Restaurant in Salzburg, Austria
Countryside Michelin cooking, book well ahead.
A Michelin-starred creative kitchen in a 17th-century parish house just outside Salzburg, Pfefferschiff delivers serious multi-course cooking in a setting that is warm and unhurried rather than formally stiff. With a producer-driven menu, a strong Austrian wine list including the owners' own Kamptal vineyard, and consistent 4.7-star public ratings, it is one of the most compelling bookings in the Salzburg region.
Pfefferschiff is the right call for food-focused travelers who want Michelin-level cooking in a setting that feels like a countryside dinner party rather than a formal restaurant occasion. If you are visiting Salzburg and want one serious meal that holds its own against the city's leading without the stiff atmosphere that sometimes comes with that territory, this is where to go. It also works well for couples looking for a longer evening out and for anyone who wants to explore Austrian wine with genuine depth alongside their food. The Saturday lunch service makes it one of the few Michelin-starred options in the region that suits a midday occasion.
Pfefferschiff sits in Hallwang, just outside Salzburg's city center, in a 17th-century parish house that sets the tone immediately. The rooms are cosy without being cramped, the terrace is an attractive option when the weather allows, and a lounge area means the evening does not have to end when the last course arrives. The ambient feel here is warm and unhurried. This is not a room that hums with the energy of a city restaurant hitting capacity on a Friday night. Conversation carries, the pace is set by the guests, and the overall mood is closer to a well-run private house than a destination dining institution. That quality, a kind of relaxed authority, is exactly what makes Pfefferschiff worth the short journey out of the city center.
The kitchen operates with a bold and inventive approach to creative cuisine. Rather than chasing novelty for its own sake, the cooking is grounded in ingredient quality. The chef works closely with producers and is deliberate about sourcing, which gives the menu a seasonal coherence that holds up visit after visit. The foie gras terrine with cauliflower and passion fruit, documented in Michelin's own assessment, gives a useful signal: this is cooking that works with contrasts in texture and flavor rather than relying on single-note luxury. There are two set menus on offer, one of them fully vegetarian, each available in five, seven, or eight courses. A five-course market menu rounds out the options for guests who want a slightly lighter commitment. The vegetarian menu is a genuine option here, not an afterthought, which matters if you are booking for a mixed group.
The wine list focuses on Austrian labels, which is the right call given the context. Pfefferschiff also cultivates its own vineyard in the Kamptal, giving the wine program a credibility that goes beyond curation. If Austrian wine is unfamiliar territory, this is a good room to let the list guide you. The front-of-house is led by Iris Vigné, whose approach to hospitality is consistently described as natural and warm rather than formal or performative. At the €€€€ price point, that kind of service tone makes a real difference to whether the evening feels worth it.
Pfefferschiff holds a Michelin one star as of 2024 and carries a Google rating of 4.7 across 235 reviews, which is a strong signal for consistency. One-star Michelin cooking that also sustains that kind of public rating is not common. It suggests the venue delivers at a level that translates across different types of guests, not just those arriving with a specific fine dining frame of reference.
Book well in advance. Pfefferschiff is hard to get into and the limited opening hours make that more acute. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. Tuesday through Friday, service runs from 6 PM. Saturday is the only day with a lunch service, starting at noon. If a Saturday lunch works for your itinerary, prioritize that slot: it is the most distinctive offering in Salzburg's Michelin tier and gives you the afternoon free. All services run to 1 AM, so there is no pressure to rush. The address is Söllheim 3, 5300 Hallwang bei Salzburg. You will need a car or taxi from the city center. Build that into your planning, especially if you intend to drink well from the wine list.
For context on how Pfefferschiff fits into the wider Austrian fine dining picture, it sits comfortably alongside venues like Döllerer in Golling an der Salzach and Landhaus Bacher in Mautern an der Donau as examples of serious cooking delivered in a non-urban, relaxed setting. It is a different proposition from Steirereck im Stadtpark in Vienna, which operates at a higher level of formality and international profile. Alpine Austria has its own constellation of serious tables, including Griggeler Stuba in Lech and Schwarzer Adler in Hall in Tirol, but Pfefferschiff's combination of proximity to Salzburg, countryside setting, and owner-led warmth gives it a specific character that those venues do not replicate. If creative tasting menus in relaxed European settings are your reference point elsewhere, think Arpège in Paris for the producer-driven ethos, though Pfefferschiff operates at a lower intensity and a more accessible register.
For your wider Salzburg planning, see our full Salzburg restaurants guide, our full Salzburg hotels guide, our full Salzburg bars guide, our full Salzburg wineries guide, and our full Salzburg experiences guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pfefferschiff | Creative | Just outside Salzburg, Iris and Jürgen Vigné's establishment offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. In a lovely 17C parish house, dine in one of the charming, cosy rooms, outside on the attractive terrace or in a lounge. The cuisine is characterised by a bold and inventive spirit, infused with a personal touch that shines through in dishes like the foie gras terrine with cauliflower and passion fruit; a symphony of textures and flavours that showcases the chef's mastery of contrasting elements. When it comes to the quality of his ingredients, Jürgen Vigné sets great store by working closely with nature and is mindful of the produce he buys in. There are two set menus, one vegetarian and each comprising five, seven or eight courses. Alternatively, you can opt for a five-course set menu that varies according to what the market has to offer. Iris Vigné is a natural-born hostess who ensures that her guests feel at home. The well-curated wine list focuses on Austrian labels. They also cultivate a vineyard in the Kamptal.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Ikarus | Modern European, Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Esszimmer | Modern Austrian, Creative | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Senns | Austrian | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| The Glass Garden | Creative | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Brandstätter | Country cooking | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Salzburg for this tier.
Pfefferschiff is a Michelin-starred restaurant (2024) in a 17th-century parish house in Hallwang, a short drive from Salzburg's city centre. You choose from two set menus — one vegetarian, one not — each available in five, seven, or eight courses, plus a five-course market menu. Opening hours are limited (Tuesday through Friday evenings, Saturday lunch and dinner only, closed Sunday and Monday), so plan around those constraints before anything else.
The venue includes a lounge as well as cosy dining rooms and a terrace, but no bar counter dining is documented. If eating in the lounge rather than a formal dining room matters to you, check the venue's official channels to ask what's available on your date.
Saturday lunch is the only midday service available, which makes it a practical option if you want a long, unhurried meal without the time pressure of a late evening. Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday. For a first visit, Saturday lunch gives you the full set-menu experience at a pace that suits the countryside setting.
The cosy room format and set-menu structure work reasonably well for solo diners — you're not occupying a large table and the pacing is managed for you. The lounge seating may suit a solo visit better than a formal table for one. At €€€€ pricing, the multi-course format is the draw regardless of party size.
Ikarus at Hangar-7 offers a rotating guest-chef format that suits visitors who want a different creative pitch each month. Esszimmer is another Salzburg Michelin option worth considering if you want to stay closer to the city centre. Senns is a lighter, more modern operation that may appeal if you prefer a less formal room. Pfefferschiff's parish-house setting and Vigné's ingredient-focused cooking give it a distinct character that the city-centre alternatives don't replicate.
The setting — a 17th-century parish house with cosy rooms and a terrace — leans formal without being stiff. A Michelin-starred restaurant at the €€€€ price point warrants dressing well: jacket for men is a safe choice, though the countryside atmosphere is less rigid than a city fine-dining room. Avoid overly casual clothes.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
