St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is a restaurant inside St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg, Austria. It is often credited with one of the longest hospitality histories in Europe, although its exact age is a matter of debate.
History
The earliest recorded mention is a letter to Charlemagne dated 803, and it is assumed that food and lodging were offered on the site before then. In its early centuries the house gave free meals to religious pilgrims. During the Napoleonic Wars, French soldiers were quartered in the inn.
The restaurant has closed several times over its history, so it cannot be considered the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. That title is usually given to Sobrino de Botín in Spain, which has operated since 1725 and closed only temporarily during the COVID pandemic. In more recent times it has hosted political figures and European leaders.
Culture
Today it combines traditional Austrian cooking with more modern dishes and serves wines and local Austrian beers. It is best known for the Salzburger Nockerl, a light, fluffy dessert served with lingonberry cream. It also hosts Mozart dinner concerts several nights a week, making it a common stop for visitors who want to combine food and classical music in the city.
Legend and fact
A local tradition holds that Christopher Columbus, Johann Georg Faust and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ate at the restaurant. These attributions have no documented basis and are cited as legend. What is on record is the 803 letter, and the claim to be the oldest restaurant in the world remains a hypothesis.