Christmas-market Kinderpunsch (alc-free), 300-year-old cafés serving hot chocolate, gelato in January. What to eat, where to eat it, what to drink that isn't soft drink.
You won't feel left out. Here's the survival kit.
Every stall has alc-free options. Ask for:
Make a project of finding the best:
Try at Coop / Spar / Carrefour / Lidl:
Giant pretzel with orange-yellow Camembert-paprika spread. €5.
Crackling pork knuckle, with dumpling + sauerkraut. €25.
White veal sausage — BEFORE noon only with sweet mustard. €8.
Bavarian mac & cheese: egg noodles, Emmental, fried onions. €15.
Hammer-thin veal in golden breadcrumbs. €22.
Sugar-dusted Bavarian fried doughnut. €2.50 at Café Frischhut.
| Restaurant | Specialty | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Café Frischhut "Schmalznudel" | Bavarian doughnuts since 1936 | €15 |
| Wirtshaus Ayinger | Schweinshaxe + Käsespätzle | €55 |
| Schneider Bräuhaus | Wurstplatte for 2 | €45 |
| Spatenhaus an der Oper | Romantic · Tafelspitz | €110 |
| Viktualienmarkt stand-ups | Soup, sausages, pretzels | €20 |
Mini sausages, 7–9cm, finger-thin. "3 im Weckla" (3 in a bun). €8–€15.
The original Nuremberg gingerbread. Lebkuchen-Schmidt is the heritage brand. €15 for a tin.
Slow-roasted pork shoulder + crackling + dumplings + dark gravy. €20.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Bratwursthäusle bei St. Sebald | The Bratwurst spot | €15 |
| Heilig Geist Spital | Riverside, candlelit, romantic | €90 for two |
| Albrecht-Dürer-Stube | Cozy old-world Franconian | €70 for two |
| Lebkuchen-Schmidt | Buy gingerbread to take | €15+ |
Sirloin in creamy root-veg sauce + bread dumplings + cranberry + whipped cream. National dish. 350 CZK ≈ A$31.
Czech beef goulash with knedlíky (bread dumplings). 280 CZK ≈ A$25.
Breaded fried cheese + tartar + potato salad. National guilty pleasure. 200 CZK ≈ A$18.
"Chimney cake" — yeast dough on a spit, grilled, cinnamon-sugar. Eat fresh from a stall actually grilling them. 80 CZK ≈ A$7.
Half-duck, red cabbage, dumplings. 450 CZK ≈ A$40.
Cream puff with caramel glaze. Classic Czech pastry. 70 CZK ≈ A$6.
| Place | For | Price (CZK) |
|---|---|---|
| Lokál Dlouhááá | Czech classics, no-frills | 800 for two |
| U Modré Kachničky (Blue Duckling) | Romantic · roast duck | 1,900 for two |
| U Černého Vola | 600-yr-old tavern near castle | 800 for two |
| Café Savoy | 1893 café, beautiful ceiling | 600 for two |
| La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise | 1-Michelin Czech tasting | 8,400 for two |
| Cukrkávalimonáda | Best hot chocolate | 350 for two |
Dense chocolate, apricot jam, dark glaze. Original at Café Sacher. €10.50/slice.
Veal not pork. Plate-sized. €22 at Figlmüller.
Boiled beef done 1,000 ways at Plachutta. €30.
Hot, hand-stretched dough, vanilla sauce. €8.
"Emperor's mess" — torn pancake with plums. €12.
Cheese-stuffed sausage from a Würstelstand. €5.
| Café | Year | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Café Central | 1876 | Apfelstrudel + Mélange · Trotsky played chess here |
| Café Sacher | 1832 | Sachertorte + Maria Theresia hot chocolate |
| Café Demel | 1786 | Anna Torte + watching chefs work behind glass |
| Café Landtmann | 1873 | Freud's regular |
Pistachio marzipan + nougat + dark chocolate. Original at Café Fürst (1890). €1.50.
3 baked egg-white "peaks" — symbolising the 3 mountains around Salzburg. Made to order, 15 min. €15.
Boiled beef + horseradish + apple sauce. Emperor's favourite. €28.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| St. Peter Stiftskulinarium | Oldest restaurant in Europe (803 AD) | €140 for two |
| 🎂 Restaurant Esszimmer (1-Michelin) | Birthday dinner · modern Austrian tasting | €290 for two |
| Triangel | Salzburger Nockerl, Käsespätzle | €80 for two |
| Café Tomaselli | Austria's oldest café (1700) | €38 for two |
| Konditorei Fürst | Original Mozartkugel + hot chocolate | €20 for two |
| Goldener Hirsch Herzl | Alpine elegance, fireplace tables | €110 for two |
Half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois. Don't drop the bread. CHF 38pp.
Pan-fried grated potato cake. CHF 22 plain, CHF 28 with bacon + cheese + egg.
Lucerne's specialty: puff-pastry vol-au-vent with veal in cream-mushroom sauce. CHF 32.
| Place | For | Price (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| Wirtshaus Galliker | Chügelipastete · grandma's kitchen | 100 for two |
| Old Swiss House | Tableside-fried schnitzel since 1859 | 95 for two |
| Swiss Chuchi (Hotel Adler) | Christmas Eve fondue | 110 for two |
| Restaurant Stern | Oldest in Lucerne (1417) | 110 for two |
Half-wheel of Raclette cheese melted under heat, scraped onto pickles + potatoes. CHF 38pp.
Alpine mac & cheese with apple sauce on the side. Don't argue — try the apple. CHF 25.
Swiss national sausage, grilled, served with mustard + bread. CHF 12.
| Place | For | Price (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Belvedere restaurant | Christmas Day gala dinner | 140pp set menu |
| C&M Restaurant | Modern alpine, wood-fire pizza | 90 for two |
| Onkel Tom's Hütte | Log-cabin pizzeria · cosy | 75 for two |
| La Marmite | Traditional Swiss fondue | 100 for two |
| Restaurant Crystal (Jungfraujoch) | Mountain Älplermagronen at 3,454m | 60 for two |
| Berghaus First | Mountain restaurant, Eiger view | 50 for two |
Alsace = French + German + its own thing. Beer was made here for 1,000 years, but the food culture is even older. One night — eat well.
Thin-crust "Alsatian pizza" — crème fraîche, onions, lardons, on wood-fired flatbread. €12.
Sauerkraut platter with pork, sausages, potatoes. The Alsatian feast. €22.
Brioche-like ring cake with almonds + raisins. Alsace's signature bake. €5/slice.
Tiny Alsatian Christmas cookies in 30+ varieties. Buy a mixed box from any market stall. €10/100g.
Spiced honey gingerbread, dense + sticky. Mireille Oster on Rue des Dentelles is the artisan icon.
Local soft pretzel, slightly different from Bavarian — crisper crust. €3.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Maison Kammerzell (1427) | Painted-facade icon · Tarte flambée | €60 for two |
| Chez Yvonne | Homey winstub · choucroute | €80 for two |
| Au Crocodile | 2-Michelin splurge | €360 for two |
| L'Eveil des Sens | Modern Alsatian, mid-priced | €100 for two |
| Mireille Oster | Pain d'épices · take some home | €15 |
| Christmas market stalls | Tarte flambée, bredele, vin chaud | €20 wandering |
Du Pain et des Idées or Cyril Lignac. €2 each.
Bavette or onglet. Rare. €25.
Onion soup with Gruyère raft. €14.
Béchamel-topped toasted ham + cheese. €15.
Both invented at Angelina (1903). €15.
Rose-lychee-raspberry. €4 each.
Bistro standards. €9.
Slow-braised beef (alcohol burns off). €24.
Burgundy snails in garlic-parsley butter. €18 for 6.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Le Comptoir du Relais | Bistro · walk-in 18:00–20:00 | €100 for two |
| Bistrot Paul Bert | Steak frites · book ahead | €90 for two |
| Café de Flore | Breakfast + people-watch | €40 for two |
| Les Ombres | Rooftop, Eiffel-filled window | €120 for two |
| Angelina (226 Rivoli) | Hot chocolate + Mont-Blanc | €25 for two |
| Pierre Hermé | Macarons | €20 for 5 |
| Le Petit Cler | NYE early-dinner bistro | €70 for two |
| Holybelly | Aussie-style brunch | €50 for two |
Val Gardena (Ortisei) speaks Ladin, Italian, and German. The cuisine reflects all three — pasta + speck + dumplings + Apfelstrudel under the same roof.
Spinach + ricotta ravioli in butter-sage. The Tyrolean Sunday lunch. €14.
South-Tyrolean bread dumplings — speck, cheese, or spinach. Served in broth or buttered. €14.
Smoked-cured ham from the valley, sliced paper-thin. €12 a plate.
Better in South Tyrol than anywhere — apples grow in the valley. €7.
Beetroot-stuffed half-moon ravioli — pink filling, butter + poppy seeds + smoked ricotta on top. Cortina specialty. €16.
Same as Austria — torn pancake + stewed fruit + powdered sugar. Mid-mountain rifugio classic. €12.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Anna Stuben (1-Michelin) | Modern Alpine-Italian tasting | €300 for two |
| Plan Murin | Genuine Ladin food in a cosy wooden hut | €80 for two |
| Restaurant Concordia | Traditional Tyrolean | €70 for two |
| Rifugio Sanon | Mountain lunch · sun deck | €60 for two |
| Café Mauriz | Apfelstrudel + marocchino | €15 for two |
T-bone from Chianina cattle. Min 1kg. Charred outside, blue inside. Only rare. €70 for one, share. They will refuse well-done.
Tuscan focaccia. Try at All'Antico Vinaio as a sandwich. €10.
"Re-boiled" cabbage + bean + bread stew. Winter peasant dish. €12.
Cow's-stomach sandwich. Street-food classic. Brave or curious. €5.
Wide pasta with wild-boar ragù. Tuscan staple. €18.
Almond biscotti. Dip in espresso (instead of Vin Santo). €6 a bag.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Trattoria Mario | Bistecca, shared tables, cash only · lunch only | €60 for two |
| La Giostra | Prince-owned, romantic, fairy lights | €120 for two |
| All'Antico Vinaio | Schiacciata sandwiches | €20 for two |
| Mercato Centrale (upstairs) | Food hall, all-purpose | €40 for two |
| Cantinetta Antinori | Tuscan classics in a Renaissance palace | €110 for two |
| Gelateria della Passera / La Carraia | Best gelato (skip Duomo tourist spots) | €8 for two |
Roman pasta canon: Cacio e Pepe · Carbonara · Amatriciana · Gricia. Try all four. NO cream in carbonara, ever.
Pecorino + black pepper + pasta water. €14.
Egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino, black pepper. €16.
Bucatini, tomato, guanciale, chili. €14.
Roman-style by the slice, weighed by gram. €5.
Whole artichoke deep-fried Roman-Jewish style. €12.
Real gelato is in covered metal tins. €4.
Sweet bun stuffed with whipped cream. €4.
Veal cutlet, sage, prosciutto. €22.
Glass dish, freshly made. €8.
| Place | For | Price (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Roscioli | THE carbonara · book 4 wks ahead | €110 for two |
| Armando al Pantheon | Roman classics since 1961 | €100 for two |
| Da Enzo al 29 (Trastevere) | No reservations · queue 19:00 | €70 for two |
| Pierluigi | Seafood · romantic terrace | €130 for two |
| Pizzarium | Bonci's pizza al taglio | €25 for two |
| Giolitti | Historic gelato (1900) | €10 for two |
| Gelateria del Teatro | Current best gelato | €8 for two |