Taberna El Moro

Taberna El Moro is a well-established tapas bar in Ceuta's old town on Calle Camoens, the kind of long-running neighbourhood institution that anchors a city's food culture. The format is traditional: a bar counter where solo diners and groups drop in for a glass of wine or cold beer alongside a sequence of small plates, with larger tables at the rear available for those who want a more structured sitting. The kitchen's strongest suit is the Strait of Gibraltar's seafood, treated with the restraint and confidence that comes from decades of practice. Gambas al pil-pil — prawns cooked in a bubbling terracotta dish of garlic oil and mild chilli — arrive at the table still sizzling, the sauce inviting diners to mop it up with good bread. Boquerones en vinagre, fresh anchovies cured in white wine vinegar and dressed with olive oil and garlic, are a Spanish bar staple at which the kitchen excels: the fillets are silver-white, firm without being tough, and intensely flavoured. Pulpo a la gallega, sliced octopus with olive oil, smoked paprika, and sea salt on a bed of sliced boiled potato, rounds out the essential trio. Beyond the seafood, the kitchen maintains a reliable selection of charcuterie and cheese: Iberian cured meats and regional cheeses sit on the bar counter under glass and can be ordered as a board. The wine programme is simple — house wines by the glass, a handful of craft beers from Andalusia, and cold draught beer — but quality is reliable for bar-standard service. Weekend evenings become livelier with a mix of residents and visitors exploring the old town.