Regional Spanish Delights at Abantal, Seville (Forbes)

When my son got married three years ago, I received an email from a friend of mine saying “Congratulations, you have now joined the club of the most hated women in the world, – mothers in law.”  I have often thought about that, and have realized that I am very, very, fortunate to not be a member of that club, and indeed I count my daughter-in-law Margaret as one of my best friends.

This past week she and I (without our husbands) took a short two-day holiday to Seville, where neither of us had ever been.  We had done our homework and stayed in a small boutique hotel right next to the famous Cathedral called the EME Catedral Hotel, which was very welcoming and lovely.

We did the usual tourist things, like going to see the Plaza de Toros where the famous bull fights take place, the Plaza de Espana with its fabulous gardens, and, of course, spent a long time viewing the world’s third largest cathedral with its myriad of splendor displayed throughout its huge space.

The highpoint of our trip, however, was our dinner on Saturday night at Abantal, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Seville.  It is located in a small, out-of-the-way street, about 10 minutes from our hotel, and you would never know when you approach it what gastronomic delights await inside.

The décor is simple and sleek, and the seven tables are far enough apart so that you could have a very private conversation, which is such a rarity these days.  In addition, we noted with some glee the absence of blaring music, which so often detracts from good conversation and fabulous food.

Lady Barbara Judge CBE