Salzburg is a city that takes its food seriously and its cafes even more seriously. Alpine cooking, Bavarian beer, Viennese pastry and a long tradition of prince-archbishop banquets have all left their mark, and the result is a compact old town where it is easy to eat well at any hour. Here is how to make the most of it.
Start with the sweets
Salzburger Nockerl is the city’s signature dessert, a huge, golden soufflé made from egg whites, sugar and a little flour, baked in a dish and served hot, with three peaks said to stand for the hills of the Mönchsberg, the Kapuzinerberg and the Gaisberg. It is made to order, takes around twenty minutes and is meant for sharing, so order it at the start of the meal. Mozartkugel, the round chocolate with pistachio marzipan and nougat, was created in Salzburg in the 1890s by the confectioner Paul Fürst, and the original version, wrapped in blue and silver foil, is still made by hand at the Fürst bakery, while many imitators fill the souvenir shops. For Sacher-Torte, the chocolate cake with apricot jam that belongs more to Vienna, the Café Sacher at the Hotel Sacher serves the Original Sacher-Torte beside the Salzach.
Coffee-house culture
Salzburg’s coffee houses are institutions, places to read a newspaper for an hour over a single cup. Café Tomaselli, on the Alter Markt, dates back to the early 18th century, and it still serves cakes from a trolley carried around the tables by waiters in formal dress. Café Bazar sits on the right bank of the Salzach with a terrace facing the old town, and is a favourite with Festival visitors. Order a Melange, similar to a cappuccino, or an Einspänner, a strong black coffee under a cap of whipped cream, and do not feel rushed: no one expects you to leave.
Traditional inns and mains
Look for Wiener Schnitzel, a thin breaded veal cutlet, and Tafelspitz, boiled beef with horseradish and apple, on the menus of the old town’s traditional inns. Salzburg’s own dishes include Kasnocken, a rich dish of small cheese dumplings with fried onions, and Pinzgauer Kasnocken, which is similar, while Käsespätzle and game dishes appear in the colder months. For a full evening of music and food together, the Mozart dinner concert is staged in the Baroque hall of the Stiftskeller St Peter, a restaurant whose history reaches back more than a thousand years.
Beer and the beer halls
Stiegl is the local beer, brewed in Salzburg since 1492, and you can learn its story at the Stiegl-Brauwelt brewery museum, which ends with a tasting. For atmosphere, head for the Augustiner Bräustübl in the Müllner district, a monastery brewery that has been serving beer since 1621. Beer is poured from wooden barrels into stone mugs, you collect your own and take it to a long wooden table, and food stalls sell sausages, roast pork and pretzels, or you may bring your own picnic. It is lively, informal and best in the late afternoon or evening.
Street food and quick bites
The Bosna, a Salzburg speciality, is a sausage in a white roll with onions, mustard and curry powder, sold from small stands in the old town. Pretzels, sausages from market stalls and a pastry from a bakery are all good ways to refuel between sights. The Grünmarkt on Universitätsplatz, behind Mozart’s Birthplace, offers cheese, bread, fruit and ready-made food, and is lively on weekday mornings.
Advent and winter treats
From late November the Christkindlmarkt fills Domplatz and Residenzplatz, and the fortress and Hellbrunn hold their own markets. Expect mulled wine, hot punch, roasted chestnuts, gingerbread, Kasnocken and sausages, all eaten standing up in the cold, and the markets are at their best in the early evening when the lights come on. Wrap up warmly and bring cash, since some stalls do not take cards.
Practical tips
Many restaurants close one or two days a week and stop serving hot food in the afternoon, so check before you set out. Book ahead for dinner at weekends and during the Festival, and for any restaurant on a terrace if the weather is fine. Service is usually included in the bill, but rounding up or adding around ten percent for good service is normal, and you should say how much you want to pay as you hand over the money rather than leaving it on the table. Tap water is excellent in Salzburg, and restaurants will serve it free on request.
Where to stay for food
If you plan a food-focused trip, the Arthotel Blaue Gans has one of the old town’s best restaurants and sits close to the Getreidegasse, while Hotel Sacher puts the Café Sacher on your doorstep. Hotel Goldgasse has a traditional Austrian restaurant downstairs, which suits a relaxed dinner after a long day of sightseeing.
