The secrets of the nuclear chicken

Jaime Alpresa's letter states that the fried chicken has "a nuclear touch." The restaurateur always likes to add a bit of humor to everything. "I like to take care of the customers, to make sure they have a good time," he emphasizes.

Fried chicken is one of the restaurant's most popular dishes. Jaime Alpresa points out that the recipe, which they still use, was created by his mother, Teresa León, and the secret lies in marinating the chicken pieces in a dressing that includes white wine and lemon, among other ingredients. The chicken must marinate in this mixture for at least four hours before being fried.

"We say it has a nuclear touch because the dressing is like an explosion of flavor," the restaurateur points out. It's served on its own, without any garnish, and the tapa costs 4 euros (price as of September 2026). The recipe, provided by Jaime Alpresa himself, can be found here.

Jaime Alpresa, 57 years old, singer, specializing in rumbas, hotelier, member of the Brotherhood of Love, bullfighting enthusiast and Sevilla fan, greets enthusiastically the customers who are entering his restaurant.

He knows almost everyone and personally escorts them to their tables in a space decorated with bull heads, bullfighters' suits of lights, and other bullfighting paraphernalia. In fact, the establishment is just a few meters from the La Maestranza bullring, a true sanctuary for aficionados.

There's a written menu, but Jaime prefers to go to each table and explain what's on offer. He's the heart and soul of the place, "although I have a magnificent team that does everything perfectly. Many times, because of my professional commitments, I can't be here, and they're the ones who take care of everything," he says gratefully.

A regular customer asks if the potato salad is at room temperature, and Jaime assures him it will be just right. A short while later, a perfectly molded potato salad arrives from the kitchen, shaped into a cylinder and containing the essential ingredients: Chipiona potatoes (from a town in Cádiz famous for this tuber), chopped hard-boiled egg, peeled shrimp, and a generous amount of mayonnaise made in-house. “It’s crucial to serve it at room temperature,” Alpresa remarks.

He likes to please. He emphasizes that his establishment embodies the essence of a Sevillian bar: “hospitality, good humor, service, and respect for the city's customs”—Sevillian spirit, as they say in local parlance. Between recommendations, Alpresa quips, “What we need here is less Artificial Intelligence and more dressed potatoes.” This dish is also one of the establishment's stars. They make them with potatoes from Chipiona, and the key is to dress them with good extra virgin olive oil and vinegar while they're still hot. As a garnish, they add some good fillets of preserved bonito.

The establishment has no bar, just a lounge and terrace, plus a private room on the first floor. Outside hang two monumental chalkboards displaying the restaurant's specialties in chalk. There are tapas and dishes, all prepared for sharing. The lounge is almost a museum dedicated to bullfighting, where, protected by glass, a dozen bullfighters' suits are displayed, "given to me by masters like Morante and Roca Rey."

Alpresa opened his restaurant on Good Friday, days before Easter, in 2013. It was his lifelong dream. First, because “I’ve always had a vocation for service and I’ve enjoyed the hospitality industry, and second, to pay tribute to my mother. Almost all the dishes we serve, especially the stews, are made with her recipes.”

Teresa León, Jaime's mother, was a professional cook and ran the dining hall at the Jesuit community in Portaceli. He remembers, from his childhood, the stew she made for him and "her French fries, I'll never forget them."

Jaime started as a waiter at 17, in Enrique's tavern. Later, along with his brothers, he dedicated himself to the world of music, which he continues to pursue, although he also manages his restaurant.

One of Jaime's favorite dishes is oxtail. They serve it in a very original way, with the meat already chopped, boneless, accompanied by the stew's sauce and served on top of fried potatoes. "It's much easier to eat that way." The restaurant's stew menu also features spinach with chickpeas, another classic Sevillian dish. "Here, it's best served with fried eggs," he points out.

The pork cheeks, prepared with Iberian pork, are flavored with a touch of Jerez brandy, and the house cod, another classic of Sevillian cuisine, is also renowned, prepared here in a tomato sauce. This same sauce is also used for another classic dish, accompanying fried eggs with potatoes.

Alpresa is also a hit with another simple dish, fried chicken, pieces of poultry that are marinated in a dressing and then fried in oil. “We call it nuclear chicken, because the dressing is an explosion of flavors.”

Between jokes and laughter, eager to please, Jaime Alpresa arrives at dessert. He suggests tocino de cielo (a type of flan) and a little sweet wine to accompany it.