The big foodie question always is – Sweet or Savory? It seems that there are two kinds of people in this world when it comes to food – those that prefer sweet foods and those that prefer savory foods. I definitely lean more towards the sweet side, where my husband is a savory kind of guy. I could care less about chips, French fries and Cheez-Its, but when someone puts an amazing dessert in front of me, it is impossible for me to resist. Am I the only one out there that has a very demanding sweet tooth? The one and only time in my life that my sweet tooth felt totally non-existent was when I was pregnant with Jimmy. I actually knew what it felt like to not want sweets all the time and to actually prefer savory. It was a weird feeling. All I wanted to eat was Asian food. I longed to down a whole bottle of soy sauce in one sitting. But as soon as he was born, the real me was back. My sweet tooth was back. Whoever that crazy pregnant lady was that didn’t care for brownies and ice cream . . . know one knows. My sweet tooth is here to stay, and I’m not even mad about it.

I’ve made a list of my favorite pastry and dessert shops in Seville, Spain.

You can’t go wrong with any of these. They all are fabulous in their own ways, and they make their own unique treats. I’ve also included a, “What to do Next?” section, attached to each sweet shop, that when combined, create the perfect morning or afternoon when visiting Seville. I hope you enjoy!

Manu Jara

If my doctor told me I had 24 hours to live, I would probably jump on a plane and head to Paris, bringing my family along with me. I would eat my heart out for those remaining hours, indulging in as many delectable Parisian desserts as I please. Paris knows what’s what when it comes to pastries. I am not in Paris right now, but when I go to Manu Jara I sure feel like I am. It’s the closest thing to a Parisian pastry shop in Seville that there is.

This pastry shop is so good. Everything that I have tried there has been stellar and makes me long to go back for more and try everything that they make. They have the most exquisite looking pastries that are adorned with so much detail and love. They are almost too beautiful to eat . . . almost. I’ll take one for the team. Their burnt carmel éclair dipped in crunchy hazelnut chocolate is to die for. All of their layered pastries are delicious, but the one with chocolate, hazelnut, and mango is my favorite. Their cream cheese filled croissant topped with a raspberry glaze is equally delicious and stunning. And their cream puffs! Oh, their cream puffs. They are as cute as they are delicious. You can buy them in a set of six, packaged in an egg carton. They have an apple cream one with a sparkly green glaze on the top and a little chocolate piece set in the middle to resemble a real green apple with a stem. It’s adorable. And the mango passion fruit one is bursting with flavor.

Three Locations

Dulcería Manu Jara –This location focuses on pastries as well as a small selection of breads and a few small-batch ice creams. They also make a variety of espresso drinks. There isn’t any seating on the inside, only a handful of standing only tables. It’s best to take your pastries to-go or to stand and eat it quickly. They are open in the mornings and then again in the evenings, closing for the night at 8:30 PM. Check the hours online before you go as they slightly change from day to day. Calle Pureza, 5

Manu Jara – This place is similar to the Dulcería but it is much bigger and more of a restaurant type of feel. They serve breakfast in the mornings of the traditional Spanish toasts with tomato and ham. They have pastries, but their selection is lacking, much smaller than the Dulcería. They also sell ice cream with about eight flavor choices and some different types of cold summer drinks. They have long hours, staying open until past midnight on some days. Again, check the hours online before you go as they slightly change from day to day. Calle Benito Mas y Prat, 6

Booth in Triana’s Market – This is located in Triana’s Market, about a 2-minute walk from the Dulcería. They focus on cream puffs with a lot of varieties. They have some pastries too but not as big of a selection. They also sell smoothies and iced granita drinks. Calle San Jorge, 6

What to Do Next?

If you’ve visited the Calle Pureza location, head on over to Triana’s Market. It is fun to walk around and get lost a little. It has a series of stalls full of vendors selling all sorts of things from produce to seafood, to meat to flowers. You could buy an apple or another piece of produce to help recover from your sugar high from Manu Jara. If you’re sweet tooth strikes again, the Manu Jara Calle San Jorge location is actually inside of Triana’s Market. Go to their booth and get yourself one of their cream puffs! 

The biggest indoor mall in Seville, Nervión Plaza, is near the Calle Benito Mas y Prat location. It is fun to spend some time there and do some shopping, checking out all the Spanish fashions. They have the biggest Pull & Bear and Zara that I’ve ever seen. It’s awesome! If you have kids with you, they have a great playground. It’s very big for Seville. Jimmy loved it. They also have a giant orange slide that takes you from the 2nd floor of the mall all the way down to the lower playground area. Jimmy was too small to go on it safely, but it looked like a lot of fun for older children.

There are three locations – Calle Pureza, 5 & Calle Benito Mas y Prat, 6 & Calle San Jorge, 6

La Despensa de Palacio

We came across this little pastry shop while we were headed somewhere else on a Saturday morning. My husband was craving a traditional donut but wasn’t having very good luck in finding one. We walked past this pastry shop and decided to check it out. Nate’s desire for a traditional donut completely left him after seeing the pastries at La Despensa de Palacio. They grab your attention pretty quickly with their beauty.

This shop is a mix of Spanish and French pastry styles. It originated in 1743 here in Seville. They have a lot of pastries with layers of flan and others filled with egg custards that are typically Spanish. But, they also have ones filled with mascarpone cheese that remind me more of the French style. Either way, they make amazing pastries that you definitely need to try. They are gorgeous and fairly priced. Our local friends here told me that they purchase many of their Christmas desserts from this pastry shop. Make sure to check it out during the holidays to see what special treats they sell. They seem to be all the rave.

Besides pastries, they serve espresso products of all sorts. Something that I love about this shop is the walk-up window that they have on the outside of their store. You can place your order while standing on the street through the walk-by window. If you prefer to sit down and relax while enjoying your pastries, then there are tables on the inside too.

What to Do Next?

Just a little west of this pastry shop is the cutest shop full of rubber ducks called the, Sevilla Duck Store. All that they sell are different kinds of rubber ducks, every type that you could imagine. Check out my post here to read more about it. Another idea would be to visit the Flamenco Museum slightly south of the pastry shop. It is a performance space with four shows in the evenings but there is also a museum that you can visit during the day for €10 a ticket. If you plan to go to the museum and see a show then you can buy a discounted combined ticket to save a little money. Flamenco originated in Seville so it’s a fun thing to check out when you’re in the area! For more information click here.

There is only one location – Calle Villegas

Mr. Cake

This is the perfect shop to go to on a cold winter day when you just want a hot drink and something sweet to eat. When I first walked into Mr. Cake, I was very impressed by the decorations and interior design. It is very inviting and makes you want to stay for a bit and enjoy the cozy space they have created for their guests. Sitting there away from the cold with a hot drink in hand sounds like a fantastic idea. I’m dreaming about it now.

Besides the cute decorations, they also make great cake. You can order a whole cake for take-away or a single slice to enjoy there. The pumpkin dulce de leche flavor is my favorite, but the carrot cake is a close second. They were both very moist, flavorful, and completely delicious. Summertime is their slower season, so they don’t have as many cake flavor options as in the winter when they are busier. Some of the flavors on their menu that stand out to me are – Belgium Cake (cinnamon rice with a caramel cream), and Tarta de Limón (apple, basil, lemon curd, white chocolate). If you’re a chocolate fan you might like the Chococoki (chocolate cookies and cream and white chocolate) or the traditional brownie. They also make three varieties of cheesecake – red fruits, dulce de leche, and chocolate. If you have a special occasion coming up and want to have a nice cake to celebrate, this is your place!

What to Do Next?

Alameda de Hercules is about a 2-minute walk away from the Calle Sta. Bárbara location. There is always something going on there whether it's a concert of some kind or a man with a giant bubble maker entertaining children for a small donation. There are many restaurants and cafés to choose from and two great playgrounds for kids. It’s a happening place at all times of the day.

There are two very cute bookstores near the Calle Doña Berenguela location. They are only about a 1- minute walk away. Isla de Papel is slightly west from Mr. Cake and Case Tomada is slightly south. They both have cute seating areas to enjoy while you browse through their large variety of titles.

They have two locations – Calle Sta. Bárbara, 12, & Calle Doña Berenguela, 1

La Campana

This is one of the first pastry shops that I visited when I moved to Seville. I noticed it right away because it is a short walk from my house. It is located on a busy corner of Seville that is always full of tourists and locals alike. This family business opened in Sevilla in 1885, and the history of the shop shows within the walls. The name “La Campana” means “the bell” in Spanish. This shop makes me wish that walls could talk so these bakery walls could tell me more about the history of this unique little place.

I first visited during the week of Semana Santa when they had torrijas, the famous Easter dessert that is only found in the city during one week of the year. I heard that they had amazing ones that I had to try, and they did. Out of all the torrijas that we ate that week, the ones at La Campana were by far the best. That’s what you get when you come here – always fresh, always delicious, quality Spanish pastries. They are the best here, a little pricy, but the best. This shop is also always busy so go in early before they start running out of the most popular things. They sell the famous Spanish dessert called Yemas, which are made from egg yolks and sugar. Many of their desserts are egg based in some way, which is the Spanish dessert style. The Spanish love their eggs when it comes to desserts. I love their chocolate truffle ball that is covered in chocolate sprinkles and their chocolate and vanilla éclairs. They also serve coffee, dipped chocolates, and ice cream.

What to Do Next?

This bakery is located near the best shopping area in Seville. All of the best clothing stores are within a 1-2 minute walk. I love Zara, especially for kids’ clothes, Pull & Bear, and Mango. Caldezonia, a swimwear store, is very close and great for summer beach clothing. Right next door to La Campana is a tiny papelería that is worth a quick look called, Ferrer. It has really cute decorations and displays that are fun to browse at quickly.

There is only one location – Calle Sierpes, 1-3

Ambrosius

When we first arrived in Seville, my husband attended Spanish language classes at Clic Language School. During his breaks, he would explore around that area. He told me about this amazing cake shop that he found right across from his language school called, Ambrosius, and he told me that I would love it. So of course, like the good wife that I am, I checked it out the very next day. Like I am really going to wait on something so pertinent in life as an amazing cake shop. He was completely right when he said that I would love it. I did.

I would say that the owner and head pastry chef at Ambrosius is one of the most talented bakers in Seville. I talked with him a bit. In my broken Spanish I told him that his cakes looked incredible and that I loved his shop. I then realized that he spoke English and we began to chat more in depth. He moved to Seville from Germany for the warmer climate after attending culinary school in the Netherlands. His shop is tiny, no tables at all for sitting, but it is large in talent and deliciousness. He specializes in cakes and tarts, which you can choose to buy by the slice or as a whole cake. His raspberry almond tart is exquisite in taste and very eye catching with the lattice-decorated top. The lemon meringue tart is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before because of how he piped the meringue in a wavy ribbon design. He also makes lovely breads and croissants, but get there early, because those tend to run out quickly.

After trying a slice of his almond cake and raving to my local Sevillian friend about this shop, she said that she loves his shop too. For the last 15 years or so, she has exclusively ordered his desserts for all of her special occasions, even for her wedding day! He also made all of the desserts for the after party of her son’s recent first communion ceremony. She told me that he is the only baker in town that she trusts!

What to Do Next?

Plaza Nueva is a 3-minute walk away from Ambrosius. It is a large open area plaza that is good for roaming around and often has arts and crafts fairs going on in the spring and summer. My favorite Montadito sandwich shop lines the plaza called, Plaza Nueva Bar and Tapas. We love the jamón y queso, the pringa, and the serranito. All three are worth trying and are typical for this area of Spain.

There is only one location – Calle Carlos Cañal, 10

Buenabuelo

We were on our way to the Nervión Plaza, a large shopping mall, when we walked right past this pastry shop. It was late and we hadn’t had dinner yet, so we decided to stop in for a quick snack to hold us over. It is non-presumptuous from the outside but once you walk in, you realize how cute it is and how glad you are that you decided to step inside. It is an old bakery with a lot of history, but it has been remodeled and the current interior design is now very modern.

Everything in their pastry display case looks delicious but the items that are a must-try are the pear and almond tart and the lemon meringue tart. They both reminded me of my mom’s delicious homemade pies that she made our family growing up. Her specialty is her pear pie with a streusel topping. Buenabuelos makes three different types of éclairs – praline, chocolate, and caramel. Their apple danishes are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack. Their little cheesecakes in a glass jar with fillings on top look really delicious and the perfect portion size for one person for a quick snack. They also have lots of espresso drinks and a variety of teas to choose from. The Té de Pakistani is full of fall spice flavors and is best with a little bit of milk and sugar.

What to Do Next?

About a 3-minute walk west of the Buenabuelos located on Calle Puerta de Carmona, is the grand Casa de Pilatos, an old and gorgeous Spanish palace. It is the permanent residence of the Duke of Medinaceli, and was built in the 15th and 16th century. It costs €12 to tour the whole house and €10 to tour just the ground floor. Right across the street is Plaza de Pilatos, with some benches to sit on and a nice statue of Zurbaran, a famous still-life painter who painted pictures of monks, nuns, and other things with religious significance.

There are two locations– Calle Puerta de Carmona & Ctra. de Carmona, 24

I hope you enjoy this list of pastry and dessert shops in Seville, Spain. Go check them out for yourself, and let me know what you think in the comments below!