“Little Italy” in Salzburg

It’s a beehive of activity, warm, boisterous. Just the way you want it. “Pasta e Vino” in the Andräviertel part of town lives up to your every expectation whenever you have a craving for the flavor of Italy during your time in Salzburg. Like the maestro he his, Pietro Spagnuolo orchestrates all the goings-on in this restaurant with its blue chairs. He shakes the hand of the dottore who pops in from next door, brings out the caffè and greets a young woman with a cheerful “Ciao bella!” The 38-year-old Neapolitan says: “We don’t see our guests as ‘regulars’. They’re our friends.” And that’s precisely the feeling you get. The atmosphere is high-spirited and uncomplicated: No sooner have you scooted your chair up to the table and ordered some of the house wine from Friuli, than your mouth begins to water at the prospect of what the small kitchen is about to serve up: antipasti, homemade pasta and ravioli, tiramisu and panna cotta.

From Deli to Restaurant

“Pasta e Vino” is a Salzburg institution. It originally opened as a delicatessen back in 2000, but has grown steadily over the years. That said, people still love nothing more than to sit right by the display cases where ravioli is set out next to the ham and buffalo mozzarella: In other words, in the heart of the shop itself!

“Pasta e Vino” is open 362 days a year. And for most of that time, all 29 seats are eagerly occupied. In other words, reservations are strongly advised! Andrew Puppo took over “Pasta e Vino” in March 2016. An adopted Salzburger with Scottish and Italian roots, he has maintained the well-proven concept: “We don’t have a menu as such. Instead, we give you three pasta dishes to choose from. If one of them happens to be out, then we offer a different one in its place.”

50 kilos of homemade pasta daily

Every day between 9 and 1 o’clock, they make ravioli and pasta by hand: The pasta machine dates back to 1999 and continues to do its duty reliably day in and day out. Serafino – the cook and clearly Andrew Puppo’s key man in the kitchen – keeps a keen eye on everything that goes on there and personally buys in virtually all of the products they need. “Pasta e Vino” opens at 8:30 in the morning, and the kitchen doesn’t close until 8:30 at night. In between, deli customers and diners constantly come and go. And at “Pasta e Vino”, there’s not even a hint of snobbery: Students sit right there next to Festival attendees, travelers from around the world next to the locals.

As much as “Pasta e Vino” is a part of Salzburg, Salzburg has also become a part of Pietro Spagnuolo and Andrew Puppo, too. Both have lived in different countries, yet both see their futures in the City of Mozart: Living here with their families, it’s impossible for them to imagine making their homes anywhere else. And so the love story continues. Let us hope it lasts for many centuries yet to come.

Tips “Italy in Salzburg”

Where Italians love to eat Italian

1983 saw the first pizzeria open its doors in Salzburg City. Since then, pizza, pasta and espresso have become staples of Salzburgers’ dining-out routine. Needless to say, Italians living in Salzburg also have their own favorite “Italian places”: Andrew Puppo of “Pasta e Vino”, for example, recommends the wood-stove pizza of Neapolitan Ciro Colmazza (Pizzeria “Da Ciro” / Robinigstraße 15). Aside from traditional restaurants such as “Antichi Sapori” at No. 8a Müllner Hauptstraße, you will also discover Italian delis such as “Sapori del Sud” at No. 88 Nonntaler Hauptstraße.

Homemade Organic Pizza

Organic ingredients from the surrounding region or “Fair Trade” products, conscious avoidance of pre-processed foods, also vegetarian or vegan upon request: Murat Akyol creates and serves pizzas that live up to your highest expectations when it comes to quality and flavor. His small restaurant “Organic Pizza” at No. 24a Franz-Josef-Straße (in the same building as the NH Hotel) is his life’s dream come true. And the name says it all: You can rest assured you’ll always sit down to your meal with a clear conscience. The seasonal pizza is yet another real highlight: topped with ingredients that have been allowed to mature naturally before being harvested. The ultimate definition of sustainability!