Salzburg Dining and Entertainment

Salzburg Hotels

Dining in Salzburg

Anyone who starts to explore Salzburg gastronomically will come across a host of cafes in the Old Town, good restaurants and a number of beautiful beer gardens.

Cafes and coffee houses

There are only two places that fall into the category of 'coffee houses', but they are real classics. You can find the Cafe Tomaselli at the Alter Markt (Old Market) in the Old Town. You can easily spend an afternoon here reading the latest newspapers (including the International Herald Tribune) and drinking your coffee. This cafe has the same atmosphere as one of Viennas famous coffee houses. In summer you can sit outside (on the balcony) and enjoy marvellous views of the Old Town. The Bazar, another traditional coffee house near the river Salzach near the Staatsbrücke was writer Thomas Bernhards favourite haunt. It is still a favourite with intellectuals and people like artists and professors (from the nearby Mozaerteum Academy of Music), as well as employees from banks and offices in the neighbourhood can be found here throughout the day. The Cafe Fürst, which claims to have invented the 'Mozartkugel' (the world-famous chocolate ball), is also a good choice but there are lots of cosy cafes to choose from in the in the Old Town. Some of them have their own confectionery brands, one example being the Konditorei Schatz, which is located in a passage between the Universitätsplatz and the Getreidegasse. Outside the town centre, in an area called 'Äuerer Stein', the Ratzka is very popular, not least because of its delicious baking. Some cooking magazines claim it makes some of the best cakes in Austria. The Strasser is a good place to eat gateaus and Cafe Silvia is also a favourite teatime haunt. On the other side of the river Salzach you can choose between the Cafe Pamina, which is near the near the Mozartplatz, and the Cafe Stein, which is a must in the summer. Guests at this café have excellent views of the historic Old Town on a clear day.

Beer pubs and beer gardens

The most famous brewery in Salzburg is the 'Stiegl Brauerei', which has its own exhibition. Visitors can learn about the art of beer brewing. The Stiegl beer cellar where you can sample the Stiegl beer, is situated near the Festung Hohensalzburg and is always a good choice. In the summer, you can make use of the leafy beer garden, from which you and watch what is going on in the Old Town. The Müllner Bräu, which is also called Augustiner Bräu is frequented by the Mülln areas locals and the dining halls here can accommodate up to 3000 people. In addition to this, the Müllner Bra has a beer garden which also has facilities for up to 2000 people. If you are looking for something more intimate, then there is a Andrä neighbourhood called 'Die Weie'. As the beer garden here is not too big, it does tend to get rather overcrowded in the summer months so you may wish to go to Raschhofers Rossbräu, which is situated in the Herrnau shopping-centre. Most of the beers here come from Upper Austria and this regions beers can also be sampled at theInnviertler which is also in the Andrä neighbourhood. Another option for those that want a cosy pub, is the Fidele Affe near the Linzer Gasse.

Austrian and regional dishes

If you would like to try local food then you could go to the Krimpelstätter, which is in the district Mülln, next to the Müllner Bräu. Or, you could try the Stiftskeller St. Peter. Although this is quite touristy, it is worth a visit, if only because it is located in the grounds of St. Peters monastery. The Kohlpeter restaurant Liefering is fairly central but it has a country-feel to it.

Other culinary discoveries

Salzburg also has a range of international restaurants, such as the Nagano. It is at this Japanese restaurant in the Getreidegasse that you can get the best sushi in town. Besides, the fact that you can always find Japanese tourists in here must say something about the quality and authenticity of the place. Salzburg also has a quite a few Chinese restaurant, but you can only find the Chinatown in the Old Town. As far as Italian Restaurants go, most of these offer the usual pizzas and pastas. Nonetheless, the Pan e Vin in the Gstättengasse stands out in that it also offers modern Italian cuisine. If you like Turkish food, go to Osmans Spezialitäten in the Linzer Gasse. Late night hunger pangs should vanish after a visit to Steirische Weinstuben. The place is sometimes regarded as being a little bit sleazy but the grilled chicken, which you can order until 2am is legendary.

Entertainment in Salzburg

As Salzburg is world famous for its Festival of theatre, opera and classical music there is a general emphasis on such events during the whole year. Besides the Festival in summer there are a series of events around Easter and Whitsun and there are events at the Great Festival Hall throughout the year. During the Mozart week in January, the Altes Mozarteum is the venue with the busiest schedule and during Christmassy lyrical drama staged in the Great Festival Hall. Although Salzburg is a historic town, there are also rock, pop and jazz concerts, as well as numerous cinemas and bars. If you are looking for discos and large entertainment centres, then this is not a good place to search though.

Theatres, museums and galleries

The Salzburger Landestheater at the Makartplatz stages performances throughout the year. Further performances are held at the Kammerspiele and the Elisabethbühne and the Toi Haus both focus on modern/contemporary plays. During Festival time in the summer, the Felsenreitschule becomes a further theatre venue and the playJedermann attracts a large crowd to the square in front of the cathedral, where it is acted out.
If it rains, you could use the weather as an excuse to visit museums such as the Haus der Natur, a natural history museum or the Carolino Augusteum, which concentrates on local history and culture. Modern art and photography lovers would be advised to the Rupertinum. Adults and children alike will enjoy the citys Toy Museum which is housed in the premises of the Bürgerspital, a former hospital.

Cinemas

Salzburgs largest cinematic complex is on the outskirts near the airport. The Cineplexx has six state-of-the-art cinemas with modern sound systems. You can watch the latest Hollywood imports. The largest cinema in Salzburg is the Elmo Kino, near the big bridge that spans the Salzach in the Lehen district. If you are in the Old Town, you could visit the Mozartkino, a small, old-fashioned cinema. There is also Das Kino, near the Staatsbrücke, which screens small-budget, independent and foreign language films. If your guidebook still mentions the Central then you should note that this cinema closed in 1999.

Music

Salzburg is a city with a close connection to the world of classical music and the Salzburg Festival, held every summer, is of course world-famous. As mentioned above, there are events throughout the year in the Great Festival Hall and in autumn, there is the Salzburger Jazzherbst, when smooth jazz accompanies the changing weather. The Great Hall of the Altes Mozarteum is a further venue. If you like chamber music then why not visit one of the 5pm concerts at the Michael Haydn Memorial?. If you would like to hear Mozarts music in the town in which he is born, but can't find a concert that suits your tastes, you could go to the Mozart sound and film archives. The Rockhouse, is the place to head for rock, pop and jazz concerts. Live concerts are held here on an almost daily basis. The Kulturgelände Nonntal hosts similar events and if you like pub gigs then go to the

Shamrock, which is a popular Irish pub near the Staatsbrücke. If you like easy-listening music or jazz you should go to the Altstadtkeller at the Rudolfskai.

Nightlife

To talk about nightlife in Salzburg is to exaggerate at least compared to cities like Munich and Vienna. Nonetheless, there are some noteworthy pubs like the Bierklinik and the Hell at the Rudolfskai. On the opposite side of the river Salzach there is the Watzmann and in the Steingasse the Fridrichs or the Shrimpsbar are worth visiting. They are very good watering holes!

From here its only a short walk to the Pepe Gonzales, which as its name suggests, was inspired by South America. You could also go to the Steinsitz. In the Gstättengasse and the Tapa Sita and the American bar Flip are situated at the bottom of the Mönchsberg.

H. Giesinger