Andalusia feeds you differently than any guidebook suggests — less paella cliché, more ancient logic: cold soups against heat, fried fish by the sea, pork where the oaks grow. Here is the eating route Palace Tours sketches for guests, mirror to the train's path.
Seville & Córdoba: the cold-soup capitals
Gazpacho you know; salmorejo — Córdoba's thicker, silkier cousin crowned with jamón and egg — you will not forget. Add espinacas con garbanzos in Seville's tiled taverns and oxtail stew where bullfighting history lingers.
Jerez & Cádiz: the sea, fried and blessed
Pescaíto frito done properly, almadraba tuna that never saw a freezer, and prawns from Sanlúcar — all engineered to meet a cold glass from the sherry guide.
Extremadura: the oak pantry
The dehesa's acorn-fed pigs become the world's finest jamón ibérico, and Torta del Casar — a sheep's cheese so creamy it is eaten with a spoon — headlines the cheese board. Migas and game complete Spain's most underrated table.
Toledo & Madrid: the finish
Toledo's marzipan and partridge give way to Madrid's cocido ritual. Aboard, the dining cars run the same regional score — how meals work — and every table is included (the list). Bring appetite; the dates page handles the rest.
