What to Eat in Strasbourg: 13 Treats You Should Not Miss

Located in northern France, Strasbourg is a French city like no other. The capital of Alsace, this region has passed from French rule to German and back again several times over the centuries, and you'll see an undeniable German influence in the culture, architecture, and traditions of Strasbourg, France. Not to mention the German influence on Alsatian cuisine. Strasbourg is the place to find French food with an undeniably Teutonic twist, making it a fascinating place to eat as well as visit.

If you're lucky enough to visit during the holiday season, the famous Strasbourg Christmas markets are a fantastic place to try traditional Strasbourg food. But no matter what time of year you visit, you'll find that the food of the Alsace region is as unique and interesting as everything else about it.

Drop off your bags at a Bounce luggage storage in Strasbourg, and you'll be ready to enjoy the world of Alsatian cuisine. Whether you want to dine in high-end restaurants or sample the best street food in Strasbourg, you'll find plenty to like in this unique city. And while the region's traditional food tends to be fairly meat-based, as is common with French food, you'll also find some good meat-free options in the best vegetarian restaurants in Strasbourg. So whether you get to visit a Christmas market in Strasbourg or not, you won't have a hard time finding something delicious to eat.

Strasbourg Food: Coq au Riesling

This dish is a chicken stew cooked in white wine, and it's a specialty of the Alsace region. The Riesling grape is commonly used to make white wine in this part of France, and it imparts a lovely flavor to the dish. A truly Alsatian take on the classic French coq au vin, coq au Riesling is the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of this area, including the exceptional white wine. Served with a side of mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, this is a classic item of Alsatian food that you simply shouldn't miss while you're in town. Luckily, as one of the most traditional Alsatian dishes, this meal is easy to find in many Strasbourg restaurants and is well worth seeking out if you're eager to try local specialties.

Strasbourg Food: Strasbourg Sausage

This is perhaps the most famous food of Strasbourg, and it's easy to see why. This sausage is made with pork, bacon, and onions and seasoned with herbs like marjoram and garlic. It's then smoked over a fire of fir wood, giving it a unique flavor that you won't find in any other sausage. The city of Strasbourg has been making this sausage since the 14th century, so it's truly a local specialty.

You'll find this sausage served many different ways while you're in town. It can be grilled and served on a bun with mustard, as is common at fairs and festivals. Or you might find it sliced thin and served as an hors d'oeuvre with pickles and rye bread. If you're looking for a more filling meal, order it as a main course, where it will likely be served with sauerkraut and potatoes. No matter how you eat it, this is one Strasbourg food that you won't want to miss.

Strasbourg Food: Alsatian-style Pizza

This dish is sometimes known as a flammekueche, a tarte flambée, or a tarte Alsacienne, and it's a type of flatbread that's popular in the region. But whatever you call it, this unusual take on a thin crust pizza is a classic Alsatian food that may well leave you pleasantly surprised.

Traditionally, tarte flambée was made with dough that was left over from making bread, and it was topped with cream, onions, and bacon. These days, though, you'll find many different variations on this classic dish.

The dough is still fairly thin, and it's often baked in a wood-fired oven to give it a crispy texture. The toppings can be anything from the traditional cream and onions to more adventurous options like mushrooms, goat cheese, or even apple. No matter what your taste, you're sure to find a tarte flambée that you'll love.

Strasbourg Food: Choucroute Garnie

This dish is made with sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage, and it's usually served with various types of meat. The sauerkraut is cooked in white wine, and the dish is usually served with potatoes on the side.

The meats vary depending on who makes the choucroute garnie, but they often include ham, bacon, sausage, and even goose. This dish is hearty and filling, and it's the perfect meal to enjoy on a cold day. If you're looking for a traditional Alsatian food to try while you're in Strasbourg, this is it.

Strasbourg Food: Tarte aux Quetsches

This tart is made with a type of plum called a quetsche, which is native to the Alsace region. The fruit is cooked with sugar and cinnamon and then baked into a flaky pastry crust.

This tart is often served with crème fraîche or ice cream, making it the perfect dessert to enjoy after a hearty meal. This is the tart for you if you want to try something truly unique to the Alsace region.

Strasbourg Food: Pretzels

Strasbourg is known for its pretzels, which are made in the traditional German style. These pretzels are large and soft and are often served with a sweet or savory dipping sauce.

You'll find these pretzels all over the city, and they make a great snack to enjoy while you're exploring. If you want to try something that's truly unique to Strasbourg, be sure to pick up one of these pretzels during your travels.

Strasbourg Food: Wine

The Alsace region is well-known for its exceptional wine, and it would be a shame to visit Strasbourg without trying at least some of the local varieties. There are white wines, red wines, and even sparkling wines produced in this area, so you're sure to find something that you'll enjoy.

When you're ordering wine in a restaurant, be sure to ask the server for a recommendation. They'll likely be able to recommend a local variety that will pair well with your meal.

And, of course, don't forget to pick up a bottle or two to take home with you. After all, what's a trip to Strasbourg without some Alsace wine?

Strasbourg Food: Baeckeoffe

This hearty stew is the perfect meal to chase away the chill of a northern French winter. It's made with potatoes, onions, carrots, and various types of meat, including pork, beef, and lamb.

The meat and vegetable stew is slow-cooked in white wine and chicken stock, and it's usually served with a side of bread. This dish is filling and flavorful, and it's sure to warm you up on a cold day. And with a side of bread - what's not to love?

Strasbourg Food: Tarte Tatin

This upside-down tart is made with apples, and it's one of the most popular desserts in the Alsace region. The apples are cooked in sugar and butter before being baked in a pastry crust. Once the tart is turned over, the apples form a caramelized topping.

This tart is often served with crème fraîche, but you can also pair it with ice cream. It's the perfect end to any of the traditional Strasbourg meals you try here. or ice cream, making it the perfect dessert to enjoy after a hearty meal. The apple turnover is one of the traditional French pastries served around the country, but as with so many things, Alsace does it differently from anywhere else.

Strasbourg Food: Boudin Blanc

This isn't one for the vegetarians, but it is a classic item of Strasbourg food and one of the most interesting things to eat in Strasbourg if you have the stomach for it. Boudin blanc is a white sausage made with pork, veal, and milk, flavored with onions, egg yolks, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and parsley.

Often served as an entrée rather than a main – though it can be found in the form of large sausages – this local Strasbourg dish is usually sliced and pan-fried before being served with potatoes and applesauce on the side.

It makes an excellent breakfast food, though you will find it eaten throughout the day. It's another dish that clearly shows the German influences on the local culinary scene, and you'll find it and other salted meats on the menu and many a Strasbourg restaurant as you explore the town.

Strasbourg Food: Flädle

You might not have heard of Flädle before, but this traditional Strasbourg dish is well worth seeking out. These are thin pancakes, similar to crepes, which are cooked in bacon fat and traditionally served with soup.

Nowadays, you're more likely to see them served as a main course with a variety of different toppings, from onions and mushrooms to cheese and ham. They make a delicious and filling meal, and they're a great way to try some of the local cuisine.

If you want to try something truly unique to Strasbourg, be sure to order some Flädle during your stay.

Strasbourg Food: Kugelhopf

This cake is made with yeast, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and raisins. It's a traditional Alsatian cake that's often served for breakfast or dessert.

The cake is baked in a special mold that gives it its distinctive shape, and it's usually dusted with powdered sugar before being served. It's a kind of yeasted Bundt cake that makes one of the most delicious sweet treats in the city, and luckily, it's not usually very hard to find.

Strasbourg Food: Mulled Wine

Visit the city during the winter, and you'll find the Strasbourg Christmas markets almost unavoidable. But visiting a Christmas market is a long-standing tradition here, and enjoying the Christmas lights outside the stunning setting of Strasbourg Cathedral or one of the other Christmas markets throughout the city is an experience you won't soon forget.

Plus, the Christmas markets are often some of the best places to eat in Strasbourg. With an emphasis on street food that you can eat while wandering through the stalls, the Christmas markets combined tradition and modernity to provide something unique.

And one thing you don't want to miss while you visit the Christmas market is mulled wine. This spiced wine is served hot and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day. Often mixed with cinnamon, star anise, and other fragrant spices, just the smell of this wine is enough to stir up nostalgic memories for any Alsatian.

You can find mulled wine at almost any Christmas market stall, and it's the perfect drink to enjoy while you shop for gifts or simply soak up the festive atmosphere.

Conclusion

Strasbourg food is as varied as it is delicious. The meeting point between French and German cuisines, there are some things to eat in Strasbourg that you won't find anywhere else. And that's to say nothing of the wine.

But if you're concerned about all this tasty Strasbourg food going straight to your waist, don't be. Here are some of the best hikes in Strasbourg so that you can work off those extra calories. Leave your unneeded bags behind at a Bounce luggage storage, and you'll be ready to enjoy the best things to eat in Strasbourg for yourself.