What to eat in Ceuta: four kitchens at the same table

First, because it shapes everything else: Ceuta sits on the Strait, where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean meet. That means fish, and it means migratory fish — species that pass through the Strait — alongside the usual rock species. The second key is the border: the spices, the grills and the pastries from the other side are not a distant influence, they are fifteen minutes away.

Fish and shellfish

Fried fish is Andalusian, and in Ceuta it is done as it is across Cadiz province: coarse flour, very hot oil, and little else. But the local catalogue looks to the Mediterranean too. Bluefin tuna crosses the Strait on its migration and throughout the area — from Barbate to Tarifa and here — it is a seasonal product with enormous cultural weight. You will also find voraz (blackspot seabream), urta and rock fish, plus prawns from the bay.

• Fish fried or grilled, at any beach bar. It is the simplest thing here and the hardest to get wrong.
• Tuna, if you are in season: tataki, tartare, stewed with onions or simply grilled. The local almadraba tuna repertoire is a cuisine in its own right.
• Shellfish from the bay, as a tapa. With a beer, it is the perfect August lunch.

Charcoal and spice

Pinchitos are the street dish par excellence: spiced meat — turmeric, cumin, paprika, coriander — on a skewer over charcoal. Eaten standing, with bread, they are the most practical food there is if you are out all day. Alongside them come the spiced stews and grilled meats of the Maghrebi tradition, and the almond, honey and sesame pastries shared across all four of the city's kitchens.

Mint tea

Very sweet, very hot, and poured from a height so it foams. Drinking it mid-afternoon in August sounds like a contradiction and is not: it is a ritual of hospitality and it works. If you are coming from the mainland, it is probably the most Ceutan thing you will do on the trip.

Planning meals on eclipse day

Here there is one practical piece of advice that changes the day. The eclipse takes up the whole of mid-morning: it starts at 09:40 and ends at 12:01. Which means the lunch window falls immediately afterwards, with thousands of people leaving the same place at once.

1. Eat a substantial breakfast before you leave. Anything with a counter at the viewing spot will have a queue.
2. Carry food with you: fruit, nuts, something salty. You will be out in the sun for three hours.
3. Book a table for after 12:01 if you want to sit down. Without a booking, the first hour after the eclipse is hopeless.
4. Or invert it, which is what we would do: eat late and unhurried, once the crowd has moved. It is also the best way to dodge the traffic.

Why there are no restaurant names here

Because we have not eaten in them, and a list of venues copied from other websites helps nobody: it is exactly the filler that makes a guide stop being trustworthy. What we will do instead is open the city's business directory, where establishments appear with their own listing and category, and where a paid listing is clearly distinguishable from a recommendation. We prefer that model to an invented list of favourites.

Frequently asked questions