St. Peter Stiftskulinarium (, until 2017 Stiftskeller St. Peter) is a restaurant within the St Peter's Abbey in Salzburg, Austria. It is speculated to have been operating since before AD 803, making it the oldest inn in Central Europe and the oldest currently operating restaurant in the world, as well as the longest running company founded outside Japan.
History
The earliest recorded mention of St. Peter Stiftskulinarium was in a letter to Charlemagne written in AD 803. Local legend states that Christopher Columbus, Johann Georg Faust, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ate at the restaurant.[1] In its early history, the restaurant gave food for free to religious pilgrims.[2] French soldiers were given quarters in the inn during the Napoleonic Wars. In modern times it has served political figures such as Bill Clinton, Alexander Van der Bellen, and other European leaders.[1]
As the restaurant has closed a few times throughout its history, it is not the oldest continuously-operating restaurant in the world; that is Sobrino de Botín in Spain, which has operated since 1725.[1]
Food
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium serves a combination of traditional Austrian cuisine and modern culinary styles. It serves various wines and local Austrian beers. The restaurant is particularly well known for its Salzburger Nockerl, a fluffy dessert dish served with lingonberry cream.[2] The restaurant also hosts Mozart dinner concerts multiple nights per week.[1]
See also
External links
References
- Alexandra Lacouture. I went to the world's oldest restaurant, first documented in 803. It's enchanting yet eerie, and I had one of the best meals of my life. Business Insider, retrieved 2025-04-07^
- I Ate at the World’s Oldest Restaurant and It Does Not Look How You’d Expect Matador Network, retrieved 2025-04-07^