Taberna El Pórtico de San Lorenzo, Córdoba, Spain

When abroad, how do you choose where to eat? As ever, word of mouth is the best recommendation. Or, perhaps, a top food blog. Sadly, Tom Eats! has relatively limited international coverage, although some people have struck lucky. Trip Advisor? Sometimes fine, but the lowest score in the history of this column (8.5/25) was awarded to a place in Sorrento which was #1 on the Trip Advisor list.

Here in Andalusia we discovered a new method. Still being in a state of awe after a visit to the Cathedral within a Moorish mosque (mine had only just worn off after the last visit 50 years ago) we decided a change was required. I am in general fan of the open top bus tours to be found in most major cities. You do have to remember that the driver has control of when each section of the commentary is switched on, so the timing can be a little out. Still a great way to get a good sample of the joys of the place when your knees are rebelling against the 20,000 steps per day.

The San Lorenzo area of Cordoba looked like a pretty street. This is a pretty street, said the guide two minutes later. It was drinks time, so off we popped and found a seat here. A visit inside disclosed a serious looking if tiny kitchen, a spotlessly clean restaurant area with many tables already reserved, and an interesting looking menu. In Spanish heat we tended just to nibble a tapa or two at lunchtime. All about to change.

We had a taken a liking to smiley Andres* who had delivered a life enhancing beer on the terrace outside. Including those tables, the place seats about 40 - 50, plus 10 or so at the bar. Boss man condescended to look after those few: Andres served the whole of the rest of the place single handedly. Whether it was the numerous nearby churches that were responsible or not, the service was nothing short of miraculous. I waited far longer just a few weeks ago in Edinburgh with two staff looking after three tables.

So, did my new concept of restaurant choosing work? Well, you've read the score, haven't you? Staying regional, we kicked off with salmorejo***, of which I'd heard but never eaten. Being truthful, not sure I could have told you what it was. Another cold soup, but this one is another means of using stale bread. Zapped with tomato, garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar, the proportions must be difficult to get right. My Spanish is limited, so I can't translate, smashed it, but you get the picture.

For some obscure reason they seem to have a lot of bulls in Spain, so it's no surprise that Rabo de toro (oxtail) features on many a menu. This was a fine example, the accompanying chips a slight surprise. First and only ones during the entire holiday. Oxtail must be real pain in the neck to do in commercial quantities, given that it needs so much oven time. The kitchen is proud of the fact that sherry is used a lot, highlighting the exact type. Palo Cortado was in the sauce for our main. Other dishes featured Fino, Fino Mantilla, Oloroso  and, as we'll see, PX (Pedro Ximenes).

Rereading the menu, I see that the kitchen offers a staggering 17 main dishes. On the carnivorous front you will find beef and veal and, of course, pork. A lot of traditional and regional stuff but chef isn't scared to go a little off piste. You'll find duck stuffed inside gyozas: the oriental influence continues with a couple of tataki dishes, where you sear the protein (here tuna and beef), cool it rapidly then serve very thinly. The From The Sea section allows choices of a couple of tuna dishes, three versions of bacalao (salt cod), plus clams or anchovies.

We had but a small sample; however, I was keeping a close eye on everything Andres was carrying. It all looked great. Everyone in the restaurant, which was packed on a Wednesday, had happy expressions. This, unexpectedly, had turned into a place worthy of a review, and we had sampled just a couple of dishes. Pud was called for. An alternative explanation is that we just didn't want to leave.

The Postres section in a typical Spanish place, even one of decent quality, tends not to have much of a wow! factor. And in our portico (it's named for a distinctive feature of the church across the road) it was much the same. A couple of cheesecakes, tiramisú, chocolate brownie and carrot cake. Also leche frita, which is milk, flour and sugar cooked to a dough, then portioned, fried and served with a sugar glaze and cinnamon. Next time, perhaps. The moral to this part of the menu? Never judge a book by the cover.

L's cheesecake used Payoyo cheese, which meant nothing to us at the time, save that it had a real cheese flavour. I learn that it is a salty sheep's cheese made in the mountains near Cadiz. The combination of that and the sticky, sherry caramel sauce (that's where the PX came in) was nothing short of brilliant. Having a rare chocolate urge I had gone for the brownie. Nothing remarkable in the generous slab on the plate, but it was topped with a large ball of pistachio ice cream. Then the magic really started, A small jug of orange flavoured white chocolate sauce was puddled around, then another of dark chocolate sauce which smothered everything, setting to a choc-ice like crisp on top of the ice cream. If the menu didn't have the wow! factor, the dishes surely did. And they cost a fiver!

The plan had been to visit a few churches, then to rejoin the bus. After all of this we stayed in fine Spanish traditional mode and had a siesta.

*I have a small confession to make. Our wonderful waiter was so busy I didn't manage to get his name. I've called him Andres because he was saintly.

**They feature the work of a local artist called Rafael Cervantes Gallardo. The works shown are extracts from the place mats. They now exhibit his paintings on the walls too,

***You'll find the salmorejo recipe in today's Tom Cooks!