I’m standing in the lobby of the Radisson Collection Hotel in Seville. Here, three Michelin-starred Basque chef Eneko Axta a operates Eneko Basque Seville; the only Basque restaurant in Andalusia.
I first met chef Eneko Axta in 2017 at his London restaurant. What I remember most about the encounter, apart from the food, was how easy it was to be around him. Axta talked passionately about his restaurant Azurmendi.
Fast forward seven years and I’m at his restaurant in Radisson Collection Hotel in Seville, in the middle of the city’s tree-lined Magdalena Plaza, an ideal setting for his creativity.
I’m staying at the hotel, a space split over two buildings across from each other. I sip a coffee at the window of my room, people watching as the city stirs awake. Once caffeinated, I take the lift to the rooftop. The hotel’s pool is up here and is surrounded by spectacular views; as it’s still early, I have it all to myself – but not for long.
Only 30 minutes later, I greet Axta in the lobby and we’re joined by two local guides, three other food writers, representatives from Radisson Collection Hotel and Eneko Basque Seville’s executive chef Antonio García. It’s an October morning but Seville is sunny and clear. The plan for the day is to head to Triana Market for fresh produce and return to the hotel where Axta and García will cook lunch.
We set off on foot towards Plaza Nueva, a couple of minutes’ walk from the hotel and the conversation turns to Sevillian culture. “In Seville, everything is celebrated in the streets and bars,” says one of the guides. “There’s a saying here that ‘there’s no greater pleasure than pushing or pulling the door of a bar’” she chuckles.
“Yes, that’s right. Inviting friends home is not a thing in Seville. We always meet our friends in bars,” says Fiona Flores-Watson who has been living in Spain since 2003 and leads walking tours of Seville.
Seville’s strong identity imprints quickly on anyone who experiences it. This is my second visit here. On my first visit, a Sevillian candidly told me, “bullfighting and Jesus is what you will see here.” At the time I dismissed it as a humorous quip, but soon realised that it was not far from the truth. Seville is deeply religious. Semana Santa (Holy Week) in April, leading up to Easter Sunday, is one of two big events in the calendar. The celebration brings immense crowds and floats, showcasing scenes of Christ and the Virgin, accompanied by traditional music, to the streets. Of the over 100 brotherhoods (religious associations) in Seville, around 60 participate in the processions. Each lasts for several hours and continues through the night. This is, arguably, the most culturally significant event in the Andalusian region.
Both Radisson Collection and Eneko Basque Seville have forged a special relationship with the people of the city: “when you arrive in a new place, you must do everything to understand the community that lives there. For me, the best way to do that is to understand their gastronomy,” says Axta.
By now, we had bundled into two cabs which dropped us at the top of Puente de Isabelle II (Triana Bridge). It’s still morning and Seville is serving bright sunshine. The crystal clear waters of the Guadalquivir river flow calmly below the arched bridge; Triana Market sits under it at the other end. We gather ourselves and begin walking across slowly, sharing bags of sugared almonds that someone has somehow secured since getting out of the taxi.
Axta continues to explain that he was surprised to be so welcomed in a place where the local identity is strong. In return, Eneko Basque Seville has a pricing policy that makes the restaurant accessible to the people of Seville.
Often, when chefs arrive in small communities renowned for gastronomy and use ingredients grown by local producers, they go on to exclude local people from their restaurants by raising prices. Surely the greatest honour to bestow upon local growers is to make their food accessible to their own community? It’s something that Axta has been practicing since 2005, long before sustainability became a buzzword; it starts with people.
At the market, we head over to a green grocer who’s been here since 1933. Axta and García find four types of tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. “Take whatever you need,” the grocer tells García in Andalusian Spanish. There is a wholesome familiarity about their interaction.
We then head to buy eggs and fish. In both places, Axta and his team are again greeted with esteem, which is reciprocated ten times more.
After we’d gathered the ingredients it’s back to the hotel, where García and Axta use the open kitchen to craft the humble produce into Michelin-worthy plates. They work together separately, turning in figures-of-eight shapes across the kitchen as we watch, before we’re led to a beautifully laid long table inside Eneko Basque. It’s now closer to midday and people begin to arrive for lunch, many opting for the seating outside.
Starters of foie curd and citronella, tuna and caviar tartlet, scallops and marnie granita, farmhouse egg yolk on wheat stew and hake in tempura with green sauce arrive. As plates are set down, there are howls of, “oooh” and, “aah,” from around the table. We recognise the mushrooms which have been crafted into the shell of the tartlet, and the fish we picked sits in unbelievably beautiful dishes that we all agree look too good to eat. Smoked beef with pickled vegetables follows, and after that a dessert of crème brulée. We drink Spanish wines and cocktails served from the bar and talk around the table until late and, at this moment, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than here, on this very Andalusian afternoon.
All image credits: Radisson Collection Seville
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