Regadera, Cordoba, Spain; 8 May 13

There’s a limit to the number of patios in Cordoba which you’d want to visit. And there’s more than enough to exceed it. But fortunately there’s also the Mezquite and the Alcazar.

We booked a short break in Cordoba to get away early in May after the county council elections: as an opportunity either to come down from the elation of victory or to recover from the despair of defeat. It was to be the former.

It was a package deal and was billed as an opportunity to visit the patios of Cordoba during their annual open event (8-19 May 13). Visits to the Mezquite and the Alcazar were also included.

To be fair the patios were much of a muchness. Once you’ve seen one pleasant enclosed space stuffed with pelargoniums of all colours you’ve seen them all. Some were more ambitious than others but nothing that would merit an award at Chelsea. But that’s not the point. They are a part of the heritage of Cordoba and the event is hugely popular with people visiting from all over Spain. They get so many visitors at the weekend that reservations are necessary and if you don’t make your time slot you don’t get your visit.

The visit was worth it however for the Mezquite. This is unique. It’s currently the Catholic Cathedral but has been successively a Roman temple, a Visigoth church and a mosque. And it’s the last of these which has defined it’s size and shape and the materials used in its construction. We were fortunate in having a guide who knew his stuff and we could quite easily have spent half a day there.

But holidays must involve good food and I used tripadvisor again and chose Regadera. I booked on-line in the afternoon and got a confirmation early evening.

Regadera’s a small place, only maybe 20 covers, and a little cramped. However it’s modern with lots of white paint and no clutter so it’s not claustrophobic. The menu is simple with about 20 main courses which double as starters if you share. We started with a tuna tartar then I had a magret pato (duck to you and me) and the wife had boneless oxtail. All three dishes were magic and there were lots of others on the menu which were equally tempting.

The wine list is equally tight: just a dozen or so wines with most available by the glass. And as is usual in Spain the wines by the glass were good wines.

Regadera fully justifies its number 1 place on tripadvisor and a credit to the ‘wisdom of crowds’ that makes tripadvisor work. We had the same experience last year in Avignon.

And finally: we were home on Friday and dined off fish and chips from the Histon Fryer. That should also be number 1 on tripadvisor!