Where to Go in Europe for the Best Street Food

While fine dining may give you impeccably crafted meals in a chic setting, street food is the best way to experience an authentic taste of local cuisine. OROGOLD takes a look at where to go in Europe for the best street food.

Amsterdam
Although the food may not be the main reason that most people visit Amsterdam, there are some great street food options all over the city. Raw herring is a much-loved Dutch specialty, and you will see plenty of stands in the center of the city that serve this up. If raw fish on its own isn’t for you, many stands also serve it up in a sandwich. Another Dutch street food not to be missed is the stroopwafel, which consists of two waffle-thin wafers with a sticky sweet syrup in the center. Even if you weren’t craving something sweet, the delicious scent of the waffles being cooked by the street will be enough to tempt you to try one.

Belgium
The most popular street food in Belgium is fries. Although this may not seem very exciting, the street stalls of Belgium know how to serve them up in a way like no other. Local Bintje potatoes are cooked twice and then served up in paper cones, along with one of a huge variety of special sauces. From a cooling garlic mayonnaise to a hot and spicy Brazilian ketchup, it is these sauces that make Belgium fries extra special!

Paris
A visit to Paris is not complete without a taste of a crepe from a street stall. Crepes are large, thin pancakes that are folded up over a variety of fillings, either sweet or savory. The savory fillings range from mushrooms to cheese to asparagus to eggs, with many stands making good use of fresh, local produce and seasonal ingredients. To satisfy your sweet tooth, OROGOLD recommends trying a melted chocolate crepe topped with ice cream.

Rome
Pizza is the most popular street food in Rome, and can be found on almost every street corner. Unlike American-style pizzas that are baked in a circular dish, the pizza al taglio served up in Rome is baked as a rectangle, and can feature a number of different toppings, from fresh tomatoes to prosciutto to eggplant. Rather than ordering it by the slice, you let the stall know how big of a square you would like, and are charged by its weight rather than its size. Italy is also the home of gelato, and there is no better way to end a meal than with a couple of scoops of this local dessert. Gelato stands can be found all over the city, with each stand usually having some truly unique flavors.

Street food is usually the true essence of a city’s cuisine, and are popular snacks eaten by the locals throughout the day. Whether you chow down on some pizza and gelato in Rome, or snack on some fries while wandering through Belgium, European countries have an enormous variety of street foods that are definitely worth trying whenever you next visit.