Flamenco at Tablao Cardenal
Eighty minutes of live flamenco in a historic house on Calle Buen Pastor, with one drink included.
The show, start to finish
Eighty minutes, start to finish
One drink and the show are covered by the fare; start times are listed per date.
- Before
Arrive and settle in
The venue suggests being there at least half an hour before the start. Seats are assigned in order of reservation. Ham, cheese and Iberian tapas can be ordered if you want something to eat.
- During
The show
Seven artists perform baile, cante and guitarra, the dance, song and guitar of flamenco, for eighty minutes. You can clap along to the rhythm of the live guitar.
- After
Back into the Judería
The tablao stands in the Jewish Quarter, near the Mosque-Cathedral. The narrow lanes of Córdoba's historic centre, including the Calleja de las Flores, are the natural way to end the night.
Listen for
Six things to listen for
Flamenco joins voice (cante), guitar (toque) and dance (baile), and every piece rests on a palo, a flamenco style. These six are worth knowing; none is a promise for any given night.
- Cante
The voice
Cante is flamenco's voice, UNESCO says, sung by men and women, ideally seated, with no chorus behind them. The lyrics are short and plain yet range across grief, joy, tragedy and fear.
- Toque
The guitar
Toque, the art of guitar playing, long ago outgrew the role of accompaniment, UNESCO says. Wikipedia adds that a flamenco guitar is lighter and narrower than a classical one, so its sound does not overshadow the singer.
- Baile
The dance
Wikipedia singles out the emotional intensity of flamenco dance, its upright bearing, eloquent arms and rhythmic footwork. A dancer's footwork is part of the music, not a decoration on top of it.
- Soleá
Serious, in twelve beats
One of the most basic palos, usually with one guitar and a solemn air. Wikipedia lists a Córdoba style among the traditional soleares, known as the Soleares de Onofre, after a singer called Onofre who carried it to the city.
- Alegrías
Joys, from Cádiz
The name means joys. Wikipedia says the palo began in Cádiz, runs on a twelve-beat cycle and is usually played lively. A traditional dance in alegrías has set sections, from the salida, or entrance, through a silencio to a closing bulerías.
- Bulerías
The fast finish
Wikipedia names bulerías among the most popular and dramatic flamenco forms. It comes from 19th-century Jerez, began as a brisk closer to soleares and alegrías, and often brings a gathering to its end.
Programmes are the artists' to choose and change nightly, so this is a listening aid rather than a running order.
What your ticket covers
What your ticket covers
Six points to settle before you pick a night.
- The show
- Eighty minutes of live flamenco at Tablao Cardenal, Calle Buen Pastor 2, billed as seven artists, three of them national flamenco winners.
- The drink
- The fare includes a single drink, from wine, beer and sangria to soft drinks and water. Ham, cheese and Iberian tapas can be ordered if you wish.
- Seating
- Seats are assigned in order of reservation. Some travellers describe the seats as hard and tightly spaced.
- Access
- The ticket is wheelchair accessible. The venue asks guests with particular requirements to contact it before booking.
- Cancelling
- Cancelling by the day before costs nothing and the fare comes back whole. Payment can also be deferred.
- Start time
- The calendar attaches a start time to each date. The venue would like guests there at least half an hour ahead.
Córdoba after dark, and a patio or two
Córdoba after dark, and a patio or two
The Roman bridge and the Mosque-Cathedral at night, the Calleja de las Flores, a patio at the Palacio de Viana, the Patio del Zoco and Plaza Alhóndiga. The stage photograph at the top of this page shows Tablao El Cardenal itself.
Two tablaos, three tickets
Two tablaos in the Jewish Quarter, three tickets
| Ticket | What is on offer | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Show with a drink at Tablao Cardenal | This page's ticket: eighty minutes of live flamenco in a historic house on Calle Buen Pastor, with one drink included. | Anyone who wants the performance on its own |
| Show with a drink at Tablao El Jaleo | The second card: a show of one to two hours with a drink of your choice during the performance, in a restaurant setting some guests describe. | Guests who like a table and a bustle around the show |
| Show with dinner at Tablao El Jaleo | The same card's optional dinner, the Solea Menu, a menu of traditional Spanish cuisine. | An evening that is dinner and show in one place |
Reserve a seat
Flamenco tickets in Córdoba's Jewish Quarter
The first card is the show covered here, at Tablao Cardenal. The second is a different tablao in the Jewish Quarter, where the evening can include dinner.
Flamenco at Tablao El Jaleo
A show of one to two hours in the Jewish Quarter, with a drink of your choice and an optional dinner, the Solea Menu.
Elsewhere in Córdoba
Before you go
Before you go
- 1
Where it is
Tablao Cardenal is at Calle Buen Pastor 2, 14003 Córdoba, in the Jewish Quarter. A map app finds it from that address.
- 2
Getting there
The venue's own site puts it a few minutes from the Mosque-Cathedral. The historic centre is a World Heritage Site, so allow a little time to find your way through its old streets.
- 3
Arriving
Your confirmation gives the start time. Getting there at least half an hour early, as the venue recommends, leaves time to settle in.
- 4
Eating and drinking
The fare buys one drink. Ham, cheese and Iberian tapas can be ordered if you wish; for a full dinner, book a table elsewhere before or after the show.
- 5
Access
The ticket is wheelchair accessible. Guests with particular requirements are asked to contact the venue before booking.
- 6
Changing plans
A ticket can go back with a complete refund up to the day before the show; reserving without paying up front is also possible, so no firm date is needed.
More on Córdoba and flamenco
Six guides to flamenco in Córdoba
- Which ticket to book
Flamenco show in Córdoba: tickets
Which flamenco ticket to book in Córdoba: the Tablao Cardenal show with a drink, or Tablao El Jaleo with optional dinner, and who each one suits. Read the guide → - Timing, seats, drinks and access
Tablao Cardenal: what to expect
How an evening at Tablao Cardenal runs: arrival, the eighty-minute show, seats, drinks, access and the walk through the Jewish Quarter, from public sources. Read the guide → - The contest that put Córdoba on the flamenco map
Córdoba's national flamenco contest
The Concurso Nacional de Arte Flamenco: how the 1956 contest in Córdoba began, how it grew from cante jondo to a prize for the whole art, and why it matters. Read the guide → - What the styles sound like
Flamenco palos: what to listen for
Soleá, alegrías, bulerías, seguiriyas and tangos explained for a first-time audience: the palos of flamenco, their moods and how to tell them apart in a show. Read the guide → - The venue behind the show
What is a tablao? Flamenco venues
What a tablao is, how it differs from a café cantante, a theatre and a restaurant, and what that means when you choose a flamenco ticket in Córdoba. Read the guide → - Before or after the show
Jewish Quarter evening in Córdoba
Places to walk in Córdoba's Jewish Quarter and old centre around a flamenco show: the Mosque-Cathedral, Calleja de las Flores, the Roman bridge and patios. Read the guide →
FAQ
Quick answers before you book
How long is the flamenco show?
Eighty minutes; the calendar lists the start time beside each date.
Where is Tablao Cardenal?
At Calle Buen Pastor 2, in Córdoba's Jewish Quarter, a few minutes from the Mosque-Cathedral by the venue's own account.
Is a drink included?
Yes: one drink, such as wine, beer, sangria, a soft drink or water, comes with the fare.
Is dinner included?
No. The fare buys the show plus one drink. Ham, cheese and Iberian tapas can be ordered if you wish, and a full dinner is a separate booking.
Are seats reserved?
Seats are assigned in order of reservation, so an earlier booking comes earlier in the order.
Who performs?
The show is billed as seven artists, three of them national flamenco winners, performing dance, song and guitar.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The ticket is wheelchair accessible. The venue asks guests with particular requirements to contact it before booking.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Return the ticket at least a day in advance for a full refund; payment can be deferred when you reserve.
Eighty minutes of live flamenco in a historic house in Córdoba's Jewish Quarter.
Book the Córdoba flamenco show ↗The fare appears in your own currency after you choose a date.