Casa Mazal Restaurante Sefardí — Restaurant in Córdoba

I was glad to find a Hebrew/Jewish sounding restaurant name in Cordoba.

My review is only regarding Saturday “open” hours. In short, they are closed unless you have made a prior reservation and payment. One can not just walk in without a reservation and expect to be seated if it is the Jewish sabbath or holiday.

I arrived during “open” hours only to be told to return after 8 pm. I was concerned that they might be closed on the sabbath, but after seeing on Google maps that they were “open” I assumed that they would serve me. But they didn’t.

My experience indicates that unless you pay and reserve in advance before Friday night you won’t be served since they appear to follow traditional orthodox rules concerning not conducting business transactions on the Sabbath.

This is indeed ideal for an observant orthodox person who pays in advance before Friday night, but for an ordinary google maps user seeking an open restaurant on Saturday, their “open” hours lead me to assume that I could walk in and be able to eat there, as one could at most restaurants.

I invite the restaurant management to clarify their hours on the sabbath and Jewish holidays.

I believe that they follow a Jewish Orthodox tradition of not conducting business on Shabbat (Friday night/Saturday) and not accepting cash or visa payments on the sabbath! This means that unless you made arrangements in advance, they are functionally closed, will not accept payment and will not serve.

I see the answer from the owner who said that he doesn't understand... He says something about Orthodoxy. I don't fully understand Spanish but I do understand Orthodox tradition.

This is my point. They were not open like any other normal businesses on a Saturday where you walk in, get served and you pay at the end of the meal. They had me leave telling me to return tonight! This is because I didn't prepay before Friday night at sunset. I arrived on a Saturday Afternoon wishing to eat in a friendly atmosphere with foods that follow certain dietary traditions.

Upon my arrival, there weren’t any staff members at the door to greet and seat customers as is customary in most restaurants. When I ventured to the back of the main floor to find a staff member, I asked the only person who appeared to work there “are you open?” Instead of-answering, he walked me to the door and told me to “come back tonight at eight”.

At the same time there were people seated.

This experience was confusing and frustrating. I wish that they would have a sign that stated “closed” or something that clarifies their policy regarding taking payments on Saturday.

(While they say their “open” on Saturday, this might be misleading to people who aren’t aware of the orthodox tradition.)

I also I met a group of Jewish tourists in front of the restaurant. I conversed in Hebrew with one of the members of the group. He told me that they ate here but have “pre paid” for a meal before the sabbath. The main point of my review is that their “open” hours create confusion to would-be customers. And that if you show up on the sabbath or Jewish holidays while they say that they are “open” you might...

1st time ever that I’m about to write a review about a restaurant. I am no professional food critic, but as a licensed beersommelier and having a diploma in hotel management school, I feel like I know what I am talking about. Especially after having spent countless hours on the toilet I felt the need to drop a Bomb....

After having found this “hidden little gem” in Cordoba on lonely planet, my girlfriend and I decided we needed to try it out.

At the entrance we had been waiting for 5 minutes before any of the hosts even noticed or greeted us. This gave me a bad feeling, but I know how busy things can get while working in a restaurant. We were hungry and tired of walking all day, So we decided to go ahead anyway.

O, How I wish I could turn back time!

It took the waiter 15 mins to ask What we wanted to drink. When we finally Got our beverages (red wine and a beer) They were served in warm glasses....twice!!

My girlfriend ordered trout in wineleaves, I ordered chicken in a spicy harissa sauce. I had harissa before so I knew What to expect. Unfortunately they failed to deliver completely. The trout was RAW inside and the chicken was nothing more but a creamy chicken fillet. Any student in a dorm room could have made something of a similar quality.

After giving the staff our feedback wr received no response...at all!

When we asked about it, They said we would get a discount. This discount was €5,90 on a RAW trout that cost €16. I dont care about discounts, but the way They handled our complaint was just below par.

All in all, the service and the quality of the food was very underwhelming while the food was overpriced without a doubt!

Dont waste your time and/or your money and find yourself a better place in cordoba. Any of them will do!

1 positive thing I have to mention after eating at Casa Mazal: I lost 1 kg!! Dont know if this was while waiting for of after...

We came for dinner last night and had an amazing time. Antonio and Mami helped us that night and it felt as though we were dining with friends. The food was some of the best food I have had in a long time (not just in Spain). After lots of the same food we really wanted something different and fresh, and we were not disappointed! We started with the eggplant drizzled with honey which was 10/10 and then the artichoke with jam which was unusual but actually really good. We then got the couscous with duck, AMAZING, and then the sea bass with shakshuka which was equally amazing. All were cooked to perfection and seasoned expertly. We finished with the almond cake, the pistachio apple tart, and the chocolate cake, all delicious. This was good for four people after having tapas earlier, but I would have eaten everything if I could.

If you are looking for dinner I highly highly recommend coming here, you won’t be disappointed! I hope to come back to Cordoba one day and when I do I will be sure to...