Before recommending the top restaurants in Cordoba, I’ll mention two dishes that, if you find yourself in the city of the Mezquita, you absolutely must not miss: Salmorejo and Rabo de toro. If you’ve already read our articles on the best restaurants in Seville and the best restaurants in Granada (even in Malaga, but there fish reigns supreme…), the names of these splendid dishes will be familiar to you, since they appear on most restaurant menus across Andalusia.
However, not everyone knows — and I didn’t either, before I went — that these two dishes are typical of Cordoba, which has elevated them to flagship dishes of its renowned local cuisine: the first — the salmorejo — is a more flavourful variant of gazpacho, the original recipe being enhanced with egg and cured ham; the second is an oxtail stew, to my eyes (and taste buds!) a true masterpiece.
Unlike Seville and Granada, where the abundance of restaurants is excessive and it’s very easy to end up in an over‑touristy place where the food is poor and you pay too much, among the narrow streets of Cordoba you can still find many authentic tabernas which, besides the two already mentioned, serve tapas and raciones for every taste: going for tapas in Cordoba with complete freedom is a real pleasure, but I’d like to recommend a few places that, in my opinion and not only, are worth considering for a lovely dinner washed down with a beer, a vino tinto or a Montilla wine, typical of this area. So, between institutions and little gems, here is a list of 7 places where to eat in Cordoba.
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Where to eat in Cordoba: the institutions
If you ask a local in Cordoba where to eat, they’ll most likely recommend one of these places:
Taberna San Miguel: “El Pisto”, legendary tapas in Cordoba
Let’s start with a taberna just outside the centre, the Taberna San Miguel (Plaza de San Miguel 1), which everyone calls Casa El Pisto. This place is very old: the plaque bears the date of its founding, 1880. When I first went into El Pisto, the place was packed out, and the atmosphere (so to speak, given the crush) was not that of a mere tourist restaurant: the rabo de toro dishes and fried fish that the ever-busy waiters were carrying out to the outdoor area overlooking Plaza San Miguel (where there is a lovely parish church) tempted me so much that I wasn’t satisfied until I went back.
The interior of the venue, moreover, is furnished in a distinctive way: vintage portraits of Manolete (Cordoba’s iconic bullfighter) and other bullfighting-themed paintings and posters, sacred images and azulejos make eating at El Pisto a feast for the senses.
Bar Santos, a tortilla in front of the Mezquita
All right the Mezquita, a timeless masterpiece that bears witness to how two architectural styles as different as Arab and Christian can surprisingly coexist… all right the charm of the Judería, ancient Jewish quarter of Cordoba, but did you know that right in front of the cathedral there’s a bar where you can eat the city’s best tortillas — and not just that? At least that’s what they say. The thing is, there’s something almost sacred about the mini-pilgrimage to this tiny little bar that serves hundreds of portions of tortilla, the potato omelette that is perhaps the signature dish of the whole of Spain.
If you want to eat at Bar Santos (calle Magistral González Francés 3), forget the tables: the gigantic tortilla will be served to you at the bar, taken from a huge mould and placed on a plastic plate; you’ll have to eat it outside, on a low wall that faces the cathedral: for a moment, the Mezquita relinquishes the sceptre to the tortilla, making it the queen of Córdoba.
Bodegas Campos: one of the best restaurants in Cordoba
We move from a bar serving food on plastic plates to one of the most elegant and renowned restaurants to eat in Cordoba: Bodegas Campos (calle Lineros 32). Founded in the early twentieth century, this restaurant with a splendid atmosphere is tucked away down a sheltered little street just a stone’s throw from Plaza del Potro, which is unfortunately dominated by some anonymous restaurants I heartily advise against: rather than settling for the tourist menus of the restaurants on Calle Enrique Romero Torres – especially if it’s a romantic evening or you want to make a good impression with friends – step through the door of Bodegas Campos: you’ll be struck by the elegance of the venue’s seven dining rooms and by the quality of the dishes, particularly the meat dishes.
The Montilla-Moriles wines have been produced in-house for more than a century and, if that counts for anything, let the signatures of the long line of distinguished figures who have signed the casks lining the corridor convince you.
El Churrasco, dining in a Moorish dream
Right in the heart of the Judería, amid charming flower-bedecked balconies and secret courtyards, here’s El Churrasco (calle Romero 16), a restaurant that can rival, in elegance and quality of its cuisine, the aforementioned Bodegas Campos. The fame of this place is also chiefly linked to its excellent meats, which are served grilled or cooked using recipes that nod to the spiced flavours of Arabesque cuisine.
El Churrasco does not rely solely on its culinary offering: the setting is exquisitely appointed. See the rooms “Patio cordobés” and “Comedor mudejár” (see cover photo), magnificently arranged in Andalusian style. In short, here you can experience Cordoba’s gastronomic excellence in an authentic setting that resists the temptation to pander to tourists, and is instead enjoyed by the locals, who often and willingly frequent it.
Nice little restaurants where to eat well in Cordoba
Taberna Góngora, tapas galore in the secret Cordoba
With your back to the aforementioned Plaza San Miguel – and leaving behind the chaos of bars near Plaza de las Tendillas – you slip into a labyrinth of elegant little streets, among white and yellow houses and picture‑postcard views. Not everyone ventures as far as Calle Obispo Fitero, a narrow lane that leads to a splendid, flower‑filled square adorned with orange trees: Plaza Cardenal Toledo. At the far end of the garden, right on the corner with calle Conde de Torres Cabrera, is the Taberna Góngora, an unpretentious spot where you can enjoy tapas and raciones that will delight food‑lovers.
The richly sauced rabo de toro, the salmorejo and the fried anchovies (boquerones) with lemon are phenomenal, as is the incredible amount of bric‑a‑brac that hangs, rather clumsily, from the taberna’s walls. Perfect for a delicious, no‑frills dinner, and very reasonably priced.
Taberna La Montillana, the perfect blend of modernity and tradition
Plaza San Miguel is a golden area for eating in Cordoba: near this square – already mentioned several times – you’ll find the Taberna La Montilliana (calle San Álvaro 5), a place well worth the walk to reach. It is a taberna that stylishly combines tradition and modernity: the menu is a tribute to Cordoban cuisine, but the venue doesn’t try to pass itself off as an old Andalusian tavern, either in its décor or in the presentation of the dishes.
Besides the salmorejo, try a tapa of patatas bravas, the splendid puntas de solomillo ibérico al gorgonzola (see photo) or, if you fancy a change, the hamburger. The prices are more than reasonable.
Taberna Salinas, Cordoba tapas just a stone’s throw from Plaza de la Corredera
This very old Andalusian-style tavern offers, among its best specialties, the rabo de toro in very generous portions and the spinacas con garbanzos (spinach with chickpeas). The interior is furnished in keeping with tradition, but it is by no means tacky, not least because the quality of the dishes you’ll eat and the simple courtesy of the service will make you feel completely at ease.
We also recommend the Taberna Salinas (calle Tundidores 3) for two other reasons: the location and the bill! We are close to Plaza de la Corredera, one of the most beautiful in all of Cordoba: the little streets around this square – which we have already told you about in our article on what to see in Cordoba – are teeming with hyper-touristy restaurants and kebab shops, and finding an authentic place like Taberna Salinas was really lovely for me. The bill then – not at all pricey – makes you want to go back!
And you? Have you decided where to eat in Cordoba? Tell us what you enjoyed at the eateries of this wonderful city in the heart of Andalusia!
