Food · Strasbourg · France
What to eat in Strasbourg
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Strasbourg, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jonathan Martz, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Choucroute garnie, Tarte flambée and Baeckeoffe. Winstubs are cosy Alsatian wine taverns with wood panelling and checked tablecloths, serving regional dishes and local wines by the glass or carafe. Lunch is usually served from about noon to 2pm and dinner from about 7pm; many kitchens close between.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Choucroute garnie
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Service is included by law.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Choucroute garnie
Sauerkraut cooked in white wine and served with sausages, smoked pork, bacon and potatoes. Some restaurants offer a lighter choucroute with fish.
Where: Traditional winstubs and brasseries across the Grande Île.
Dish
2.Tarte flambée (Flammekueche)
A paper-thin bread base topped with fromage blanc, crème fraîche, onions and lardons, baked in a hot wood-fired oven. Variants include gratinée with cheese or forestière with mushrooms.
Where: Winstubs and specialist flammekueche restaurants, often sold all-you-can-eat on some evenings.
Dish
3.Baeckeoffe
A slow-baked casserole of beef, pork and lamb marinated in white wine, layered with potatoes and onions and sealed with a pastry lid. It is traditionally served on cold days.
Where: Traditional winstubs, often only on certain days or if ordered in advance.
Bakery · Vegetarian
4.Bretzel
The Alsatian pretzel, glossy brown and sprinkled with coarse salt, sold warm at bakeries and stalls and sometimes split and buttered.
Where: Bakeries and street stands throughout the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Kougelhopf
A ring-shaped brioche with raisins and almonds baked in a fluted mould, eaten for breakfast or with coffee, and also made in savoury versions with bacon.
Where: Bakeries and pâtisseries, especially on Sunday mornings.
Dish · Vegetarian
6.Munster cheese
A soft, strong-smelling washed-rind cheese from the Vosges valleys, often eaten with cumin seeds and boiled potatoes.
Where: Cheese shops in the old town and on cheese boards in winstubs.
Dish
7.Foie gras
Strasbourg has been associated with foie gras since the late 18th century, when it was baked in pastry for the military governor. It is served as terrine with brioche or toast.
Where: Traditional restaurants and fine-food shops in the old town.
Dish · Vegetarian
8.Spätzle
Small egg-noodle dumplings, served as a side to meat dishes or baked with cheese and onions.
Where: Winstubs and Alsatian restaurants.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Bredele
Small Christmas biscuits in dozens of shapes and flavours, such as anise, cinnamon stars and butter biscuits, baked during Advent.
Where: Bakeries and Christmas market stalls in December.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Alsace wine
Alsace produces mostly white wines named after their grapes, including Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Sylvaner, as well as sparkling Crémant d'Alsace.
Where: Winstubs, wine bars and on the Alsace Wine Route south of the city.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Alsatian beer
Alsace has a long brewing history, and Strasbourg's breweries and many craft brewers produce lagers and seasonal beers such as bière de Noël at Christmas.
Where: Brasseries and bars across the city.
Food experiences
Dinner in a winstub
Winstubs are cosy Alsatian wine taverns with wood panelling and checked tablecloths, serving regional dishes and local wines by the glass or carafe.
Christmas market food
From late November, stalls sell vin chaud (mulled wine), bredele, gingerbread (pain d'épices), bretzels and tarte flambée.
Wine tasting on the Route des Vins
Drive or take a tour into the villages south of Strasbourg for tastings in family cellars.
Pâtisserie and kougelhopf
Sample kougelhopf, tarte aux quetsches (plum tart) and other Alsatian pastries in local pâtisseries.
Quick bites and street food
- Bretzel — Bakeries and street stands throughout the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Bretzel, Kougelhopf, Munster cheese, Spätzle, Bredele, Alsace wine and Alsatian beer. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is usually served from about noon to 2pm and dinner from about 7pm; many kitchens close between.
- Book winstubs in the old town ahead in December and at weekends.
- Tarte flambée is often a shared dish; order several varieties for the table.
- Tap water (une carafe d'eau) is free on request in restaurants.
- Many restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays; check before you go.
Tipping
Service is included by law. Round up or leave a euro or two for good service; up to about 5–10% in finer restaurants is generous but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello / good day |
| Merci beaucoup | Thank you very much |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît | The bill, please |
| Une carafe d'eau | A jug of tap water |
| Hopla | An Alsatian expression for 'let's go' or 'there you go' |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Strasbourg famous for?
Choucroute garnie, Tarte flambée, Baeckeoffe and Bretzel. Sauerkraut cooked in white wine and served with sausages, smoked pork, bacon and potatoes.
+Is Strasbourg good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Bretzel, Kougelhopf and Munster cheese.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Strasbourg?
Service is included by law. Round up or leave a euro or two for good service; up to about 5–10% in finer restaurants is generous but optional.