RFK Rankings · Salzburg
Best Restaurants for Family-Friendly in Salzburg (2026)
Family-friendly · Salzburg · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published May 14, 2024 · Updated June 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium has fed guests beside the abbey since 803, which makes it the oldest restaurant in Europe and a courtyard a child can wander while the schnitzel is cut. Salzburg eats in beer gardens, monastery courtyards and old-town inns, and most of them seat a family without ceremony. These six rooms, ranked, are where to bring the children in the Mozart city.
1.St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
Europe's oldest restaurant, abbey courtyards and Salzburger Nockerl since 803; bring the family for the history and the cake.
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, set in the courtyards of St. Peter's Abbey in the Altstadt, has served guests since the year 803 and is recognised as the oldest restaurant in Europe. The kitchen runs classic Austrian, Wiener Schnitzel, beef and the cloud-like Salzburger Nockerl dessert, with mains around 22 to 38 euros.
The vaulted rooms and open courtyards give a family space to breathe, and the dessert alone is worth the booking with children. Reserve a courtyard table in summer, order a schnitzel and a Nockerl to share, and let the kids take in the thousand-year-old walls.
2.Sternbrau
A big old-town beer-hall complex with a children's playroom, easy Austrian plates; take the family on a rainy afternoon.
Sternbrau, a large traditional restaurant complex off Getreidegasse in the Altstadt, is the family default for its indoor playroom fitted with modern play technology, alongside courtyards and several dining halls. The menu is broad Austrian, schnitzel, roast pork, dumplings and salads, with mains around 16 to 28 euros.
The scale is the point: there is room for a stroller, a high chair and a child who needs to move between courses. Take a table near the play area on a wet afternoon, order schnitzel with potato salad, and let the children burn off energy while you finish a Stiegl.
3.Restaurant Goldener Hirsch
A 600-year-old Getreidegasse inn with a creative kids' menu and pencils; bring the family for a special old-town lunch.
Restaurant Goldener Hirsch, in the 600-year-old hotel of the same name on Getreidegasse, blends old-town charm with a notably child-friendly service, including a kids' menu designed with colouring pencils. The kitchen is refined Austrian, with mains around 26 to 42 euros and a proper Tafelspitz.
It is the dressier of these picks, but the staff genuinely welcome children and keep them occupied. Book a lunch table when you want the family to feel the grandeur of the old town, order the Tafelspitz, and let the kids work through the colouring menu.
4.Die Weisse
A local brewhouse with a leafy beer garden away from the tourist crush; take the family for an easy garden lunch.
Die Weisse, the wheat-beer brewhouse in Elisabeth-Vorstadt just north of the old town, is the room locals bring their own families to, with a large leafy beer garden and a modern take on Austrian cooking. Mains run about 15 to 26 euros, and the in-house wheat beer is the draw for the adults.
Away from the Getreidegasse crowds, the garden gives children room to run and parents a quiet table. Come for a long weekend lunch, order the roast and a Weisse, and let the kids spread out in the garden between courses.
5.Stiegl-Keller
A terraced beer-keller below the fortress with old-town views, hearty Austrian plates; take the family for the terrace.
Stiegl-Keller, cut into the hill below Hohensalzburg Fortress in the Altstadt, serves Stiegl beer and Austrian specialities, Salzburger Nockerl and a Brettljause board, from a terrace with a wide view over the old town. Mains run about 16 to 28 euros.
The stepped terrace and the fortress overhead make it a memorable family stop after the castle, with space and a view to keep children interested. Book a terrace table on a clear day, order a Brettljause to share and a Nockerl after, and time it with the walk down from the fortress.
6.Zum fidelen Affen
A convivial right-bank Austrian local with a courtyard and hearty plates; bring the family for an unfussy dinner.
Zum fidelen Affen, on Priesterhausgasse on the right bank near the Linzergasse, is a lively, locals-first Austrian restaurant whose name means the Faithful Ape, with a spacious patio and a modern take on regional cooking. Mains run about 15 to 25 euros.
It is loud, friendly and entirely relaxed about a family at the next table, the kind of neighbourhood room that feeds children without a fuss. Book ahead on a weekend, take a table on the patio, and order the schnitzel and the cheese spaetzle for the table.
Not for every family
Famous, but the wrong fit
Restaurant Ikarus. The Michelin-starred room at Hangar-7 by the airport flies in a guest chef each month and runs a long, formal tasting built for adults. Save it for a night without the kids and bring the family to St. Peter Stiftskulinarium instead.
Esszimmer. Andreas Kaiblinger's Michelin-starred room on Mullner Hauptstrasse is one of Salzburg's best dinners, but the tasting-menu pace and quiet room are not built for children. For a refined old-town lunch the kids can join, Goldener Hirsch is the better booking.
Augustiner Brustubl. The vast Mulln monastery beer hall is a Salzburg institution, but it is self-service, often packed and beer-first, with no kids' menu and long communal benches. For a beer-garden family lunch with table service instead, Die Weisse is the easier room.
How to eat well with kids in Salzburg
Salzburg makes family dining easy because so much of it happens in courtyards and beer gardens. The Altstadt rooms, St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, Goldener Hirsch and Stiegl-Keller, are walkable from the main sights and used to children, though the dressier ones reward a booking. For wet weather, Sternbrau's indoor playroom is the safety net no other room here offers.
Portions are large and child-friendly by default: a shared schnitzel, a Brettljause board and a Salzburger Nockerl will feed a family, and most kitchens will split a plate. Cross the river to Die Weisse or Zum fidelen Affen on the right bank when you want a quieter, more local room away from the Getreidegasse crowds. Reserve old-town tables in festival season, when the city fills.
Frequently asked
What are the best family-friendly restaurants in Salzburg?
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, the oldest restaurant in Europe, is the family pick for its abbey courtyards, classic Austrian cooking and the Salzburger Nockerl dessert. Sternbrau adds an indoor children's playroom, Goldener Hirsch a kids' menu with colouring pencils, and Die Weisse, Stiegl-Keller and Zum fidelen Affen round out an easy six across the old town and the right bank.
Which Salzburg restaurant has a play area for children?
Sternbrau, the large beer-hall complex off Getreidegasse, has an indoor playroom fitted with modern play technology, making it the best wet-weather option for families. For outdoor space instead, Die Weisse has a leafy beer garden, Stiegl-Keller has a terrace below the fortress, and St. Peter Stiftskulinarium has open abbey courtyards where children can wander.
Is St. Peter Stiftskulinarium good for families?
Yes. St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, set in the courtyards of St. Peter's Abbey and serving since the year 803, is both a piece of history and a genuinely family-friendly room, with space in its vaulted halls and courtyards. Book a courtyard table in summer, order a schnitzel and the Salzburger Nockerl to share, and let the children take in Europe's oldest restaurant.
What should a family eat in Salzburg?
Share the classics: Wiener Schnitzel, roast pork with dumplings, a Brettljause cold-cuts board, and the Salzburger Nockerl, a cloud-shaped sweet souffle that arrives for the table. Portions are large, so most kitchens at rooms like St. Peter Stiftskulinarium or Sternbrau will split a plate between children. Wash it down with a Stiegl or a Die Weisse wheat beer for the adults.
Do you need to book family restaurants in Salzburg?
For the old-town rooms, yes, especially in summer and during the Salzburg Festival, when St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, Goldener Hirsch and Stiegl-Keller fill quickly. Reserve a courtyard or terrace table a few days ahead. Sternbrau and Die Weisse are larger and easier to walk into, but a booking still secures a table near the playroom or in the beer garden.
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