The Mercado Victoria in Cordoba, Spain, may be open from 9 a.m. every day, but if would-be diners arrive before noon, they may be eating solo.
If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed about food culture in Spain, it’s when to eat (late); the what to eat, however, has received a bit of an overhaul with 2,000-square-meter markets like this one, which offers 28 different food stations that feature traditional flavors with a contemporary twist.
After all, there’s only so much salmorejo — the typical tomato- and bread-based cold cream soup — one can eat. Salmorejo made with squid ink and avocado, on the other hand? Vendors like La Salmoreteca spoon out a variety of tasty cups for 4.90 euros (about $5.50).
Opened in April 2013, the indoor-outdoor food court, located a short walk from the Jewish Quarter, becomes quite lively at lunchtime when men in suits and women in heels take over the brightly lighted space for a midday meal. At night, it’s equally festive as its bar areas and stalls stay open until 2 a.m. and offer the occasional live music performance.
In the outdoor spaces, red, white and lime-green chairs are set around a mix of high and low square tables, while ceramic flower pots — a symbol of Cordoba, if there ever was one — are artfully hung upside down and used as lamps.
While it’s an inviting atmosphere in which to sit, visitors can also fill up their baskets with seasonal produce, freshly caught fish or just-sliced Iberico ham.