Dinner in the oldest restaurant in the world, by candlelight, with costumed performers playing Mozart arias. The Baroque Hall of Stiftskeller St Peter is one of the last venues in Salzburg still permitted to use open flame. It shows.
The Story
Stiftskeller St Peter has been operating since 803 AD, which puts it ahead of every restaurant claim in Europe. The Baroque Hall inside it was built in the 17th century and has one unusual feature: it can still use real candles. Most Salzburg venues have switched to LEDs under fire regulations. St. Peter's stone vaulting, directly against the Mönchsberg cliff, passed inspections that other buildings did not.
The dinner concert runs in this room most evenings year-round. Costumed performers in Rococo dress sing and play arias from the operas Mozart premiered in Vienna during the 1780s: Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute. The food is adapted from 18th-century recipes, and the kitchen takes it seriously enough to hold a Gault & Millau rating.
Mozart's family actually dined in this building in 1783. That fact is displayed, not hidden. The whole experience is designed around it. This is not a subtle or understated evening, and it should not be treated as one. Guests who want a serious concert should go to the Mozarteum. Guests who want a warm, theatrical, historically resonant evening with good food should be here.
Visiting
- Duration: ~2.5 hours (7:30 pm-10 pm).
- Cost: ~€95-120 per person (dinner and concert included, one glass of wine).
- Book ahead: Required. Via mozart-dinner-concert.com or stpeter.at.
- Getting there: Stiftskeller St Peter, St. Peter Bezirk 1-4, in the Altstadt next to St. Peter's Abbey. 5-minute walk from Getreidegasse.
- Tips: Request the Baroque Hall specifically. Smart casual dress. Book well in advance for summer and December.