Family-friendly restaurants in Seville old town, 14 places where kids are welcome

The most family-friendly restaurants in Seville's old town are rarely the ones with a children's menu. They are tapas bars and market stalls where you order small plates to share, nobody minds a toddler wandering to the door, and there is a square or a playground within a few minutes' walk. Below are 14 places, from Santa Cruz to the Alameda and across the river in Triana, with what works for children at each.

Before the list, a word on Spanish mealtimes, because they shape every day of the trip. Lunch runs roughly from 1.30pm to 4pm and dinner rarely starts before 8.30pm, often later. Many kitchens close in between. If your children eat at 12 and 5.30, plan on tapas bars that serve all day or a market, or you will find shutters down and chairs stacked.

Family-friendly restaurants in Seville old town at a glance

Prices change and so do opening days, so check each place's website or listing before you go.

Santa Cruz, for an early lunch after the Alcázar

Santa Cruz is where most families end up after the Cathedral or the Real Alcázar, which means the bars on its main streets fill quickly. Go before 1.30pm and you will usually find room.

Bodega Santa Cruz (Las Columnas)

A busy standing bar on Calle Rodrigo Caro, a minute from the Cathedral, famous for tallying your bill in chalk on the counter. Children love watching it. It is cheap and fast, but there are few seats, so it suits primary-age children better than a toddler who needs a high chair.

Taberna Peregil

On Calle Mateos Gago, with a small tavern and a larger dining room a few doors apart. The larger room is the one to aim for with a pushchair. Order manchego and chicharrones for the children and the orange wine for yourself.

La Azotea Santa Cruz

Also on Mateos Gago, and a good choice if you want to sit down properly. The menu is short and modern, croquettes are usually on it, and the staff are used to families. Ask for a high chair (trona) when you book or when you arrive.

Las Teresas

A classic tavern on Calle Santa Teresa, hams hanging from the ceiling. Tiny inside, so it works best at an outside table at an off-peak hour. Spinach with chickpeas (espinacas con garbanzos) is a good way to get greens into children who would never order them.

Vinería San Telmo

On Paseo Catalina de Ribera, along the edge of the Murillo Gardens. The draw for parents is the playground in the gardens nearby, so one adult can eat while the other pushes a swing, then swap. The food is a step up from a tapas bar, and so is the bill.

Alfalfa and the north of the old town, where local families eat

North of the Cathedral the streets get quieter, the squares fill with Sevillian children after school, and you will hear more Spanish than English at the next table.

El Rinconcillo

Seville's oldest bar, opened in 1670 on Calle Gerona, opposite the church of Santa Catalina. Older children enjoy the history and the tiled walls. Try the salt-cod fritters (pavías de bacalao). It gets crowded at peak times, so go at 1pm or after 4pm.

La Escaloná

On the Plaza de la Alfalfa, one of the best squares in the city for families because local children play there while their parents eat. Grab an outside table and your children will find someone to run around with.

Patio San Eloy

On Calle San Eloy, near the shopping streets, known for montaditos (small filled rolls) and its colourful tiled benches. Montaditos are the easiest thing in Seville to feed a fussy eater: small, cheap and filled with things they recognise, like ham or cheese.

Arte y Sabor

On the Alameda de Hércules, a long boulevard with playgrounds along it. Croquettes, mini burgers and pork skewers keep children happy, and there are vegetarian and vegan options for the adults.

Markets, the easiest answer for small children

If your children are under five, markets are the most relaxed way to eat in Seville. You choose from several stalls, eat at whatever time suits you, and nobody notices noise.

Mercado de la Encarnación

The food market beneath the Metropol Parasol, the wooden structure everybody calls Las Setas. Combine it with a trip up to the walkway on top. The market stalls are best in the morning.

Mercado Lonja del Barranco

A covered food hall on the riverbank by the Triana bridge (Puente de Isabel II). Long tables, lots of choice, plenty of room for a pushchair and a view of the river. It works well for an early dinner when restaurants are still closed.

Mercado de Triana

Just over the bridge, next to the ruins of the San Jorge castle. Locals eat at the small bars inside, often standing at the counter. Arrive mid-morning and let the children pick fruit from the stalls first.

Breakfast and treats

Bar El Comercio

On Calle Lineros, a traditional bar where Sevillians come for churros with thick hot chocolate. A sensible breakfast for a sightseeing morning, and an even better one for a cold winter afternoon.

Helados Rayas

An ice cream parlour on Calle Almirante Apodaca, a favourite with local families. In summer there can be a queue in the evening, which tells you something about Seville bedtimes.

Practical tips for eating out with kids in Seville

A few things that make meals easier:

• Ask for a trona (high chair). Most places have one, even when you can't see it.
• Order raciones or medias raciones to share rather than one main per child.
• Tortilla, croquetas, albóndigas (meatballs) and patatas are safe bets for picky eaters.
• From June to September, eat outside only in the evening. A midday terrace in Seville in July is no place for a toddler.

Spanish children stay up late, and in the old town squares you will see under-fives playing at 10pm. If your children nap after lunch, you can join in without a meltdown.

If you would like your children to meet Sevillian children of their own age, travelling families on Woltica can contact a local family and meet up somewhere public, such as a square in the Alfalfa or a playground on the Alameda. You can find out more at Woltica.