Seville · Spain
Churrería Los Especiales
A practical guide to Churrería Los Especiales, the churro kiosk at the foot of the Triana Bridge: what to order, what it costs, how ordering at the window works and which churro spots locals prefer.
Worth it as an easy breakfast by the river, not as a pilgrimage. The churros are fried to order and the chocolate is thick, but local blogs rank other churrerías ahead of it.
Churrería Los Especiales is a kiosk with a window, a fryer and a pot of chocolate, at the foot of the Triana Bridge on the Seville side. It isn’t a restaurant: you order, pay and sit at a metal table under the trees, with the Guadalquivir behind you. It fries calentitos, as Seville calls thick churros, from 7:00 until 2:00.
Our experience
It was our Monday breakfast, at 8:15, before heading into the Barrio de Santa Cruz. We ordered churros with thick chocolate and café con leche. We picked it for logistics: it was three minutes from where we were staying, it opens at 7:00 every day and it put us on the way to the Cathedral with no detours. That day we walked about 12 kilometers, so we ordered the plain churros, not the filled ones. The full plan is in our day 9.
We knew it wasn’t the most famous churrería. Sevilla Secreta ranks it number 8 on its list, and on TripAdvisor it has 3.5 out of 5, with complaints about oily batches and uneven service when it’s busy. For an early breakfast by the river, it made more sense to us than walking 15 minutes for a small improvement.
A bit of history
The Chocolatería Los Especiales brand was founded in 1975 by Francisco Sánchez Gómez and Esperanza Blanco Cánovas, and today their children and grandchildren run it. The spot is much older than the business: the Isabel II Bridge opened in 1852, and ever since, this corner between central Seville and the Triana of potters and boatmen has had stands selling something fried and hot.
If you want to compare
Bar El Comercio, on Calle Lineros since 1904, is the classic with a bar counter and tiles, and number one on Sevilla Secreta’s list. Chocolatería Virgen de Luján, in Triana, is the neighborhood favorite for the size of its portions.
What to see, in order
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An order of churros with chocolate
The house order: 4 or 5 lengths of calentito cut from the wheel, fresh from the fryer, with a cup of thick chocolate for dipping. In Seville, thick churros are called calentitos.
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The café con leche
Order it alongside the chocolate, not instead of it. The chocolate is the reason to come.
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The wheel in the fryer
Watch through the window as they fry the dough in a single spiral and snip it with scissors as they serve. Nothing sits on a tray: they fry when you order.
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The view from the tables
The river behind you, the Torre del Oro to one side and the iron arches of the Triana Bridge in front. One of the easiest beautiful morning photos in Seville.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Order and pay at the window first, then find a table. Nobody comes to take your order.
- They take cards, but the terminal sometimes fails. Bring €10–15 in coins or small bills.
- To order like a local: "Ponme una de churros con chocolate y un café con leche." "Una de" is the unit.
- The chocolate is for dipping. Whatever is left in the cup, finish with a spoon at the end.
Do
- Order the plain churros if you have a long walking day ahead; the filled ones are heavier.
- Look for the Chocolatería Los Especiales sign on the permanent wood-and-glass kiosk. During festivals, temporary stands pop up along the promenade.
- Round up to the euro as a tip. No percentage is expected.
Don’t
- Don't order waffles: they're a concession to tourists.
- Don't accept a portrait from the roaming photographers on the promenade: afterward they ask for €10–15. If you never take the photo in your hand, there's no argument.
- Don't confuse the kiosk with the photo-menu cafés between the bridge and Avenida de la Constitución, which charge €8–10 for reheated churros.
Frequently asked questions
What are the hours at Churrería Los Especiales?
Every day from 7:00 to 2:00, with no midday closing. Thursday through Saturday it often stays open later at night.
How much does a churros-and-chocolate breakfast cost?
Between €3.50 and €5 for a serving with chocolate, and about €4 to €6 per person if you add coffee.
Are these the best churros in Seville?
Not according to local blogs: Sevilla Secreta ranks it number 8 and prefers Bar El Comercio, from 1904. It's a good breakfast for its location and freshness, not the most famous one.
What's the difference between a churro and a calentito?
Calentito is what Seville and Huelva call the thick churro cut from the wheel. In Málaga and Granada it's tejeringo, and in Córdoba, jeringo.