Where to eat in Córdoba near the Mosque on a budget
After visiting the Mosque-Cathedral and strolling through the surrounding streets, it is time to recharge and enjoy Córdoba’s food, whether with traditional dishes or something more informal, such as a tasty sandwich. In this new GURMÉ Córdoba guide, we show you ten places to eat near the monument — and at a good price.
Casa Bravo
Opened as a wine shop in the 1870s, this tavern beside the Puerta de Almodóvar is known for Elena Rojano’s cooking. Named Señora de las Tabernas in 2020, she runs the establishment with her husband, Juan Antonio Jiménez. Its extensive menu revives offal dishes such as tripe with pig’s trotters. There is also a wide choice of fish and meat dishes, alongside Córdoba’s best-known specialities, to enjoy with a glass of wine.
Puerta de Almodóvar, 1. Tel.: 615 18 14 15
Bar Natali
Just a few minutes from the Mosque-Cathedral, it is close to the tourist area but far enough away to enjoy a peaceful meal. On its terrace you can try house favourites such as acorn-fed Iberian shoulder ham, pork fillet tips with green sauce, Soria-style crispy pork belly, the famous tomate al currucucú (tomato dressed with oil, vinegar, salt, oregano, fried garlic and strips of tuna belly), or the combinado espejeño (fried eggs, peppers, potatoes and chorizo from Espejo).
Calle Doctor Jiménez Díaz. Tel.: 957 29 25 78
Mesón San Basilio
In the heart of the San Basilio district, with its traditional white-and-indigo décor, this restaurant has served one of the city’s finest oxtail stews since opening in 1982. It is cooked a couple of days before serving to allow the flavours to develop. Other typical Córdoba dishes include Iberian pork cheeks, marinated pomfret, patatas a lo pobre and orange and cod salad.
Calle San Basilio, 19. Tel.: 957 29 70 07
El Capricho
Owner and cook Antonia Carmona — Señora de las Tabernas 2023 — has spent eight years running this tavern, just a few steps from the Mosque-Cathedral. Here she serves the traditional dishes she learnt to cook with her mother and grandmother. A highlight is the oxtail stew, which won a national award in the third Ruta Sentero y el Rabo de Toro competition in 2018. It is the star of the Córdoba menu, which begins with a good salmorejo and finishes with the city’s traditional pastry.
Calle Velázquez Bosco, 8. Tel.: 957 11 08 92
Taberna Rafaé
In the heart of the Jewish Quarter, at the junction of the well-known Deanes and Buen Pastor streets, this is one of the area’s most emblematic taverns. The menu offers a wide choice of tapas and sharing plates, from traditional classics to more modern, innovative flavours. Alongside its signature Córdoba-style oxtail rice, you can try vegetable pisto with a fried egg, confit cod, ensaladilla or Sephardic-style aubergines. Pair your meal with a wine from one of Andalusia’s protected designations of origin.
Calle Deanes, 2. Tel.: 957 29 90 08
La Cávea
You will find it in one of the most charming corners of Córdoba’s historic centre: Plaza Jerónimo Páez, beside the Archaeological Museum. But this tavern impresses with more than its setting. Founded in 1996 by Salvador López and his wife Isabel María, it now has the second generation working in the kitchen and behind the bar. Traditional home cooking wins over locals and visitors alike, with favourites such as fresh fish brought from Málaga and fried to order, ensaladilla and braised pork cheeks.
Plaza Jerónimo Páez. Tel.: 957 48 45 32
Taberna El Abanico
A place for Córdoba wines and tapas, rooted in traditional local cooking with an innovative touch, keeping familiar recipes alive in an informal, distinctive setting. It has establishments in two significant Córdoba locations: Calleja de las Flores and the riverside. For a bite to eat, choose a wedge of Spanish omelette with caramelised onion, homemade oxtail croquettes, a mound of potatoes gently cooked in extra virgin olive oil with imitation baby eels and a fried egg, or mini Los Pedroches beef burgers with homemade barbecue sauce.
Calle Velázquez Bosco, 7. Tel.: 681 96 68 29
Los Lagares
Opposite the historic centre and 700 metres from the Mosque, this restaurant is an appealing stop for both its terrace and its cooking. For many families, coming here for paella on Saturdays has become a tradition. The menu also includes flamenquín, oxtail stew, salmorejo, patatas al pelotón and artichokes cooked with Montilla wine.
Avenida Conde de Vallellano. Tel.: 957 23 25 60
Taberna El Nº 10
Part of the Cabezas Carmona group, this restaurant brings together wine experiences and reinterpreted traditional cooking just a few metres from the Mosque-Cathedral. Its team describe themselves as wine and tapas lovers, with a passion for a good pairing. To accompany your wine, try Cantabrian anchovies and sheep’s milk butter on crisp pan de cristal toast, braised beef tail with potatoes, or a cochinita pibil taco with pico de gallo and bean cream.
Calle Romero, 10. Tel.: 957 42 14 83
El Picantón
Beside the Puerta de Almodóvar, this sandwich bar opened in 1978 and is one of Córdoba’s oldest. It is known for El Picantón — the house favourite, made with grilled mortadella — and its range of sauces. Pork loin, bacon, chicken breast and serrano ham sandwiches can be served with mayonnaise, alioli, Provençal sauce or mala leche, the only spicy sauce on offer. They also come with fresh tomato, lettuce and caramelised onion.
Calle Fernández Ruano, 19. Tel.: 646 02 41 91