Food & drink

Signature dishes of Luxembourg in Luxembourg

6 min read

A plate of judd mat gaardebounen — smoked collar of pork with broad beans

Judd mat gaardebounen

The national dish: smoked collar of pork simmered with broad beans, potatoes and a mustard-cream sauce. Rich, meaty and best in autumn. Go to Am Tiirmschen on Rue de l’Eau ($24) or Brasserie Guillaume on Place Guillaume II ($26). Pronounced roughly 'yood mat gah-de-boonen'. Pair with a Bofferding pilsner or a dry Auxerrois.

Bouneschlupp and kachkéis

Bouneschlupp is the green-bean soup with potato, bacon and cream — pub food, $8-10, at any brasserie. Kachkéis is a runny cooked cheese spread on rye bread with mustard, usually served as a starter or bar snack for $9. Try both at Chiggeri on Rue du Nord or Beim Renert in the Grund.

Gromperekichelcher

Deep-fried grated potato cakes with onion and parsley. Street food, sold at Christmas markets, Schueberfouer and Sunday flea markets for $4-5 each. Konrad Café off Rue du Nord has them year-round with sour cream. Never call them latkes.

Träipen and mettwurscht

Träipen is a hearty black pudding with cabbage and potato, an autumn/winter dish. Mettwurscht is a smoked, spreadable raw pork sausage — usually on bread as a snack. Both at Restaurant Ënnert de Steiler in the Grund or on menus at village fêtes.

Fresh fish and the Moselle side

Truite au Riesling — river trout poached in white wine with cream — is standard along the Moselle. Order at Restaurant Mathes in Ahn ($28) or Le Bon Accueil in Echternach. Fritur (fried river fish, usually small) is a summer thing at riverbank restaurants.

Sweet: quetschentaart and Bamkuch

Quetschentaart is a rustic damson-plum tart, in season August-October. Bamkuch is a tall multi-layered cake baked on a rotating spit, showpiece at weddings and christenings. Both at Oberweis (Grand-Rue) and Namur (Rue des Capucins) year-round.

Frequently asked questions

What's the single most Luxembourgish dish?

Judd mat gaardebounen. If you eat 1 traditional plate, make it this. It's on every serious Luxembourgish restaurant menu and rarely done badly.

Is Luxembourgish food heavy?

Yes, mostly — smoked pork, cream sauces, potatoes and beans. It's Germanic peasant cooking with French polish. Lighter options exist in summer along the Moselle (river fish, salads).

Where do locals actually eat?

Brasserie Guillaume, Am Tiirmschen, Beim Renert, Chiggeri and Um Plateau are the reliable local favorites. Rives de Clausen is more tourist-heavy but does the classics well.

Is there good vegetarian food?

Improving. Beet in Belair, Chiche! (Lebanese) and most modern places have decent options. Traditional restaurants often only offer 1 meat-free main — usually cheese-based.