Corinne Schnadelbach is a student at University of Tennesse. She is an ISA Featured Photo Blogger and is studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain.
Even though my host mom is an amazing cook, I still wanted to take some time to explore the thriving tapa scene here in Sevilla during my time abroad. (Did you know there are over four thousand restaurants in Sevilla alone? How am I going to have enough time to try all of them?)
To my surprise and delight one of my professors, Jolee Yorks – Hbirkou, mentioned in class that her husband owns a local Moroccan and Spanish tapas restaurant in the neighborhood of Alameda de Hercules, a popular area of Seville known for its exquisite international food and thriving night life, so of course I had to check it out.
Here at Arte y Sabor, customers can find a wide array of delicious flavorful tapas featuring homemade Moroccan delicacies, like Ensalada Tabulé, Pinchitos de ternera, and Falafel con salsa de yogur, while gazing at beautifully hand-crafted pieces of art from local artists in the neighborhood. (These were the three I tried and they were amazing!) Don’t worry if you have a specific dietary concern as most of the dishes are vegan/vegetarian or can easily be made that way.
Jolee’s husband, Zakaria Hbirkou, immigrated to Sevilla from Morocco with the dream of owning a restaurant where he could serve traditional Moroccan food in the small plate tapas style unique to Spain. Eight years later, the dream became a reality and was even the place where the couple first met!
Arabic locals who live in the neighborhood come here because they know all the meat is prepared using halal methods with minimal pain to the animal and prepared by a Muslim butcher. All the dishes for the food come straight from Morocco and are garnished in a style meant to compliment the flavorful palate of spices they carry.
Alameda de Hercules and Arte y Sabor are definitely worth a visit during your time in Sevilla. Just remember, the Spanish eat much later than Americans, sometimes having dinner as late as 10 or 11 at night!
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