Restaurante Ispal | Grupo La Raza

this meal was underpar and i gave my opinion to the lovely wait staff who asked for it. yet i still feel compelled to leave a review because it was my first meal on my first ever day in Sevilla and it does not and should not represent this city. food is complicated, subjective and we all have our biases/preferences - i did not enjoy the food at Ispal but the american couple at the table next to mine seemed to love it. so ill try to be objective. first, the good stuff: the two servers working the dinner shift on 11 sept 2024 were AMAZING. super attentive, warm, and served my dishes quickly and efficiently as per my request. i think in terms of michelin-level service standard, both servers hit the mark. second, the music playlist. it was loud and giving cheap karaoke pop song covers. after an hour in, the cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn played for the second time. its fun for a cheap and cheery diner, very jarring for a white tableclothed restaurant. but the food was so underpar i found myself lipsynching to Coldplay’s Fix You about 45mins in. also the trolley which was used to serve wine. its NOT a wine cart. its just a regular trolley, used in place of a serving tray, to serve a glass or two of wine. it was so loud id jump a lil cuz it sounded like a train was approaching from behind me. finally. the food: 1. PLATING - its giving early 2000’s michelin. dry ice, sauce smears and spatters, gold dust… except for one duck dish which came adorned in pink feathers which my friend accurately said was “giving 1999 from the reduced section in a cheap teenage clothing store”. too many biscuit tuilles.. the dessert one didnt break so the mousse under it pushed thru like pus. plating is the first sign (to me) of whether a restaurant’s got originality or if its trying too hard. often times when the plating’s off, the food usually follows suit. 2. TASTE - simple dishes that any good tapas bar can churn out much better versions of. most disappointing was the 36hr slowcooked pig… tough for something thats slowcooked. but the worst was the trout roulade - dry trout with dry rubbery tasteless bits of lobster innit, served with vanilla sauce… i sent back 95% of that dish. overall: flavours were largely unbalanced and chef was heavy-handed on salt and acid. finally, and this is my bias: im a discerning singaporean diner who just got off a long flight and wanted to treat herself to a nice degustation meal. i dont trust Michelin Guide so i turned to the Eater guide which pointed me to Ispal - the guide’s usually on point but in this one instance it failed me. i shouldve read the google reviews - esp the one from Euna Cho. i hope the rest of my week in Sevilla would yield better meals but my hardcore foodie friends said Sevilla aint San Sebastien. ah well.

A lovely 12 course tasting menu. We did not opt for the wine pairings but good wines available by the glass. Attentive friendly service, well thought through and executed Adalucian menu, delicious dishes. Only 200E . Close to main station and trams. Thoroughly recommended.

Wow. Chef Andreas Onofri is a talented genius! This place exceeded every expectation. Opted for the smaller (13course) menu with the wine pairing Servers Jose & Serena are on hand to explain & answer every question you may think of! Amuse bouche: orange blossom bubble made by spherification & orange mousee. 1.Blue crab, pork rind & tomato confit. 2.White shrimp garlic emulsion - not too overpowering 3.Mussels from the River in a smoke gaspacho soup with jellified mussel juice to intensfy flavor. 4&5Dual course: Meat of ropa vieja as a stew with spinach gave it an indian style flavour profile... the same :chorizo, morcilla, pork cheek + different spice profile served in a lettuce cup 6.Sweetcorn "gazpacho" - rockfish, apple + oil & basil spherification 7.Sea bass & roteña sauce + celery root 8.Rainbow trout with red crab centre both from the river 9.Suckling pig slow cooked for 36hr at 72C plus: Iberian ham mousse 10.Mallard from Seville with traditional stew 11.Strawberry marmelade, rose mousse, red fruit cookie. 12.Torrija -french toast caramalized with sherry & vanilla ice cream 13. Petit fois:black chocolate truffle. pio-nono biscuit,red berry bonbon in white chocolate,orange jelly & cold tea green/black/red infused. Wine pairing was as follows : Sherry: Manzanilla 3 yrs barrel - dry White: Buleria 2022 cadiz sav blanc - fruity Rose : Alanis Seville = ganache, tempranillo & macebo 13% - tart Red : Higueron 14% from Cadiz  aged in Frech oak = syrah & cab sav - light aromatic. Dessert wine : orange wine huelva 8yrs in barrel macerated with orange skin 15%. Everything about this place is exceptional!

This was a highlight of our trip to Seville. The food had so many layers of flavor and texture. So much variety. Service and ambiance was great, secret trick - go at dinner when there is no rush.

Cute restaurant. The food was great, and a great value for how many courses you get. When I walked in my dress broke and they happened to have safety pins in the bathroom so that was very convenient. The service was great, I loved that we got a little service from all 3 front of house staff. Food was rich and tasty.

Wow!! What a special experience! It was my 50th Birthday treat so I was looking forward to being here. I'd wanted to eat here for a while. It didn't disappoint. The food (although small portions, which is actually fine) were a culinary delight. We opted for the taster with Premium wine pairing lunch, & WOW, sublime! Each dish was a work of art, visually stunning, & each bite heaven! Every sip of wine/sherry was as smooth & delicious as one hoped! The service was impeccable, we were served by 5 different attendees, attentive but not intrusive. Each dish & drink was explained with finesse & passion, it was a delightful education. The experience lasted for a few hours. I loved every minute! Thank you! I'll be back 💛

Great place. Food and service was excellent. It started with the presentation. The candle was spicy butter for your bread. The cod was superb. Just love the flavor with creamy mushroom flavor and spinach. The steak tartare was really good. We ordered a second serving. The cheese plate was a good tour of local cheese. We liked the 25 and 45 days. I recommend this place.

The service team was enjoyable and engaging, yet the cuisine fell short of expectation. My wife and I spent two weeks traveling throughout Andalusia recently and this was unfortunately not one of our favorite dining experiences. Presentations were entertaining, but the flavors should have been more. I encourage the kitchen to reconsider a number of their menu offerings. Favorite dish: table-fried gambas, Least Favorite dish: room-temperature ham croquette filled with ham liquid. Most Respectfully, M. Anderson