9 Best Restaurants In Cordoba, Spain For A True Culinary Journey

Among the most alluring places to visit in Spain, Cordoba is often forgotten. However, if you really and truly consider yourself a foodie (I’m talking the type who will visit a destination purely just for the cuisine or food experiences of that place), then you have to — bold, underline, italicize — make time for this Spanish city. 

Situated in Southern Spain (don’t confuse it with Argentina’s Cordoba), Cordoba falls within the Andalusia region. The city’s history is in-depth, and its multicultural background has played a role in its cuisine. 

Above that, Cordoba is famous for its gastronomy. Gamey meats and olive oil are dietary heroes here. Many traditional Spanish dishes, like salmorejo, flamenquín, caliph aubergines, and rabo de toro, are Cordoban originals.

Cordoba is the kind of city where it’s impossible to have a bad meal. While it’s difficult to narrow down the best restaurants in Cordoba, Spain, here are nine of my favorites to get you going. 

1. Restaurante ReComiendo: For local specialties

“Not to get too sentimental” isn’t a phrase that belongs between the perimeters of Restaurante ReComiendo. The entire philosophy behind this Cordoban cuisine-heavy restaurant centres on memories, whether those are resurfaced or new ones. 

For example, there are five set menus to choose from, with titles like ‘Memories,’ ‘Nostalgia,’ and (the most extensive one with the option of wine pairing inclusive of the price) ‘Memory with Momento Harmonies.’ These menus range from 12 to 15 courses. 

Indulge your taste buds with plates like oxtail cold cuts, tuna and caviar, and eggplant served with honey ice cream and labneh. Listed by Michelin Guide, it’s not only one of my favourites but one of the best restaurants in Cordoba — fact! 

Travel advice: If your time in Spain is limited, but you want to experience Cordoba’s culinary side, consider planning a day trip from Seville to Cordoba. Here’s all you need to know!

2. Noor: The city’s only 3-Michelin-Star  

Did you know that a huge part of Cordoba’s history includes a period when it was the capital of the Emirate of Córdoba, and between the 8th to 11th centuries, an Arab dynasty ruled the lands. It’s a massively significant era, with traces of this still evident in architecture, design, and the city’s cuisine. 

And three-Michelin-starred Noor celebrates this. In all its glory. Taste it in the flavors, and see it firsthand in the food presentation. It’s one of the best restaurants in Cordoba on a fine dining scale. 

This restaurant is so intent on staying true to its historic roots. In fact, the brains behind the concept have spent hours chatting to local historians, archeologists, designers, and documentalists during the menu’s creation process. Even the interiors reflect this. There are a few dishes that always make me think of the famous Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. 

3. Bodegas Mezquita: Classic Cordoban gastronomy  

Boasting four locations in Cordoba, I feel like this is very telling of (a) its popularity and (b) just how good the food is at Bodegas Mezquita. All designed in a classic taberna (tavern) style; you can find all four in Cordoba’s Jewish Quarter. 

As much as I love a good fusion-type restaurant, I can appreciate Cordoba’s lack of them. Because this city (with such a rich history and one that’s far more important than many realize) is a true celebration of the region. But most importantly, this region of Andalusia. 

You’ll want to savor all the Cordoban specialties here. These include dishes like bull’s tail (oxtail), salmorejo (cold gazpacho soup), flamenquín (one of the city’s most iconic dishes, it’s pork wrapped in Iberico, then crumbed and deep-fried), and my ultimate, caliph aubergines (deep-fried rounds). 

Apart from set menus, there are also oil tastings, wine, cheese, and vermouth pairings, edible flower and wine pairings, whiskey and chocolate pairings, and more! 

4. Terra Olea: Bib Gourmand winner 

Nothing makes me happier than when a plate arrives at the table and you think, “wow.” Among my hobbies, I love painting and drawing, so anything creative gets me going. It’s precisely one of the reasons I adore Terra Olea. The artistic flair is so evident across every dish. 

A foie gras dish (done with pickled pear and labneh) appears like a checkers board. The tartar dish arrives on a bed of white pebbles. Or the sautéed leeks make you think of a fine cigar. 

Many of Cordoba’s restaurants represent an old-school, traditional setting. Yet Terra Olea is different. Bright spaces welcome you, with billowing white sheets and tropical plants. It’s very much a modern ambiance. 

5. Restaurante El Rincon De Carmen: A patio restaurant

If you’ve ventured Cordoba’s Ruta de Patios, i.e., the Patio Route, stepping inside Restaurante El Rincon De Carmen will remind you exactly of the houses you see along this bright pathway. 

Walls are lined with potted flower pots, sprawling vines creep across the walls, and (of course) there’s the inner courtyard. If available, definitely ask for a table in this section of the restaurant. 

The food is also about Cordoba. Most of the menu’s ingredients are sourced directly from the Sierra mountain range. Must-try dishes from one of the best restaurants in Cordoba are charcoal cod balls, tuna tataki, cold tomato soup, i.e., salmorejo, and rabo de toro (bull’s tail). 

6. Restaurant El Lindero Gastro Taberna: For meat lovers 

In some of Southern Spain’s inland destinations, such as Granada, many restaurants project a seafood-heavy stance. However, you may pick up that in Cordoba, meat is supreme. Of course, you do get seafood, but carnivores will be very pleased in this part of Andalusia. 

At Restaurant El Lindero Gastro Taberna, enquire about daily specials. (This is my hubby’s favorite thing to do, no matter what restaurant we’re at, and it does pay to ask if you’re not informed by a staff member.)

Enjoy dishes like confit cardoon (from the artichoke family) with suckling pig, Iberian sirloin and shiitake mushroom risotto, a grilled Galician steak, grilled Angus picanha, and more. You’ll find all the Cordoban classics on the menu, too.  

7. Vertigo: Inventive and fantasy-inspired  

Another one of the best restaurants in Cordoba, making its way onto the Michelin Guide’s 2025 list, Vertigo is playful, out there, and contemporary. 

I must say, though, don’t be put off by the exterior facade. It reminds me of a nightclub or bar, but it’s far from either. Instead, the interiors/overall theme is fantasy-inspired, with oversized imaginary characters floating from the rooftop. It does make for a very unique setting. 

Just as imaginative as the decor, the food and drinks are the same! For one cocktail, you finish it off with a spritz of “perfume.” Gourmet burgers arrive on ceramic octopus tentacles. Most of the dishes are Spanish, with some fusion ingredients like rice vermicelli noodles. 

8. Restaurant La Esquinita de la Judería El Patio: Some fusion vibes

Cordoba’s patios truly are a sight to behold, and I love that some of the town’s restaurants boast these traditional settings. It just makes a dining experience that much more authentic. Restaurant La Esquinita de la Judería El Patio is one of them. 

Always busy (tourists especially love this place), its definitely worth it to make a prior booking.

With a combination of local dishes as well as fusion inspirations, the chefs here love to play around with presentation, whether it’s with layers, textures, or color. 

For example, instead of a simple cheese platter, cheese sticks are cut and layered like you’re about to play a game of Jenga with them. One of my favorite plates is the zucchini and prawn skewers (two ingredients I love to death). 

9. Restaurante La Cuchara de San Lorenzo: Award-winning

Owning the honorary title of multiple awards (including the Guía Repsol and the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand), don’t miss out on feasting at Restaurante La Cuchara de San Lorenzo — if you can nab a reservation. 

This one’s an excellent option for date night, and although it’s not like a hectically fancy kind of place, it still gives you those fine dining vibes, and is the sort of restaurant where you can dress up nicely. 

When this family-run restaurant originally opened circa 2006, the food was more of taberna-style, but it’s gotten more contemporary over the years.  

What are the rest of your travel plans for Spain? If you’re staying in the Southern Spain side and visiting Seville, here are nine awesome bars to check out. Swapping things out for the Balearic Islands, closer to the Barcelona side? Have a read through this 3-day Ibiza itinerary. 

And just in case you were wondering, eat like the locals with my guide to classic Spanish breakfast foods. One word: churros…You’re welcome! 

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