Where to eat the best tartes flambées in Alsace? Our favorite restaurants
What is the best tarte flambée in Alsace? It's hard to answer this thorny question, but the team has looked into the matter to give you its 30 favorite places to eat good flambé pies in Alsace. We have each given our good addresses in the whole region: these are the ones where we regularly go and take our friends visiting Alsace!
The tartes flambées or flammekueche are not at all a dish for tourists as I was sometimes asked, it is a real Alsatian specialty. The Alsatians consume a lot of itMany people have a wood-burning oven at home to make them in the garden with their friends on sunny days, you will find them at all the popular festivals and you will see that the restaurants of tarte flambée are often sold out, even if they are in non-touristy areas! It is a real tradition that continues, I did not imagine that it was so emblematic before arriving in the region!
The tarte flambée in Alsace – Small guide
History of the Alsatian tarte flambée
The cradle of the tarte flambée is located in the Kochersberg (my home!), west of Strasbourg. The farmers of the many farms in the region used to bake bread in wood-fired ovens to make flammekueche with leftover bread dough thinly spread and filled with curd, bacon and onions.
The flames of the fire blackened the edges of this thin pastry, hence the name flammekueche… which means “flamed” pie! The name “tarte flambée” is actually only a rough translation 😉
Ingredients of the flamed pie
The traditional tarte flambée is a thin pastry filled with a mixture of fresh cream and cottage cheese, bacon and onions. On the mixture of cream and cottage cheese and the quantity, there is a debate: some like flams more or less fat, but it just depends on taste!
Find here our recipe of Alsatian tarte flambée to make it at home (be careful, it will be much less good if you don’t have a wood oven…).
In general, the menu of restaurants also includes tarte flambée au gratin (with extra grated cheese), the forestry (the traditional one with extra mushrooms), the forestry au gratin (the forest one with grated cheese) or the one with munster (with munster, the typical Alsatian cheese).
For dessert, some establishments also offer sweet tarts flambées, often with apples flambéed in calvados for example. Nothing traditional, but this is the only case where we have a really flambéed tart 😛
Then, it is obviously according to the inspiration of the restaurant owners… So indeed, we quickly deviate from the traditional recipe, but it opens the road to many delicious culinary discoveries… And allows to satisfy everyone (even vegetarians, for example).
How to eat a tarte flambée?
It is usually eaten by sharing it (if everyone takes his own, the problem is that it cools down quickly because of the thin dough…and it is also less friendly!) Take a piece of tarte flambée, roll it between your fingers and enjoy! Then you order another one and you go on like that until you are full!
I also don’t recommend the “take away” option for the flambé pies because they get cold really fast… When you get home, you’ll eat a warm tarte flambée whose pastry will have softened: it’s definitely not as good!
Where and when to eat a real flammekueche?
Hey no, the answer is not “at any time” 😛 In many restaurants, flams are only served in the evening (especially when you leave the tourist areas). Some establishments are only open for dinner.
If you dream of a tarte flambée for lunch, be careful when choosing your restaurant by checking what is written on the menu or by calling them directly to avoid disappointment 😉
Why don’t Alsatians say flammekueche?
In fact, if the Alsatians say so… But only those who speak the Alsatian language! Pronouncing flammekueche correctly is a challenge, so here is a little tip from our editor Julien: don’t try, just say “tarte flambée” or “flam” and you’ll be less likely to hurt the ears of Alsatians… For my part, this is the solution I adopted a few years ago! 😛
Where to eat a tarte flambée in the Bas-Rhin?
Good addresses in the Kochersberg
I told you above, it is here in the Kochersberg that the tarte flambée was born… As a result, it is here that you will find the greatest number of good addresses! Here are a few that we particularly appreciate:
- L’Oie Gourmande in Willgottheim
- L’Aigle in Pfulgriesheim
- Bürestubel in Pfulgriesheim
- Le Marronnier in Stutzheim
- Les Houblonnières in Stutzheim
- Le Landsbourg in Wiwersheim
- La Taverne de l’Ackerland in Handschuheim
- Auberge de l’Espérance in Handschuheim
Where to eat a good flammekueche in Strasbourg?
It is often said that you have to leave Strasbourg to eat a good tarte flambée… It is true that you will find more bad than good ones in restaurants in general, but fortunately there are some very good places to eat a good tarte flambée in Strasbourg. Here are our favorites:
- Brasserie du Tigre
- Le Meteor
- Les Chauvins
- La Binchstub (2 addresses in Strasbourg)
- Mama Bubbele (also recommended for vegetarians!)
- La Fignette (also recommended for vegetarians!)
Eating a tarte flambée in Obernai
Our good address in Obernai is the Winstub le Freiberg.
Other good addresses in the Bas-Rhin
Here are our favorite addresses to taste a tarte flambée in the Bas-Rhin, except Kochersberg, Strasbourg and Obernai:
- Made in Franz in Plobsheim
- Ce cher Hans in Vendenheim
- A l’Ange in Lipsheim
- Au Canal in Ergersheim
- S’Landstuebel in Koersheim
- Chapelle de Hattisheim in Geispolsheim
- Auberge Saint-Martin in Kintzheim
Where to eat a good tarte flambée in the Haut-Rhin?
Eat a good tarte flambée in Colmar
I warn you, there are many bad addresses so I advise you not to try at random… Here are the ones I recommend in Colmar:
Good places to eat a flam in Mulhouse
The tarte flambée is not a specialty of Mulhouse either, but there are some good addresses:
Other good addresses in the Haut-Rhin
Here are a few more good addresses to treat yourself:
- Restaurant Collin in Ferrette
- Auberge Mohn in Zillisheim
Where to eat a gluten-free tarte flambée?
Are you gluten intolerant and dream of tasting a good tarte flambée? Thibaut has found you a great address! You will have to cross the border to our German neighbors, but you can enjoy a gluten-free tarte flambée at the Gasthaus Bischenberg in Sabachwalden, only 40 minutes from Strasbourg. As a bonus, I can recommend a very nice schnapps hike in the area. A great day 😉