Gibraltar Eats: Pigging out on Indian and and British pub food

Oct 20

Oct 20 Gibraltar Eats: Pigging out on Indian and and British pub food

When crossing the border from Spain to Gibraltar, one doesn't just shed Spanish for English, but the food landscape and eating times also change! It was already nearing 9pm - too early for dinner in Spain but perhaps nearing closing time for some restaurants in Gibraltar.

Not wanting to go to bed hungry (not to mention missing out one of my two meals in Gibraltar, given my limited time), I hurried out my Airbnb in search of food. I was craving Indian it was just my luck that there was a bustling Indian restaurant just out the front door!

There was a fascinating mix of Spanish people speaking English, what I assume were British-Gibraltarians, and Indians in the restaurant, both dining and waiting for takeout. So it looks like the Spaniards have also developed a taste for Indian here.

I went for my go-to order of tandoori chicken...

...saag paneer, and rice, I knew it was too much food for one sitting, but I was so in the mood for good Indian food. And this definitely hit the spot. The chicken was freshly baked, and the saag nicely creamy.

It took a while for the food to come, because there were just so many takeout orders and the food did seem freshly prepared to order.

It was so good that I took the leftovers back to my Airbnb and stored them in the fridge. Then I took it across the border to Spain, in a taxi ride from La Línea de la Concepción to Algeciras bus station, on the bus from Algeciras to Málaga bus station, on the train from the bus station to the airport, on the flight from Málaga back to Valencia, and finally on the metro back home.

And it was worth the haul, since it really was very delicious!

___

Khan's

5 Waterport Rd

GX11 1AA Gibraltar

The next day, after climbing down the Rock, I went straight to The Clipper (not far from where the steps from the Rock leave you, if you're hiking down).

In the mood for "typical" British pub food, at least in the imagination of an American, I went for the steak and ale pie. Now EVERYONE I seem to know who's been to Gibraltar boasts that they had fish and chips as their "very British meal," but while I like fried fish and I like french fries, somehow I get very tired of fish and chips after just a few bites.

So steak and ale pie it was for me - served hot with my choice of fries and "vegetables," with gravy on the side.

Showing how proud Gibraltarians are of their home, when I asked for tap water ("is it okay to drink?"), the waitress said, "Oh yeah, we're not like one of THOSE countries where you can't drink the water." Probably referring to Spain, where many locals don't touch tap water? My Airbnb host the day before also had told me, "Here in Gibraltar, WE drink the tap water." I had read that Spain at one point cut off a supply of freshwater to Gibraltar in attempts to make life miserable there, so Gibraltar actually has its own desalination facilities to supply tap water. I can see how they must be proud of that.

Then for dessert, I chose the banoffee pie. The caramel sauce was great, but I was disappointed that the whipped cream seemed to be from an aerosol can, rather than actual whipped cream.