Las Flores

STAY AWAY from this place at all cost! In fact, don´t bother eating anywhere on this street, rude service and over-​priced.
Worst first impression of Sevilla. We had just arrived in the city, walked quite a ways from our hotel to cross the bridge from the centro to see the Canal de Alfonso XIII in scorching heat. Since all of the other restaurants along the water seemed empty we kept walking by and came upon this place. It looked busy and lively, we walked in, was greeted by a woman whom we told that we needed a drink right away because we´re thirsty and parched. She told us we can sit anywhere on the patio, so we did. Picked a great table right in front of the water next to all the other customers. The only server (Jelena) for the entire outfoor patio walked by us 5 times before she acknowledged us, we never got a menu, so I grabbed it from another table. There were 3 other ladies standing around inside the empty restaurant, but they didn´t bother helping Jelena. We waited for about 10 minutes before she came over only to tell us she´s sorry she´ll be right with us in Spanish. 10 minutes later she came back to take our order (took away the menu), then another 10 minutes passed by before we got our drinks. Literally 30 minutes to get a pitcher of sangria, I actually timed it. We weren´t the only ones, the table in front of us asked for ice, never got theirs until they already drank all their water. The table behind us asked for coffee, and had to asked Jelena twice to remind her that they never got their coffee.
While we were enjoying our drinks Jelena came by to drop off our bill and gestured ´finished´, then walked away. I looked at my husband stunned, thinking how come she never bothered to ask if we wanted anything else (?). So we took our time finishing our drinks, resting our legs and cooling off, and later on had the desire to order some food. We flagged down another lady who seemed to be the manager (?), she kept herself busy paying very close attention to this one particular couple, two tables away from us, yet did nothing to help the rest of the customers on the patio. We told her we would like to order food, she had a menu in her hand, she said something in Spanish/​broken English and pointed to the main restaurant, said someone else will be helping us. Sure enough she walked over to Jelena and pointed at our table gesturing to take our order. But Jelena walked the opposite way and never came back out. We sat there for another 5 minutes, drinks were all gone, no one brought us a menu or took our food order. So we got up and walked into the restaurant to pay at the cashier. The bill was 10 Euros for a pitcher of sangria. The door had stickers showing that they took credit cards, so my husband gave his to the cashier lady who told him that he didn´t spend enough money to use a credit card. My husband started going off in Spanish letting her know that we wanted to spend more but no one bothered to serve us. And the lady started arguing with him (still in Spanish) to say that the kitchen closes at 5pm so they would not serve us food anyways. At this point it was only 4:30pm. When we were sitting drinking it was only 4pm. My husband told her that no one ever mentioned that the kitchen is closing nor to ask if we wanted anything else besides our sangria. Instead we just got a bill and was told to leave. They argued back and forth for another 5 minutes (still in Spanish) until I went off in English telling her that their service is terrible, we would have spent more money had there been service and I told her we just want to leave and please be done with it. She finally apologized to my husband and I admitting that our server should have given us the heads up about the kitchen closing. She took the credit card, we paid and we walked out.
The food prices were very over-​priced, at least from what we saw on the menu the first time. From what we gathered, the other tables didn´t seem to enjoy their food either. What a waste of a great location.

26-​3-​2014: To expensive for the quality of the good. We had gazpacho, french fries and the gamba’s, the food had no taste at all. We don’t recommend this restaurant for there are so many good restaurants in Sevilla with better taste, better quality and a better price.

Had dinner there last night and was really disappointed. The staff is friendly, but the food really left a lot to be desired. Had the swordfish and calamari and they were both tough and lacked seasoning of any kind. I would not go back.

El kiosco de Las Flores ganó en hermosura y modernidad cuando lo trasladaron a su actual emplazamiento de la calle Betis, pero perdió todo el encanto de antiguo e improvisado cuchitril que lucía cuando estaba a los pies del puente de Triana.
Gustos sentimentales y añoranzas personales aparte, lo que no ha perdido, ni por asomo, este kiosco-​bar-​restaurante-​con-​vistas-​al-​río, y Sevilla de postal, es la maravilla de pescaíto frito que sirve a su más que fiel clientela. ¡Ese adobito, esos boqueroncitos, esas puntillitas, esos pavías, esos chanquetitos con huevo!!! ¡Es que es para ser fiel hasta la muerte!
Y puestos a guardar fidelidad, y ya puestos a comer, por lo que veo, y para acompañar al pescaíto, no podía pasar por alto unos pimientos asados, un tomatazo aliñao y unos huevos fritos –plato que todo españolito de a pié se pediría en cualquier lugar con los ojos cerrado– que te ponen en órbita.
Buen provecho, y a disfrutar de las vistas. Río Guadalquivir, Sevilla y Triana. ¡Ahí es ná!

Yo soy de las que prefería el antiguo «kiosko las flores». Primero porque era una seña de identidad del puente Triana y segundo porque me encantaban las vistas que ofrecía. Así que ya no lo frecuento tanto como entonces. Pero, de vez en cuando, esa nostalgia de tiempos pasados que pensamos fueron mejores tira de mi hacia su tinto de verano, su manzanilla y su «pescaito frito»
A regañadientes debo reconocer que me gusta cómo lo han decorado y, en realidad, me pasa como con las nuevas películas de La Guerra de las Galaxias: si no se llamara igual hasta me gustaría. Me gusta para ir de tapitas en ésos días en que quieres sentirte un señorito andaluz, para impresionar a una visita o simplemente darte el gustazo. Porque, vale, las vitas siguen siendo buenas y ahora incluso es más tranquilo de lo que era en su antiguo emplazamiento. Pero me seguirá dando rabia siempre que en esta ciudad no se respeten los símbolos ni los lugares con historia. ¡Qué se lo pregunten a la pobre Plaza de la Encarnación!

En plena Calle Betis nos contramos en uno de esos sitios en los que es más que recomendable pasar para disfrutar de una buena comida y una buena bebida con unas vistas al río inmejorables. El bar– Kiosko Las Flores se convierte en una escusa para hacer un alto en el camino en plena Triana con la Maestranza y la Torreo del Oro vigilando todos nuestros movimientos.
Cuando entres te vas a encontrar un auténtico batiburrillo de estilos, varios y entremezcados; algunos con mejor gusto que otros. El suelo de estilo árabe andaluz, se entremezcla con unos manteles de cuadros rojos y blancos que evocan a las películas antiguas de la actriz italiana Sophia Loren o a la cena de espagueti en aquel restaurante de «La dama y el vagabundo». Por otra parte la terraza me recuerda a aquellas casas de la Bellavista de Riotinto que los ingleses edificaron en su época de mayor esplendor colonizador de la zona.
Al margen de similitudes, este espacio es especial para almorzar en los día de primavera y de verano, para aquellos que adoran la feria y su pescaito frito, la mayor baza de su carta. Aunque es de justicia decir que aunque la freidora de este bar se estropease durante un día no menoscabaría en la oferta gastronómica, en la que podemos encontrar todo tipos de platos andaluces, en los que el marisco en ocasiones toma el protagonismo.
Si es muy temprano para almorzar o ya lo hiciste, no dejes de entrar, comprate un periódico en la entrada, pídete un café, leételo en una mesa junto a la barandilla que te separa con el río y déjate teletransportar.