BY INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA
( THE WRITER IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED , MULTIPLE AWARD – WINNING TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR)
NEW DELHI, 17 MAY 2025
“Lucky are those who drop by…”
Why…? Quite simple! It’s a rather special place, with a history as old as they come.
In candlelight ambience, guests can enjoy popular compositions by Mozart, played by Salzburg musicians in historic costumes, and a multi-course dinner prepared according to traditional recipes. One dines in a setting of period furniture and eats from the finest porcelain and silver.
Apart from the excellence of ambience and cuisine featured at all times, they are strong on welcomes here, and one can pay for an outstanding reception. There is the ‘rustic welcome’ which includes a glass of Stigel Pils, canapes, pates and cheese, and there is the ‘Sparkling Wine Reception’ which includes canapes, salmon and mushrooms, and a glass of Schlumberger. And then there is the prime one. The ‘Champagne Reception’ that combines canapes with roast beef, salmon, Parma-ham, and Quiche Lorraine, all washed down with a glass of champagne.
Tradition rules strong in the Austrian psyche, and things don’t come more traditional than this. In the heart of Salzburg’s beautiful old town centre lies the convent and restaurant, ‘St.Peter’s Stiftskeller, the oldest and amongst Europe’s most venerated, respected, and celebrated cuisine and cultural centres.
Awaiting one’s leisure in the parlours and vaults of St. Peter’s cellar is a traditional, yet sophisticated cuisine served with all the refined fanfare of the great Austrian aristocracy so sought after and imitated in Europe. The result is a constant stream of clients, locals and outsiders, who come here to be seen, dine at the celebrated tables, and enjoy the music performances.
St. Peter’s lineage is long and impeccable. The story of the establishment goes back centuries to the days when a powerful group of local monks lived in the city. As per custom, their lives were governed simultaneously by religion and commerce, existing side by side. Sustaining the convent was the wine produced by the monks. Wine as good as any available in the land. Then, gradually, came the cuisine, and the rest, as they say, is history.
St. Peter’s Stiftskeller is mentioned for the first time in 803 by the court-writer Alkuin, following the visit by Emperor Charles the Great. In 1510 an enlarging of the cellar was noted. In 1660 the Roman cellar that served as a dining room for monks, began sales on a small scale. In 1763, Abbot Beda Seeauer gave room and board to Johann Michael Haydn, brother of the famous Joseph Haydn, in the monastery, where he died in 1806. So impressed was Michael Haydn, that he composed a song in praise of the St. Peter’s wine. In 1783, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart presented for the first time parts of his c-minor-mass (KV 427) in the church and monastery. His wife Constanze sang a solo in one of the soprano pieces. In 1992, the establishment was leased by Haslauer Gastronomie and renovated.
In keeping with the tenets of real class and pedigree, the entire establishment is understated in terms of its decorative items, functioning, and marketing. The décor is mainly of the past, of days of former grandeur when mighty empires held sway over the lifestyles of the nobles, reflected in the interiors, the size of the rooms, the lighting, and the furniture and furnishings that embellish all parts of the restaurant, and even the height of the ceilings.
Helping one ‘escape from the ordinary’, the menu facilitates enjoyment of culinary delicacies offered by traditional Austrian cooking during a candlelit dinner accompanied by music. Among the several specialties of the house, some just can’t be missed out. The ‘Klostertopf’ (monastery stew), ‘Klosterbrett’ (monastery platter), the Salzburger Nockerl, an egg souffle, and the St. Peter’s fish and prelate’s wine, have for generations been savoured by the world’s aristocracy.
The arches of the Romanesque inner courtyard invite one to linger, and the various dining rooms reflect a unique atmosphere. Petrusstube features original woodworked tables and benches. The cosy- panelled Burgerstube and Pralatenstube are the centre of their restaurants, first mentioned in 803. Wolfgangstube is reserved for non-smokers where one can enjoy the romantic vaults. And Richardstube’s romantic vaults and lovely vaulted ceilings take one back to the historical past. A beautifully coffured wooden ceiling and ancient ceramic tiled stove create the special ambience of the ‘Refugium’. While all these spell class, the Stiftskeller’s pride and joy is the Barocksaal (Baroque Hall) with its sophisticated ambience and splendid frescos and ornamental plate work decorating the walls, quite the perfect setting for gala dinners and weddings.
Just the opposite to this is the rustic and informal Cave Room, while the Virgil-Salon is sheer elegance and ideal for smaller parties and company celebrations. Knocked into the rocks is the Felsenstube, the rustic, cosy alternative, ideal for a ‘knight’s meal with buffoons, maids and middle ages type meals’. The Rupertistuberl is the place for ‘great celebrations on a small scale.’
Trained staff and facilities that lean heavily on tradition, geared towards providing a touch of individual atmosphere, and organisation-planning and assistance for decorations, providing backup to accommodate a total of 600 people, it is busy days for the fabled establishment.
St. Peter’s Stiftskeller continues to thrive the way it has for centuries. Its celebrated vaults continue to welcome a guest-list that is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of politicians, statesmen, royalty, industrialists, sports clubs, artists and tourists. There are family and company celebrations, business meetings, gala performances, and dances.
It isn’t just about a dining experience. It is a journey back in time, a bit bawdy at times, but laden with history
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