In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The places named by the most of the 25 publishers counted are the Augustiner Bräustübl (13), the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium and Café Tomaselli (11 each), Balkan Grill Walter (9) and Die Weisse (8). The Michelin Guide Austria 2026 gives the city two restaurants with two stars, SENNS.Restaurant and Ikarus. The Augustiner Bräustübl opens at 15:00 on weekdays, so it is not a lunch. Esszimmer serves Tuesday to Saturday. For the dish, Zwettler’s prints the Salzburger Nockerl at €22.90 and makes it to order, with a wait of about 25 minutes. Or book a tour: the Apple Strudel and Salzburger Nockerl classad is from €60 and the Stiegl brewery tour with a beer tastingad from €24.90 (GetYourGuide).
📊 The evidence behind this guide. Nothing here is ranked on one visit. This pass read list pages from 25 publishers, 19 English-language and 6 German-language, and counts the publishers that name each place. They are travel blogs and city magazines, Lonely Planet’s listings and Condé Nast Traveller’s gallery in English, and German sites such as Stilpunkte, 1000things Magazin and the Altstadt association’s magazine. Tripadvisor and other review sites, tour operators’ blogs about their own tours and the restaurants’ own sites are not counted, and the tourist board’s own restaurant pages are read apart. A name on a list is not a recommendation: the count shows who is on the shortlist. The awards are the guides’ own. How the guides are made
⚠️ Check the day. The Augustiner Bräustübl opens at 15:00 on weekdays and 14:30 on weekends and holidays. Esszimmer serves Tuesday to Saturday, Die Weisse is closed on Sundays, and Krimpelstätter on Sundays and Mondays.
The places named by the most sources
The count is the number of publishers that name the place on a list of Salzburg restaurants, coffee houses, beer halls or food stalls, with the split between English and German publishers. A place named by fewer than 6 is left out of this table.
| Place | Kind | Sources | English | German | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustiner Bräustübl | Beer hall | 13 | 12 | 1 | |
| St. Peter Stiftskulinarium | Restaurant | 11 | 9 | 2 | Gault&Millau: 3 Hauben |
| Café Tomaselli | Coffee house | 11 | 11 | 0 | |
| Balkan Grill Walter | Bosna stand | 9 | 7 | 2 | |
| Die Weisse | Wheat-beer inn | 8 | 7 | 1 | |
| Zwettler’s | Wirtshaus | 7 | 6 | 1 | |
| Sternbräu | Beer inn | 7 | 4 | 3 | |
| Café Sacher | Coffee house | 7 | 5 | 2 | Zirbelzimmer: Gault&Millau 2 Hauben |
| Café Fürst | Coffee house and confectioner | 7 | 6 | 1 | |
| Ikarus | Restaurant | 6 | 5 | 1 | Michelin two stars; Gault&Millau 5 Hauben |
| Imlauer | Sky bar and Braurestaurant | 6 | 3 | 3 | Imlauer Sky: Gault&Millau 1 Haube |
| Bärenwirt | Wirtshaus | 6 | 5 | 1 |
The English lists lean towards the old-town institutions: the Augustiner Bräustübl (12 English, 1 German) and Café Tomaselli (11 and none). The German lists split more evenly: Sternbräu (4 and 3) and Imlauer (3 and 3). The starred restaurants are named far less than the cafés and inns: Pfefferschiff by 5, Esszimmer by 4, and SENNS.Restaurant and The Glass Garden by one each. Brandstätter, which holds a Bib Gourmand, Paradoxon, Huber’s im Fischerwirt and Das Schrei are named by none of the 25. The tourist board’s three restaurant pages, read apart, name the Augustiner Bräustübl, Die Weisse, Zwettler’s, Café Sacher, Imlauer and the Bärenwirt.
These have their own guides: the coffee houses, the beer halls and gardens and Salzburg food tours.
Michelin and the other awards
The Michelin Guide Austria 2026, published on 18 March 2026, lists 18 restaurants under Salzburg. Check the restaurant’s own site for the days and hours it opens.
| Restaurant | Distinction | Where | Michelin’s cuisine |
|---|---|---|---|
| SENNS.Restaurant | Two stars | Söllheimerstrasse 16 | Creative, international |
| Ikarus | Two stars | Wilhelm-Spazier-Straße 7a | Creative, modern |
| Esszimmer | One star | Müllner Hauptstraße 33 | Creative, classic |
| The Glass Garden | One star | Mönchsberg Park 26 | Creative |
| Pfefferschiff | One star | Söllheim 3, Hallwang, outside the city | Creative |
| Brandstätter | Bib Gourmand | Münchner Bundesstraße 69 | Country cooking, international |
Michelin’s Selected list adds Herzl (new in 2026, at Getreidegasse 37), Meissl & Schadn, Gasthof Goldgasse, Zum Buberl Gut, Huber’s im Fischerwirt, das Schrei, Brunnauer, Paradoxon, Gasthof Schloss Aigen, Animo by Aigner, Restaurant Auerhahn and Die Gersberg Alm.
- Gault&Millau Guide 2027, presented on 19 October 2026. Ikarus holds five Hauben (19 of 20 points). SENNS.Restaurant, The Glass Garden and Esszimmer hold four. Brunnauer, Huber’s im Fischerwirt, Paradoxon, Das Schrei and the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium hold three, and the St. Peter is the guide’s “Aufsteiger des Jahres”, up to 15.5 points from 13. Blaue Gans, Brandstätter, Zum Buberlgut, Pan e Vin, Animo by Aigner, Gasthof Schloss Aigen, Merkel & Merkel and the Sacher Zirbelzimmer hold two.
- Falstaff Restaurant- & Gasthausguide 2026, awarded on 9 March 2026. Ikarus is one of six restaurants in Austria to reach 100 points. The 2027 edition is not out until March.
Starred and destination dining
Ikarus
Wilhelm-Spazier-Straße 7a, Red Bull Hangar-7 · two Michelin stars · Gault&Millau 5 Hauben · Falstaff 100 points · Cited by 6 of 25 sources (5 English, 1 German)
The restaurant in Hangar-7, the Red Bull aircraft and art hall beside the airport. A guest chef cooks each month on rotation: Benito Gómez in November 2026. Michelin puts it in its top price band, €€€€, and the hall takes table reservations on its site.
SENNS.Restaurant
Söllheimerstrasse 16 · two Michelin stars · Gault&Millau 4 Hauben (18.5 of 20) · Cited by 1 of 25 sources
Michelin lists the cooking as creative and international, in its top price band, €€€€.
Esszimmer
Müllner Hauptstraße 33, Mülln · Tuesday to Saturday, dinner 18:00 to 22:00, lunch 12:00 to 14:00 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday · one Michelin star · Gault&Millau 4 Hauben · Cited by 4 of 25 sources (4 English)
Creative, classic cooking in Michelin’s €€€ band. The restaurant takes bookings through its own site: lunch reservations are for 12:00 to 13:00. It is closed on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November 2026.
The Glass Garden
Mönchsberg Park 26, on the Mönchsberg · one Michelin star · Gault&Millau 4 Hauben · Cited by 1 of 25 sources (1 German)
Michelin lists the cooking as creative, in its €€€ band, in the park of Schloss Mönchstein above the old town.
The traditional city
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
St.-Peter-Bezirk 1/4, in the abbey district · daily 12:30 to 23:00 · Gault&Millau 3 Hauben · Cited by 11 of 25 sources (9 English, 2 German) · stpeter.at
The restaurant says it has been trading since 803 and calls itself Europe’s oldest. It is also the home of the Mozart Dinner Concert. It takes reservations through its own system, and it does not open until 12:30.
Zwettler’s
Kaigasse 3, in the Stubhainshaus · daily 11:00 to 24:00, kitchen 11:30 to 22:00 · Cited by 7 of 25 sources (6 English, 1 German) · zwettlers.com
A Wirtshaus serving guests in the house since 1863, with Kaiser Karl beer. The restaurant recommends reserving, and the menu prints the dishes in the table below.
Sternbräu
Griesgasse 23 · daily 9:00 to 24:00, kitchen Sunday to Thursday 11:30 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 22:30 · Cited by 7 of 25 sources (4 English, 3 German) · sternbrau.at
An inn first documented in 1542, with eleven rooms and three gardens of about 670 seats between them, which it calls the largest garden in the city centre. The online booking system takes tables for up to 8 people. See the beer halls and gardens.
Bärenwirt
Müllner Hauptstraße 8, Mülln · daily 11:00 to 23:00, kitchen 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 21:30, a short menu between · Cited by 6 of 25 sources (5 English, 1 German)
A Wirtshaus known for Backhendl, fried chicken in breadcrumbs. The operators say their mission is the best Backhendl in Austria. The inn also serves Kasnocken and the Bauernschmaus, and takes reservations.
Die Weisse
Rupertgasse 10 · Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 24:00, kitchen 11:00 to 22:00, closed Sunday · Cited by 8 of 25 sources (7 English, 1 German) · dieweisse-wirtshaus.at
The wheat-beer inn of the brewery that calls itself Austria’s oldest wheat-beer brewery. It reopened on 2 February 2026 under new management. Its Sudwerk Bar opens Wednesday to Saturday from 16:00 and is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Balkan Grill Walter
Getreidegasse 33, in the Stockhamer Durchhaus · daily 11:00 to 18:30 · Cited by 9 of 25 sources (7 English, 2 German) · hanswalter.at
The Bosna stand: a bratwurst in toasted white bread with onions, parsley and curry. The operator dates it to 1949 and the Bulgarian Zanko Todoroff. The hours are the tourist board’s.
Augustiner Bräustübl
Kloster Mülln · Monday to Friday 15:00 to 23:00, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 14:30 to 23:00 · cash only · closed 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January · Cited by 13 of 25 sources (12 English, 1 German) · augustinerbier.at
The most-named place on the lists is an evening and afternoon place, not a lunch: it does not open until 15:00. Beer comes from wooden barrels in stoneware mugs, and the food from the stalls of the Schmankerlgang. See the beer halls and gardens.
The Augustiner Bräustübl’s garden, under the chestnut trees. Photo: Eweht, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Imlauer
Imlauer Sky, Rainerstraße 6 · Gault&Millau 1 Haube · Cited by 6 of 25 sources (3 English, 3 German)
Two houses carry the name. The sky bar and restaurant is on top of the Hotel Pitter beside Mirabell, and the Braurestaurant is a separate house that the tourist board says serves the Nockerl with redcurrants.
What to eat
| Dish | Where the lists send you | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Salzburger Nockerl | Zwettler’s, Bärenwirt, Sternbräu, Imlauer | An egg-white soufflé baked to order in three mounds, said to stand for the city’s hills. Zwettler’s prints it at €22.90 with a wait of about 25 minutes |
| Bosna | Balkan Grill Walter | A bratwurst in toasted white bread with onions, parsley and curry |
| Backhendl | Bärenwirt | Chicken fried in breadcrumbs |
| Kasnocken | Zwettler’s | Cheese dumplings: the Speck-Kasnocken is €16.90 small and €19.90 large |
| Wiener Schnitzel | Zwettler’s | Veal €27.60; pork €19.80; turkey €20.60 |
| Kaiserschmarrn | Zwettler’s | A torn pancake with raisins and apple sauce, €11.90 |
| Apfelstrudel | Zwettler’s | With vanilla ice cream, €7.50 |
| Mozartkugel | Café Fürst | Pistachio marzipan in nougat and dark chocolate: see the coffee houses |
The prices are Zwettler’s own menu, for one restaurant and not a city average. The Salzburg tourist board says the Nockerl must be eaten at once or it collapses, and that the Bärenwirt serves it on cranberry, Sternbräu with whipped cream and Imlauer with redcurrants. The cooking class that teaches it is the Apple Strudel and Salzburger Nockerl classad, from €60 at 4.9 stars from 572 reviews.
A Salzburger Nockerl, baked in three mounds. Photo: Tourismus Salzburg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Closed and changed
- Obauer in Werfen, outside the city, closed on 26 October 2026 after 47 years. The brothers Karl and Rudi Obauer received Gault&Millau’s lifetime award on 19 October 2026.
- Die Weisse reopened on 2 February 2026 under new management, and some lists still describe the earlier operator.
- Raschhofers Rossbräu in Herrnau closed at the end of July 2026 after 30 years.
- Merkel & Merkel took over the former Riedenburg restaurant premises in 2025.
- The St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is Gault&Millau’s “Aufsteiger des Jahres” for 2027.
At the table
- Book the starred restaurants on their own sites, and book Zwettler’s for the Nockerl.
- Christmas and New Year. The Augustiner Bräustübl is shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January, and the St. Peter and the Mozart Dinner Concert run set menus on 25, 26 and 31 December: see Salzburg New Year’s Eve 2026 and the Christmas markets.
Plan the rest
3 days in Salzburg fits the meals to the sights, where to stay in Salzburg compares the areas, and what to book before you go to Salzburg lists the closed days. For other cities on the same railway, see Vienna and Munich.
Common questions
Which places do the most food lists in Salzburg name?
The Augustiner Bräustübl, with 13 of the 25 publishers counted (12 English, 1 German), then the St. Peter Stiftskulinarium and Café Tomaselli with 11 each, Balkan Grill Walter, the Bosna stand, with 9, and Die Weisse with 8. Zwettler's, Sternbräu, Café Sacher and Café Fürst have 7 each.
How many Michelin stars does Salzburg have?
In the Michelin Guide Austria 2026, published on 18 March 2026, the city has two restaurants with two stars, SENNS.Restaurant and Ikarus, and two with one star, Esszimmer and The Glass Garden. Pfefferschiff, just outside the city at Söllheim 3 in Hallwang, has one star, and Brandstätter has a Bib Gourmand.
Which Salzburg restaurants are closed on certain days?
Esszimmer serves Tuesday to Saturday. Die Weisse is closed on Sundays, and Augustiner Braugasthof Krimpelstätter on Sundays and Mondays. The Augustiner Bräustübl does not open until 15:00 on weekdays and 14:30 on weekends, and is shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.
What is a Salzburger Nockerl and what does it cost?
An egg-white soufflé baked to order in three mounds, which the city's tourist board says stand for its hills. Zwettler's prints it at €22.90 on its menu, with a wait of about 25 minutes.
Do I need to book a restaurant in Salzburg?
For Esszimmer and the other starred restaurants, yes, through their own sites. Sternbräu takes online bookings for up to 8 people, and Zwettler's recommends reserving a table for the Nockerl.
Is there a food tour in Salzburg?
Not a public walking food tour on GetYourGuide. It sells cooking classes, the Stiegl brewery tour and a Mozartkugel workshop: the Apple Strudel and Salzburger Nockerl class is from €60 at 4.9 stars from 572 reviews.
