Tablao Flamenco Cordobés Barcelona

The food at Tablao Flamenco Cordobés pays homage to traditional Spanish and Catalan cuisines, with special emphasis on paellas and rice dishes. However, the list of food options is very long. You will be able to choose between more than 40 local specialities from all over Spain: from salmorejo from Córdoba to the south to octopus from Galicia to the north.

Sometimes, it’s also possible to get a ticket with tapas for 62€, but this option is not always available.

Vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten-free options are available.

Unfortunately, the experience leading up to the show was a little hectic for us. We arrived 15 minutes before the show and were told by a staff member to wait until our name was called to be allowed to enter.

Instead of having an orderly line, we were stuck in a large crowd of people on a skinny sidewalk of Las Ramblas, the busiest street in Barcelona – not the smoothest of beginnings.

It was never apparently clear why we couldn’t enter as we arrived, especially considering that everyone outside had the same general admission show ticket.

If you want to have the best seats next to the stage, then you need to book show+dinner tickets, since these seats are reserved especially for them. There is no option to pay extra just to have better seats without also booking dinner. That is somewhat of a disappointment from our viewpoint.

Traditional tablaos such as Cordobés are intimate which means they are small and space is tight. With that said, the seating in Tablao Cordobés is especially tight.

It would be a good idea to make sure you go to the restroom before the show starts. Because depending on your seat location, you might not be able to move without making 10 other people get up first.

Once seated in the room, you quickly forget about the buzzing streets of Barcelona and are transported to an old world of flamenco. The ambience is intimate and charming, the room is very atmospheric and well decorated with Moorish designs. Typical of traditional tablaos, wooden chairs are set around a wooden stage a few feet off the ground.

   Note that photos are not allowed during the show at Tablao Flamenco Cordobés. They are only permitted during the last couple of minutes, when the artists signal to the audience.

At Cordobés, all tickets include a drink with the show. In theory, you can choose between wine, beer, sangría, cava (the Spanish version of champagne and a personal favorite) or a soft drink.

In reality, however, a waiter goes around with a huge tray full of sangría glasses and tries to push them on people – they don’t ask you what you would like to drink. You have to go out of your way not to accept the sangría glass and order something else to drink.

The experience at Cordobés improved once the lights dimmed. There is no arguing that Cordobés puts on an amazing show. In fact, it’s probably the best in all of Barcelona. The intimacy of the tablao sets the perfect stage for a real authentic show. And the fact that no speakers are used makes for a much more pure experience.

There was quite a large cast that participated in the show. When we visited, there were a total of nine artists: three dancers, two guitar players and four singers.

The artists were all great – they definitely gave their all – and the dresses were gorgeous. The highlight of the show during our visit was the dancer in a long-tail gown (“bata de cola” dress) at the very end. Simply mesmerizing and a real crowd pleaser!

Tablao Flamenco Cordobés – The Final Verdict

If you want to experience an authentic flamenco show, then Cordobés is probably your best bet in Barcelona. After all, it’s counted among the most important flamenco venues in the city for a reason. Even though we loved the show itself, we think there is room for improvement in the arrival experience and the service.

As we mentioned, we have not personally eaten at Tablao Cordobés. However, based on our research of looking through online reviews, it seems that Tablao de Carmen might be a better option if you are looking to have dinner with a show. Price-wise they are also similar. But Tablao de Carmen is in the Poble Espanyol and you will probably need to take a taxi to get there.