Back in college, after we returned to campus from our jetsetting semesters abroad and swapped stories of our experiences, there were two consistent themes from students who got to know Spain well: Seville is slept on and not to be missed. Tapas should be a thing for most meals, if not all.
Though I've been to Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville (all culinary standouts in their own right), I had the best tapas here at Castizo. Their take on the dishes is more innovative and creative, without losing sight of the traditional recipe. Fearing that I would miss out on a table if I didn't have a reservation, I made my way here a few minutes before they opened at 1 pm. There were a few other diners waiting to be one of the first to be seated for lunch, so I felt like this restaurant is quickly growing in popularity. The thoughtful, tastefully trendy decor helps -- the bright blue awning stands out on the side street when you approach, and I got to admire the beautiful tiles by the front door while I waited.
It was hard not to over-order, as everyone on the menu sounded tantalizing, but we narrowed it down to some seafood tapas that called out to us. (I had heard that the main dishes here are hit or miss.) We went for the zamburiñas, grilled scallops with spicy chorizo sauce, as I had loved them so much in Barcelona and was intrigued by how Castizo's spicier version would taste. We also got the grilled squid with spicy tomato sauce and lemon mayo, the cod fritters (which I believe came with some black ink sauce on top), the toasted brioche with stewed meat and escabeche mussel, and last but not least, the potato salad with fried baby shrimps.
The design of the tile exterior I had admired earlier made yet another appearance later once our dishes arrived -- I appreciated the attention to detail on the literal plates themselves, in a nice callout to Seville's home in the Andalusia region. Everything was delicious and I didn't find the service slow, though after perusing the other reviews here, that might be because I opted for lunch, not dinner. read more