Multicultural Flavours Walk

The Multicultural Flavours Walk explores the culinary overlap between Spanish and Moroccan traditions that defines much of Ceuta's everyday food culture. The route begins on Calle Sargento Mena in the city's Moroccan-influenced quarter and moves through a sequence of eateries and stalls that collectively reflect Ceuta's unique position as a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, sharing a land border with Morocco. The walk opens at Restaurante El Morocan on Calle Sargento Mena 8, one of the area's established Moroccan restaurants. The kitchen serves harira — a slow-cooked tomato, chickpea, and lamb soup that is the traditional opening dish during Ramadan — alongside bastilla, a layered pie of chicken and almond encased in flaky warqa pastry and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. These dishes represent the formal Moroccan kitchen and are rarely found in similar depth outside Moroccan-owned restaurants in the city. From Restaurante El Morocan, the walk continues to Casa Hassan on Calle Hernández Pacheco 5, where the atmosphere shifts to a more domestic scale. Casa Hassan is known for a mint tea ceremony conducted at low tables, accompanied by couscous dishes cooked in the Ceutí home style — lighter than the Marrakchi version, often incorporating local vegetables. The pace here is deliberately slow, and the tea preparation is conducted as part of the experience. The walk then passes near the Tarajal border crossing, where informal pastry stalls sell briouat — small fried filo pastry parcels filled with almond or meat — and chebakia, a sesame and honey biscuit traditionally served during Ramadan. These stalls operate during daylight hours and move seasonally; their availability cannot be guaranteed on any specific day. The route closes at neighbourhood spice shops where vendors stock preserved lemons, argan oil, and ras el hanout blends assembled on the premises. These shops serve both the local cooking community and visitors looking for ingredients that represent the North African influence embedded in Ceuta's kitchens. The walk is largely flat and takes two to three hours at a comfortable pace, with sitting time at Casa Hassan accounting for much of the duration.