Taberna Plateros

Description:

• Dating from 1872 -- though previous owners claimed its origins might go as far back as the 1600s -- this is one of the oldest establishments in Córdoba. Tables are placed in a spacious courtyard that leads to more dining rooms. The traditional marble bar is a rendezvous point for area workers, who gather and chatter with great animation when the nearby stores close for the evening. Pictures of the famous hometown bullfighter, Manolete, line the walls, and the decor is one of Andalusian tiles and red brick. Dishes have authentic flavor. As one businessman at the bar told us, "The cooking is just what my grandmother fed me when I was a boy." The appetizers are very large, some so big in fact they will completely satisfy a person with a small appetite. Frequently changing main dishes might feature grilled swordfish or grilled cuttlefish. The cooks turn out several versions of bacalao (dried codfish). A local favorite, oxtail stew, in the dubious words of one diner, "will put hair on your chest."

• © Frommer's 2013