Barrio Feria is one of the oldest and, for me, most interesting neighbourhoods in Seville. You’ll find a map of the barrios here and a Google map of the city here.
On the western side of the barrio is La Alameda de Hercules, a long square that’s one of the main areas for nightlife in Seville. There’s a multitude of bars, restaurants and other kinds of entertainment located around the square and the streets off it.
At the southern end of the square are two columns holding aloft statues of Hercules (the mythical founder of Seville) and Julius Caesar (considered a ‘reformer’ of the city). These are original columns taken from a Roman temple in Calle Mármoles a few streets away. The two columns at the northern end are reproductions.
In terms of bars I really liked Habanilla Café at 63 Plaza de la Alameda de Hércules on the eastern side of the square. It’s very popular with the locals who spill out onto the street, and they occasionally have live latin music in the atmospheric interior.
At 7 Alameda de Hercules, on the southern side of the square, you’ll find Casa de Los Licores, which is the best shop (after the basement of El Corte Ingles) I know of where you can buy harder-to-find wines and spirits. There’s another branch on Delicias.
Running roughly parallel to the Alameda is Calle Feria, from which the barrio takes its name. It’s home to the Mercado de Feria, Seville’s oldest market.
There are a few places to eat in the market but the most renowned is La Cantina, which is open the same hours as the market, 7am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Saturday. If you’re lucky you’ll get a table sitting under the neighbouring church wall but most likely you’ll have to jockey for a space at the busy bar.
I spent a very enjoyable afternoon working through a substantial section of their menu.
I had Croquetas Bacalao (codfish croquettes), Tortelitas de Camarones (deep fried tartlets of tiny prawns), Gambas Plancha (grilled prawns) and Navajas (razor clams).
Also Gambones (cooked prawns) and the house speciality, Atún Casero (preserved tuna with grilled peppers and aubergine), all of which were really good.
My tab was noted on the wall next to where I was standing. When she added it up, the lady who had served me gave a low whistle of admiration that I’d eaten it all by myself!
In my defence I had just done a marathon three hour walk around the whole of the old town to work up an appetite so I felt I had some justification!
Also off Calle Feria around Plaza Monte Sión is the Mercadillo “El Jueves”; an antiques market that happens every Thursday (hence the name).