Restaurant in Córdoba, Spain
Serious Andalucian kitchen, easy to book.
Celia Jiménez holds a Michelin Plate (2025) for modern Andalucian cooking in Córdoba — an accessible €€€ option that sits clearly between the city's casual tapas tier and its starred restaurants. The setting inside a large sports complex surprises first-timers, but the food is the reason to book. Easy to reserve, smart-casual dress, and a solid choice for a first serious meal in the city.
With 448 Google reviews averaging 4.0 and a Michelin Plate for 2025, Celia Jiménez sits at an interesting crossroads in Córdoba's dining scene: serious enough in culinary ambition to earn recognition from the Guide, yet accessible enough in price (€€€) to work as a regular destination rather than a once-a-decade occasion. If you are visiting Córdoba for the first time and want a meal that delivers genuine modern Andalucian cooking without the full commitment of a starred tasting menu, this is the clearest recommendation in the mid-to-upper bracket.
The setting will surprise first-timers. Celia Jiménez operates within the Complejo Deportivo Open Arena, Andalucia's largest sports complex, on Calle Escriba Lubna in the Poniente Sur district. That address sounds unpromising, but the kitchen's reputation is built on the food, not the postcode. Visually, expect a contemporary dining room that reads more as a serious restaurant than a sports facility canteen — the contrast between the athletic surroundings and the considered presentation on the plate is part of what makes the venue memorable. The chef, whose standing in Spanish gastronomy is formally acknowledged by Michelin's inspectors, applies contemporary technique and modern plating to an Andalucian ingredient base: the result is food that looks precise and calibrated, not rustic or casual.
For context on where this sits in Spain's broader fine-dining conversation, the ambition is comparable in direction — if not yet in scale , to what chefs like Quique Dacosta in Dénia or Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona have done with regional produce and modern technique. The difference is price tier and recognition level: Celia Jiménez is far more approachable financially, and still building its national profile.
A Michelin Plate (2025) signals that inspectors believe the kitchen produces good cooking , it sits below a star but above the background noise of reviewed restaurants. For a first-timer, that credential is useful: it tells you the food is technically consistent and that the sourcing and execution are serious. The kitchen's project is Andalucian cuisine reframed through contemporary cooking methods and presentation. That means regional flavours and produce , the olive oils, the cured meats, the fish traditions of southern Spain , delivered in a format closer to a modern tasting progression than a traditional tapas spread. If you are coming from cities like Seville or Málaga, the cooking here will feel recognisably southern but with more precision on the plate.
The venue's wine offer is not detailed in available records, but the price point (€€€) and Michelin recognition typically indicate a list that goes beyond house pours. Andalucia has a serious wine identity , Montilla-Moriles, the DO centred on Córdoba itself, produces Pedro Ximénez and Fino-style wines that pair logically with modern Andalucian food. A well-considered list here would lean into those regional options alongside broader Spanish selections. For a first visit, asking the front-of-house team for a pairing recommendation anchored to local producers is the most useful approach: the Montilla-Moriles category specifically is frequently underexplored by visitors more familiar with Jerez. Venues at this level with Michelin attention , compare the approach at Maison Lameloise in Chagny or Frantzén in Stockholm , typically treat the wine program as integral to the experience rather than an afterthought, and there is no reason to expect otherwise here. That said, until confirmed wine list details are available, treat this as informed category context rather than venue-specific fact.
Booking difficulty at Celia Jiménez is rated Easy, which means you do not need to plan weeks in advance to secure a table. That said, for a Friday or Saturday dinner , particularly if you are visiting during Córdoba's busier spring months around the Patio Festival or Semana Santa , booking a few days ahead is sensible. Reservations: Easy availability; advance booking recommended for weekend evenings. Dress: Not formally specified, but a Michelin Plate restaurant at €€€ warrants smart casual at minimum. Budget: €€€ positions this above the city's everyday dining tier; expect a meaningful but not punishing spend per head by Córdoba standards. Getting there: The address in Poniente Sur is outside the historic centre, so plan for a taxi or rideshare rather than a walk from the old city. Phone and website: Not available in current records; search directly or use a reservation platform.
For broader planning, see our full Córdoba restaurants guide, our full Córdoba hotels guide, our full Córdoba bars guide, our full Córdoba wineries guide, and our full Córdoba experiences guide.
Córdoba's fine-dining options are narrower than Seville or Madrid, which makes the choices here easier to map. At the leading sits Noor and Choco, both at €€€€ and both operating with Michelin star ambition and more elaborate tasting formats. Celia Jiménez at €€€ occupies the level below , more accessible financially, less demanding in format, but still credentialled. For something more casual in the same city, El Envero at €€ offers modern cooking at a lower price point, and Arbequina is worth considering for a different register entirely. If you want regional Cordoban cooking in a more traditional setting, Casa Pepe de la Judería is the reference point.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celia Jiménez | €€€ | Easy | — |
| Choco | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Noor | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| La Cuchara de San Lorenzo | €€ | Unknown | — |
| Garum 2.1 Bistronómic Tapas Bar | €€ | Unknown | — |
| El Envero | €€ | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Córdoba for this tier.
Yes, and the easy booking rating makes it a low-friction choice if you want a solo sit-down meal at a Michelin-recognised level in Córdoba. At €€€ pricing, you are getting a serious kitchen without the reservation stress of Noor. The sports complex setting is unusual, but the cooking is the draw, not the surroundings.
Groups should be able to find space given the venue's easy booking difficulty and its location within the Complejo Deportivo Open Arena, Andalucia's largest sports complex, which implies meaningful capacity. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels to confirm availability and any set-menu requirements. The €€€ price point means group dinners will add up, so factor that in.
The Michelin Plate recognition and €€€ pricing suggest a step above casual, but the sports complex address is a practical signal that this is not a jacket-required room. Smart casual — clean, put-together clothes rather than athletic wear — fits the context without overdressing for the setting.
It works well for a special occasion in Córdoba, particularly if the Michelin Plate credential matters to the person you are taking. Noor and Choco carry more prestige at the starred level, but both are harder to book and more expensive. Celia Jiménez gives you a credentialed, contemporary Andalucian meal without the planning overhead.
The 2025 Michelin Plate signals inspectors rated the cooking as genuinely good, which is the baseline case for committing to a tasting format. At €€€ pricing in Córdoba, the value proposition is reasonable compared to starred peers in the city. If modern Andalucian cuisine is what you are after and a tasting format suits your group, this is a sound choice.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
