Foodie tour in Saarbrücken
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Saarbrücken, the capital of the Saarland region, has a lot to offer in terms of culture and nature. Be it the "Der Staden" park directly on the Saar River or the Urban Art Walk, which takes visitors through the city on a trail featuring colourful art. But apart from this and other sights such as a castle and a primeval forest at the gates of the city, Saarbrücken has one thing in particular to offer: excellent food!
Let's start our culinary tour in the heart of the city at St. Johanner Markt square where you’ll find restaurants, cafés and various shops. From here, we’ll head to nearby Kaltenbachstrasse for two special foodie destinations:
Foto: Oliver Raatz
Kalinski Wurstwirtschaft & Gin Bar
Ever heard of the famous German Currywurst? It consists of the bratwurst type sausage, cut into bite-sized chunks and served with curry ketchup. To give it a try, there’s no better place than Kalinski. Not only do they source their meat locally in the Saarland’s Bliesgau region, there’s also a vegan sausage option and vegan curry sauces on the menu. Tip: Try the Saarland style Currywurst!
Foto: Marcus Simaitis
This bakery works with creative recipes and old grain varieties such as emmer for a different type of bread. Baking here means producing the goods by hand, including delicious, freshly made sandwiches. Whether you fancy something sweet to go with your coffee or a hearty snack while strolling through town, there's a wide selection at Brot & Sinne, including vegan options.
Foto: Marcus Simaitis
There’s always time for ice cream! This popular ice cream parlour on Kappenstrasse only a short walk from St. Johanner Markt uses local produce from a dairy in the Bliesgau region to create its ice cream variations, including hazelnut, vanilla or halva. Or how about a vegan chocolate sorbet? Speaking of which, Henry’s sorbets are vegan in general and made from regional and seasonal fruits. You have to be quick if you want to get hold of the mirabelle plum or rhubarb!
We continue our tour moving towards the Nauwieser neighbourhood, a creative quarter that any Saarbrücken visitor ends up in sooner or later. During the day, small stores such as book, toy or ceramic shops invite you to come in and browse. There are also cafés where you can stop for a coffee and admire parts of the Urban Art Walk before continuing on your foodie tour.
Foto: Oliver Raatz
To get a taste of not just the Saarland but also the surrounding regions, this delicatessen is the place to go for sweet and savoury treats from Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and across the border the French Lorraine region as well as Luxembourg. All products are made (mostly by hand) by small producers located within a maximum of 150 kilometres around the Saarland region. They also do delicious gift baskets!
Fotos: Carsten Simon
In Andrea Dumont's Fruchteria it’s all about homemade jams, chutneys and other delicacies. Many of the fruits used are fresh and hand-picked from the orchards in the neighbourhood. In addition to classics like strawberry or apricot fruit spread, you can also find tomato with tonka bean, or a mango and rosemary spread.
Foto: Marcus Simaitis
Leaving the Nauwieser neighbourhood, we move on to another trendy corner of the city on Mainzer Straße with hidden courtyards, boutiques, restaurants and small shops. You will also find parts of the Urban Art Walk here, but above all even more delicious food!
Foto: HONKPHOTO/Holger Kiefer
ItalianDelight Pastamanufaktur
Tina Bonaffini-Caputo has Italian roots and creates refined pasta variations. The produce she works with, such as meat, vegetables and fruits, come from the nearby Wintinger Hof farm, and are used for sauces, ravioli and much more. A local speciality is her “Saarland ravioli“ with fine homemade liver sausage, minced meat and potatoes, refined with caramelised apple and the acidity of sauerkraut. If you stop by at lunchtime, you can sample a daily changing hot dish to take away.
Fotos: Anna Rissel
This family business, now in its third generation, offers more than just bread and cakes. You can also try typical Saarland dishes straight out of grandma Gerdi’s recipe book, such as Dibbelabbes, Hoorische and Lyoner. For the sweet-toothed among us, there are also delicious chocolate creations by “chocolate sommelier” Michael Steigleiter.
Foto: Katrin Steigleiter
To finish off our foodie tour, we head towards Saarbrücken Castle on the opposite side of the Saar River. The princely residence is now an administrative building and cultural venue. The historical museum is also located there. But let's leave history aside for a moment and get back to food.
Foto: Kevin Ehm
What makes a good meal? According to Richard Möcks and Ben Albuzat, it’s the spices used. On their many travels, they have come to know and appreciate the diversity of spices as they are used in different cuisines and have brought this experience home with them. Rimoco offers an impressive range of chillies, herbs, curries, spice blends, salts and peppers. Special tip for curry lovers: Try the slightly sour tasting Purple Curry with hibiscus flowers. There are also classics such as Baharat, Café de Paris, Cajun, Garam Masala or Dukkah. Spice blends with regional references such as Dibbelabbes or Schwenker (local word for BBQ) spice and other down-to-earth compositions for fried potatoes, bread or bean soup can also be found among the 160 spices and spice blends on offer. You will even find Ayurvedic spice blends here. Most importantly, the owners have a very clear philosophy: never compromise when it comes to the quality of the individual ingredients.
Fotos: Marcus Simaitis
If you want to round off the evening with a good dinner, there are two restaurants to choose from.
A green oasis is hidden in the middle of the Nauwies neighbourhood. The inner courtyard at the Achteinhalb cinema is adorned with a canopy of leaves, which invites you to stay longer in the evening with its numerous fairy lights. Gerd Kühn's Café Kostbar is particularly well-known for its vegetarian and vegan dishes, which change on the menu depending on the season. So there is always something new to try.
Foto: Marcus Simaitis
If you are looking for a modern pub atmosphere, you will find it at Hilde&Heinz right at the beginning of Mainzer Straße. In the stylish ambience, you can sample Saarland tapas and try mini versions of classics such as dibbelabbes, gefillde and geheirade. Anyone who thinks that hearty Saarland cuisine is all about meat can be convinced by the many vegetarian versions of the classics here.
Foto: p.light.saar
A very special tip for anyone interested in fine dining is the Esplanade, which has been awarded two Michelin stars and is also located in the centre of the Nauwies district. Here you can indulge in the culinary delights of chef Silio del Fabro and even spend the night in the modern city villa.
Foto: Oliver Raatz
