Eating out in Córdoba is a fusion of Spanish, Arabic and Jewish cuisine. There is a wide variety of food on offer, and many restaurants and tapas bars to choose from. You must choose your restaurants carefully as there are a growing number of overpriced tourist places that are not worth visiting.

Olive oil, being produced in big quantities around Córdoba, is an important ingredient of many typical dishes. Gazpacho and salmorejo are delicious cold soups made mainly of mashed vegetables and olive oil. Salmorejo is a specialty from Córdoba, often served with jamón serrano (cured ham) and egg on top. Another specialty is cordero a la moruna, an Arabic-style lamp dish and estofado de rabo de buey, a special ragouts of oxtail. Many other popular dishes include game. The cooking of game is varied, with meats including boar, rabbit, partridge and duck. Traditional desserts have a strong Arabic influence and includes alfajores, made of almonds and honey, pastiños, a sweet that is coated in honey and then fried in oil, pasteles cordobles, a cinnamon flavoured pastry.

There are a multitude of restaurants and tappas bars to be found in Córdoba, serving traditional food alongside more modern tastes and international cuisine. Lunchtime is usually not until around 2pm, and evening meal is more like 10pm. Many restaurants are often open throughout the day and evening, but do not expect a lively atmosphere until around these times.