Seville · Spain
Casa Morales
A practical guide to Casa Morales, the 1850 bodega next to Seville Cathedral: which sherry and tapas to order, what it costs and when to arrive to get a spot at the bar.
Yes, it's worth it, for the room and for the sherry. It's a 19th-century bodega still run by the same family; stand at the bar and arrive at opening, before the 13:30 crush.
Casa Morales is the second-oldest bar in Seville and the oldest still run by the family that founded it. It opened in 1850 on Calle García de Vinuesa, two minutes from the Cathedral, and the room has barely changed: sherry casks in the walls, giant clay tinajas with the menu written in chalk, a mahogany bar and high tables for standing.
Our experience
We stopped on Monday around midday, about ten minutes on our feet, with a glass of manzanilla and a small tapa. It was the last stop before our 13:00 tour of the Cathedral and the Alcázar, with the Patio de Banderas on the way to the meeting point. We chose manzanilla because it’s the aperitif glass, light enough before two and a half hours of monuments. The rest of the day is in our day 9.
A bit of history
It was founded by Leocadio Morales Prieto, a wine merchant from Valdepeñas who brought his wine in carts and sold it in bulk from the tinajas. Customers came with their own jugs. Over the years it became a haunt for bullfighters, actors, painters and poets. The tinajas stopped holding wine in the 1980s and stayed on as the centerpiece of the room.
The kitchen is much newer than the room: food arrived in 1992, the year of the Expo, and since 2007 chef Óscar Franco has run it. Today the bar is run by Reyes Morales, the founder’s great-granddaughter and the fourth generation, and in 2025 it celebrated 175 years.
What to know
From 13:30 on it’s packed and loud, with fast waiters who don’t come back to check on you. It isn’t bad service: it’s the rhythm of a Seville tavern. If you want a quiet meal, this isn’t the place; if you want a drink in a 19th-century room, it is.
What to see, in order
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A glass of manzanilla
The lightest, driest and saltiest sherry, from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It's the aperitif glass. The bartender pours it straight from the cask.
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The "poeta" vermouth
Vermouth with soda, named for the poet Hilario Gutiérrez, who always ordered it. Ask for it by that name.
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A cold tapa or a montadito
For a short stop, what comes out fast: Iberian ham, aged cheese, chicharrones or the montadito de pringá, one of the most ordered.
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The clay vats in back
Three clay tinajas that until the 1980s held almost 4,000 liters of wine each. Today the day's tapas are written on them in chalk.
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The casks on the wall
Behind the bar, labeled casks: manzanilla, fino, amontillado, oloroso and Pedro Ximénez.
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The high door
Above the office there's a door with a wooden ladder. It led to the tiny room where bodega workers slept in the 19th century.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- At the bar there's no printed bill: the bartender adds it up in his head. Keep track of what you order and, if the total sounds high, recite it back calmly.
- At a table they charge €1.50 per person for bread. Standing at the bar there's no charge, or you can say "sin pan, gracias."
- Cash and small bills are best; the card terminal is old and sometimes fails.
- Ask for tap water clearly: "Una jarra de agua del grifo, por favor."
Do
- Ask what's on today's chalkboard; it has dishes the printed menu doesn't.
- Order first and photograph the tinajas afterward, when the staff aren't pouring.
- Round up the bill as a tip: €1 or €2 on a €15 tab is generous.
Don’t
- Don't go to the wrong place: other bars have similar names. The historic one is at García de Vinuesa 11.
- Don't order Pedro Ximénez at midday, it's a dessert wine, or menudo in May, it's too heavy.
- Don't come on Sunday: it's closed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the hours at Casa Morales?
Monday to Saturday from 12:30 to 16:00 and from 20:00 to 23:30. Between 16:00 and 20:00 the front bar serves cold dishes only. Closed Sundays.
Is it the oldest bar in Seville?
It's the second oldest, after El Rinconcillo, from 1670, and the oldest still in the hands of the founding family.
Can you make a reservation?
Not at the bar. Groups of 8 or more can call and ask for space in the back room.
What should I order if I only have ten minutes?
A glass of manzanilla and a cold tapa, like Iberian ham or aged cheese. It comes out in under a minute.