The Best European Street Food in 44 Countries to Try on a Family Vacation

Food plays a big part in any family vacation to Europe. Finding food that suits everyone every day of your European holiday can be challenging. Street food in Europe may be your answer.

From the lively markets of Andorra to the bustling streets of Ukraine, this foodie adventure in 44 countries promises a taste of Europe like never before.

The European food scene, a kaleidoscope of flavours, textures, and aromas, leaves an indelible mark on our palates. It will challenge and delight your family’s taste buds. Ultimately, you will not like everything, but it’s more about embracing the local European street foods and trying what you can. Your kids will not soon forget the food eaten in the best street food cities in Europe.

Whether indulging in Belgium’s Moules Frites or savouring Malta’s Pastizzi, eating at food markets in Europe or food trucks, each bite is a revelation.

The food in Europe is a testament to the incredible diversity that defines the European street food experience. The best street food in Europe is waiting for you.

The best street food in Europe

Fifty countries share Europe, but only 44 are sovereign states or nations. This article will focus on street foods from those 44 European countries.

Albania

• Byrek – a savoury pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or meat.
• Qofte te Sallate – These are meatballs cooked in a light tomato and onion sauce.
• In Albania, you can go on a Communist History Tour Tirana & Street Food

Andorra

• Trinxat – A traditional dish with potatoes, cabbage, and pork.
• Coca – A type of pastry that can be sweet or savoury and may include vegetables, meats, or fruits.

Austria

• Käsekrainer – A cheese-infused sausage often served with mustard.
• Leberkäse Semmel – A bread roll filled with slices of Leberkäse, a traditional Austrian meatloaf.

Belarus

• Draniki – Potato pancakes, typically served with sour cream.
•  Kolduny – Dumplings filled with meat, mushrooms, or potatoes.

Belgium

• Belgian Waffles – Delicious waffles with various toppings like chocolate, fruits, or whipped cream.
• Moules Frites – Mussels and fries are a classic Belgian dish often enjoyed on the go.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Ćevapi – Grilled minced meat, usually served with flatbread and onions.
• Burek – A flaky pastry filled with minced meat, cheese, or vegetables.

Bulgaria

• Banitsa – A pastry made with layers of filo dough, yogurt, and cheese.
• Kyufte – Bulgarian grilled meatballs, often served with flatbread and condiments.

Croatia

• Ćevapi – Grilled minced meat, usually served with flatbread and onions.
• Soparnik – Soparnik is a traditional Croatian savoury pie filled with Swiss chard, onions, and a mix of herbs.

Czech Republic

• Smažený Sýr – Deep-fried cheese, usually served with fries and tartar sauce. 
• Trdelník – A sweet pastry, often filled with ice cream or other treats.

Denmark

• Smørrebrød – Open-faced sandwiches with toppings like herring, smoked salmon, or roast beef.
• The Danish hot dog – The sausage is placed in a bun and topped with a variety of condiments and toppings.

Estonia

• Kringel – a sweet pastry, often braided and filled with cinnamon. 

Finland

• Karjalanpiirakka – Karelian pasty, a traditional pastry filled with rice porridge, mashed potatoes, or carrot and rice filling.
• Lohikeitto – Finnish salmon soup, a creamy broth with salmon, potatoes, and vegetables
• Visit Streat Helsinki, a street food festival that takes place every March.

France

• Crêpes – Thin pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings.
• Socca – Chickpea pancake, especially popular in Nice and the French Riviera.
• You can do a Street Food Tour in Lyon, France.

Germany

• Currywurst – Sliced sausage with curry-flavored ketchup.
• Döner Kebab – Layers of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, typically in a flatbread.
• In Berlin, you can join the Street Food Paradise Tour.

Greece

• Souvlaki – Grilled meat skewers, often served with pita and vegetables.
• Spanakopita – Spinach and feta-filled phyllo pastry
• You can do a Street Food Tasting Tour or the Street Food Tour with a local Guide in Athens.

Holy See (Vatican)

• Tiramisu – A classic Italian dessert, often available as a sweet treat on the streets.
•  Margherita Pizza – Traditional Italian Pizza with a tomato base and cheese.

Hungary

• Lángos – deep-fried flatbread, often topped with garlic, sour cream, and cheese.
• Hortobágyi Palacsinta – savoury Hungarian crepes filled with meat and topped with a paprika-infused sauce.
• In Budapest, you can do a Street Food Tasting Tour.

Iceland

• Harðfiskur – Dried fish jerky, a traditional Icelandic snack.
• Hangikjöt – Smoked lamb, often served on bread with butter.

Ireland

• Boxty – traditional Irish potato pancakes.
• Blaa – A Blaa is a soft, floury bread roll. Filled with various ingredients like bacon, sausage, or ham
• In Dublin, you can go on a Walking Street Food Tour.

Italy

• Panini – Grilled sandwiches with various fillings, often with cured meats and cheeses.
• Arancini – Deep-fried rice balls with a gooey cheese centre.
• You can do the Monti Street Food Tour in Rome, Italy, and Palermo offers a Night Street Food Tour. There are just too many Street Food Tours in Italy to mention.

Latvia

• Rye Bread with Sprats – Open-faced sandwiches with sprats on dark rye bread.
• Sklandrausis – A traditional Latvian sweet pie with a rye crust, filled with mashed sweet carrots and potatoes.

Liechtenstein

• Rösti – grated and fried potatoes, often served as a side dish.
• Käsknöpfle – pasta served with melted cheese, a Liechtenstein speciality.

Lithuania

• Cepelinai – Potato dumplings filled with meat, curd, or mushrooms.
•  Kepta Duona – Deep-fried rye bread sticks often served with garlic sauce.

Luxembourg

• Gromperekichelcher – Potato fritters, often enjoyed as a street food snack.
• Judd mat Gaardebounen – Smoked pork neck with broad beans.
• Plan a visit to the annual Eat It Street Food Festival in Luxembourg City.

Malta

• Pastizzi – Flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, famous as a snack
• Ftira – Traditional Maltese bread topped with various ingredients like tomatoes, olives, and capers.
• You can do a Street Food Culture Tour in Valletta.

Moldova

• Mămăligă – A cornmeal porridge, often served with cheese and sour cream. 
• Plăcintă – A Moldovan pastry with various ingredients such as cheese, pumpkin, or cabbage.

Monaco

• Socca – A type of chickpea pancake typically enjoyed in the southern regions of France, including Monaco.
• Fougasse – Traditional Provençal bread often filled with olives or cheese.

Montenegro

• Priganice – Deep-fried dough balls, often served with powdered sugar or honey.
•  Burek – A flaky pastry filled with minced meat, cheese, or vegetables.

Netherlands

• Bitterballen – Deep-fried balls filled with a mixture of beef or veal ragout.
• Poffertjes – Mini Dutch pancakes typically served with powdered sugar and butter.
• While in Amsterdam, you can go on The Market Street Food Walking Tour.

North Macedonia

• Ajvar – A condiment made from red bell peppers, often spread on bread or served with grilled meats.
• Kifli – crescent-shaped pastries filled with various sweet or savoury fillings.

Norway

• Pølse med Lompe – hot dogs with various toppings, including crispy onions and sauces.
• Raspeballer – potato dumplings often served with meat or butter.
• You can do a Street Food Culture Tour in Oslo.

Poland

• Zapiekanka – A type of open-faced baguette with various toppings.
•  Oscypek – Smoked sheep’s milk cheese, often grilled and served with cranberry sauce.
• You can do a Street Food Walking Tour and a Street Food Tour by Electric Car in Krakow.

Portugal

• Pastel de Nata – Custard tart pastry.
• Bifana – Marinated pork sandwiches, often enjoyed as a quick snack.
• You can do Street Food to Awarded Chefs’ Portuguese Delicacies in Lisbon, Portugal.

Romania

• Mămăligă – A cornmeal porridge, often served with cheese and sour cream.
• Sarmale – Cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, often served with sour cream.
• Go on a Street Food Tour with a local guide in Bucharest.

Russia

• Blini – Thin pancakes served with sweet or savoury toppings like caviar or sour cream.
• Piroshki – Small baked or fried buns filled with sweet or savoury ingredients like meat, potatoes, or cabbage.

San Marino

• Piadina – A thin Italian flatbread, often filled with cheese, cold cuts, or vegetables.
• Passatelli – A pasta dish made with breadcrumbs, eggs, and cheese.

Serbia

• Pljeskavica – Grilled ground meat patties, often served on flatbread.
• Gibanica – Layered pastry filled with cheese, eggs, and sometimes meat.

Slovakia

• Bryndzové Halušky – Potato dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon.
• Bryndzové Pirohy – Dumplings filled with sheep cheese, a traditional Slovak dish

Slovenia

• Carniolan Sausage – Slovenian sausage variety, often grilled and served with mustard. 
• Gibanica – Layered pastry filled with cheese, eggs, and sometimes poppy seeds.

Spain

• Churros – Fried dough pastries, often served with chocolate sauce. 
• Patatas Bravas – Fried potatoes served with a spicy tomato sauce.

Sweden

• Swedish Meatballs – Small, seasoned ground meatballs.
• Smörgåstårta – A savoury sandwich cake, a unique culinary delight.
• Visit the annual Street Food Festivalen in Stockholm every July.

Switzerland

• Raclette – Melted cheese scraped off a heated wheel and served with potatoes and pickles.
• Swiss Sausages – Often grilled and served with bread or in a bun.

Ukraine

• Pampushky – fried doughnuts with various fillings like jam or sweet cheese.
•  Holubtsi – cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and ground meat, often served with a tomato-based sauce.

United Kingdom

• Fish and Chips – Deep-fried fish served with thick-cut fries, often accompanied by mushy peas.
• Cornish Pasty – A pastry filled with meat and vegetables
• In London, you can do a Shoreditch Street Food Tour.

We hope this food adventure is a feast for the senses and helps you find a treat for every family member. From the cheesy goodness of raclette in Switzerland to the finger-licking joy of British fish and chips, we’ve sourced the best street food in Europe for you.

Imagine the laughter as you share a box of piping hot churros in Madrid or the excitement of trying the world’s best hotdogs in Copenhagen. Each street food bite tells a story of local traditions and the shared joy from enjoying something delicious and new together.

So, when planning your family vacation in Europe, let your taste buds guide you. Whether you’re munching on Custard Tart in Portugal or discovering the crunch of Croatian Ćevapi, these street food delights aren’t just meals. They’re unforgettable family memories.

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