Restaurant in Stuhlfelden, Austria
Serious alpine cooking without the four-figure bill.
Rauchkuchl in Stuhlfelden holds back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a 4.9 Google rating from 296 reviews, making it the strongest case for traditional Austrian cooking in the Pinzgau valley at the €€€ price point. Book ahead, confirm hours directly, and expect regionally anchored food that earns its recognition consistently.
Yes — if you are looking for serious traditional Austrian cooking in the Salzburg region at a price point that does not require a four-figure commitment, Rauchkuchl in Stuhlfelden earns its two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a 4.9 Google rating across 296 reviews. For a first-timer arriving in the Pinzgau valley, this is a direct case for booking: quality is documented, the price is set at €€€ rather than €€€€, and the recognition is consistent rather than a one-year fluke.
Rauchkuchl sits at Weyerstraße 8 in Stuhlfelden, a small Salzburg-state village in the Pinzgau region of the Austrian Alps. The cuisine is classified as Traditional, which in an Austrian alpine context means hearty, regionally anchored cooking: expect the kind of food that reflects the landscape around it rather than a menu built around international trends. For a first-timer, this is reassuring rather than limiting. You are not coming here for creative tasting menus with twelve components — you are coming for the kind of Austrian cooking that rewards attention to sourcing and technique over novelty.
The Michelin Plate designation , awarded in both 2024 and 2025 , signals that the food meets Michelin's baseline standard for quality cooking. It is not a star, but in a village of this size, it is meaningful. Michelin does not award Plates to venues that are merely popular; the inspectors have judged the food worth a detour on its own merits. Paired with a 4.9 score from nearly 300 Google reviews, the consistency of quality across a large sample of guests is notable. Very few venues at any price point sustain a 4.9 at that volume.
Specific hours for Rauchkuchl are not confirmed in our data, so contact the venue directly before planning a morning visit. That said, traditional Austrian alpine restaurants in the Pinzgau region frequently anchor their identity in hearty daytime eating rather than late-night dining. If Rauchkuchl does offer a breakfast or brunch service , common among Michelin-recognised venues in Austrian ski and hiking regions , expect it to reflect the same traditional register as the main menu: regional dairy, bread, and preserved meats rather than a continental buffet. For weekend visits in particular, calling ahead to confirm service hours is worth the effort. Austrian alpine venues in this category often shift their schedules seasonally, with heavier service in winter ski season and adjusted hours in shoulder months.
If a morning or weekend format matters to your trip, check with the venue directly and book early. Michelin-recognised restaurants in small Austrian villages often have limited covers, and weekend slots at recognised spots in the Salzburg region fill without much warning. For the broader Stuhlfelden dining picture, see our full Stuhlfelden restaurants guide.
The Pinzgau valley operates on a two-season rhythm: winter (December through March) driven by ski tourism, and summer (June through September) driven by hiking and cycling. Both seasons bring visitors to the region, which means weekend tables at quality venues can be harder to secure than a weekday visit might suggest. If your schedule allows, a midweek lunch in either peak season is likely to offer the leading combination of availability and atmosphere. Shoulder months , October/November and April/May , may offer easier booking and a quieter room, though again, confirming seasonal hours directly with the venue is advisable.
For wider regional context when planning your stay, our Stuhlfelden hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the full picture. If you are building a wine-focused trip through the Salzburg state, our Stuhlfelden wineries guide is worth a look too.
Reservations: Booking ahead is strongly recommended given the venue's consistent Michelin recognition and high guest satisfaction scores , walk-in availability is unconfirmed. Budget: €€€, placing it below the €€€€ bracket of Austria's top-tier restaurants but above casual dining. Dress: No confirmed dress code; smart-casual is appropriate for a Michelin Plate venue in an alpine village setting. Booking difficulty: Easy by Pearl's assessment, though weekend and peak-season slots should be secured in advance. Address: Weyerstraße 8, 5724 Stuhlfelden, Austria.
If you are touring the broader Salzburg and Austrian alpine region and want to benchmark Rauchkuchl against other recognised venues, several are worth knowing. Döllerer in Golling an der Salzach is the benchmark for contemporary Austrian cooking in the Salzach valley , more ambitious and more expensive, but a genuine reference point for the region. Ikarus in Salzburg operates at the €€€€ level with a rotating guest-chef concept that is unlike anything else in the state. For traditional Austrian cooking in a classical register, Landhaus Bacher in Mautern an der Donau is the national reference, though it is a long way from Stuhlfelden.
Closer to home in the alpine restaurant tier, Gourmetrestaurant Tannenhof in Sankt Anton am Arlberg and Griggeler Stuba in Lech offer points of comparison for high-end alpine dining further west. Kräuterreich by Vitus Winkler in Sankt Veit im Pongau is the most directly regional peer , another Michelin-recognised venue in the Salzburg state operating in a similar alpine-traditional register. Obauer in Werfen is the Salzburg region's most celebrated multi-generation kitchen and represents the ceiling of what the area produces.
For traditional cuisine comparisons further afield, Cave à Vin & à Manger - Maison Saint-Crescent in Narbonne and Auberge Grand'Maison in Mûr-de-Bretagne show how the traditional cuisine category performs across other European regions at a similar recognition level.
Rauchkuchl is worth booking if you want Michelin-recognised traditional Austrian cooking in the Pinzgau valley without stepping up to the €€€€ tier. The combination of back-to-back Michelin Plates and a 4.9 Google rating at near-300 reviews is a strong signal that the kitchen delivers consistently. For first-timers in the region, it is a lower-risk, high-reward choice. Call ahead to confirm hours and secure a reservation before you arrive.
Yes, at the €€€ price point with two consecutive Michelin Plates and a 4.9 Google rating from 296 reviews, Rauchkuchl delivers credible value. You are paying for documented quality, not just a village restaurant's reputation. For the €€€€ tier with more creative ambition, Döllerer or Obauer are the regional benchmarks, but they cost noticeably more.
Bar seating specifics are not confirmed in our data. Traditional Austrian alpine restaurants in villages like Stuhlfelden typically do not operate a bar counter in the way urban cocktail bars or brasseries do. Contact the venue directly to ask about seating options. For bar-focused options in the area, our Stuhlfelden bars guide is a better starting point.
Yes, within its category. Michelin Plate recognition and a consistent guest rating make it a reliable choice for a special meal in the Pinzgau region. If you want a grander occasion venue with more ceremony and a longer tasting format, Steirereck im Stadtpark or Konstantin Filippou in Vienna operate at a different level , but they are also a different trip entirely.
Specific dishes are not available in our confirmed data, so ordering advice at the item level would be speculation. What the Michelin Plate and traditional cuisine classification tell you is that the kitchen's strength is in regional Austrian cooking done with care. Ask the kitchen or front-of-house what is leading that day , at a venue with this level of repeat recognition, that question tends to get a straight answer.
Whether Rauchkuchl offers a tasting menu is not confirmed in our data. Traditional cuisine venues at the €€€ level in Austrian alpine settings frequently focus on à la carte rather than multi-course tasting formats. Contact the venue directly to ask what formats are available. If a multi-course tasting experience is your priority, Ikarus in Salzburg is built around exactly that format at the €€€€ level.
Book ahead, confirm hours directly before your visit (hours are not publicly listed in our data), and arrive expecting serious traditional Austrian cooking rather than a creative or international menu. The €€€ price point, Michelin Plate recognition, and near-perfect Google score give you strong pre-trip confidence. Stuhlfelden is a small alpine village , plan your visit as part of a broader Pinzgau itinerary and use our Stuhlfelden restaurants guide to fill out the rest of the trip.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rauchkuchl | Traditional Cuisine | €€€ | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Steirereck im Stadtpark | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Döllerer | Contemporary Austrian, Innovative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Ikarus | Modern European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Konstantin Filippou | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Landhaus Bacher | Austrian, Classic Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Stuhlfelden for this tier.
Yes, at €€€ in a region where recognised cooking often jumps to €€€€ or higher, Rauchkuchl holds a strong position. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm the kitchen is operating at a consistent standard. For traditional Austrian cuisine in the Pinzgau valley, this is the tier where quality and value align most clearly.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in our data, so contact the venue at Weyerstraße 8, Stuhlfelden before assuming walk-in bar availability. Given the venue's Michelin recognition and likely small scale typical of alpine village restaurants, a reservation is the safer approach regardless of seating format.
Yes, with the right expectations. Rauchkuchl's Michelin Plate status and traditional Austrian cuisine format make it a credible choice for a low-key celebratory dinner in the Salzburg region. It is better suited to occasions where quality and place matter more than formal ceremony — think anniversary in the Alps rather than corporate dinner.
Specific menu items are not confirmed in our data, so we cannot recommend individual dishes. What is confirmed is a traditional Austrian cuisine focus, which in the Pinzgau region typically centres on regional ingredients and alpine cooking methods. Ask the kitchen what is seasonal when you book.
Tasting menu availability is not confirmed in our data. Contact Rauchkuchl directly at Weyerstraße 8, Stuhlfelden to confirm formats. If a tasting menu exists, two consecutive Michelin Plates suggest the kitchen has the consistency to justify that format — but verify before building a visit around it.
Book ahead. The combination of Michelin Plate recognition and a small Salzburg-state village location means capacity is limited and demand from regional visitors is real. Rauchkuchl is classified as traditional cuisine at €€€ — come expecting serious alpine cooking rather than a contemporary tasting format. If you are driving from Salzburg city, the Pinzgau valley is roughly 80 kilometres southwest, so plan the visit as a destination rather than a casual detour.
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