Food · Hallstatt · Austria
What to eat in Hallstatt
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Hallstatt, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Reinanke, Saibling and Steckerlfisch. Restaurants with terraces on the water in Hallstatt serve Reinanke and Saibling caught locally; book a table for a lakeside view in summer. Restaurants are few and fill quickly in the evening; reserve dinner if you are staying overnight in summer.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Reinanke
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total when you pay.
- Food experiences
- 3
9 foods to try
Dish
1.Reinanke
A whitefish from the Hallstätter See with mild, delicate flesh, served pan-fried in butter (Müllerin-Art), grilled or smoked. It is the village's signature dish.
Where: Lakeside restaurants and guesthouse dining rooms in Hallstatt Markt and Lahn; ask which fish is from the lake that day.
Dish
2.Saibling (Seesaibling)
Arctic char from the Salzkammergut lakes, with pink, slightly richer flesh than whitefish, served grilled, fried or as smoked fillets.
Where: Fish restaurants around the lake and smokehouses in the region that sell it to take away.
Street food
3.Steckerlfisch
Whole fish skewered on a stick and grilled over charcoal, a Salzkammergut and Bavarian festival favourite, eaten with bread.
Where: Village festivals and some lakeside stands and inns in summer.
Dish · Vegetarian
4.Kasnocken
Small flour dumplings tossed in a pan with plenty of melted local cheese and topped with crispy fried onions and chives, the Salzkammergut version of cheese spätzle.
Where: Traditional inns and mountain huts across the region.
Snack
5.Brettljause
A wooden board of cured and smoked meats, speck, cheese, spreads, pickles and dark bread, the standard snack in mountain huts and taverns.
Where: Mountain huts on Krippenstein and around the salt-mine high valley, and inns in the valley.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Kaiserschmarrn
Thick, fluffy pancake torn into pieces, caramelised in the pan, dusted with icing sugar and served with plum compote; a dish associated with Emperor Franz Joseph, who spent summers in Bad Ischl.
Where: Cafés, inns and mountain huts around Hallstatt and the Dachstein.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Zaunerstollen
A rich confection of wafers, hazelnut and nougat cream coated in chocolate, invented at the Zauner pastry shop in Bad Ischl in the early 20th century.
Where: Café Zauner in Bad Ischl, and in shops around the Salzkammergut.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Apfelstrudel
Thin, stretched pastry around spiced apples and raisins, served warm with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.
Where: Cafés on the Marktplatz and along Seestraße.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Most
A dry cider or perry from Upper Austria's orchards, served by the glass in taverns and farm inns, often with a Jause platter.
Where: Inns and Mostschenken (cider taverns) in the Salzkammergut valleys.
Food experiences
Lake fish lunch
Restaurants with terraces on the water in Hallstatt serve Reinanke and Saibling caught locally; book a table for a lakeside view in summer.
Smokehouse fish
Smoked char and whitefish from local fisheries and smokehouses around the lake make a picnic with bread on the shore.
Coffee and cake in Bad Ischl
The imperial spa town's traditional pastry shops serve Zaunerstollen, strudels and tortes in a Viennese-style coffee-house setting.
Quick bites and street food
- Steckerlfisch — Village festivals and some lakeside stands and inns in summer.
- Brettljause — Mountain huts on Krippenstein and around the salt-mine high valley, and inns in the valley.
Vegetarian options
Of the 9 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Kasnocken, Kaiserschmarrn, Zaunerstollen, Apfelstrudel and Most. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Restaurants are few and fill quickly in the evening; reserve dinner if you are staying overnight in summer.
- Many kitchens stop serving hot food relatively early in the evening, and some close in the off-season.
- Carry some cash, as smaller cafés and huts may prefer it.
- Lunch is the busiest time; eat early or late to avoid queues when day-trippers are in town.
- Ask for 'Fisch aus dem See' to be sure you get local lake fish.
Tipping
Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total when you pay.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Grüß Gott | Hello (formal greeting) |
| Danke | Thank you |
| Zahlen, bitte | The bill, please |
| Fisch aus dem See | Fish from the lake |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Hallstatt famous for?
Reinanke, Saibling, Steckerlfisch and Kasnocken. A whitefish from the Hallstätter See with mild, delicate flesh, served pan-fried in butter (Müllerin-Art), grilled or smoked.
+Is Hallstatt good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Kasnocken, Kaiserschmarrn and Zaunerstollen.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Hallstatt?
Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total when you pay.