Eating in Sevilla, Spain: El Pinton
April 09, 2016
El Pinton caught our eye every time we walked by. I guess we liked the clean lines and the modern look.
One night as we roamed around Sevilla without a plan for dinner, we ended up walking by it for about the 10th time in 3 days. The menu read well, and we figured what-the-heck?
We were seated in a small back room which is very much like a hallway leading to the toilets. I would recommend not sitting back there, but rather get a table in the large, open, airy, absolutely lovely large dining room that you have to walk through in order to get to the hallway.
I got the sense that El Pinton appeals to young, cosmopolitan types. Large groups of young selfie-taking women filled the dining room, seated next to people who looked more like art collectors than wine makers. And I can see why. The menu isn't typically Andalusian. There are quite a few notes of Asian flavors here, for example. It was a nice change of pace.
I landed on what I assumed would be a safe cocktail. IIRC, it was a sour of some sort. Maybe tequila. Maybe gin. Can't recall. But the cocktail was executed well, if not a bit on the sweet side. Kids like their sweet stuff.
Let's get on to the food. We didn't order much, but we enjoyed what we had.
These dumplings had tender, thin skins, and we thought they were just about perfect. I didn't notice much in the way of Korean or Chinese restaurants around Sevilla (although it's entirely possible they exist) and I can see why people might head to El Pinton to get a taste of this stuff. If they do head to El Pinton for a taste of this stuff, they're getting a top-notch dumpling.
In keeping with the Asian theme, we also had some braised meat on a Chinese bun. A lovely little snack. Surprisingly delicious.
There was a burger on the menu, and I am a sucker for a burger. I had noticed the table (of Americans) next to us sent their burger back. I got the sense they thought it was too rare (it was a big ol' hunk of meat, and looked nice and red inside). I was afraid the kitchen was going to err on the side of well-done with ours, given they just had that one sent back, so we were thankful when ours came out m/r. The bun was soft. The fries were excellent. This burger really made me happy. So much so that we tried to return at the end of the trip because I was craving a burger so much (and because Holy Week was in full swing and getting around town was near impossible--more on Holy Week later).
Not sure if I'd tell you to run to El Pinton first thing, if only because there are so many places to try. But we certainly had a good meal, and the food was a nice break from the usual.
El Pinton : Calle Francos, 42, 41004 Sevilla, Spain