Hi, my name is Yetunde Oshodi-Fraudeau, I am co-owner and sales and marketing director for two fabulous companies that I created with my partner and husband, chef Eric Fraudeau. We have run a French cooking school in Paris, Cook’n With Class Paris, since 2007 and started a food tour company that I named, Let’s Eat The World in 2020, which offers both hands on inclusive culinary vacations in France and Spain as well as online experiences to get your tastebuds traveling when you can’t. For the last year, I have been living in Seville Spain in the southern region of Andalusia. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this gorgeous city. It’s welcoming, lively, sunny, and truly enjoyable.
Safe & Happy Travel in Seville
I hear it said time and again that compared to many cities of its size and population density, Seville is a very safe place to wander the streets even quite late at night and I have to agree. While I would say to any woman that caution and prudence should be taken seriously in any city or town you do not know well, Seville is not a place where I have felt unsafe even walking around on my own. In fact one of the reasons I decided to move here was because of the kindness of the people and their genuine desire to look out for those in need.
3 Best things to do
There is so much that you should see when visiting Seville that it is difficult to narrow it down to just 3 things, but I’ll try. You come to Seville and you absolutely have to visit:
The Real Alcazar – Royal Alcazar of Seville – Is both royal residence (when the royal family visits Seville), and a national monument. Very much worth a guided tour and is one of the spots we hit during our Week in Sevilla tour.
Parque Maria Luisa – Created for the 1929 World’s Fair, this park is a lovely place to stroll through and linger in on a sunny day.
Triana market – We are in food so of course, a market has to be on the list of things to visit while here. The Triana market in the barrio de Triana (Triana neighbourhood), is a lively, colourful market of fresh produce just across the Guadalquivir river over the Triana bridge whose real name is.
3 Best restaurants
You will notice that at meal times which may seem a bit off to anyone who is not Spanish, the restaurants are packed. The fabulously sunny weather almost year-round fills the sidewalk cafés and bars with hungry patrons looking to get a tapa or media ración of some tasty bites. Sevillanos are out a lot and with lunch tables not filled and restaurants not even opening before 1 pm in many cases, it takes a bit of getting used to. If I had to pick just 3 restaurants that you absolutely have to try when you visit, because there would be much more than just 3 on my list, I would have to say:
El Disparate – The restaurant of the Corner House hotel located on the Alameda de Hercules this restaurant is the more casual sister to another fabulous restaurant that I am sneaking in to my list, El Gallinero de Sandra. The food and wine and wonderful and you can sit outside and watch the energy and vibrance of the Alameda which comes alive after 1 pm and stays alive well into the night.
Tipico Barra de Tapas – The name may have to thinking twice about whether this local tapas bar is actually a tourist trap “Typical Tapas Bar” is a rather mundane name. But a cautionary tale tells us not to judge a restaurant by its name and I am so glad that we did. Inexpensive, delicious, and friendly. They don’t have the great outdoor spaces of many restaurants so you want to be sure that you get there early enough (before the Sevillanos get hungry), if you want to grab one of the few tables. This bar is located at the end of a bustling pedestrian street in Triana which is also dotted with many eateries.
Alfarería 21 – A multi-room, multi-level restaurant (and hotel) that was formerly the Montalván ceramics factory. When you make a reservation, be sure to request the rooftop terrace with the ceramics if the weather is nice. You’ll thank me for it.
Best jogging or biking path
You will find many joggers, bikers (the city has a bike share system) home, and walkers along the Guadalquivir river bank on any given day. Seville is relatively flat city and is full of bike paths but probably the best places to go for a jog would be along the river.
Best spa
When I need to relax in Seville, I make an appointment directly via WhatsApp with Shensations located not to far from the Alameda the Shiatsu massage is just what I need. Massage is always a great way to get over jet lag. They have a website where you can reserve your session from 30 minutes to the indulgent hour and a half.
Gracias! Thank you, Yetunde!
Connect with Yetunde via her website and social media platforms: Cook’n With Class Paris (Facebook and Instagram), Let’s Eat The World (Instagram).