We arrived at exactly 8 pm for our 8 pm reservation, but the glass door was still locked and the staff inside just glared at us until we walked away. Not a great start.

Once inside, the atmosphere was very pleasant, having been seated in a large, open atrium with ornate carved stone walls and doorways.

We asked for a large bottle of sparkling water but were told that they only had small bottles at €2.50 a pop. Small bottles mean more profit for the business but are inconvenient and more expensive for customers.

We started with a bottle of the Speak of Silence /Extremadura, a dark red wine made with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tempranillo grapes. At €22 it was a decent value (average price = €19) with a 4.1 / 5.0 rating on Vivino and rated one of the top 2% of wines in the world. It was good, but I am not sure about the top 2% claim.

We ordered and shared several dishes, so I will elaborate here:

• Mixed Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette (€6.10): Nothing special, just an overpriced salad

• Cordoban Salmorejo (€5.10): A local cold tomato soup emulsified with olive oil, Iberian ham, and egg, it probably would have been better warm or hot. It was tasty, but different, not something I would order again.

• Cordoban Flamenquin (€14.75): Another local dish, pork loin stuffed with ham, breaded, and fried. It was good but a bit dry so I dribbled some sauce from the oxtail on top. It would have been better with an accompanying sauce, but then it would not be Cordoban.

• Cordoba-style Oxtail (€13.95): Two small knuckles with barely any meat and eight small french fries scattered on top. The sauce was good and what meat that was there tender, but €13.95 for four or five mouthfuls? Definitely NOT a TravelValue.

• Solomillo Boletus (€19.25): Iberian pork tenderloin topped with a mushroom sauce, it was delicious, but €20 seems a tad high for a few pieces of pork and a smattering of fries.

Our server, Jose Rey, was professional and attentive and we were very pleased with his service.

Another thing I did not like was the coercion to submit a 5-star review at the end of the meal. We were handed a card stating Ïf you don't like something, say it here¨but ¨Ïf you liked something, say it outside¨. I tell it like it is, so I do not appreciate being coached on what to submit in my reviews.

The meal was good and the experience pleasant, but the few shortfalls we experienced kept me from giving them one of my top ratings.

CombatCritic Gives Bodegas Mezquita Corregidor A Respectable 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!