Located on a back street of the old town of Seville, Manolo León sits amongst new apartment buildings and residential buildings, announcing itself with its vibrant stucco detailing and bright colouring. We were fortunate that it was less than two minutes away from where we were staying (given the pouring rain) as we ran in without knowing just how lovely it would be! Entering the main room is like stepping into a ballroom – the swooping high courtyard walls and chandelier highlight the intricate tiled walls, with multiple rooms exiting from the greeting area, all filled with beautiful lamps, paintings, and mirrors, giving the whole restaurant a very avant-garde almost funhouse vibe – we were immediately impressed.
The staff walked us up to a beautiful intimate table in a sun room on the second floor, where we could see the courtyard below surrounded by vines and palms and what seemed like a thousand other types of greenery. It is novel and fun, and the perfect place for a romantic dinner. We started off with two glasses of a Spanish red that our waiter recommended, which arrived with green olives while we took in their very extensive menu. The staff were helpful, accommodating, and very cheerful, which is always a big plus in our books!
We split one appetiser and ordered two mains, which were much larger than we had anticipated, a tagliatelle pasta with local vegetables and meats, and a beef dish served with a white bean stew, a very common dish in Seville. Both were well seasoned, arrived very hot, and were exactly what we needed as our first introduction to Sevilla’s culinary scene. Although good for a romantic dinner, it was full of large families and groups, who I can only think were sharing the dishes like tapas given the size of the dishes! So if you’re looking for something fancy and fun for the family, it’s a definite recommendation from us.
We had a lovely evening and our waiter Pedro was exceptionally sweet and very attentive – so a special shout-out to him! Overall the ambiance, food, wine, and service were all wonderful – a very solid 4 out of 5 stars from our team!
