Noor — Restaurant in Córdoba

My love for Andalusia and its history and storied past brought me to Noor, and though we weren't able to get a reservation in January during our last trip to cordoba, we reserved a few months in advance this time and was able to finally try the place last night and the experience was absolutely worth the wait.

To me, it wasn't just to dine at a Michelin starred restaurant (they did go from 2 to 3 stars between the time I reserved and the time I dined, congrats), but the unique experience of dining at the place that has been creating seasonal menus inspired by the different time periods of the history of Al Andalus, ingredients and influences of that time period, the whole dining experience of that era, with a very modern take.

We chose the "Morisco" menu of 15 courses. The naming of the three menu choices also reflected this, as I loved the chef's clever naming of the 10,15,19 course menus. I won't elaborate here in hopes that you might have fun reading up on the names, then maybe have fun and dive into the why, but even the names of the menus themselves shed insight into the history of Spain and the plight of the Moors here.

Now on to the food and experience.

After the ritualistic hand washing, you are led into a beautifully open dining room with a very small number of tables and an open kitchen concept. (I didn't count, single digit for sure). You preselect your courses prior to arrival so you then just decide on wines/wine tasting with a lovely sommelier. (Highly recommend the tasting. While I could not get it because of a very weak stomach recovering from having gotten sick in Portugal and I was not about to test my limits, the hubs really enjoyed his pairing, and the 1-2 wines I dabbled in of his were beautifully unique and greatly enhanced the flavor of the dish. Only wish I could've tried all the wines myself!) If you don't drink, there's the option of hot teas as well.

The courses are brought out ceremoniously one after the other once you finish consuming what's in front of you, with bread service. (Side note - I looooooved the hoodie blazers work by the waitstaff! Seriously wonder where I might be able to get one similar lol).

The food was incredible, and we loved, 10/10, the majority of dishes. Particularly the first few smaller appetizers really do start you on a high note that continues throughout the meal. The pigeon was also a standout dish and changed the words "I'm too full to possibly take another bite" to "nope, I'll eat it all" pretty quickly.

I also loved how well the flavors blended delicately and the chef's use of strong spices without overpowering flavor in any of his dishes. Habanero, and cumin were the ones I was most surprised by - how delicately they were to enhance the dish and not overwhelm.

As compared to the other Michelin restaurants we've gotten to try over the years, the chef's use of bitter as a flavor element is quite unique (though fitting for dishes of the theme and the era this restaurant represents), and greatly enhanced the dishes (especially the delicious Naranja dessert/palate cleanser).

As someone with celiac and needs gluten free not by choice, I also greatly appreciated the chef's accommodations, and both surprised and delighted that I was able to partake in all the courses, from the gluten free bread, buckwheat substitute for pasta, and so many little substitutions I noticed throughout the meal. Really grateful for the thoughtful accommodation and experience.

Another thing I loved and had fun with were the 3D printed utensil/plate stands (makes me want to go play with a 3D printer again) and the beautiful cutlery. And the patterns and the dishes! So aesthetically gorgeous.

Overall, definitely worth the wait and price, and we hope to visit again, maybe next year (if we can snag reservations, it's harder to come by now with their newly added star,...

This restaurant is like a culinary guild hidden in the outskirts of Cordoba, as if Paco Morales is preserving the secret arts of Andalusian cuisine in this culinary dojo. The experience of dining there was as captivating and meticulous as the best flamingo show in Seville. You will be in for an interesting journey.

There were about 7 dining tables, with most of the seats facing the open kitchen. The presentation overall is very creative, from the very beautiful plates and the food presentation to the elegant modern Andalusian decor. The service is nothing short of impeccable, though a bit over the top sometimes, theatrically speaking. But I didn’t mind that. Actually, chef Paco Morales would not hesitate to come himself and take over some mundane tasks such as pouring a cup of tea. I haven’t worked under him, but simple gestures like these really illustrate the philosophy of the chef towards his team and his customers. The service team as a whole did look passionate and their smiles never left their faces. I cannot help but smile back at this positive energy in this tense atmosphere.

I am not going to talk much about the food. I hope you will enjoy the whole experience no matter what the menu looks like. Also, the menu changes seasonally, and I came here more than 6 months ago. Nonetheless, I remember the sheep labneh, anchovy water, sea bass, and especially the desserts (mint sponge cake, dates dessert) were my favorite. The food overall was mind opening not in terms of deliciousness, but more in terms of creative ingredients, beautiful presentation, and flawless technique imho. So, to be completely frank, the food itself was not extremely delicious and not as memorable as the whole experience in itself (which is surprisingly usual for 2-3 Michelin star restaurants).

When we finished dinner, we paid our (hefty) check and received a nicely decorated brochure about the restaurant. We then left the restaurant, and—guess what—chef Paco Morales runs outside to us just to… nope, not because I forgot my wallet. He just said that he was sorry for not saying good bye and he thanked us profusely for coming! I mean, it is kinda difficult not to love this guy after that, right? He just made our day and we went home...

I believe Noor is one of the Top 10 restaurants in the world. It should be on every foodie’s Bucket List. Dining at Noor is like eating a Picasso. Beautifully presented, each dish is a visual and palette-pleasing work of art that harmonizes creativity with great technique. The range of flavors within and across the dishes is magnificent - sometimes acid, often umami, occasionally smoke or heat; cold vs hot; multiple proteins; seasonal, regional veggies, flowers and spices. Palette-cleansing courses hit at just the right time, sans sorbet! The chef keeps to a Moorish theme, so most of the culinary journey stays true to the western Mediterranean (though we did have one excursion to Asia, as any intrepid culinary traveler should).

The wine pairings are equally impressive. Some of the more citrus- or acid-forward dishes present a pairing challenge, but the sommelier at Noor has figured out pairings that make the sum impression greater than the stand-alone parts of either the food or wine on its own. There are also interesting uses of sherries that go beyond the typical red-white variants on most wine tasting menus.

The service is symphonic. The team is absolutely at the top of their collective game. They have specific roles, but ably fill in for other teammates when needed. The open kitchen concept is great. The pacing of courses is perfectly timed. The tables all face towards the kitchen so you can watch the proceedings unfold in the normally hidden back-of-the-house (and kitchen staff can keep their eyes on the proceedings in the dining room, so be on your best behavior!). This heightens the drama immensely and adds a theatric realm that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. For those who’ve seen The Menu, there are some parallels that come to mind, though Chef Paco is a far warmer gentleman than the master chef so ably portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the movie! I also loved the variants of Moorish plates, bowls, knives, forks, tweezers & spoons that were tailored to each course.

World class food. World class wine. World class service. World class theater.

What a meal. What a night. What a restaurant. Noor…one of the best...