The 8 Tastiest Street Foods in Europe

Sampling the local street food when traveling can be a tasty (and memorable) experience. What's not to love? It's almost always yummy, portable and cheap. When times are tough, something picked up from a street vendor can fill in for an entire meal. At other times, it can just keep you happy between meals.

As I've traveled around Europe during the past 10 years writing about budget travel, I've bit into, licked and burned my tongue on a delicious range of snacks purchased from outdoor vendors. So, which city offers the tastiest treats on the streets? Read on...

 

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St. Petersburg: Fried Pirozhki (30 rubles—about $1)

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I thought I was ordering a freshly fried sugar donut when I pointed to my first pirozhki last year in St. Petersburg. Imagine my surprise, then, to find a savory meat treat tucked within that pastry pocket! Mine was filled with minced meat, but they can also be filled with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms or sweeter fare, such as cherries.

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I thought I was ordering a freshly fried sugar donut when I pointed to my first pirozhki last year in St. Petersburg. Imagine my surprise, then, to find a savory meat treat tucked within that pastry pocket! Mine was filled with minced meat, but they can also be filled with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms or sweeter fare, such as cherries.

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Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Gross. Delicious!

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Comments

[Marco Matteo]

11:54 AM on 09/22/2010

... you don't go to Florence to eat Gelato! Eating gelato in florence is the stereotypical tourist trap street food. First off, in Florence, i'd say 80-90% of the gelaterie have their gelato bulging out of the containers ... a surefire sign that they used artificial additives and stabiliziers. Artisinal gelato can not naturally and physically stay that 'high' in the container. Made on Premises does not mean - Made with only natural ingredients and not artificial and additives. Tourists are better off looking for 'produzione artigianale' where the gelato shop is more likely to not use pre-prepared gelato mixes. You can taste the difference. Eat real gelato and eat the gelato in shops made with the pre-prepared mixes. It tastes like Dairy Queen/McDonald's ice cream. Secondly, if you go to Florence and want to eat something truly authentic from florence, and it's everywhere, it's lampredotto.

[eighthchord]

08:55 AM on 09/22/2010

This is heavily Western Europe biased. :( The pastry shops in Budapest are epic.

[Ben Hobbs]

10:35 AM on 09/19/2010

Bosna in Salzburg, Austria ... I have dreams about it years later

[seehowtheyrun]

01:53 PM on 09/18/2010

Hello, Doner Kabab !!!!!!!!!!

[Mike B]

04:46 PM on 09/22/2010

Yes, but only the Doner Kebabs in Germany. The British version does not compare.

[SchrodingersKatz]

04:27 AM on 09/17/2010

Europe doesn't have anything good, except the pizza.

[eighthchord]

08:54 AM on 09/22/2010

Pizza wasn't invented in italy. Stay in america.

[PaddockGirl]

05:40 PM on 09/15/2010

geez..who knew a thread about street food would be so heavily moderated. Is the word poffertjes offensive?

[PaddockGirl]

05:13 PM on 09/15/2010

I've had them all excpet for the fried herring sandwich. Where is the Doner Kebab? I agree with others that this list could be much longer. Stropwaffeln? Poffertjes?

[StephenJK]

02:47 AM on 09/17/2010

Yeah, missing Doner Kebab is a glaring ommission. Those things are AMAZING! The chicken ones are the shizzle.

[PaddockGirl]

05:10 PM on 09/15/2010

I've had them all except the fried herring sandwich! Where is the Doner Kebab?!?!? And there is nothing like a warm stropwaffel or even poffertjes! I could extend that list ALOT more.

[dak101]

11:49 PM on 09/14/2010

Absolutely, positively number one - the grilled cheese sandwich at the Kappacasein stand in the Borough Market, near London Bridge, open only Thurs-Fri-Sat. Solid 5 star average review, check this out on Yelp: http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/kappacasein-london And, if you don't believe me, the well known food writer/author, Ruth Reichl, in an article several years ago about the ascendancy of London as a major gourmet food city, said that the best thing she ate during her entire trip to London was the grilled cheese sandwich at Kappacasein at the Borough Market. Enjoy.

[ckinsobe]

10:48 PM on 09/14/2010

More traditional street food in Sweden is....wait for it....you know it:
Swedish meatballs! Sold at Kiosks all over, with lingon berries, mashed potatoes and crispy fried onions.
My personal fave In Sweden is a Skagen Macka a Sandwich with a mix of shrimp and crab in a dill mayo & creme fraiche sauce on a roll. Yumyumyum

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

10:21 PM on 09/14/2010

Gyros, anywhere in Europe. Bratwurst, Leberkaese or Frikadellen Broetschen in Germany. Ummmmmm.

[hulagirrrl]

06:11 PM on 09/14/2010

I know it is a heartattack in waiting, but when I am in Germany I MUST have the Currywurst with mayonaise topped fries.

[Philm Guy]

05:45 PM on 09/14/2010

The great grab/walk/eat treat in Nice, France is Pissaladière. It's an amazingly delicious onion pie that's sort of like pizza... and sort of not. I want some right now!

[BadBadKitten]

05:42 PM on 09/14/2010

I love crepes. And I don't think they are creepy.

[violettefemme]

05:26 PM on 09/14/2010

My goodness where to start!? The small but oh so flavorful and rich ice cream stands literally *everywhere* in summer....the chestnuts of French streets, --I did not even like chestnuts until I attended University in Dijon and had them every day!

I think my twin faves are: hot, fresh french fries on the streets of Amsterdam with the peanut sauce topping,
And the amazing, bacon wrapped "hotdog-like" sausages in Copenhagen, pushed down into their tubular rolls and handed over with a smile.

And OMG the falafel stand over the canal from the Amsterdam train station! I buy two, one for the train, one for the moment of purchase!