Strasbourg on a Plate: Choucroute, Tarte Flambée & Christmas Markets
Taste Alsace's unique Franco-German culinary identity—choucroute garnie and tarte flambée in a cosy winstub, aromatic Riesling from the 170 km wine route, rich baeckeoffe casserole, and the magical Christmas market around the illuminated cathedral.
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Choucroute Garnie – Alsace's Signature Dish
Strasbourg's most famous dish is choucroute garnie—fermented cabbage braised in Riesling wine and served with a mountain of smoked sausages, pork knuckle, smoked bacon, and potatoes. The best versions are found at traditional winstubs (Alsatian wine taverns) like Zum Strissel, Chez Yvonne, and Au Pont Corbeau near the cathedral.
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Tarte Flambée (Flammekueche)
Alsace's answer to pizza—paper-thin bread dough topped with crème fraîche, sliced onions, and lardons, then baked in a wood-fired oven until the edges char. Originally a baker's test of oven temperature, tarte flambée is served on a wooden board and traditionally eaten with the fingers. Sweet versions with apple and cinnamon appear in autumn.
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Alsatian Wine Route – Riesling & Gewurztraminer
The Route des Vins d'Alsace stretches 170 km south from Marlenheim to Thann through 67 wine villages. Strasbourg is the northern gateway. The aromatic white wines—Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat—grown on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains are unlike any other French wines, reflecting German soil and French winemaking elegance.
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Baeckeoffe & Alsatian Winter Cuisine
Baeckeoffe is a slow-baked casserole of marinated pork, beef, and lamb with potatoes, leeks, and onions—traditionally left at the bakery (bäcker) to cook in the cooling oven while families attended Sunday mass. Other Alsatian specialities include spätzle egg noodles, knack sausages, munster cheese, and kugelhopf (a yeasted cake with raisins and almonds baked in a fluted mould).
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Christmas Market – Christkindelsmärik
Strasbourg hosts one of the oldest and most atmospheric Christmas markets in the world—the Christkindelsmärik, held since 1570. From late November to December 31, over 300 wooden chalets fill the streets around the cathedral selling Alsatian gingerbread, mulled wine, ornaments, and foie gras. Over 2 million visitors come each year to the self-styled 'Capital of Christmas'.
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Winstubs & Local Beer Culture
Strasbourg's winstubs—intimate Alsatian wine taverns with wood-panelled interiors, checked tablecloths, and hearty food—are the social heart of local life. Equally important is beer: Alsace is France's leading beer-producing region, home to the Kronenbourg and Fischer/Licorne breweries. The Musée Européen de la Bière in Stenay traces Alsatian brewing history.