We'll be spending five nights each in St Gilgen and Seefield next month, and making some day trips - possibly to Salzburg, Hallstatt, etc.

I'm rather ignorant about Austrian food, but suspect it's similar to Germany fare, heavy on pork and potatoes (and dumplings)?

We visited Switzerland many times before we discovered capuns and pizokels, and bemoan not having discovered them years earlier.

I'd like to avoid making the same mistake in Austria, so I'd very much appreciate any pointers about regional dishes that we shouldn't miss.

Specific restaurant suggestions also appreciated.

PS - Tried the infamous Sachertorte many moons ago...not a good memory

Seems like no one here much likes the famed Sachertorte - Moi never had one.

Look for things using Kürbiskkernöl (pumpkinseed oil), especially a cream of pumpkin soup drizzeled with this nutty green/black oil.Also used for salad dressing.

I love all things Austrian, but I don't have time at the moment to comment further.

Sachertorte is an abomination. As is most Austrian food. It's a good excuse to fast. Get to Italy as fast as you can.

Sachertorte is super dry. And, food is the reason we spent four of our European six weeks in Italy this year. But we did find some good Italian restaurants, operated by Italians, in Germany and Austria.

Well, the signature dish of Austria would be the Schnitzel Vienna style, or Wiener Schnitzel - made from veal, not pork.
It comes with a luke warm potato & green salad.

In Tyrol, you will probably also get venison in most restaurants, which is by definition a rather light fare.
One of the local dishes would be the Gröstel, which is indeed potatos and whatever you can find in a pan.
The dishes with pumpkin seed oil are more a thing of Styria, where you will not go, but nevertheless the baked chicken salad with pumpkin seed oil (Backhendl-Salat) should be on most menus across Austria - in Austrian restaurants, of course.

One dessert to try in Salzburg (you can't miss it on any menu) would be Salzburger Nockerln. It takes some time to prepare, and it would be the only dessert you would need to order with the main course. Unless you are willing to wait 20-30 minutes afterwards.
One pan-Austrian dessert would be Kaiserschmarrn - a bit like pancakes, usually served with hot prunes.

Love Kaiserschmarrn, worth the 20 minute wait!
That potato, pork and egg dish mentioned above is pretty heavy, nice in small doses when you're ravenous, I enjoyed it when I requested a smaller serve and it was a cool day.
And I love that pumpkin seed oil, bought some to take home, just noted that it does indeed say 'Styrian pumpkin seed oil' we had it in Munich too, in soup and on salad, delicious.

We very much enjoyed the cuisine of Austria during our last visit. We will have to try the Salzburger Nockerln when we visit Salzburg next April. I will have to remember to order it at the beginning of our meal.

StCirq, what an unhelpful comment.

Thumbs up for Kaiserschmarrn! Mohnnudeln (potato gnocchi-like dumplings topped with melted butter, poppy seeds, and powdered sugar) is another favorite of ours. I don't do the dry SacherTorte, but I am like a moth to a flame if Esterhazytorte is on a menu.

Melnq8, I happen to be eating Gröstl as I am writing! Basically it’s the Austrian version of “hash;” I cooked some bacon, then pan fried sliced potatoes until crispy in the bacon fat. To this I added a couple of chopped peppers (red and yellow, because they were in the refrigerator) and sautéed until everything came together. For garnish I sprinkled with a coffee salt that I picked up at the Schuhbeck store in Innsbruck. It is a common dish at hiking Hütte and Alms, alongside Käsespaetzel, though you will occasionally see it on the menus of more casual restaurants, and sometimes it is topped with a fried egg.

Beware of “Gemischter Salat” or “Mixed Salad.” To my American mind, this should be a salad of mixed greens. But it is not. Quite often, sadly, it is an awful combination of kraut, green or white beans, cucumbers, shredded carrots all sitting atop potato salad, and somehow it becomes watery. Order “Blattsalat” if you want a salad of mixed greens.

Tirol and Salzburgland (and Vorarlberg, too) produce some of the finest hard cheeses I have tasted. Bergkäse or Almkäse aged in meadow flowers paired with a Sudtirolean red makes for a mighty fine pre-dinner nibble.

Wildschwein (boar) and Hirsch (deer) ragus are common in winter. Sometimes served with Spaetzel or as a Gulash, and always delicious.

To date we have not been served American-sized portions anywhere except at Hütte or Alms, but in these instances a hearty dish is welcome after a 10km hike!

Fish
Zander is like Pike-Perch, and Forelle is Trout. Quite often both will come to the table as a whole fish, grilled simply and served with parsley potatoes.
Saibling is a sad salmon-like fish that I think lacks flavor.
Seelachs is Salmon
Branzino is Seabass

St. Gilgen: Fischer Wirt
We have eaten here twice. The whole grilled Forelle is exceptional.

St. Wolfgang: Gasthaus Franz Josef
We both ordered the whole fish, though the Kürbiscremesuppe (Pumpkin Crème Soup) stole the show. What an "abomination," right?




Also in St. Wolfgang is the store Salzkontor, where you can purchase flavored salts that are heavier on the flavor and lighter on the salt. Their Schaffbergsalz is a staple in my pantry.

Salzburg: Barenwirt
Go for the Backhendl, a preparation of “fried chicken” that involves a buttermilk soak and a double coating of flour that creates a layer of “air” over the chicken to make it delicious and crispy. This dish is more typical of Styria, an Austrian state in the eastern part of the country, but Barenwirt makes a quite good preparation.

Seefeld in Tirol
Alte Schmiede Restaurant (reservations necessary). We have enjoyed...
Beef Carpaccio with Trüffelviniagrette, Rocket and Parmesan
Rindsuppe (or Consommé ) with Frittaten (thin pancake strips) or Kaspressknödel (like a dumpling made of bread, parsley, and Tirolean cheese, then typically fried) This soup is common across Austria.
Honey and Thyme Roasted Duck Breast

Bergresort Seefeld restaurant (though I think it is for guests only?)
Every single dish on our Halfboard menu was worth Instagramming (and eating)

Hallstatt: Seehotel Grüner Baum:
Asparagus creme soup
"Crackling Pig," a dish of tender, flavorful roast pork with delicious strips of crackling, and Semmel dumplings on the side (like a cousin to American stuffing, just shaped into a dumpling).
Whole Forelle, served with perfectly-crispy Fingerling potatoes and a light almond sauce.

Tirol: Among the many dishes we have savored over our winter visits..
Bacon-wrapped pork medallions atop herbed Spaetzle (sometimes called “Hauspfandl”)
Wildschwein (roast wild boar) in mushroom sauce and sprinkled with meadow flowers
Kiachl mit Kraut, a puffed pancake piled high with speck(bacon)-studded sauerkraut, a Tirolean food. Delicious, though not for the unadventurous.
Roast duck with parsnip puree and apple crisp

All of this writing makes me long for a return to Tirol...

fourfortravel, glad you mentioned the pumpkin cream soup, just checked a recipe with a plan to make some, and it has toasted pumpkin seeds on top....so my pumpkin seed oil has got to go on top, right?

Adalaidean, yes. Drizzle that delicious pumpkin seed oil on top; and if you're feeling indulgent, add a dollop of cream or toasted brown bread croutons.

> Seelachs is Salmon

NO!! It is coalfish/lythe.

Lachs is salmon.

Another lover of Kaiserschmarrn here. Plus all sorts of Strudel - apple strudel, Topfen strudel ... Or anything that's made with apricots (Marillen) ... oh these desserts ;-) And don't forget their excellent wines - Grüner Veltliner (white) and Zweigelt (red) are typical for Austria e.g.

Austrian food is not their strong point. Neither is their beer. I had some correct schnitzels and Aperol in Vienna and found as some said, italian food or chinese or whatever.
Germany is passable, Austria is at the lower end. Romania is worse.

"NO!! It is coalfish/lythe.

Lachs is salmon."

You are correct. No need to shout at me, though.

We had two very good dinners in Salzburg. Gasthaus Zwettler's and Restaurant Goldener Hirsch.

I ate the roasted chestnuts. We actually went to McDonalds in Salzburg. I never eat at McDonald's at home but this was not bad. We like this Irish pub very close to Mozart's house. Good beer. I do like the strudels and beef goulash, wiener saftgulasch.

Disclaimer-I do not like most German food. Weiner Schnitzel was the only meal I really enjoyed in Austria. And, of course, apfelsteudel. No chocolate for me ever so can’t report on Sachertorte. Soups and goulash were good.

Many thanks to those who were actually helpful, you in particular fourfortravel, great information, thank you so much for taking the time to post. I was hoping you'd weigh in. I've run into a variation of that mixed salad in Switzerland and Germany too.

Grösti and Kürbiscremesuppe sound right up my alley. And strudel, can't go wrong with that! Will have to make a point of trying the Kaiserschmarrn and Kaspressknödel, ideal winter food.

I could happily live for weeks on a good hearty soup (very much looking forward to more Bunder Gerstensuppe in Switzerland, especially the creamy, buttery, ultra fattening version).

Any recommendations for items to sample at the Austrian Christmas markets?

Into - Topfen is quark right?

How's the hot chocolate (memories of Dresden!).