The Mediterranean Insider

Córdoba, Spain

Córdoba’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)

The Mediterranean • Eat & drink • Córdoba’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)

The guide to Córdoba’s best restaurants

Sitting under the Andalusian sun with its crumbling Roman walls, palm-lined courtyards and the scent of slow-cooked oxtail in the air, Córdoba is a city in Andalusia, Spain that just feels like it knows who it is. And honestly? It should. This is a city that’s been simmering away for centuries, blending Moorish, Jewish and Spanish influences into something totally its own. But it’s not just the history that pulls you in – it’s what’s happening on the plate. Córdoba has this quiet confidence when it comes to food. Dishes are unapologetically local, fiercely seasonal and often tied to family traditions that go back generations. In this guide, we will highlight the must-visit restaurants for a true taste of what Córdoba has to offer.

Top photography courtesy of Noor

Noor

Noor, which means light in Arabic, is a restaurant that revives mediaeval Andalusian cooking. Chef Paco Morales grew up in Córdoba, honed his skills at El Bulli and Mugaritz and at Noor built the entire concept around Al-Andalus, the era when Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultures coexisted in southern Spain. Chef Morales, backed by second‑in‑command Paola Gualandi, has created a seasonal trilogy of tasting menus (Tanwer, Thawra and Taqadum) that transport you to different eras. Inside, a luminous dining room with a suspended canopy ceiling and Moorish‑inspired geometric motifs surrounds an open kitchen. Plates custom‑designed to echo period architecture hold dishes like fried aubergine drizzled with cane honey and desserts deliberately made without cacao to honour mediaeval palates.

Noor
C. Pablo Ruiz Picasso
8 Sureste
Córdoba
Spain

Photography courtesy of Noor

Terra Olea

Terra Olea, located in the Arruzafilla district, is a spot Chef Paco Villar dreamed up after years of planning. He works only with ingredients from nearby farms, changing menus as the seasons demand. The dining room glows under giant lamps that look like wasp nests and offers a view into a half‑open kitchen. We love that Villar steps out of the kitchen to stop by to explain each plate. There are two tasting menus available – Flos and Cibarium – featuring sheep’s milk butter croquettes, ventresca de atún rojo encebollada (tuna with tomato) and a vichyssoise (soup) of pickled pumpkin with steamed mussels. Some must-try dishes are the tartar de presa de bellota (acorn-fed pork shoulder tartare) and salt‑cured Iberian sirloin carpaccio with ajo blanco (Spanish cold soup) sorbet, pickled vegetables and truffle.

Terra Olea
Mercado de Abastos
Praza de Abastos
Rúa das Ameas 13 -18
Santiago de Compostela
Spain

Photography courtesy of Terra Olea

La Casa de Manolete Bistró

La Casa de Manolete Bistró occupies a mansion on Avenida de Cervantes that José Ortega y Munilla built in 1890 and that bullfighter Manolete later owned. Closed for decades, it reopened in 2019 under Juanjo and Reme, who drew on memories of Paris’s Plaza Athénée to fill the room with antique mirrors, brass fittings, marble and Swarovski‑studded lamps. Linen napkins, artful plating, fresh flowers and a fountain’s gentle trickle shape the a flor de piel experience. The signature dishes to try here are the Andalusian classic salmorejo (cold tomato soup) with quail egg and the deer carpaccio.

La Casa de Manolete Bistró
Av. de Cervantes
10 Centro
Córdoba
Spain

Photography courtesy of La Casa de Manolete Bistró

Garum 2.1 Bistró

Garum 2.1 is Córdoba’s ode to bistronomics, with a tapas menu that brings out the best of Andalusian and Arab flavours. Chef Juan Luis Santiago focuses on honest, product‑driven dishes and seasonality, with many ingredients from their own organic garden. The salmorejo amontillado – winner of Córdoba Gastronómica’s Best Tapa contest – is a must-try, incorporating amontillado sherry, white shrimp, apple and anchovy. Another standout is the Churro de Rabo de Toro con Chocolate, a creative take on oxtail, presenting it in a churro form accompanied by a chocolate sauce. We love the simplistic interior of Garum 2.1 Bistró – a prominent feature is the exposed Roman wall that runs along one side of the dining area, adding a touch of antiquity to the atmosphere.

Garum 2.1 Bistró
Praza do Obradoiro 3
Santiago de Compostela
Spain

Photography courtesy of Garum 2.1 Bistró

Regadera

Set on the riverbank opposite the Roman Bridge and Mosque‑Cathedral, Regadera is Adrián Caballero’s first solo venture, born of modest beginnings in 2011 and fuelled by relentless passion. Some must-try dishes include the cochinillo confitado (confit suckling pig), tuna tartare, leg of suckling lamb and tempura cod loin. The dining area is designed to evoke a sense of warmth and familiarity. The space features a vertical garden reminiscent of Córdoba’s famed patios, integrating natural materials such as wood, ceramics and natural fibres. Unique decor pieces, including repurposed fruit crates and vintage planters from Doñana’s 1960s reforestation efforts, contribute to the restaurant’s distinctive character.