August 27, 2017. The day I ventured from New York to London to start my semester abroad. I wasn’t planning on embarking on this major feat, but three months later here I am. In (almost) every country I visited, my friends supported me in my journey to conquer McDonald’s, one country at a time. Although I missed three countries during my time abroad, I feel pretty successful in my definitive ranking of McDonald’s throughout Europe.
Missed countries:
Florence, Italy
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Copenhagen, Denmark
To make up for missing McDonald’s in Copenhagen, I enjoyed a meal at MaxBurger. If you find yourself in Copenhagen, I highly recommend a late-night meal at MaxBurger.
7. Paris, France
Honestly, this location had no extraordinary qualities since the regular food in Paris is so amazing. Fries were good. Chicken nuggets were good. They had some fancy burgers on ciabatta with fresh parmesan cheese, but I didn’t try that! Personally, I would stick with traditional Parisian food.
6. Geneva, Switzerland
In Geneva, we went to McDonald’s for dessert. You cannot go wrong with a McFlurry, especially if there is chocolate in it. This is a great way to follow up a nice pasta dinner at the restaurant next to it, Pasta-Prima Mont-Blanc.
5. Dublin, Ireland
In Dublin, McDonald’s was harder to find as there were more Burger King’s downtown. BUT, with that being said, McDonald’s had a 10 nugs for 2 euros deal which was pretty clutch. The fries had the perfect amount of salt and we not soggy.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
First of all, the food in Prague is extremely cheap, so the McDonald’s is probably the cheapest in Prague compared to any other country. The low prices is what got Prague number four on the list. In addition to the price, the quality tasted better than what is served in the USA. I got a BigMac here and it lived up to all expectations.
3. Barcelona, Spain
The top 3 McDonald’s was a touch decision with all amazing choices, prices, and atmospheres. Barcelona earned the number three spot with the chicken poppers. Chicken poppers are mini chicken nuggets and so much better. In this case, size does not matter because the smaller the better. In addition, there is potato wedges that have special seasoning on them making them spicier. The downfall of Barcelona’s McDonald’s is that the traditional fries are not great, a bit soggy.
2. London, England
I am very biased towards the London McDonald’s as this was where I studied for the past 4 months. There was a McDonald’s about a block away from me on Baker Street making it extremely convenient to get to. I would pass by this location to get to the tube, which always made a fry break super easy and extremely tempting. The grilled and crispy chicken wraps were a (somewhat) healthy way to satisfy my fast-food cravings. To make things even better, my favorite grilled chicken and garlic mayo wrap would only cost one pound if I bought it on a Wednesday, with fries only costing two pounds. While I did not go that often, when I needed a McDonald’s fix it was easy to make it happen.
1. Munich, Germany
Munich easily achieves the number one spot on my list of McDonald’s around Europe. Over my three-day trip there for Oktoberfest, I managed to go twice. Nothing better than a McDonald’s run after taking the train from the airport at 2AM when I first arrived in the country. Conveniently, the McDonald’s was located in the central station, about a ten minute walk from the festival. When I got sick of the pretzels, the bratwurst and the massive steins of beer, McDonald’s was a pleasantly refreshing change. If the location and chicken nugs were not good enough, let me add that they sell smiley fries. The smiley fries were not only amazing, but also brought me back to middle school lunch block. Finally, the best part of this McDonald’s was how everyone dressed in dirndls and lederhosen. Munich and McDonald’s was easily the happiest combo I could find during my journey from country to country.
December 14, 2017. Overall, my experience of European McDonald’s was very positive. I feel as though the fast-food chain was fresher and healthier in Europe thanks to all of its food distribution rules. Unlike the US, there are no additives in European fast food. Recently, in the European branches, the amount of salt has been reduced in the chicken nuggets due to negative public feedback linked to obesity. European sizes are also much smaller and all of the ingredients used are easy to pronounce, making their McDonald’s “healthier” overall.
If you ever find yourself in Europe needed a quick bite on the go, do not cross McDonald’s off your list.