D&D: Five Tavern Meals That Aren’t Just Generic Fantasy Stew
Stopping at a tavern is an iconic part of any adventure. Here are some great dishes that your tavern can serve, no D&D cookbook required.
Taverns around fantasy worlds serve stew. That’s just how it goes. Whether you’re reading a fantasy novel, playing in Skyrim, adventuring in D&D–if you’re in a world that’s dragon-adjacent, or dungeonesque, you know there’s gonna be stew. But look at the real world, tavern food is greasy, covered in pastry, and routinely the kind of thing you’ll want to eat to cap off a night of bad decisions.
Here’s a list of menu items that are sure to help build ambiance, whatever the fantasy setting.
Pies of All Sizes
You’ll have to supply your own disguises and surprises, but a good savory pie is a perfect dish to satisfy any adventurer. Whether you slop it down with the heft of a hearty steak and ale pie or have minced fennel delicately complementing the egg yolk and cream that have been blended expertly, when you serve up a pie, you’ll always be ready to party.
Roast Me(at)
If you want to convey that fantasy feeling without spending an hour researching ancient tavern menus, it’s hard to go wrong with an old wooden table, candlelit meat that’s been roasted in an old hearth and served with roast vegetables, dripping with sauce.
Finger Foods on a Board
Look any good pub should be able to do you a ploughman’s. Make sure you serve up bread and cheese and eggs (pickled or hard-boiled) and bits of meat or whatever other items you can eat with your hands. Just don’t forget the pickle and cheese. That’s the most important part.
How About Just Some Gruel
Not every tavern is a fancy one. Sometimes when you’re wanting food, glorious food, all you’ll get is gruel–thin liquid porridge made out of oat or wheat or barley if you’re lucky. It’s food for the rougher places, best served in a hardy wooden bowl.
Fruit Cake
Bonus points if you make the very good and definitely not at all played-out joke about how this fruitcake from fantasy times has probably been passed around all the way to your Great Aunt Bergitha and she gave it to you. Your party will probably try and use it as a doorstop or some kind of weight because they are hilarious like that.
These are by no means the only options, indeed, we encourage you to leave your favorite foods down below–but the next time you’re dealing with a hungry party, try one of these options Just make sure and keep some real snacks on hand too, because your table will get hungry just roleplaying around these.
Happy adventuring!
