Meson El Cordobes in Köln

In terms of taste, perhaps one of the best Spanish restaurants in Cologne. The interior decor is very authentically Spanish, and the service is okay. The food is good, but unfortunately a bit too salty. What I found very interesting was that we didn't receive our "takeaway" order in its entirety. We ordered too much and couldn't finish the fish paella, so we wanted to take the leftovers with us. The waiter was very nice and prepared it for us in a large, opaque container. When we opened the container the next day, it was very clear that the leftovers were only half the ordered amount. The remaining fish and shellfish were nowhere to be found... we unfortunately had no idea what had happened...

I first came here 20 years ago and it's been one of my favorite restaurants ever since. Today we went to Meson El Cordobes and had tapas. Everything was delicious and we were very satisfied.

The food is truly delicious; all the tapas we ordered, as well as several main courses and desserts, were excellent! Unfortunately, the wait times were sometimes long, but we were there on a Friday evening. Visually, the restaurant is very attractive, the staff is very friendly, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the prices are very (!) good, but it was a bit noisy. They could pay a little more attention to the cleanliness of the plates and cutlery.

This was our first time at Meson El Cordobes...we were very satisfied and will definitely be back. ● Delicious food ● Excellent and friendly service ● Cozy atmosphere

I was spending the Halloween weekend in Cologne with my partner and wanted to see if there were any Spanish restaurants. Based on the photos, the number of reviews, and the overall atmosphere, this one seemed like the best/most authentic. And luckily, I wasn't wrong. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, the place was clean and decorated in an Andalusian style, with tiles throughout the restaurant, and so on. I wanted to compare it to the restaurant in my hometown of Göttingen, and honestly, I found it much better and more delicious. This one is actually run by a Spaniard, and it shows in the work behind the scenes and the way they treat customers. I highly recommend it: 11/10

If you're looking for a truly Spanish restaurant, this is the place. The tapas were delicious and had a completely Spanish flavor. The owner and the waiters are Spanish, so they know exactly what they're doing. The decor was reminiscent of an Andalusian restaurant. I felt like I was in Spain. In short, we loved it and will definitely return whenever we're in Cologne.

Delicious food, Somewhat slow service, Unfortunately, an atmosphere like in a church, very loud!

In my opinion, the best Spanish restaurant in Cologne. Super delicious tapas and main courses. Great staff, who've been working there for years. Awesome place!

An absolute highlight. The food and ambience are great and the service is excellent.

Whenever I'm in Cologne, I have to come here. Everything is just right here.

Sorry, anyone who has something to complain about should go to the chip shop!

Very good. Two of us arrived without a reservation, and they made room for us as soon as one of the tables was full because it was full. The service we received was splendid, and the food was very good. The staff was also excellent. I recommend it without a doubt.

Unfortunately, it was a complete disappointment. I can't even begin to describe how bad our meal was.

Lovely Resteraunt with a nice ambience . They messed up our order twice 😅 The first time they got us a tapa we didn’t order . The second time they got us a paella with chicken instead of the seafood one we had ordered . We didn’t complain both times and just left it . They seem very nice and the food is reasonably tasty . Be prepared to wait :)

A place that, out of respect, one shouldn't really rate. Mesón El Cordobés isn't just a bar or restaurant—it's an institution, a legend. Authentic, genuine, and with an atmosphere rarely found these days. Here, you can sense history, character, and genuine soul. Anyone who visits this place shouldn't just see it, but experience it.

The shortest route to Spain. Delicious! Very friendly staff.

Very good 👍🏻 Spanish food. The restaurant decoration style is also very beautiful

We've ordered tapas to take away for lunch several times now, and it's always a highlight. The quality is consistently very high, and the quantities are fantastic for the prices. I even think they could charge a bit more. Our orders are sometimes complicated—many individual items with special requests, which portions can be packed together, etc.—but they've never made a mistake, which is truly unique. The aioli is truly one of the best we've ever had. We'd happily come back any time.

Small portions at small prices – there are better options in Cologne!

We spontaneously visited as a couple on a Friday evening, and although the restaurant was already very busy, the super-friendly staff made it possible for us to be seated – the start to the evening was warm and uncomplicated. The restaurant is a cozy Spanish restaurant – the cooking has been done with passion for over 40 years. It's not a modern designer restaurant, but a place where you feel that food and drink are meant to be enjoyed. The menu is very extensive; we chose various tapas and were delighted with every single one: fresh, delicious, and authentic. The ambiance invites you to linger, the value for money is absolutely fair, and you simply feel welcome. If you want to experience a relaxed evening with Spanish joie de vivre, this is the place for you. We will definitely be back!

Lucas is a lovely waiter, but everyone is very, very friendly.

Very cozy restaurant with authentic Spanish food, excellent quality food and very attentive and friendly staff.

Never had such good paella outside of Spain. The food was amazing, and the prices were completely reasonable. We'll be back! It's now on our top 3 restaurant list in Cologne!

If there were six stars, they still wouldn't be enough! We ate at Meson El Cordobes for the first time today, and it was simply delicious! This is Spain at home! Heavenly food, a melt-in-the-mouth paella, and excellent tapas. Thanks to the entire team and the chef for this wonderful evening.

Traditional authentic Spanish food. Fish grilled was delicious as well as the tapas. Price is very reasonable.

Great atmosphere, delicious food and super friendly service!

I've been here many times and have always been satisfied. This time, however, the service was very disappointing, consistently unfriendly, and there were major difficulties paying, even though we were offered separate payment. If that's not what you want, you shouldn't offer it. We were treated very poorly as a result, and overall, it felt like everything was just a favor. It's a shame; I actually liked this place, but we won't be coming back.

THIS is a Spanish restaurant where you're served by 'real' Spaniards...very tasty tapas and, of course, other dishes...Sangria - highly recommended...better to make a reservation in advance, otherwise you might end up having to leave... Service is always good... There's no parking, so leave early enough or use some other means of transport than your car...

What else can I say? An institution for 47 years! At lunchtime, they serve exclusively tapas, which doesn't mean they're limiting themselves.

Highly recommended, the food is VERY good and the value is also excellent. I'll be stopping by here every time I visit Cologne in the future.

The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. There's quiet music playing in the background, so you can have a normal conversation, as the other guests are also chatting quietly.

Very good tapas and delicious paella! The staff is cheerful and friendly! Top

Delicious tapas and as always it tasted good 👍👍

If you like olives, you can go to this restaurant because it was the only good thing about it. Indeed, we ordered a seafood/fish paella. It was awful. We were very disappointed; the rice was mushy, tasteless, and the fish and seafood were very bland. I strongly suspect they were frozen. It's a shame, for a Spanish restaurant, it's disappointing not to serve a real paella. Furthermore, this restaurant is very, very noisy. You leave feeling bloated and with a headache. My friend, who wasn't attracted to the appearance of paella, ate red meat. It was okay, but the rest isn't worth going out to a restaurant. I strongly advise against it 😤

Today we tried to eat at El Cordobés, but unfortunately, all the tables were occupied or reserved. They seem to be doing very well and aren't interested in attracting new customers. They could have easily told us there would be availability within the hour, for example, just like a good restaurant that understands it provides a service. Anyway, just one star.

In principle, yes. Only the noise level takes some getting used to.

The menu is delicious and very extensive. The interior of the restaurant is very atmospheric and beautiful. The service was at a high level. I especially recommend trying the champagne-based sangria.

The tapas are delicious, the service is excellent, and the waiters are very friendly. Excellent quality. Recommended.

Hello, we enjoyed the tapas and sangria, but were definitely annoyed when the promised 45-minute service for the paella exceeded an hour. The paella wasn't top-notch, and the attention to our table was decidedly inadequate. However, the staff's energy and the pleasant atmosphere couldn't dampen the experience. Best regards.

Unfortunately, our order was forgotten. It can happen. Nothing major at first, but at least offer a few shots or something similar as an apology. We then waited an hour for our food, which was also very tasty. Then later on the bill, items were booked twice, which was also bad.

In Cologne, a great place to eat Spanish food without sacrificing quality. Highly recommended.

A very entertaining evening. But extremely loud at full capacity. Conversation in the back of the room was almost impossible.

A truly excellent restaurant with super delicious tapas and other excellent dishes. Upon entering, you're greeted warmly and served with great attention throughout. You feel very comfortable as a guest. The ambiance is pleasant, and the noise level is perfectly acceptable for a restaurant of this type. Quiet would be out of place here. It's chatty and lively, in fact. If you want to eat great tapas, fish, or meat, this is the place to be. One of the very best in Cologne.

The place is beautiful and quite spacious—it can accommodate a lot of guests. Still, it gets busy, so I’d recommend booking in advance. We were lucky to get a table without a reservation. The food was fairly standard; with tapas, it’s hard to go too wrong. But the service? A complete mess. We waited over 40 minutes and hadn’t received anything aside from some bread and olives they brought out automatically. At one point, our waiter even came by to ask if we were “done with our food.” Excuse me? Done with what, exactly? The bread?! Did he think we came here just to eat bread? I told him we were still waiting for our order, and he just walked away and did nothing. I had to complain to a different waiter before he finally started looking into it. That’s when they realized our order had been completely lost. After that, the food came quickly, but it was clearly rushed and thrown together. The presentation was poor, and it looked like no one cared. To make matters worse, when the bill came, we had been charged double for almost everything. Thankfully, we caught the error. A few of the other staff members apologized for the situation, but our waiter barely mumbled an apology

Overall, very tasty and good service! The vegetarian selection is a bit limited.

What a spot. Everything from the decor to the food is impeccable. We’ve had a bit of a mixup with the menu (don’t use ChatGPT to translate, it gets everything wrong), so we received some surprises instead of the dishes we ordered, but everything was super tasty. No complaints at all. The servers are very attentive and provide a warm feeling. The prices are decent, and the portions offer a good value for money. We had a table full of tapas, sangaria and came at just under 50 euros. If we were locals, we would frequent this spot at least once a month. Definitely recommend it to anyone that looks for a spanish restaurant in Cologne.

Very good restaurant. Delicious food, attentive service, and reasonable prices.

Great tapas. The service is very friendly.

We always come here from the Bergisches Land because, in terms of value, the tapas are the best for miles around. Now, our whole circle of friends eats here regularly because the food is simply so good.

A delicious and extensive selection of tapas, surprisingly reasonable prices for this location in the metropolis of Cologne. Service was typically Spanish: attentive, friendly, and uncomplicated.

Very tasty and authentic tapas at fair prices!

For 18 euros, three delicious tapas including a drink per person—I haven't eaten outside this well and cheaply in a long time. And that's in a tourist city like Cologne.

Authentic Spanish cuisine! You walk in and the pleasant Mediterranean aromas are immediately noticeable. The menu offers a variety of Spanish dishes. I was particularly impressed by the numerous tapas. The almejas (mussels) tasted fresh, the ensaladilla rusa was like Andalusia, and the prawns al ajillo were spicy and simply delicious. The main courses were beautifully presented; we ordered meat and fish dishes, all very tasty and hot. Of course, bread, typical of Spain, was a must. Especially in southern Spain, restaurants are loud and lively; you'll find this ambiance here as well, making the place even more authentic. The service is very good, fast, and attentive. The value for money is absolutely fair. One small criticism: the coffee isn't as hot as it is in Spain. Verdict: Really enjoyed it!

Delicious place! We waited quite a while for our food.

The price/performance ratio is right. The food is excellent. The owner is very hospitable. We'll be happy to come back.

Spanish restaurant Fresh and delicious food Professional service and waiters

Everything is top-notch at this restaurant. There were three of us there and we were truly impressed.

If you want tapas outside of Spain, then only here. We've been coming back for over 16 years.

Unfortunately, the calamari are not freshly prepared; you can tell that they were frozen and quickly warmed up in the microwave.

Meson el Cordobes is truly one of the top tapas restaurants in Cologne for me. The aioli is amazing, and I could eat my fill of the homemade potato salad! I love the restaurant's ambiance with its suspended ceilings and cozy furniture. The staff is also so friendly, cheerful, and absolutely service-oriented. The prices are also absolutely fair, and the food is even very affordable. Love it here!!

Great, authentic Spanish restaurant in Cologne city center. When you walk in, you immediately feel like you're in a Spanish bodega. The service is very friendly and fast. The selection of tapas is large and very tasty. The steaks were also perfectly cooked. The fish selection was excellent; everything was very good.

Very tasty tapas, large selection. The meat was cooked to perfection. Super tasty fish dishes. The service was attentive. We had a very nice evening.

Amazing!! Authentic and super delicious. It reminded me of home, so I can only say good things about it. The price is very fair for what you get. It's a beautiful restaurant with good music and not too loud. Recommend!! Incredible! Authentic and super delicious. It reminded me of home, so I can only say good things about it. The price is very fair for what you get. It's a beautiful restaurant with good music and not too loud. Highly recommended!

We spent the evening enjoying tapas. Everything was delicious, and the service was very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the ambiance was a bit lacking. Otherwise, we can recommend the restaurant.

Honestly, this is one of the best restaurants I've discovered in three days in Cologne! A mix of pub and typical German beer hall, where you're not welcome... but not everyone agrees! It's a treat here. All ethnicities welcome. Speak Spanish and Italian. Deutsche and English... The fish is fresh, and if it's not available... no frozen! So much the better 😅 Good wine and dessert list. Wow 😜 Thanks for this little table at the end of the evening at 9:30 PM!!! 🙏🏻 You don't get served everywhere!!! Don't hesitate, enjoy your meal 😋

I always enjoy going there. Regards, Anna Bock 😀👍

Characteristic, does not disappoint the expectations of Spanish cuisine!!! Well done!!! 05/20/25 We return after two years with a reservation for 20 people, cuisine and service as expected, only sore point, the tapas are rather scarce in quantity, served in "single-serving" plates every four people. In the past they were served in mixed "trays" every four people in generous portions. It should be noted that the prices have also increased. Can we do better.!?!

We ourselves have Spanish roots, travel to Spain regularly, and are therefore familiar with Andalusian cuisine. We have been going to Menson El Cordobes regularly for many years now because the food – we always eat tapas – is always excellent and perfectly suited to our tastes. The service, ambiance, and value for money are also top-notch. We always enjoy eating there. We recommend reserving a table in advance. Overall, 5* – see you soon. Adiós!

Great tapas, really nice waiters, but an unbelievable noise level

Perfect evening with everything! 🔥

Nice Spanish restaurant, nice and attentive staff with great food at fair prices...we'll be back.

Been going there for years and always good 👍👌

I love this tapas bar! My new favorite restaurant! Delicious tapas, fair prices and wonderful sangria! And finally they are real tapas and not half main courses. The service was incredibly friendly and accommodating. I can't judge the restaurant. I'm looking forward to the next visit!

The best Spanish restaurant I have ever been. Tapas are amazing, employees are very kind, highly recommended!

Very good service and excellent food

Great Spaniard! Tapas in countless variations and of good quality! Excellent fillet steak!!!!

A cozy restaurant with a Spanish ambiance and extremely friendly and attentive staff. The tapas were delicious, and the sangria and cava are highly recommended. We're already looking forward to our next visit.

Delicious food, lots of tapas to choose from at reasonable prices!

Absolutely authentic. Best Spaniard in Cologne. Great tapas! Esoaña óle, I keep coming back

Very hard to get a table but the food deserves the effort!

An authentic restaurant in a “vault-like atmosphere” 😉 where Spanish is also spoken. Very good tapas selection with good price/performance ratio. Definitely recommended from the service to the food.

an authentic Spanish restaurant...very tasty tapas...friendly service...a must the next time you visit Cologne...

Diverse choice of food. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed going to El Cordobes regularly because of the good food and the usually very friendly and professional service. The food was very good again yesterday, the service was rather boring and we were really annoyed when a waiter at our neighboring table had a loud political discussion with a guest. We couldn't talk anymore because it was so loud and so we moved. Even at a distant table the behavior was so disturbing that we left. There weren't many guests left but the behavior of the service was unacceptable. It's a shame because it was a gift for a friend.

Yes, always great food, I like to go there again and again

I've probably been to you 50 times and four times in the last week alone. I think I've tried almost every Spanish tapas restaurant in Cologne and haven't found a single honest competitor. Once meson El Cordobes, always Meson El cordobes! 😮‍💨🤍 Thank you for being here, thank you for your hospitality and thank you for your great food!

This week we were at Meson El Cordobes for the 2nd time (myself for the 3rd time). As a starter we had various tapas including prawns, pimientos, mussels and as a main course we had one dish from the menu. The food and service were once again excellent. They try very hard to look after their guests and are very hospitable and always have fun. Since I also have southern roots myself, I really appreciate having a Spanish restaurant nearby, which is so good. We'd love to come back.

It's so authentic and delicious. It's one of the best restaurants here in Cologne.

Nice uncomplicated tapas place, good food, nice waiters

Cozy and Rustic Spanish. Whether tapas or dishes from the normal menu, everything is highly recommended! Local drinks included.

As always when we go, excellent treatment, a perfect product and a cozy place. 100% recommended

Very tasty food. Service always friendly with a smile. I'm there often and will be there again soon :)

The restaurant was very busy and luckily we got a good table without registering. Overall we were happy, but it wasn't quite perfect. Very nice staff, but one person seemed fake and annoying. The food, we had tapas, was tasty and reasonably priced. However, the final whistle was somehow missing. I sat by the heater and felt a little warm there. We'd love to come back, despite the little things that weren't perfect

I don't even know I've been going here for many years. Hopefully it will stay around for a long time.

Como siempre muy buena la comida

The food was okay, didn't blow us away, we've had better paella and unfortunately the tapas didn't convince us either.

Super! Great, authentic Spanish

There were 7 of us in the restaurant and we tried different dishes. Unfortunately, not all of the dishes were convincing. There are a lot of fish dishes on offer that should be prepared better. The fish paella we ordered looked good when served, but it was too dry for me.

Original southern Spanish tapas, simply very, very good.

Unfortunately it only opens at 6 p.m. on Saturdays.