Salzburg’s cafe scene splits into two worlds: 300-year-old Kaffeehäuser where coffee arrives on a silver tray, and a growing wave of specialty coffee bars roasting their own beans. This guide rounds up all the best cafes in Salzburg, from Café Tomaselli’s marble tables to modern roasters in Nonntal. As a bonus, you’ll learn about ordering, tipping, and dessert know-how you need to feel like a local.
Keep reading to enjoy the best cafes in Salzburg like a local!
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Salzburg’s coffeehouse culture, explained
Coffeehouses aren’t just a place to grab a quick espresso here. They’re part of daily life. Austria’s coffeehouse tradition runs so deep that it’s listed in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage, and Salzburg played its own part in that story well before Vienna’s cafes became famous. Some historians even argue that the cafe style now associated with Vienna first took shape in Salzburg, where Café Tomaselli’s predecessor was serving coffee, chocolate, and tea from 1700 onward.
What this means for you as a visitor: nobody will rush you out after one cup. Order a coffee, and the table is yours for as long as you want it. Newspapers are usually on hand, the pace is unhurried, and at Tomaselli, pastries move from table to table on trays rather than a menu. In a traditional Austrian coffeehouse, your drink arrives on a small tray with a glass of water on the side. It’s completely different from a quick coffee-to-go, and definitely worth building into your Salzburg itinerary as a cultural experience.
Ordering coffee like a local
Ordering coffee in Austria isn’t quite as simple as asking for “a coffee.” Austrian cafes work from their own vocabulary, and naming the specific drink you want gets you a much better result. Here are the terms you’ll actually use:
- Melange: Austria’s answer to a cappuccino, made with espresso, steamed milk, and a layer of foam
- Verlängerter: espresso lengthened with hot water, similar to an Americano
- Einspänner: a double espresso served in a glass and topped with whipped cream, traditionally left unstirred
- Kapuziner: espresso with just a splash of milk or cream
- Brauner: coffee with a small amount of milk on the side, ordered “klein” (small) or “groß” (large)
A simple, polite way to order is to name the drink directly: “Eine Melange, bitte” (a melange, please) or “Einen Verlängerten, bitte.” When you’re ready for the bill, say “Zahlen, bitte” and the waiter will come to your table.
The 8 best cafes in Salzburg
Café Tomaselli
Café Tomaselli sits on the Alter Markt, right in the heart of the Altstadt, and holds the title of Austria’s oldest surviving coffeehouse. Its story starts in 1700, when a French trader opened Salzburg’s first coffee stall nearby. The business moved to its current address in 1764, and the Tomaselli family has run it since 1852. Mozart himself was reportedly a regular.
Step inside and you’ll find wood paneling, marble tables, and staff in traditional dress carrying trays of pastries from table to table, a tradition known locally as the Kuchendamen. Order the Tomaselli Melange, a mocha-style coffee topped with milk and whipped cream, alongside the cafe’s well-known apple strudel, made with layers of pastry so thin you’re meant to eat it with just a fork.
- Address: Alter Markt 9, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Monday to Friday from 7 AM to 7 PM, weekends and holidays 8 AM to 7 PM (longer hours during festival season)
Café Bazar
A short walk across the Staatsbrücke bridge brings you to Café Bazar, sitting right on the Salzach riverbank. The building dates to the early 1880s, and the cafe itself opened its doors in September 1909, founded by Richard Tomaselli, brother of the owner of Café Tomaselli. Writers, actors, and musicians have been meeting here for over a century, including Marlene Dietrich and Stefan Zweig.
The outdoor terrace is the main draw. Grab a table looking across the water toward the Hohensalzburg Fortress and order the Bazar Melange, a filter coffee topped with milk and whipped cream, alongside a slice of Milchrahmstrudel (cream strudel). Keep in mind that Café Bazar is cash-only, so come prepared.
- Address: Schwarzstraße 3, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Café-Konditorei Fürst
If you want your coffee break to double as a history lesson in Salzburg’s most famous export, head to Café-Konditorei Fürst on the Alter Markt. The confectionery opened in 1884, and in 1890 owner Paul Fürst wrapped pistachio marzipan in nougat and dark chocolate to create the original Salzburger Mozartkugel. The Fürst family still makes it by hand from the same recipe today, five generations later.
Grab a table on the terrace overlooking the square, order a coffee, and pair it with a fresh Mozartkugel or a slice of Sachertorte. This is also one of the few places in Salzburg where you can watch the confections being made in-house.
- Address: Brodgasse 13, 5020 Salzburg (Alter Markt location)
- Hours: generally open daily from around 9 AM to 6 PM, with slight variations between its Salzburg locations
Café Getreidegasse
Tucked into the passage between Getreidegasse and Universitätsplatz, Café Getreidegasse sits inside a building dating back to 1387 and holds the title of one of the oldest cafes in Salzburg. It’s quieter than Tomaselli or Bazar, with a cozy interior and a small courtyard patio that make it an easy stop between sightseeing.
The cafe is best known for its seasonal strudels, which rotate between apple, curd cheese, apricot, rhubarb, and poppy seed depending on the time of year. In summer, it also serves a rotating selection of homemade ice cream.
- Address: in the passage linking Getreidegasse and Universitätsplatz, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: check ahead, as hours shift seasonally
Ratio Coffee Roasters
For a change of pace from the historic Kaffeehäuser, head to Ratio Coffee Roasters on Linzergasse. It roasts its own beans using a solar-powered roaster, the first of its kind in Austria, and pours filter coffee, V60, and flat whites alongside vegan cakes and snacks. The room has around six outdoor tables and a relaxed indoor seating area, making it an easy stop for a break from sightseeing on the New Town side of the river.
- Address: Linzergasse 72A, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: open daily from 8 AM till 6 PM
Kaffee Alchemie
Kaffee Alchemie has been pouring specialty coffee on Rudolfskai for well over a decade, making it one of the longest-running names in Salzburg’s third-wave coffee scene. The room feels more like a living room than a shop, with plants, books, and mismatched furniture, and the menu runs to more than ten single-origin beans alongside homemade pastries.
- Address: Rudolfskai 38, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Monday to Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM, weekends from around 9 AM to 6 PM
220 Grad
220 Grad is a family-run roastery with two cafes in Salzburg, one near the Old Town in the Kaiviertel and one across the river in Nonntal, plus its own roasting house in Maxglan. Both cafe locations serve espresso drinks and filter coffee made from beans roasted just a few streets away, alongside a small food menu.
- Addresses: Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 9 (Kaiviertel) and Nonntaler Hauptstraße 9a (Nonntal), 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM
Kaffeeothek
Kaffeeothek opened in the Schatz Durchhaus courtyard just off Getreidegasse in 2024 and works more like a specialty coffee shop, compared to traditional cafes in Salzburg. It stocks beans from around 20 different roasters across Austria and Europe, so you can taste your way through the shelf at the espresso and filter bar before buying a bag to take home. There’s also a small showroom of home brewing equipment upstairs.
- Address: Getreidegasse 3, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Monday to Friday from 09:30 AM to 6 PM, Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM
Special mention: Salzburg’s signature dessert
Alongside the Mozartkugel from Café Fürst, the dessert most associated with Salzburg is the Salzburger Nockerl, a warm, pillowy souffle shaped into three peaks and dusted with powdered sugar. According to local legend, it was created by Salome Alt, the longtime partner of Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, in the early 1600s. The three peaks are said to represent the mountains that ring the city, usually named as Mönchsberg, Kapuzinerberg, and Gaisberg, with the powdered sugar standing in for snow.
The Nockerl is made from whipped egg whites, sugar, a small amount of flour, and egg yolks, baked until golden and served immediately since it deflates within minutes of leaving the oven. That’s also why you won’t find it as a takeaway item. It’s usually made for two people to share, so it’s a fun order if you’re not dining alone. You’ll find it on the menu at several restaurants around the Altstadt, though it’s a heavier, oven-baked specialty rather than something every coffeehouse makes fresh daily, so it’s worth calling ahead if a specific spot is on your list.
FAQs
What is the famous dessert in Salzburg, Austria?
Salzburg is best known for two sweets: the Salzburger Nockerl, a warm souffle baked into three peaks and dusted with powdered sugar, and the original Mozartkugel, invented at Café-Konditorei Fürst in 1890.
Do you tip waiters in Salzburg?
Yes. Round up the bill for coffee and light snacks, and add around 5 to 10 percent at a full meal. Hand the tip over directly rather than leaving it on the table.
How do you ask for coffee in Austria?
Name the specific drink rather than just asking for "a coffee." Common options include Melange, Verlängerter, Einspänner, and Kapuziner. Say "eine Melange, bitte" and ask for "die Rechnung" or "zahlen, bitte" when you're ready to pay.
What is traditional Viennese coffee?
It usually refers to the Wiener Melange, a foam-topped coffee similar to a cappuccino, served with a glass of water on a small tray. The wider serving style, unhurried and social, is what makes it distinct, and Salzburg's own cafes follow the same tradition.
What's the oldest cafe in Salzburg?
Café Tomaselli on the Alter Markt holds that title, with roots going back to 1700 and continuous operation at its current address since 1764. Café Getreidegasse is a close second.
Are cafes in Salzburg cash-only?
Some are. Café Bazar, for example, only accepts cash. It's a good idea to carry euros for smaller, traditional cafes even if bigger spots accept cards.
What's the difference between Café Tomaselli and Café Bazar?
Café Tomaselli sits in the Altstadt on the Alter Markt and leans into its Mozart-era history, while Café Bazar sits across the river with an outdoor terrace looking back at the Old Town. Both serve classic Viennese-style coffee and pastries.
Is there good specialty coffee in Salzburg?
Yes. Roasters like Ratio Coffee Roasters, Kaffee Alchemie, 220 Grad, and Kaffeeothek have built a strong specialty coffee scene around single-origin beans, filter coffee, and house roasting, alongside the city's historic Kaffeehäuser.
What time do cafes in Salzburg open?
Most traditional cafes open early, typically around 7:00 AM or 7:30 AM, and close in the early evening around 7:00 PM or 7:30 PM. Specialty coffee bars often keep slightly shorter hours, so it's worth checking ahead.
Can I get vegan or dairy-free options at Salzburg's cafes?
Yes, particularly at the newer specialty coffee bars, many of which offer oat milk and other alternatives alongside vegan pastries. Traditional Kaffeehäuser are also increasingly adding dairy-free options, so just ask.
