We found this restaurant in a guidebook which we normally avoid. We walked by earlier and it looked grand inside, and it wasn’t too busy, so we gave it a try.

This restaurant and hotel opened in 2000 in a 1600-year-old building that sits at the back of the Mezquita. It looks very old, but newly refurbished with its Roman columns and brickwork along with an ancient well. The dining room is split into several areas with the arches and columns and a large sideboard. It is nicely decorated with wine barrels, tile work, and wine storage.

The service was outstanding. Our waiter and waitress were attentive without being annoying. They would check on us when necessary and come to the table to pour more water and wine. They left a perfect amount of time between courses. Both spoke very little English, but had no problems with the little bit of Spanish we had managed to learn.

We started with a complimentary glass of fino. My husband ordered us a bottle of house white wine and mineral water. The menu selection was diverse, with meat being the main concentration, although there were some vegetarian selections available. I opted for the set menu and my husband went with the a la carte menu.

Tom started with a Córdoban specialty, Salmorejo, a cold gazpacho soup with sliced ham and hard-boiled egg. I will attempt to make this at home—“wow” is all I can say. I had soup with a tomato/clam soup base with shrimp, mussels and clams in it. Tom had a large ox tenderloin and I had a pork fillet, both with vegetables and fries. The meat platters were great, as well. We couldn’t wait to see what was in store for dessert.

The guidebook raved about the dessert selections, so we had to try one. Tom went for the strawberry cheesecake, and I, the chocolate cake. Once again, wow!! Tom described his cheesecake as more of a cheesy concoction than the cheesecake we are used to. Either way, it was out of this world. I think my jaw hit the floor when my chocolate cake(s) arrived—three pieces of cake, to be exact. OK, they weren’t huge pieces, but between Tom and I, we still couldn’t finish them. Three different kinds of chocolate cake and I couldn’t decide which one I like the best, so I ate half of each one of them! We left there stuffed to the gills, but very pleased with our dining experience.

After dinner, we strolled around the restaurant looking at the columns, beams, ancient well, and all of the barrels stacked in various places. People may be put off by the place, since it doesn’t look like much from the outside and the prices are a bit high, but once you step inside, it is like stepping back in time with such ancient décor. I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Córdoba.