Seville · Spain
Bodega Santa Cruz "Las Columnas"
A practical guide to Bodega Santa Cruz "Las Columnas" in Seville: what to order at the bar, what it costs, how the chalk tab works and how not to confuse it with the tourist-trap bars on Mateos Gago.
Worth it for a quick standing tapa, two minutes from the Cathedral at neighborhood prices. It's loud and brusque, and the chalk tab is yours to keep an eye on.
Bodega Santa Cruz, which everyone in Seville calls “Las Columnas,” is a standing tapas bar on the corner of Rodrigo Caro and Mateos Gago, two minutes from the Cathedral. It’s loud and always full, with locals and tourists about half and half, which is rare in this area. What people remember is the tab: they write it in chalk on the bar, right in front of you.
Our experience
We stopped here on Sunday, May 17, at 18:25, for a tapa before the flamenco. Standing at the bar, we ordered a serranito and a glass of manzanilla, and we brought cash.
We chose it for the distance and the format. Casa del Flamenco was a three-minute walk away and doors opened around 18:40, so we needed something quick that wasn’t dinner. That night we ate at El Rinconcillo, after Las Setas. The whole order is in our first day in Seville.
A bit of history
The official name comes from the Santa Cruz quarter, the old Jewish quarter around it. Sources place the tavern’s origins in the 19th century, but there’s no published founding year. In 2020 it closed for over a year, because of the pandemic and the roadworks on Mateos Gago that cut off foot traffic. It reopened on June 1, 2021, with the chalk, the columns and the standing bar intact.
The serranito is a Seville invention from the 1970s, and several bars claim to have created it. Pringá is much older: the trick of using up the meat from the Sunday cocido on bread.
What to see, in order
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Montadito de pringá
Shredded meat from the cocido stew on bread, made in-house every day. It's the dish that made the bar famous across Seville. About €2.50.
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Serranito
Seville's sandwich: grilled pork loin, serrano ham and fried green pepper on a crusty roll. About €3–4 for the small one.
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Espinacas con garbanzos
A stew of spinach and chickpeas with cumin, paprika and a touch of vinegar, with Moorish and Sephardic roots. About €3.
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Tortillitas de bacalao
Thin salt cod and chickpea-flour fritters, crisp at the edges. The other specialty Seville guides single out.
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The chalk tab
The bartender writes everything you order in chalk on the wood of the bar, right in front of you, and adds it up at the end. Almost no other bar in the center still does this.
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The two columns
The stone columns at the entrance give the bar its nickname. They confirm you're at the right place; there's no proof they're Roman.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Keep a running count in your head. If the total sounds high, ask "¿Me lo desglosa, por favor?": reviews mention small adding mistakes at a packed bar.
- If the column side is jammed, go in from the Mateos Gago side. Same bar, fewer people.
- Between 16:00 and 20:00 the hot kitchen can pause. Ask "¿Hay serranito ahora mismo?"; the pringá montadito and cold tapas are always available.
- Cards are accepted, but cash is faster at the bar.
Do
- Order in Spanish, standing: "Ponme un serranito y una copa de manzanilla, por favor."
- Ask the price before ordering if it isn't clear, so it's settled before it hits the chalk.
- Use it as a quick tapa before something nearby: the Cathedral, the Alcázar or a show in Santa Cruz.
Don’t
- Don't sit at the Mateos Gago bars with photo menus on easels and someone waving you in: they charge €4–5 for a caña.
- Don't accept help from "translators" at the door who ask for a tip. The staff are behind the bar.
- Don't order sangría or croquetas here; for croquetas, go to El Rinconcillo.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at Bodega Santa Cruz?
The pringá montadito, which is the specialty, and the serranito. If you're hungry, add spinach with chickpeas or salt cod fritters.
How much does it cost?
Tapas cost between €2 and €3.10. With two drinks, €10 to €15 per person.
Does it have tables?
Not inside; it's a standing bar. Outside, under the columns, there's sometimes a table if passersby aren't blocking it.
Why is it called "Las Columnas"?
Because of the two stone columns framing the entrance on Calle Rodrigo Caro. Some sites say they're Roman, but serious Seville sources don't confirm it.