Gibraltarian Cuisine

Gibraltarian cuisine is a genuinely distinctive melting pot, reflecting centuries as a crossroads where British, Spanish, Genoese, Maltese, Portuguese and North African peoples and flavours have mingled on the Rock. Its signature dish is calentita, a baked savoury flan of chickpea flour, olive oil and pepper inherited from Genoese settlers and considered the national dish. Other local favourites include rosto, a hearty pasta dish in a rich tomato and meat sauce, torta de acelga chard pie, hearty stews, and fish fresh from the surrounding seas, alongside British classics and Spanish tapas found side by side. Rounded off with sweet pastries, this warm, homely and unique cuisine tells the story of Gibraltar's mixed heritage.

What you actually see

• Calentita - the baked chickpea-flour national dish.
• Rosto - the hearty pasta in rich tomato-and-meat sauce.
• The chard pie - the savoury torta de acelga.
• The mixed heritage - the British, Spanish and Genoese flavours side by side.

When to go

Year-round; Gibraltarian food is enjoyed across the territory's cafés and restaurants, where British, Spanish and local dishes sit side by side. Calentita and rosto are the distinctive local signatures to seek out, alongside fresh Mediterranean fish and tapas.

Honest expectations

Gibraltar's own local dishes like calentita and rosto sit alongside plentiful British and Spanish fare, so seeking out the genuinely Gibraltarian specialities takes a little curiosity. As a unique Mediterranean melting pot of British, Spanish, Genoese and North African flavours found nowhere else, though, Gibraltarian cuisine is a genuinely characterful and rewarding tradition.

Nearby

The cafés and restaurants of the town centre and Main Street serve it.