food & drink

Orange blossom ice cream rolled in crushed pistachio is the signature at Azah Gelateria Libanesa, whose name is shortened from azahar, orange blossom. The shop on Enric Granados opened in spring 2025 as Spain’s first Lebanese gelateria, making ice cream with mastic, an aromatic resin responsible for its elastic, chewy texture.

Owner-chef Hugo Cantona comes from Marseille, where he grew up around the ice cream shops serving the city’s large Lebanese community. A nephew of footballer Éric Cantona, he previously ran a pizzeria in Lisbon and moved to Barcelona about a year before opening Azah. Lebanese customers recognized the flavor and texture from home, he says, and passed the word along in their WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

Thyme was among the opening flavors, along with rose water and lavender, linden and anise, jasmine and basil, and lemon verbena with citronella. The selection also included black sesame, pear with yuzu, gianduja and mango with lime. Staff explain the flavors and offer tastes; the pistachio-coated scoop comes with optional whipped cream.