The Stiftkeller St Peter is one of the best-known restaurants in Austria. It
is the oldest restaurant in Salzburg, having served food to travelers as far back
as the times of Charlemagne (around 800 AD). The restaurant occupies several
rooms in the cellars of St Peter’s, as is obvious from the restaurant’s
name. It is old and looks old without any need to add kitschy, theme-enhancing
decorations.
The menu’s emphasis is on local and Italian cuisine, but also includes a range
of international dishes. We were not particularly hungry and were planning to
have Salzburger Nockerl, the local dessert specialty, so we opted for smaller
dishes. My wife had a selection of starters, which was a fair value at 12.20€,
while I had an Asian-style fried duck with vegetables. Although it tasted
fantastic, the amount of food was rather little for the asking price of 19.50€.
At least it left space for a large helping of Nockerl. This dessert is huge and
often described as an edible dream of egg soufflé and sugar served with a
raspberry sauce. Despite Salzburg’s long history as an archbishop-ruled state, the
question whether eating Nockerl is a sin or not has never conclusively been
answered. At 11.80€, the Nockerl was good value – although billed as serving
two, it could easily have been enough for four. Note that the Nockerl requires
around a half-hour preparation time and should therefore be ordered before the
meal.
Prices in the Stiftkeller are generally high, with main courses often
exceeding 20€. However, the quality of the food is excellent, and there are many
lower-price options, such as soup and the German-speaking world’s tourist
standard – Wiener schnitzel – available at more reasonable prices. The
breadbasket adds 2€ per go. In contrast, the children’s menu is excellent
value. The toddler’s Peter Pan – a Wiener schnitzel with French fries – offered
around four times more food than my dish, and the quality of the food was on par
with the great taste served to the adults. If it was not for the under-10 year’s
age limit, many an adult could have been happy with this dish at half the price
of a normal Wiener schnitzel.
The Stiftkeller St Peter is, unfortunately, not a well-kept secret. It can
cater to parties of up to 350 and is popular with bus tours. During the high
season, reservations may be needed and it would also be wise to dine slightly
earlier or later than normal in order to avoid being crammed into a room with a
large bus party. Even when dining here late afternoon on an off-season weekday,
we found the restaurant almost full to capacity. However, service remained very
professional, unhurried, and friendly. We shall gladly return.
St Peter Bezirk 1/4
5010 Salzburg
Tel: 0662-841268
www.haslauer.at