Food & drink

The 7 Luxembourgish dishes to try, ranked

5 min read

A plate of Judd mat Gaardebounen with boiled potatoes

The top three

1. Judd mat Gaardebounen — smoked pork neck with broad beans and boiled potatoes. The unofficial national dish, best in autumn and winter, served everywhere from Am Tiirmschen in Ville Haute to Brasserie Guillaume. 2. Bouneschlupp — green bean soup with potatoes, onions and often smoked sausage. Simple, warming, cheap; a fixture on $14 lunch menus. 3. Gromperekichelcher — thick fried potato pancakes with parsley and onion, sold at every Christmas market stall and at the twice-weekly Wednesday and Saturday market on Place Guillaume II.

These three are the foundation of Luxembourgish home cooking and none of them will cost more than a main-course price at a mid-range restaurant. Order Judd at a proper brasserie rather than a hotel restaurant — the smoked pork needs the traditional long cook. Bouneschlupp is your rainy-day lunch. Gromperekichelcher are best hot from the pan at a market stand, not on a restaurant plate where they arrive limp.

Four more for a longer stay

4. Kachkéis (cooked cheese) on toast with mustard — a soft, spreadable cheese, often eaten as a snack with a Diekirch or Bofferding beer. 5. Rieslingpaschtéit, a puff pastry pie filled with veal or pork in Riesling sauce. 6. Fritür, small fried river fish (from the Moselle), best at riverside restaurants in Remich or Wormeldange in summer. 7. Quetschentaart, a plum tart made with dark purple Zwetschgen plums in late summer and autumn.

Kachkéis is more of a snack than a meal but genuinely local; it's on most café menus as a starter. Rieslingpaschtéit is old-school and a bit heavy; order it once. Fritür is only worth ordering on the Moselle itself, not in the capital — freshness matters. Quetschentaart is what to eat with afternoon coffee between August and October; almost every bakery makes a version and Oberweis on Grand-Rue is the reliable central option.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find these on menus in the capital?

Am Tiirmschen, Mousel's Cantine in Clausen, and Brasserie Guillaume all serve traditional dishes. The Wednesday and Saturday market at Place Guillaume II has the street versions.

Is Luxembourg vegetarian-friendly?

The national cuisine is very meat-heavy, but every mid-range restaurant now has vegetarian options. Bouneschlupp without sausage is the safest traditional pick.