Europe's Best Street Food!

Let’s face it, one of the best parts of travelling is eating, savouring different cuisines. Those particular delicacies that set one country apart from another. Calorie consumption that can be justified as a cultural experience. But what’s even better than sitting down at a restaurant, is joining the queue at a street food vendor. Not only is street food a great way to satisfy your tummy’s rumbles on a shoestring budget, it’s often the best way to taste something seriously local. It makes for a quick bite between seeing the sights and if locals are in line it’s bound to be worth the wait. 

We’ve put together a must-try European street food list so you can tantalise your tastebuds while trotting around the continent.

Czech. Republic – Trdelník (Chimney cake)

This round, hollow cake (hence, chimney) is made by wrapping dough around a wooden tool called a trdlo, rolling it in sugar and then baking it on an open fire. Once the sugar has caramelised and the dough has turned a golden brown the trdelník is then rolled in either cinnamon sugar, nuts or coconut. It is enjoyed warm by breaking off a piece at a time while watching the steam billow out the top (once again, hence chimney). A more modern and popular tourist twist is to smear the inside with Nutella or whipped cream but the original cinnamon sugar combo definitely remains the best.

Italy – Gelato

It’s hard to pick a particular Italian street food as every region, province and town seems to have their own delectable street vendor snacks. Gelato however, is a country-wide delicacy and should be savoured on every possible occasion. Look for the sign saying artiginale or produzione propria, it means it’s made onsite and with natural ingredients. DEFINITELY AVOID any gelateria that has bright green pistachio flavour or anything blue. They’re adding colouring and you’re 100% better off walking an extra 50 metres to the next store instead.

Croatia – Burek

A hugely popular snack food throughout the Balkans. Burek is made from a thin flaky pastry stuffed with delicious stewed mince and onions, vegetables such as potato or spinach or cheese, there is even a sweet version with apples. Burek is made both coiled in a large round pie dish and sold by the slice, or as smaller individual pastries. 

The Netherlands – Herring

Perhaps one of the least sought after street foods in Europe, but a popular one among the locals. Haring “Hollandse Niewe” or New Dutch Herring as it is called in The Netherlands is herring that has been kept in salt or brine, served with chopped onions and gherkins. Often served in bread, but traditionally eaten by throwing your head back, holding the fish by its tail and nibbling the flesh off one piece at a time.

Spain - Churros

Back to the more appetising street foods. Churros! Although these heavenly morsels are now very widely dispersed worldwide, they originate and Spain. Deep fried choux pastry rolled in sugar or a sugar and cinnamon mix and dipped in a thick chocolate sauce! No more explanation needed. Enjoy!

Turkey - Gözleme

Marvel as the local ladies roll out a golf ball size piece of dough into a large, round and super thin pancake with what looks like a wooden broom handle. Choose a filling from Kıymalı (minced meat), Peynirli (cheese), Patatesli (potato), Ispanaklı  (spinach) or Yeşillik (wild greens). Of course, you can also choose to mix and match to create a filling of your choice! Once you’ve decided, the fillings are placed on the open dough, it is then folded and put on a sizzling hot plate, cooked on both sides, then cut into squares and ready to eat.

Hungary - Lángos

Lángos is a mouth-watering deep fried flat bread made from flour, yeast, salt and water. Traditionally cooked in a brick oven close to the flames (láng means flame in Hungarian), nowadays they are fried in oil. After a quick drip to remove some of the hot oil, the lángos is served warm either rubbed with garlic or doused with garlic water, then topped with sour cream and grated cheese.

Germany – Currywurst

Invented in 1949, nowadays over 800 million currywursts are consumed annually throughout the country. It is a boiled bratwurst sausage that is then cut into pieces and topped with a sauce made from predominantly ketchup and curry powder.

Portugal - Pastel de nata

Pastel de nata, also known as a Portuguese egg tart is a sumptuous morsel of flaky puff pastry filled with a soft egg custard centre. Even more delicious while warm and with a dusting of cinnamon. They’re so cheap and delicious it’s hard to stop after just one. You’ve been warned!

Belgium – Frites

Contrary to popular belief, French fries are not in fact French at all. They’re Belgian! During WWI, American soldiers who were stationed in Belgium came across these delectable fried potato batons. As French was the official language of the Belgian army, the soldiers associated them with the French language and hence gave them the name French fries. All these years later it’s a name that has stuck, much to the dismay of the Belgians! But enough with the history. Grab a cone of these fries with your choice of mayonnaise, ketchup, tartar sauce, béarnaise, really the list goes on. A definite favourite however is with a helping of meat gravy and a dollop of mayonnaise on top.

Serbia – Cevapcici

A skinless pork, lamb or beef sausage (or a mixture of meats) with a whole lot of garlic. Four or five are served together in a flatbread with diced onions, sour cream, kajmak (something similar to clotted cream) and ajvar, a condiment made of blended roasted peppers and eggplant. Not the food to try on a first date but definitely something to sink your teeth into while visiting the Balkans.

France - Crêpe

These thin pancakes can be both sweet or savoury, although savoury crêpes are referred to as galettes and are made with buckwheat flour. It’ll never take you too long to find a crêperie in most French cities and towns. Favourite sweet fillings include plain sugar, lemon juice and sugar and of course, Nutella. Popular galette fillings on the other hand are ham and cheese, cheese and fried egg and either of these with the addition of mushrooms.

Greece – Souvlaki or Gyros

Why waste time in a sit-down restaurant when you can just grab a souvlaki to go and get back to the beach. Souvlaki is meat, usually pork, grilled on a skewer while gyros meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then shaved off. The meat is then put into a flat, circular pita bread, covered in tzatziki sauce and garnished with onions, tomato, lettuce and also often fries. It is then rolled up and ready to devour once your toes get back in the sand.

Malta - Pastizzi

Pastizzi are the most popular and traditional Maltese street food. These little golden nuggets of puff pastry come filled with either ricotta cheese or mushy peas. Setting you back around 30-50 cents a pop, they’re a winning way to keep you fueled while exploring this island nation.

Poland - Zapiekanka

Open faced sandwiches that are essentially a pizza on baguette base. Most often topped with sautéed mushrooms and cheese then grilled until the cheese melts. It’s all covered with a hefty drizzle of Polish ketchup and then eaten warm. Since gaining popularity in more recent years there are many more variations of Zapiekanka available.