Experiencing local flavors is an essential part of any European vacation. Here is a list of the best foods for kids in ten different countries from basic to adventurous including can't miss local desserts to reward eaters of all ages. Let's go on a culinary journey of the most kid-friendly foods in Europe.
France
Basic: Jambon baguette -- A sandwich of ham and butter on a soft baguette is a classic simple lunch that most kids will find delightful. Steak frites is an elegant, yet kid-friendly dinner option. And if the kiddos don't eat all of the steak or frites, then any dad will gladly finish it for them.
Adventurous: Moules -- mussels in white wine sauce have long been the gateway drug of French cuisine.
Dessert: Crepes -- skinny pancakes cooked before your eyes and smothered in sugar or chocolate or strawberry jam or Nutella or any other imaginable sweet is a bit of pure delight. Plus, crepes can be found at just about any street corner from Normandy to Nice for a euro or two.
England
Basic: Fish and Chips -- I think Irish fish and chips are slightly better, but you can't go wrong with English fish and chips. Bangers and mash -- grilled sausages with mashed potatoes are another simple and approachable food for kids.
Adventurous: Meat Pies -- A steak and kidney pie might draw some interest from a kid looking for something fun -- it's traditionally filled with diced steak, onion, and kidney (possibly from a lamb or pig) cooked in gravy and then wrapped in a pastry and baked. If the kidney is a barrier, there are numerous other filling options.
A traditional full English breakfast could also be an adventure for a young eater willing to try the beans, mushrooms, rashers (bacon), and black pudding (made with a little blood).
Dessert: An Old English Trifle is fancy, yet familiar. This traditional dessert features sponge cake with cream and berries--but there are dozens of variations. If you want to take your kids to a high tea, a trifle will likely be featured along with a variety of other cakes and biscuits (cookies).
The Borough Market just south of the Thames in London is a great place to combine sightseeing with a bit of gastronomy. The craft food movement is on full display here, and you can find cuisine ranging from traditional English to Indian to Asian fusion along with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. With so many choices, you'll be sure to find something for even your most picky eaters.
The Borough Market is also where our younger son discovered fancy cheese. At age 9, he had been exclusive with gateway cheeses -- mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar. After one taste of a Yorkshire Cheddar from Neal's Yard Cheese Shop he was hooked and remains the biggest cheese aficionado in the AK household.
Ireland
Basic: Fish and chips -- fried goodness with fried goodness. The staple of Irish cuisine is the Dubliner's version of chicken nuggets.
Adventurous: Calcannon -- It looks like your mom tried to hide some kale in mashed potatoes because that's exactly what it is.
Desert: Soda bread with clotted cream -- While ice cream is ubiquitous, progressive eateries will often feature a soda bread dessert with a bit of clotted cream -- which is the love child of butter and whipped cream.
Germany
Basic: Schnitzel -- I don't know the exact translation, but generally speaking, schnitzel is a breaded and fried cutlet of pork, veal, or chicken. What's not to love?
Adventurous: Sauerbraten -- It's pot roast, but with so much vinegar that it takes on a sour taste. A definite for any pickle lovers in the family.
Dessert: Strudel -- While the basics vary by region, strudel is the quintessential dessert to have in Germany. It's baked pastry with apple or cream cheese filling for goodness sake.
Italy
Basic: Pizza or Pasta -- Even the pickiest eaters will be happy in the land of pizza and pasta, so no one will ever stave. Spaghetti carbonara is a great way to introduce kids to more upscale Italian cuisine. Carbonara is basically a white sauce of bacon and eggs.
Adventurous: Bistecca alla Fiorentina -- A big Tuscan steak is a spectacle that will surely entertain kids and parents alike. The typical Tuscan steak is a three to five pound Porterhouse monster simply spiced with salt and pepper, thrown on a super hot grill for a few minutes so that it has a nice char but is still rare on the inside, and then sliced up to share with a splash of olive oil. It is traditionally served very rare.
Dessert: Gelato. At least once per day. Twice for well-behaved children.
Greece
Basic: Gyros, souvlaki, and grilled chicken are pretty common and kid friendly options that you can find just about anywhere in Greece. Paired up with a greek salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and feta, and you've got a great go-to meal for lunch or dinner.
Adventurous: Moussaka -- This is a great step up from basic that isn't too adventurous. It looks like a Greek lasagna but instead of pasta, beef and marinara sauce, moussaka is thin slices of potato and eggplant, layered with beef and béchamel sauce.
For a truly adventurous eater, check out grilled octopus. You can order a single tentacle or a full octo grilled on a coal fire and doused with olive oil and oregano. Daddy AK highly approves of this dish.
Dessert: Gelato -- As in Italy, gelato is everywhere and is especially satisfying on a hot day. But don't be shy about trying any of the wide variety of pastries. Baklava is the most familiar but there are a dozen different variations of honey plus phyllo deserts that any kid will love.
Austria
Basic: Tirolean dumplings -- While recipes vary, Tirolean dumplings can be plain or filled with cheese, meats, onions, fresh herbs, etc. and served in a broth or with simple accompaniments like sauerkraut or salad.
Adventurous: Goulash -- while not super adventurous, your little ones might need some convincing to try this delicious paprika-rich beef stew. Then again, the name sounds like a bodily function, so adolescent boys might be into it.
Dessert: Strudel -- Again. I imagine there is a dusty volume in a dark library near the Zugspitze that details a long and sometimes bloody strudel feud between the Germans and Austrians in the late 17th century. At one point, there was a truce because they both realized that strudel is awesome.
Sweden
Basic: Meatballs --Available in just about every restaurant and take away food shop, meatballs are the national dish of Sweden. Meatballs for the People is an amazingly cozy restaurant that offers meatballs made from cow, pork, moose, boar, reindeer and more exotic animals.
Adventurous: Pickled herring -- Yes, it is what you think it is. Fish that has been cured in a pickling brine. In its most extreme form, herring is not just pickled but also fermented which turns the once swimming fish to a gelatinous blob that would make the hardest heart cry for mamma. But artisanal herring, driven by Sweden's craft food movement, reveals a delicate white fish with a hint of dill that tastes as lovely as if it was plucked from the sea that day, rather than an undetermined amount of years ago.
Dessert: Kardemummabullar-- If you get meatballs, they will come with ligonberries which offer a lovely bittersweet balance to the hearty taste of meatballs and gravy. It's kind of like getting a dessert with dinner. For actual dessert, Swedish kardemummabullar (cardamom buns) are soft, rich, yeasty bites of deliciousness with an aromatic butter, sugar and cardamom filling. They look and taste somewhat similar to cinnamon rolls.
Portugal
Basic: Peri Peri Chicken and Bifana -- Two simple foods stand out in Portugal. Peri peri chicken and bifana. Peri peri chicken is a simple roasted chicken with a spicy red pepper oil. Most places have the oil on the side so you can control the heat for you and your little ones. Bonjardim in central Lisbon has the best in the city. A lunch there with two orders of chicken, an omelette and a plate of fries filled up the whole family.
The other delectable, yet simple food to try in Portugal is the bifana sandwich: roasted pork sliced thin layered on a bun dunked in a simple au jus. Bifanas are a great on-the-go food when you are out hiking the hilly streets of Lisbon.
Adventurous: Bacalhau -- Surrounded by ocean on two of it's four sides, you'll find an unending variety of seafood across Portugal. Bacalhau, or salt-cured cod, is the most popular type of fish and you'll see it prepared a million different ways. Sardines are also ubiquitous and even trendy. Artisanal sardines can be found across the country and come in brightly colored cans. And you know what...they are actually quite good. Think soft, delicate flavorful fish--not the stinky, briny taste that might first come to mind when you hear the word "sardine."
Dessert: Pastel De Nata -- I don't know if most countries have an official national pastry, but Portugal does...and with good reason. Pastel De Nata is a simple custard pastry. Think a dollop of pudding inside a buttery, flaky pastry shell. The dish was invented by monks a few hundred years ago and today the pastries seem to fuel a part of the national economy.
Norway
Basic -- Hamburgers and hot dogs are found throughout Norway...and considering that food in Norway is very expensive, a cheap hot dog on the go is a great lunch option for picky eaters.
Adventurous -- Seafood and game meats, including reindeer are popular across the country. Our best meal in Norway was at the Helt Vilt restaurant in the Mathallen Food Hall. I had an elk burger, my son went for the moose burger, and my six-year-old daughter surprised us all by ordering and LOVING a bowl of reindeer stew. Turns out that Norway produces 1,100 tons of reindeer meat each year.
Dessert: Freia chocolates -- While there are any number of desserts available, from cakes to ice cream to puddings -- our kids were not necessarily wowed by any of them in particular. But they did really enjoy the variety of candy to be discovered at supermarkets, convenience stores and markets. Freia, Norway's top chocolate maker, has a sizable store in downtown Oslo, so be sure to pop in for a treat or two.