Casa Balbino, Sanlúcar de Barrameda
In the sherry-soaked fishing town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir where it meets the Atlantic, Casa Balbino on Plaza del Cabildo has been frying tortillitas de camarones — lacy, crisp prawn fritters — since 1964. Food writers from across Spain make the pilgrimage here, and one bite explains why.
What to Order
The tortillitas de camarones are the non-negotiable star: thin chickpea-and-wheat batter studded with tiny transparent Sanlúcar prawns, fried until they shatter at the touch. They arrive in a paper cone, still blistering hot, and should be eaten immediately with a cold glass of manzanilla — the salty, bone-dry sherry produced only in Sanlúcar.
Beyond the fritters, order the ortiguillas (battered sea anemone, a local delicacy that tastes of pure ocean), the coquinas (wedge clams steamed with white wine and garlic) and whatever whole fish the waiter says came in that morning. The menu changes daily with the catch.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda Beyond the Plate
Sanlúcar is criminally undervisited for a town this beautiful. The upper town (Barrio Alto) holds the Palacio de los Duques de Medina Sidonia and sweeping views over the river mouth to the wild Doñana National Park on the opposite bank — a landscape unchanged since Magellan set sail from here in 1519.
The town also hosts the famous Carreras de Caballos, horse races run directly on the beach in August — one of Andalusia's most exhilarating and photogenic events.
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