The new Restaurant Orio has been open for a few weeks, but the official inauguration for a select group of press and hospitality professionals was today (October 3), and I was fortunate enough to be invited.
Orio is the second restaurant to be opened in Seville by the Sagardi group (the first is in the Pinello hotel), but is aimed at a more day to day market, incorporating a Basque style pinxo bar (Sagardi was founded in the Basque country) as well as a restaurant featuring Basque cuisine.
The front of the premises is a spacious pinxo bar opening onto Calle Santo Tomas, with a terrace facing the Archivos, and the bar itself on one side, with a very appetising array of Basque style pinxos so typical in Bilbao, but something of a novelty in Seville. We got to try a few as an appetiser, my favourite being the chistorras (small spicy sausages).
Beyond the bar are two dining rooms leading out to a second terrace on Calle Miguel Mañara, with space for around thirty diners. Decoration is minimalist, but with lots of wood, and a big mural of a fisherman.
Lunch was a nine course tasting menu (including dessert), starting with oysters and working through a prawn carpaccio, salad, fish, and roast peppers to the grilled beef finale. The quality was excellent throughout, and it looks like Orio will be a welcome addition to dining out in Seville.
Last night (September 24), we were invited to the presentation of the new look La Goya manzanilla, marking the brand’s centenary year, held on the terrace of the Gourmet Experience in Seville, looking out over the city. It was a nicely low key event, introducing the new look labelling to luminaries of the sherry world, distributors, press and bloggers, with not too many speeches or too much marketing razzle. The result was a pleasant evening meeting up with old friends, enjoying some tasty snacks of jamón, cheese and mojama (cured tuna), and of course, sampling the sherry (which hasn’t changed – still the same excellent sherry it’s always been).
Seville Concierge 