Pando Centro was just down the way from our hotel. We stumbled across it our first afternoon in Seville, famished and in need of a late lunch.
It must have been an early dining hour, because the place was packed. We snagged one of the tall tables in the window with a view on the interior and the street. The server was prompt and spoke some (but not much) English. We asked about gazpacho but the kitchen said they had none onhand, so we went with salmorejo on the server's suggestion. It's a thick(er) blend, rich and tangy and with a lighter shade than we were expecting. It came garnished with Serrano ham and diced hard-boiled egg and was ... interesting.
We also sampled several of their tapas - atun rojo a la plancha con guacamole, crujiente de salmon con espinacas y queso, salsa de yogur, hamberguesa choco y gambas con ali-oli de boletus, torrija de berenjena con queso de cabra, jamon, miel y sesamo and solomillo iberico con salsa PX, cabrales, whisky o de boletus. The tuna was spicy if thoroughly cooked. The salmon was crispy won-ton-like; the yogurt salsa provided nice contrast. We loved the fish burger - so savoury!. The cheese on toast with honey was crispy ... and smooth and soft. The tapas thoroughly impressed.
We later realized that Grupo SanEloy owns (or operates) several establishments in the immediate vicinity of varying quality. This one, though, hit the mark. We visited a second time a couple of days later but earlier in the afternoon. It was quieter, with a bit group in the back. Service was less attentive, but the food was every bit as tasty.
FYI they advertise wifi, but we were unable to connect. read more