Cafe Sevilla

This place is awesome. I have tried 75 percent of of the menu and have LOVED it all! Dish out 15 bucks and try the sangria flight, it’s worth it.

This is a great place to go with a group of friends for Happy Hour. Their tapas are delicious and so is their sangria. They have live music after 8pm as well =)

We really loved this place, truly special food and a great ambiance. Came on a Saturday when there was a 1 hour wait. Left our name and an hour later no call for our table. They graciously gave us the next table which was out on the street next to the crowds. Very cool experience people watching. Heaters above kept us warm. Drinks served quickly, we got beers and Sangria (sangria was amazing).
We got the…
— Calamari
— Short ribs
— Lamb kabob
— Seafood paella
Everything was amazing.

No complaints! Great service. Sat outside to people watch. Sangarita was delicious. Tapas tasty — ahi tuna tartar tower and Mediterranean seabass with black rice perfect! Finished it off with some Spanish dessert!

I have been here for three separate special occasions, Mother’s Day 2015, a random spontaneous ‘lets get married today’ wedding dinner and my wife’s birthday dinner, and all three events were not a disappointment.
I recommend to come when there’s live music, the place itself becomes more fun with live music and its a great place to bring friends for drinks and quick appetizers
If you’re hungry order the Paella– it’s really good and a small paella usually serves two people
Don’t be afraid of the Jamon Serrano, I would re-​order that Jamon anytime
Do always order bread, its always freshly baked and it complements everything well
Impress with a Garabato, a mixture of wine and beer that is both refreshing and good
Avoid ordering mixed drinks that are not on the menu (gin n’ tonic, whiskey n’ cola, etc) they are usually small portioned and double the price of the ordinary bar.
Overall, a favorite place of mine when it comes to having a small bite with drinks, you won’t be bored

Wir haben uns spontan unter der Woche während unseres San Diego Aufenthalts für dieses Tapas-​Restaurant entschieden. Es war leider eine einzige Enttäuschung. Tapas, die wir zusammen bestellt hatten und auch so essen wollten, kamen 40 Minuten versetzt. Geschmacklich leider gerade mal unterer Durchschnitt und selbst für Tapas Portionen mickrig, besonders die Ceviches. Die Kellnerin war unaufmerksam, hektisch und auch nicht freundlich. Ich würde hier sicher nicht wieder hingehen.

Definitely come here if you are looking for an authentic spanish feel and gypsy king-​esque inspired music and entertainment.
At first walking in the design is gorgeous. You feel like you are totally walking into a whole other world coming from the gaslamp streets. The ambiance is very dark, the live music is very loud and the design is immaculate.
I came here for dinner and drinks and had the time of my life! I loved the live show and had an awesome seat upstairs overlooking for the first floor action.
This place has an amazing menu and great music! I would recommend for date nights. However the service was HORRIFIC. It took 20 minutes to receive just «bread» and had to ask multiple times for it — same goes for refills on the drinks. That was the only downside! The portions are small so order a lot of everything! I love the tapas, yum!

If youre loockig for authentic Spanish food, this is the places to be. I had the Traditional Paella (con: tasted a little too fishy) & combo tapas platter (con: small portion); both were excellent. The customer service was average. Setting inside and outside is beautiful.
My date and I came in on Valentines day & they didn’t honor our Groupons/​Yelp Check-​In Deal):. Prices were somewhat overpriced (not a surprise in downtown SD).

Love all of their dish
The mediterrinean seabass is full of flavor with black rice
Calami is tasty
Shrimp ceviche is a little too sour for me (too much lemon)

This review is for the Saturday night flamenco and dinner show only
The place itself is very nice and the quality of dancers and singers is superb. The food is better than I had expected — given that it is a limited menu for dinner show. It’s not the plastic champagne flutes or that it’s in a small basement that takes away from the night. What lets this place down is the service. Perhaps it was just our server Karin, she was extremely hurried, discourteous and inattentive. And we were forced to tip her a standard ~18% for this lackadaisical hosting
Ask For anyone but this lady, it could put a dampener on your otherwise perfect evening

The food was really delicious. The ambiance was great; it was dark though. Music is a bit loud but great. It was a feeling of being on Spain.

I went to Sevilla for the VIP Finale Party on Fat Tuesday. OMG, what a fun and enjoyable night! Thanks Sevilla and Club VIP for this amazing experience.
Cool people, delicious food, great music!

We went to their Sunday brunch for their 9 course meal and it was superb. We came right when they opened at 12pm and they sat us right away even though our reservation was at 1230pm. We were able to choose our table and the server came over right away. All the staff were friendly and we didn’t feel rushed at all. We actually stayed for 2 hours and toom our time eating and drinking. Loved all the dishes in this brunch and the $ 10 all you can drink mimosas were great! We will definitely come back when we are back in SD.

Highly recommend for something different. Lots of expensive steak houses in the Gas Lamp District/​East Village but if you’re in the mood for something unique, Café Sevilla is a great choice.
Atmosphere is dimmed lighting with Spanish/​Flamenco music playing. Communal tables in the middle of the restaurant but individual tables toward the front for more private dining. A bit loud but you don’t have to raise your voice to converse. Apparently there’s a club downstairs where they give Salsa lessons on certain nights.
Had the Albondingas, and Queso appetizers and the tapas (small) version of the six meat Paella. Also enjoyed the Royal Sangria. So glad I tried something different tonight.

Went here for my Mom’s birthday and I am indeed a fan. We showed up at around 8, having trouble finding places that were open so late on a weekday and weren’t bars or lounges. Right away as we walked in I noticed the atmosphere is very lively, literally. There was a live guitar player and band playing what I assume to be Spanish or Spanish-​inspired music, and the place had a line out the door. Despite all the vigor of the music combined with all the people packed into one tiny space, the restaurant is very dimly lit and the tables and booths set up in a way that feels very cozy and intimate, perfect for a family gathering. We got the paella and it was extremely tasty and the seafood tasted really fresh and great. Our waiter, was awesome. He had spirited, witty one-​liners one after the other and was extremely attentive and genuinely friendly, asked us where we were from and helped us order, and even gave my mom a free dessert on the house even though I fervently insisted on paying for it. Such a good experience overall.
Only one gripe with this place: we ordered the «family-​sized» paella with the intention of sharing between the 5 of us, since at most Spanish restaurants we’ve been to family-​size is synonymous with gigantic monster size that a family of 5 can share. However, at this restaurant, family size is code for «microscopic lawn gnome sized» and we ended up having to order two very expensive inadequately sized paellas and were still hungry. The wine servings are also a stingy, they serve them in what looks like tiny barbie dream house glasses. Despite the barbie dream house glasses I’d recommend the overall experience, but definitely don’t plan on getting the most value for your money.

Great atmosphere! The food was flavorful and delish! The sangria was lovely. I highly recommend this restaurant. We could have stayed all night.

We came here by groupon, happily surprised. Their paella is wonderful and the baked bread with house made tomato sauce is also delicious.
Parking can be hard since it’s on 5^th, so plan ahead and come on a non weekend day might save you money on parking.

Café Sevilla is known as one of the best places to hang out in San Diego Downtown. Live music and Tapas makes it an enjoyable and delightful place to spend with friend. I love sitting down by the bar area. Carlo always makes sure you get the best of the best in drinks and food. Today I had Flat Iron Catellano and Celeste Red Wine. I loved it meat was perfectly cooked and wine made it very enjoyable. Perfect night from begging to end. Thank you Carlo for an excellent service will be back!

One of the best late night spots to hear live music have dinner & cocktails, make sure to hit up the bar and ask for Carlo one of the best bartenders in downtown and you need to try the spicy seafood paella it’s amazing. #CafeSevillaLateNight

So first off it’s our first time and we met Carlo the bartender who has been here for years now cool cat and recommends good menu choices it will not be the first or last time I come here with good friends and company for great food and well deserved entertainment

What a great restaurant and staff! Went there on our anniversary and got there 30m late. They seated us in 5 min but I wasn’t crazy about our table and let them know. They were very gracious and reseated us upstairs at a great table that really made our anniversary dinner. Fantastic grilled octopus, Tapas, cocktails, paella to die for, and a super staff.
And then a really good Spanish band and dancing after… what a fun time!

Excellent recommendations of food and drinks from our server Rudy. Charming setting of Spain ambiance throughout restaurant. Love the paintings, sculptures in women’s restroom.

If you’re in the area and looking for a cool spot to grab dinner and drinks then this is the place! It has a really cool ambiance – sort of a medieval Spanish mix and they have live music later in the night. Great place for a date night as well as groups since it’s tapas style dinner.
I ordered the Manchego Cheese and Chorizo Empanada, the Albondingas al Jerez, and the Passion Fruit Caipirinha. The Manchego Cheese and Chorizo Empanada was delicious! If you love cheese then you can’t go wrong with this plate. The cheese just melts right out of the empanada! The Albondingas al Jerez was also pretty good and had a nice flavor but not my favorite.
The Passion Fruit Caipirinha was my favorite item I ordered here. It used some type of Brazilian or Spanish rum and it was absolutely delicious and strong at the same time. You should definitely try this drink if you’re looking for something new and yummy!
Overall, the staff was very nice and helped provide tips on what to order if you didn’t know what to try. The ambiance was unique and lively. The food and drinks were great and not too pricey!

i think there’s live band or some kind of events going on, downstairs of this restaurant, so even when you made reservation, you were to wait in line with those who were to get tickets to see the ‘show’… i found this system ridiculous as we had to wait for about 15 mins, just to see the receptionist and got seated!
we were seated upstairs, and from there, the experience was pretty pleasant. our waiter found out that it was our first time there, helped us making decisions and suggestions on the menu, everything we got was really yummy — the steak, fish, the Unilocal check in tapas samples were alright, the paella — o.m.g. we finished everything!
definitely recommend this place!

My boyfriend and I came here for date night on a Saturday night. We made a reservation for 8pm and we’re promptly seated when we arrived, even though we were a few minutes late. Ivan was our server and did an amazing job recommending a good tempranillo (Celeste) to complement our meal. He also guided us toward most of our favorite tapas of the night.
Without a doubt, everything we ordered was fantastic! The mint lamb skewer, bacon wrapped dates, the garlic patatas with cheese… everything so deliciously perfect. The manchego fondue plate put us over the edge, though: it was delicious, but we think we could have done without this last plate for the sake of our stomachs.
A truly unforgettable meal, so much that we plan to come back next month for my boyfriend’s birthday. We also noticed their Wednesday date night special, which is a deal we won’t be able to pass up! Thanks Café Sevilla and Ivan for a great date night experience, and keep up the good work!

After reading other Unilocal reviews, we decided to make reservations at Café Sevilla for our Christmas Eve dinner. I have to say, that the next time we come to visit San Diego we are definitely visiting again!
The main thing we loved was the atmosphere. The inside is classic Spanish with a modern twist (the decanter chandelier is truly impressive), and the overall vibe is upbeat. The best part was the music: the band that was playing was absolutely stellar! They played such an array of Spanish music from Tito Puente to Enrique Iglesias, that people of all ages were getting up and dancing.
The main reason for the 1-​star dock is because being in a Spanish restaurant we wanted to eat their paella. We put in the order, and 15 minutes later our waitress comes up to us to say the unthinkable: they ran out of rice. No rice, no paella. Pretty disappointing, but we ordered a few other dishes that were stellar (especially the garlic shrimp… que rico!), so our palates were satisfied, however next time we would really like to try the staple.
Overall, we had a fantastic time with delicious food, so we will definitely be back next time we are in the neighborhood!

My boyfriend and I spent NYE weekend in San Diego and decided to eat here on Saturday afternoon around 1pm. The hostess was very nice and open to talking with us while she seated us. We sat outside with a great view of the street and the crowds walking around. This spanish restaurant had wonderful food, prices, portions and sangria!
We tried the Flight which is 15 $ for 4 small glasses of the different kinds of Sangria they serve. It was perfect for us to share and decide which one was our favorite. I liked the darker one made with red wine and the pear one.
For the food, we ordered from the Tapas menu which are sharable portions. We tried the vegetables tempura which is not fried, its grilled and delicious!
we also tried the albondigas meatballs and cheese/​chorizo empenadas.
Everything was absolutely delicious! Just like my grandmother used to make!
The ambiance was really authentic and I was very pleased with our waitress Amy. She was very helpful and offered choices for us to consider. Inside there is a stage for performances, music and a stair case leading to a second floor. I believe this place doubles as a night club at night.
I will definitely be back!

I was originally suppose to come here for my bach party earlier this year but they were completely booked for that month, according to my bridesmaids.
I returned to San Diego for a Christmas trip with my husband and in-​laws and was stoked to try this place out.
Food
Olive bread-​COMPLIMENTARY, just ask! Warm, soft, with small pieces of olive inside
Rioja short ribs ($ 14)-Bland and they could’ve done a better job with the sauce
Trio Ceviche ($ 13)-Unimpressed; sample-​sized
Calamari ($ 12)-Came out a bit soggy; wanted a crispy or crunchy bite
Rupestre Paella ($ 48)-The different meats were too dry for my taste.
Overall, the food was just average but the live music and ambiance was nice.

I was originally suppose to come here for my bach party earlier this year but they were completely booked for that month, according to my bridesmaids.
I returned to San Diego for a Christmas trip with my husband and in-​laws and was stoked to try this place out.
Food
Olive bread-​COMPLIMENTARY, just ask! Warm, soft, with small pieces of olive inside. An absolute must!
Rioja short ribs ($ 14)-Bland wish the sauce was a little more flavorful
Trio Ceviche ($ 13)-Unimpressed; sampler
Calamari ($ 12)-Came out a bit soggy; wanted a crispy or crunchy bite
Rupestre Paella ($ 48)-The different meats were dry.
Overall, the food was just average but the live music and ambiance was so welcoming and vibrant.

Date of visit: 11÷7÷15
I’ve never actually eaten any food here, but the drinks and live music are really great. I’ve been here one other time and had a couple of drinks, but after the pomegranate margaritas from Meze kept me satisfied so we paid the $ 5 cover to listen to the live band. There’s a small open area in front of the stage, which people take advantage of to dance in, which is always a ton of fun. I definitely want to come back some time to try the food. If you have a reservation to eat here, I don’t think you have the pay the cover, but I might be wrong here.

Came here for a special celebration with a party of seven. We had reservations but when we arrived we we’re informed that we could not order A la carte and we’re required to spend the 40 each for familia style food. We decided to stay and ended up with more food than we could eat. The paella Valencia was amazing and the grilled shrimp was also delicious. Also chef ray came to check on us and shared a specialty drink with us that came in a special Spanish decanter. We had so much fun. Also wanted to mention the band that night was amazing! Overall a great experience with great ambiance, just wish we could have ordered Al a carte.

I hadn’t been to Café Sevilla for the longest time, as it so happens a friend held their wedding reception here recently so I had the opportunity to come back and try it again!
The event was held downstairs in the basement which they turn into a nightclub after dinner hours. It requires going down an elevator in the back of the street level establishment. Going down and stepping out of the elevator I felt a bit claustrophobic… I can imagine that if were there for a regular night for the club it would be even more so but I suppose what club isn’t with a crowd of dancing bodies fueled by booze?
We were served a full multi course meal in tapas form and while it was dark so it was hard to distinguish what was what because of the lighting setting that has no effect on my taste buds. Everything was tasty tasty! That’s about all it takes to get a thumbs up in my book!

Sevilla no es definitivamente nada autentico. Desde la sangia a las tapas y la paella. Parece mas algo hecho para tratar de acercarse a cultura y cosina de Espana, pero le da un mal nombre. Si eres Espanol o algo cercano no vallas aqui, vas a estar muy descontento. Lo mejor que probamos fue un entremes frio de jamon, aceitunas y queso. La paella tenia un sabor agrio y pesimo, aunque la presentacion era buena. El servicio fue muy bueno. Si quieres algo autentico Espanol, este no es el lugar. Estebes un restaurante para aquellos que no saben de comida Espanola.

On a business visit to San Diego on Wednesday night. I think I did well picking Café Seville as a dinner destination for me and my colleagues. We had a plenty to eat, to drink, and then to dance to Latin tunes till the strike of midnight, here are more details: —
Café Seville is located in the Gas Lamp district. If you like tapas, warm colors, friendly atmosphere, this is your spot.
We were a party if 3, we ordered a variety of tapas dishes and sampled a few cocktails. Here are the details and my comments: —
For drinks: —
–Esterella Damn. Good Mediterranean Beer.
–Sangria Royal. Tasty
Tapas: —
–Jamon Serrano – was ok.
–Brocheta Mar Y Tierra – Excellent!
–Valenciana-​Traditional Paella. Excellent!
–Cordero Asado-​Grilled Lamb Chops. Ok
–Pan Seared Salmon-​meh.
The service was 3 star, our waiter forgot about us a few times and never showed up to take our credit card. Weird.
We got 50% off the cover to go next door for Wed salsa night, it started at 10, very friendly atmosphere, we had a great time! See pics and video for bachata performance.
Overall busy place for a Wednesday. Mid level price range, seating ok, but nice ambiance & atmosphere :)

Food 5
Service 5
Ambiance 5
Delicious tapas with a huge selection of flat breads (cocas), meat, seafood, and traditional Spanish dishes. Definitely recommend coming with a large party to sample the variety of small plates, there will be something here to please everyone’s palate.
The highlights of the meal were the short rib cocas, queso fondido, and Spanish meatballs. Overall the food was flavorful, unpretentious, and satiating. One will not leave here hungry. They also gave as the short rib entrée for comp after messing up our order. Four of us shared 4 tapas with drinks (alcoholic bev) as well as the Unilocal sampler and paid $ 28/​person.
Tip: check in on Unilocal to receive a tapas sampler which includes, ceviche, a piece of quiche, and dates wrapped in bacon; a very generous selection.
Suggestion: bigger tables please! Not enough space on the table for all of dem plates!