The 8 Best Foods to Try in Strasbourg, France

Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)

Probably the best-known dish of Strasbourg and Alsace, sauerkraut ("choucroute" in French) is a delicious and diverse staple in the region. Pickled and fermented cabbage (typically white or purple) is served hot or cold alongside other typical dishes such as sausages (see below), ham, potatoes, or salted turnips. Consider tucking into a plate of sauerkraut accompanied by a glass of Riesling wine (another must-taste specialty on our list, unless you don't drink).

Where to taste: You'll find choucroute on menus throughout Strasbourg, including in many popular brasseries and winstubs (traditional wine taverns). Two that come highly recommended are the Maison des Tanneurs and Porcus (the latter is also prized for its charcuterie and sausages, as mentioned below).

Flammekueche or Tarte Flambée (Alsatian-style pizza)

This versatile, thin-crusted savory tart is a favorite in France. Also called "tarte flambée" (in French), or "flammkuchen" (in German) the tart is traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven, and topped with onions, mushrooms, cheese, ham, and/or other ingredients. The white base is made with creme fraiche, heavy cream, or a mixture of both. It's typically served with a side salad and a beer or glass of wine. Some restaurants even offer tarte flambée for dessert, topping the crust with apples, sugar, or other sweet ingredients.

Where to taste: Head straight to Strasbourg restaurants specializing in a range of flammekueche/tartes flambées, such as Binchstub and Flam's. Many casual brasseries and bistros also serve the dish. Vegetarians can usually be accommodated.

Kugelhopf (Yeasted Bundt Cake)

This traditional yeasted bundt cake is an essential sweet treat. Enjoyed year round—but especially at Christmas when large, festive versions appear as centerpieces on tables across Alsace—the kugelhopf (also "gugelhupf" or "kouglopf"), is a springy, brioche-like cake made with eggs, flour, sugar, and yeast. With ingredients like macerated raisins, dried fruits, nuts, and marzipan mixed in, it's sometimes drizzled with a rum- and citrus-based syrup, then topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. It's an ideal treat between meals, or dipped in coffee for breakfast.

Where to taste: In addition to selling larger cakes in the run-up to the winter holiday season, many bakeries in Strasbourg sell individual crown-shaped cakes. La Maison du Kougelhopf is especially reputed for its versions.

Saucisses (Alsatian Sausages)

For meat lovers, Strasbourg has plenty to offer, with a large number of sausages (often referred to as "knack") from the Alsatian region. Knack d'Alsace is an especially popular variety native to Strasbourg and likely invented sometime during the 16th century; it typically consists of beef and pork mixed with spices, then placed into casings derived from sheep. Its name alludes to the sound the sausage makes when you bite or cut into it. It's often served with potatoes, other boiled vegetables, or sauerkraut, but it can be enjoyed solo with strong mustard.

Restaurants and butchers also sell other types of sausage, from smoked varieties to spicy salamiwurst (salami).

Where to taste: Many winstubs and brasseries around the city specializing in Alsatian cuisine serve good-quality sausages. Zehnerglock, a winstub just around the corner from Strasbourg Cathedral, is an excellent choice, as is Porcus(mentioned above). Meanwhile, vegetarians and vegans can taste plant-based sausages at places like Vélicious.

Munster Cheese (and Other Varieties)

This earthy, aromatic cow's-milk cheese with an orange-red rind is native to Alsace, and appears on cheese plates across the region. It's also a favorite ingredient in Alsatian-style cheese fondue; to make the dish, Munster is often combined with other regional cheeses such as tomme d'Alsace, then simmered together with white wine and herbs.

Where to taste: La Cloche a Fromage, a cheese shop, aging cellar, and restaurant, is considered one of the best places in the city to taste and buy cheeses. They also serve up charcuterie boards and excellent wines.

Riesling Wines

The diverse wines of Alsace are all worth tasting, but none is more famed than the Riesling, a crisp, dry, aromatic white wine produced with grapes of the same name. With its distinctive citrus and floral notes, it pairs beautifully with fish, cheeses, and chicken, and is often found in Alsatian recipes such as baeckeoffe (see below).

Where to taste: Winstubs and good restaurants in Strasbourg almost inevitably serve one or more varieties of Riesling. Check the tourist office's website for suggestions on wine-tasting experiences in the city and region.

Baeckeoffe (Meat and Vegetable Stew)

This hearty stew is especially popular in the winter, including during the holiday season. While the name may make you think of a "bake-off," the Alsatian term in fact means "baker's oven." The stew typically consists of onions, potatoes, herbs, carrots, and chunks of beef, pork, and mutton. The meat is marinated the night before in white wine and macerated juniper berries, before being slow-cooked in a heavy ceramic dish in the oven.

Where to taste: Many traditional restaurants offer their own version(s) of this hearty stew, but tables of note to beeline to include Le Baeckeoffe d'Alsace and Le Tire-Bouchon, a popular winstub near the Cathedral.

Vin Chaud (Mulled Wine)

The winter season in Strasbourg would feel degrees less festive without vin chaud. This spiced and mulled red wine is typically made with orange and/or lemon peels; spices such as clove, star anise, and cinnamon; and sometimes a touch of vanilla.

Where to taste: Annual Christmas markets in Strasbourg offer plenty of opportunities to taste good vin chaud. Order a steaming cup when you arrive and it'll keep you warm as you stroll through the stalls.