Manuel Bordallo and the Tavern of the Goldsmiths Society of the Maria Auxiliadora Street are of quadruple congratulations. On the one hand, it is an anniversary, as it celebrates 25 years since its reopening in 1999. On the other hand, Bordallo itself has received the “Toda una vida” award from the Andalusian Academy of Gastronomy and Tourism.
Added to this is the award they have obtained as the best restaurant in Spain for coeliacs for their extensive menu adapted to these people. And obtaining the municipal seal of Historic Tavern. Bordalloone of those very talented and caring leaders and businessmen who led to Cordoba in the golden age of its hotel industrythink about this good time.
-How do you feel when you receive an award for “a lifetime” of work?
-Well, it was a great joy, mainly because I didn’t expect it. It’s not an award you apply for, and I don’t think I deserve to get it either. But that’s how they decided and I’m very proud of it.
“The hotel industry is doing well in Cordoba. The problem is that no one wants to work in it.”
-I guess this is a good time to take stock. From what I’ve read, in his youth he worked at many other jobs until he became a cook. How did the vocation come about?
-I was born in La Carlota, but we arrived in Córdoba when I was little. If you didn’t study, you had to get to work. I was in grocery stores, in a silverware shop… When I was about 13, I was a waiter for a month at La Primera del Brillante and there I found out that they were looking for a bartender at El Bosque. I arrived after finishing work and offered myself. Finally, they caught me, but they told me I had a stupid head (laughs) and I started just when I was 14 in the kitchen. Then I went to many restaurants and I was able to learn from great teachers. La Lampe, El Cercle Taurin, El Cheval Rouge, El Bandit, El Yate… I learned a lot during those years. When I got married, I stayed permanently in Costasur and stayed there for six years, during which time I became a chef. Later, we opened a small bar in Las Ollerías, until 25 years ago, we started here, in the Sociedad de Plateros.
-I guess it would be a challenge to manage such a large historical place. How did the opportunity come about?
-We were already living here and a neighbor told me that the tavern was vacant. The bar we had had become too small, but the problem was that it was very big. There was a lot of contrast. We thought about it and finally we decided to introduce ourselves. We started working with the family, my wife, my brothers-in-law and an employee. My idea was to offer very good tapas, but I knew that in Córdoba there was a lot of quality and competition, so we had to look for something that would identify us. That’s when we decided to bet on cod, with 30 different recipes on the menu, and that’s what made us popular at first under the name of La Posada del Bacalao. When we opened, we invited the customers of our old bar, but there were so many people that even they had to help us serve. That day I already realized that it could be successful because it is a tavern with a lot of tradition.
-How would you define the gastronomic philosophy of your tavern?
-Our philosophy has always been to offer authentic Cordoban cuisine, without inventions. Oxtail, salmorejo, flamenquines, tripe… And cooked with local products, which is why we have always looked for local suppliers, both for vegetables and meats. The same goes for wines, since we have the entire range offered by the Montilla-Moriles Designation of Origin: tinaja, Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. Now we also have a very curious short wooden boot with a flowery veil. It is unique, because having aged by oxidation, it has become ecologically aged.
-A few years ago they built their own winery. Has the importance of wine in the company increased?
-The Goldsmiths Society had to leave the warehouse they had on Queso Street because they couldn’t take care of it. I offered to take care of it and that’s when we built the winery. We keep the same brands that the Society had and that date back to the 19th century. Fine Peseta, Fine Platinum, Old Gold and Sweet Gold. The last thing we marketed is our vermouth, Crisol. Like the rest, we gave it a name related to goldsmithing, since the crucible is the place where metals are melted. Having our own winery was very important.
Manuel Bordallo poses for ABC Córdoba before the interview
-More and more tourists are seen in the tavern, despite its distance from the most touristic and commercial areas. How did they achieve this popularity?
-At the beginning, we were very lucky that Canal Sur noticed us and that they came from Andalucía Directo. We were able to show the preparation of our dishes and many people saw it. Since then, many international television channels have come. This year we have already had Japanese public television and the German Art Channel with a cooking show. They have also come from Mexico, Italy and many other places, which has given us popularity. In addition, we have also worked with new technologies. Our good positioning on Google is essential for tourists to decide to come. Over time, we have also expanded and diversified our cultural offer and have programmed flamenco, copla, poetry recitals or art exhibitions. We have also been the headquarters of associations, such as the women of Viñuela. Here we talked about gender violence when it was a problem that was barely talked about and I also believe that we are the first tavern in Córdoba to have a defibrillator, which is at the service of the neighborhood in case of emergency. All this has allowed us to have a lively tavern.
-Another of his best-known innovations is his extensive menu for celiacs. Renew or die.
-That’s how it is. It started when I made a recipe show on municipal television. In order to help viewers, I always offered gluten-free alternatives and I did the same on our menu. Recently, the Celicidad app distinguished us as the best restaurant for coeliacs in Spain. This is due to the votes of the app’s own users and it makes us very proud. To get to this point, there has been a lot of work and research. For example, to get the gluten-free bread, I spent a month with the bakers, the Fernández brothers, until we found the recipe. Another important thing is that we offer a very exhaustive protocol both in the kitchen and in the dining room servers and this is something that customers appreciate.
“I joined El Bosque when I was 14. Then I went to many restaurants and was able to learn from great teachers.”
-Your tavern has been a good place to observe the evolution of the Cordovan hotel industry over these 25 years. Where are we according to your experience and what are the problems of the sector?
-The hotel industry is doing well in Córdoba, that’s for sure, but we have a problem. Nobody wants to work in this field, and now it is no longer the highly sacrificial work that has always been said, but rather a job like any other. I will not go into the reasons why this happens, but it is clear that to work you have to have the need to work. Let’s hope that the training centers promoted by various social organizations will yield results. Another change that we are seeing is that tourist accommodation makes tourist trips much more numerous. We see it in our region and not only us but also the fruit sellers and the shops, since these tourists buy in the shops in the neighborhood.
-To conclude, how do you see the future of this almost century-old tavern?
-I don’t think much about the future, but I focus more on my day-to-day work. Retirement will come and, even if none of my children will dedicate themselves to it, I am convinced that the tavern will continue. At the moment we have an excellent work team with very professional people and there will certainly be continuity.
