, do you know why it is known as the Alameda de Hércules? Alameda because it is a large boulevard or promenade and of Hercules because of the two columns that act as a portico at the entrance to the square, which come from a Roman temple of the second century that was discovered in the also Sevillian street Mármoles. Statues of the city’s two founders: Hercules and Julius Caesar were placed on them. Both works date from 1578 and are by Diego de Pesquera.
Now that we know this historical fact, let’s get into the matter. The Alameda is liked and we like it because it is like a city within the city. We can spend a whole day enjoying good meals and chats on the terraces of its bars, discovering its shops, visiting its galleries and bookshops or going to the cinema and/or the theatre. And all in the same place.
We could start the day recharging our batteries with a good breakfast at Café Piola, at Gigante Bar or at No Piqui. The latter is famous for its hamburgers, although it has also specialized in breakfasts. To have a brunch, although this is not the most typical area of Seville for it (nearby, in San Luis, there is KOK, for example), we recommend you go and try the options of the Nickel menu, also popular for its gourmet burgers, but with a renewed commitment to brunch. If you want a more traditional breakfast, we encourage you to go to Calle Feria, at the back of the Alameda. Any of its bars will serve you the typical toasts and you can’t miss the churros in the Market of Calle Feria.
It is quite an experience to extend the morning strolling among the peculiar shops on this street (there we can find from pleasant bookshops such as Gusanito Lector, to old basket shops, furniture shops, second-hand clothing or traditional barbershops) or discovering the shops of Amor de Dios until aperitif time. You can’t miss a visit to El Vizcaíno to try its vermouth or a cold beer and open your stomach until lunchtime. And this is where we find ourselves with the difficult task of choosing between its many bars or gastrobars.
We highlight some such as Chifa Tapas, with a fusion proposal between Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. You can’t miss their black angus nigiri and ceviche. We also suggest you discover the food of the Japanese restaurant Matsuri (in Amor de Dios); the now typical tapas of the Dúo Tapas or the Antojo; the hamburgers of the No Piqui; the boletus risotto and the bluefin tuna tartare of the Pangea or try the craft beers and the geek eggs of the Maquila.
After lunch, and if there is still room, we can have a coffee on some of the terraces of the Alameda such as the Café Habanilla, El Corto Maltés or the Central. Be careful! It is very likely that you will want to continue with a drink -or several- and the night will be on you! The busy but pleasant atmosphere of the area, with outdoor play areas for children if you are travelling with your family, will help you not to want to get up from what will have already become your favourite bar in the area (any of the ones in the Alameda).
But if you still want to discover places before dinner, you can check the program of the Alameda Theater; visit one of its art galleries such as Birimbao, Delimbo or La Galería Roja; go see a movie at the Cervantes Cinema or enjoy a musical moment in some of its jazz rooms such as the Naima Sevilla.
For dinner, you can discover some of the places that you did not have time to visit during lunch and then continue walking at night. The Mercado de la Calle Feria is a good option.
Options for the night
If you like to enjoy music in a bar while having a drink, you are in luck, because in the Alameda there is room for all styles. Another curious fact: this is where Andalusian rock was born, a unique style that was forged by the hand of greats such as Jesús de la Rosa, leader of the mythical group Triana. Did you know?
The Sala Fun Club, founded in 1987 turning the Alameda into the nerve centre of rock in Seville, the Caja Negra (now at Calle Trajano, 44), the Sala Holiday, the Bar Sonoro or the Utopia are some of the options to move the body. And to finish, or not, you cannot miss a visit to the recently opened Akelarre (on Peral Street), an innovative place where you can enjoy concerts, talks, ‘open mic’ sessions, snacks or long nights.