This tapas bar is situated in the Alfalfa area in the old center of Sevilla. This area hosts many tapas bars and it is easy to get sucked into many bars in one evening. We first went to Bar Alfalfa on a quiet Sunday afternoon for just a quick tapa and drink, knowing that we would return for more in the near future. Sure enough, that near future was only five days later after a relaxing evening at the Arab baths (a post on this to come). This place is run by younger Sevillians and it does not disappoint. The atmosphere is very comfortable and intimate as this place is very small. The upper walls are filled with old wine bottles and we were witnesses to many tapas being handmade behind the bar. So grab a vino tinto or a sherry and take a look at our finds at Bar Alfalfa.
The first time at a tapas bar for me always seems very stressful, as I am not sure exactly what to order to drink and that question is asked as quickly as you take your coat off. Then on top of that, there is the uneasy feeling of trying to figure out what tapa to order. But once I realize that a friendly smile and a "un momento" works to buy a little time and a moment to breathe and take in the atmosphere, it is not as stressful as I make it out to be.
We were on a Sunday stroll when we realized that we were right by Bar Alfalfa and stopped in. We ordered a caña and a tinto vino and sat down by the window to watch the laid-back afternoon go by. Looking at their chalkboard full of tapas, we noticed they had "Migas con Chorizo," which is something we had not seen yet in our tapas escapades. We ordered it not knowing exactly what exactly "migas" were. With a quick glance at an offline dictionary, we realized we ordered breadcrumbs with sausage. Breadcrumbs? This should be interesting. What came to our table was so delightful. A dish of breadcrumbs that had been cooked with chorizo and the all the drippings. The breadcrumbs had soaked up all the flavors of the chorizo and whole roasted garlic to boot, this was all without the feeling of being greasy. This concoction was a perfect topping on a piece of bread and was a great snack on that Sunday.
The second time we lazily walked into the bar with a hungry Friday night stomach. My husband saw the 1906 cervezas, which are not often seen, and immediately ordered the "red vintage." Whereas I have been getting hooked on a sherry with tapas, so I ordered the house manzanilla. My husband who has recently proclaimed that he has not eaten enough jamón, ordered a tapa of the jamón iberico while we perused the menu. You can very rarely go wrong with jamón. The saltiness was a perfect accompaniment with our beverage choices and a fast way to keep his hunger at bay.
Knowing that we were going to hit a few other tapas bars that night, we only ordered one other tapa. It was easily one of the best tapas of the night. The Bresaola, which was a carpaccio with parmesan, arugula, and vinegar. It was a perfect combination of flavors. The meat was thinly cut and melted in your mouth along with the parmesan. The acidity of the vinegar matched perfectly with the tanginess of the arugula. The whole dish was amazing. This is a must at Bar Alfalfa and I will definitely seek this out again. I am looking forward to going back to Bar Alfalfa again for the atmosphere and of course, the delicious food.
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