Where Death and the Devil are one table down

Savour the whole evening

Long after the applause has died down, the magic of the evening still has you under its spell. There’s still so much to talk about: What made this year’s performance of Everyman so special? Did you enjoy the Mozart opera? Every performance at the Salzburg Festival is the start of a conversation that goes on into the night. What venue could be more relaxing and convivial than a typical Salzburg Festival restaurant? 

When death comes to dinner

We’ve managed to get a table at the immensely popular Triangel restaurant. Festival guests in opulent attire and haute couture suits sit alongside locals in Dirndl dresses, traditional Tracht and Lederhosen. The owner, Franz Gensbichler, and his team are rushing back and forth from one table to the next. Everyone’s relaxed, amused and talkative. Then the hustle-and-babble drops to a low hum. There are nudges and winks. Fingers are pointed and questions are asked. “Isn’t that Death?” Obviously, they don’t mean the Grim Reaper himself. It’s Peter Lohmeyer, the actor who has been playing Death in the Everyman play since 2013. Indeed, it is! He slips over to one of the tables as inconspicuously as possible. Even Death gets hungry – or at least the actor in Everyman does! Nor can we rule out the possibility of him being joined at Franzi’s by other members of the cast as they round off their evenings. 

Where Festival stars come to relax: The Triangel restaurant

Franz Gensbichler has been running the Triangel for 17 years, and it’s considered by many to be the lounge of the festival stars and, consequently, attracts numerous members of their audiences. It’s not unusual to sit at a table next to Death and the Devil! However, even if it didn’t attract celebrities, the venue would still pull in the crowds with its pleasant main room and charming outdoor dining, offering uniquely enchanting views of the festival halls – alongside the magnificent cuisine! The Triangel serves up some truly magnificent festive dishes, named after the year’s featured stars, and these change every season. There have already been dishes entitled ‘Anna Netrebko’ and ‘Tobias Moretti’. Who knows which celebrity performers Franz Gensbichler intends to honour with an exquisite dish this year? Let’s see! 

• the Triangel

Herbert von Karajan’s window on the world: Goldener Hirsch restaurant 

Another great institution is the Hotel Goldener Hirsch with its famous vault-ceiling restaurant. The Hirschen and the Festival have been closely associated since the very beginning. The Goldener Hirsch was the first place to welcome guests after the first ever festival performances in 1920 and countless festival celebrities have been accommodated and catered for here since then. One notable regular was Herbert von Karajan. The immensely talented conductor was even given his own table in the corner by the window. The venerable establishment at no.37 Getreidegasse skilfully crafts the best of haute cuisine with domestically-sourced produce to create modern Austrian dishes. It’s also the perfect place for a culinary nightcap after the opera, theatre or a concert. 

• Goldener Hirsch

Mozart’s old hang-out where yesterday and today merge effortlessly: arthotel Blaue Gans

The Blaue Gans (Blue Goose) is a stately 670 years of age, although it’s not obvious at first sight. Salzburg’s first art hotel spans the years from tradition to the present day with ease. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known to have drunk the odd drop or two in the town’s oldest hostelry; and it now welcomes lovers of art and culture from all over the world. During the Salzburg Summer Festival guests savour Salzburgian and international culinary delights within the grand old walls of the restaurant – or out in the picturesque garden for guests. Opposite the horse bath and drinking hole – die Pferdeschwemme, a stone’s throw from the festival halls, the Blaue Gans is a marvellous place to dine and discuss the evening’s show. Goose bumps are guaranteed.

• Blaue Gans

Dine like Riccardo Muti in Europe’s oldest restaurant: St. Peter Stiftskulinarium

St. Peter Stiftskulinarium has a visitor book that reads like a who’s who of classical culture. Opera singer Anna Netrebko and conductor Riccardo Muti are just two of the myriad stars to have fallen for the charms of this venerable restaurant. No wonder the Stiftskeller in the heart of the old town has been bewitching connoisseurs and lovers of refined cuisine for over 1200 years now. Hewn into the rock of Mönchsberg Hill, it offers countless pleasures for both the palate and the eye, including a picturesque garden, a magnificent inner courtyard and exquisite, creatively-crafted dishes from Austria and around the world. It’s yet another wonderful place to spoil the senses and to see out a festival evening in style! 

• St. Peter Stiftskulinarium