RESTAURANTE SAN FERNANDO | SEVILLE by Norma Poindexter

As the evening sun softly sets between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of Seville, Spain, we’re relaxing on the Restaurante San Fernando’s patio. While the pianist floats beautiful tunes into the magnificent, colonnaded central courtyard of the palatial 5-star Hotel Alfonso XIII, dating to the 1920’s, we listen to the mesmerizing fountain in the middle of Mudgar Patio’s Moorish arches, setting a serene, romantic background for a delicious meal. This sumptuous location provides the background for our highly anticipated dinner, starting with local Jabugo gran reserve ham, fresh fois gras with caramelized apple, and cheese boards bordered with plum marmalade and ginger chutney. Described by the Michelin Guide as an exclusive setting for haute cuisine, the Restaurante San Fernando lives to serve us an exquisite dinner from entrée to desert with impeccable service in an emblematic environment.

Offering the freshest of authentic regional cuisine with international options, chef Brian Deegan prepares our eagerly awaited grilled octopus and lobster with rice, served with the finest of the extensive list of Spanish wines recommended by our expert sommelier. Modern interpretations of Spanish gourmet classics and rich ingredients include Andalusian Gazpacho, Hake Medallion Romano style, lamb from the coastal marshlands, ham from Jabugo, rice from El Levante, poultry, vegetables, fruits, olive oil and fresh seasonal ingredients from the surrounding farms. In this decadent, beautiful setting, ripe with Andalusian ambience and elegance, we linger over the chart-topping deserts like Tocino De Cielo (Vanilla and orange blossom soup), warm, fresh-baked Apple Tarts with vanilla ice cream, and Lingot (Dark and white chocolate, orange foam and mint sponge). The piano delightfully accompanies our brandy and coffee as our impressive Sevillian evening wanes.

Surrounded by fragrant gardens, this magnificent Al Fresco patio experience at Restaurante San Fernando can be embraced at both lunch and dinner. Graciously treated like King Alfonso XIII, who ruled from 1886 to 1931 and also known as El Africano or the African, we’re definitely returning to this beautiful setting for our next memorable world-class, Al Fresco dream meal. Muchas gracias, Restaurante San Fernando.

DETAILS:
Restaurante San Fernando | Hotel Alfonso XIII | C. San Fernando, 2, 41004 Sevilla, Spain | +34 954 91 70 44
Photos courtesy of Restaurante San Fernando