Café Tomaselli, on Alter Markt since 1703, is the oldest café in Austria by most accounts and the one Salzburg institution that rewards the price premium. The tiered cake stands brought to your table are the ritual; the terrace is the best seat in the old town.
The Story
The story most Salzburgers will tell you is that coffee has been served on this corner of Alter Markt since 1703, making Café Tomaselli the oldest coffeehouse in Austria. The exact chain of ownership through the 18th century is difficult to pin down, but the claim is widely accepted and the building has looked something like this for a very long time.
Carl Tomaselli gave the café its lasting name and identity in the early 19th century. By then it was already a gathering point for Mozart's city, the kind of place where the Salzburg elite, visiting musicians, and the Archbishop's court would sit across tables from one another. That social geography has not entirely disappeared. The interior still has the panelled walls and marble table tops of a 19th-century coffeehouse, and the service follows its own unhurried rhythm.
The ritual is the cake stand. Waitstaff carry tiered displays of pastries and tortes to your table; you point, they note it, and the selection changes daily. The quality is solid rather than revelatory, but the presentation and the setting justify the visit.
Prices run higher than comparable cafés in Salzburg. The terrace on Alter Markt draws crowds in summer; arriving before 10am or after 4pm avoids the worst of the wait.
Visiting
Café Tomaselli is on Alter Markt 9, in the middle of the Altstadt. Open Mon-Sat 7am-7pm, Sun and holidays 8am-7pm. No booking needed, but expect a short wait for terrace tables in peak season. Budget EUR 8-15 for coffee and cake. Pairs naturally with a walk along Alter Markt or a visit to Konditorei Furst a few doors away for comparison. Getreidegasse is a two-minute walk.