If you get the opportunity to accompany your kid or grandchild to a new region, such as Central Europe, take advantage of it! I accompanied my daughter across Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Munich, Germany while she participated in the Global Youth Leadership Foundation program. If you do any study about Vienna, you will discover that the most unmissable stop is Mrs. Brauns for apple strudel. Thus began our quest for the greatest apple strudel in Central Europe.
First, a recap. Strudel is an iteration of baklava that dates back to Turkish antiquity. The contemporary form, on the other hand, evolved from the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the nineteenth century and remains a treasured childhood memory for many. The German term strudel means “swirl,” which is how the pastry appears when sliced crosswise. Apple strudel is a roll of thin dough filled with apple filling.
We discovered in Central Europe that one of the most significant distinctions is how the strudel is served: with cream, ice cream, or with added sweets or fruit. The applestrudel is often served with hot vanilla cream sauce in Vienna. Ice cream was more popular in Budapest and Munich.
Visiting other European countries? See our other guides:
- Where to Find the Best Schnitzel in Vienna, Austria
- 9 Best Vienna Restaurants
- 10 Fun Things To Do In Vienna
- The 13 Best Budapest Restaurants
- Best Traditional Hungarian Food
- 8 Best Brno Restaurants
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Central Europe’s Best Apple Strudel
Vienna, Austria’s best strudel:
Frau Brauns
Mrs. Brauns, the leading apple strudel restaurant, is situated on the same plaza as St. Michaels Basilica. Its most adored by Sound of Music tour guides and recommended around the city, it is greeted by a grandmotherly figure. We appreciated the comfortable decor and traditional attire that some people donned. The strudel was served with a delicate, flaky crust and a thin vanilla sauce. We’ll always have a soft spot for it since it was the first thing we tried.
Mozart’s Café
This caf housed lords and women during Imperial Vienna and is well positioned for visitors and concert-goers. Although it has long been popular among the upper crust, artists and the rest of society are now enjoying it. Graham Greene, the author of The Third Man, may have written it there as well. It appears in the film. We saw numerous Emperors Pancake delivery as we waited for our order. The apple pie is served with ice cream, whereas the apple strudel is served with vanilla sauce.
Sacher Wien Caf
The Caf, another Vienna institution, is housed inside the Hotel Sacher Wien. The chandeliers might be hundreds of years old and will provide a lovely light on your stay in this gleaming metropolis. Instead of the conventional and much-loved Sacher cake, try the apple strudel. That was even better than the cake.
The Pyramide Eventhotel
This was the hotel where we stayed and where I ate numerous of my meals since I was in a wheelchair. It was located in South Vienna. Their apple strudel was accompanied by a richer vanilla cream.
Fortunately for us, it is adjacent to Shopping City Sued, Central Europe’s biggest mall. Thus, if you’re traveling from a chilly location (like Ireland) to a super-hot and humid environment, you can go pick up anything you need.
Budapest, Hungary’s Best Strudel
On each side of the Danube river sits the lovely city of Budapest, which is really a fusion of what was originally two towns, Buda on the left bank and Pest on the right.
Budapest is famous for its outdoor restaurants, where the atmosphere of fun and friendliness coexists with the spirit of music. Strudel, also known as rtes in Hungary, is a popular, traditional, and multi-flavored dessert.
Our hotel seemed to be a restored military barracks and did not belong on any best of list. But it did teach me a crucial lesson.
ProTip: Before attempting a substantial sip, test the bottled water or tea. We discovered that they were all carbonated water unless you expressly requested flat water.
Hungarians adore strudel. While sweet fillings are more prevalent, savory strudels are as excellent. Apple, plum, and sour cherry are traditional sweet tastes. Fillings for savory strudels include cabbage, pumpkin, or even mashed potatoes. Cottage cheese and poppy seed tastes seem to be in the center. The wonderful thing about strudel is that it can be filled with almost anything.
Rteshz Els Pesti (The first Strudel House of Pest)
Take advantage of the chance to indulge in Hungarian customs by seeing a short film about Hungary, which is housed in a historic building downtown. Even better, go or participate in one of their strudel stretching demonstrations. Although we didn’t extend the strudel, several people around us were expanding their trousers after eating apple strudel with vanilla cream.
Rtes Normafa Bf (Normafa Strudel Buffet)
On the Buda side, go to this strudel buffet, which is still a local favorite. Based on what we witnessed during our visit, people seem to favor the sour cherry and plum strudels, but we liked our apple strudel with powdered sugar while sitting on the wooden benches amid the throng.
Hugo Strudel
If you’re at Judenplatz, the heart of Jewish life since the Middle Ages, look for this caf, which is hidden away on a side street and serves both sweet and savory treats. Well, we continued our hunt for the greatest apple strudel and there was among the best.
Rtesvr Budavri
This beautiful small bakery is located inside the Buda castle on a tiny lane near Fisherman’s Bastion, so ask for the Strudel Castle. It’s worthwhile. Fresh-from-the-oven strudel coated with powdered sugar, for a reasonable price. Although I choose the typical apple strudel, they also offer sweet and savory strudels such as sour cherry, cabbage, sweet cheese, and poppy seed.
Rtesbolt, Hzi
Hzi Rtesbolt has stores in both Buda and Pest. On the Pest side, there is a pleasant environment with both visitors and residents, however on the Buda side, at a busy crossroads on Karinthy Frigyes Boulevard, there are more locals than tourists stopping in for a strudel and coffee. The aroma of all the varied flavors makes it a cheerful place to visit, and when you see the trays upon trays of strudel, it becomes even happier.
Several of the fillings are created by the proprietor, including savory options like broccoli, raspberry-milk rice, or chocolate-cottage cheese, as well as more conventional options like cabbage or cottage cheese, with sweet apple, sour cherry, plum, and peach.
It’s no surprise that residents keep returning. I could have eaten the apple strudel for days. They could mix it up anyway they wanted, and anywhere in town.
Rtesbolt Year 1926
This club-style modest strudel establishment in the 13thdistrict, founded in 1926, allows you to see them manufacture fresh, home-made strudels behind protective glass. Its formula hasn’t changed since 1926, but they now offer 17 sweet and savory varieties, including banana and pineapple, which are new to us. I also strongly suggest their hot chocolate. It’s amazing how wonderful it tasted on such a hot day.
The best strudel in Czech Republic
This little nation is full of magnificent vistas, cheap beer, engaging people, and some of Central Europe’s greatest sweet delicacies. Czech cakes, pies, and pastries all look as beautiful as they taste, so allow space after a meal or, like us, eat dessert first!
The most delicious strudel in Prague
We only spent one full day in the city, so we were there for less than 36 hours.
Diplomat in Hotel Management
Surprisingly, the hotel picked by the event planners was not handicapped accessible, which was a major issue for me since I was still in a wheelchair at the time. Take this in mind while planning travel arrangements; if you are disabled in any way, you will be reluctant to leave the hotel once you arrive. It’s inconvenient.
So it’s no surprise that I ate at the hotel restaurant more than once. The apple strudel was completely fine, albeit a touch dry, and came with ice cream on request.
Great Hotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary
We visited Karlovy Vary during their film festival, which was apt given its cameos in The Last Vacation with Queen Latifah and Casino Royale with Daniel Craig. The Grand Hotel Pupp has a dress code for the dining room, but if you’re dressed casually, they’ll give you dessert in the lobby.
It is where we ate our sweets. In line with our new custom, my family ordered the apple strudel, while our guests ordered everything else on the menu. This kind of family meal is a wonderful way to spend a few hours in the afternoon.
Our apple strudel was heavier than the strudel we had in Vienna, packed with raisins that provided a new texture to the nicely cooked apples and served with a light vanilla cream sauce.
In the Czech Republic, the combination of excellent cuisine and terrific people is unrivaled. It was interesting to observe how the real place contrasted from what we had seen in the movies.
The most delicious strudel in Munich
My kid benefited from taking an online history course as we traveled across the nation. She was able to learn about the Austro-Hungarian Empire when we drove by Vienna’s City Hall or the rivers that ran through it. When I arrived in Munich, most of the history had been destroyed by bombs and rebuilt with military-style brick-like structures.
But if you go to the local bakeries, you’ll discover some of the most beautiful pastries you’ve ever seen. From mousse cakes to Apfelstrudel, this Bavarian city has a lot to offer. How many pastries can you eat in 36 hours? That seems to be five. These were excellent, and that was in addition to the soft pretzels that take the place of bread baskets during meals. I’m excited to go back, although I may need to be a bit lighter the next time.
Schlosscafé in the Palmenhaus
Although the apple strudel was great, being able to sit outdoors on a warm summer day was equally enjoyable. It was tough not to return since it was so near to our accommodation.
Augustiner-Keller
The apple strudel is delicious with vanilla cream as a starter or dessert, or as a stand-alone dish for a mid-afternoon snack. Relax in the garden and enjoy the air.
To Drnbru
From tour guides to travelers, the diversity of Bavarian foods made this famous. We liked the apple strudel with vanilla sauce while watching other guests eat schnitzel with cranberry sauce or pig knuckle with sauerkraut.
Guesthouse in Brnnstein
Here is where you may have the richness of all three choices, ice cream, whipped cream, and fruit, if you can’t decide between ice cream or cream sauce. Very excellent.
Schapeau Restaurant
It’s a great place to go for good meals with a relaxed ambiance. Another local favorite is the apple strudel, which may be served as a side dish or as a stand-alone dish. While visiting Munich, there are so many wonderful sights to see and delicious restaurants to visit. This one is recommended for its strudel.