Seewirt Zauner

The house

The Seewirt Zauner is on the Marktplatz, Hallstatt's main square, the one with the fountain and the painted houses that appear in every photo. It is a family gasthof that has fed the village since 1893: the same family runs it and it also has rooms upstairs. Inside there is a wooden Wirtstube, a more modern room and a small salt-lined bar, the Salzbar, which recalls what Hallstatt has lived on for seven thousand years. The best part is the balcony: a few tables above the rooftops with the lake and the mountains opposite. It has about 80 seats inside and another 20 outside.

What to order

The house presents itself as a fish restaurant. It works with fish from the lakes and streams of the Salzkammergut, above all the Reinanke, a white lake fish served grilled with seasonal salad and parsley potatoes, the dish they themselves recommend. There is also game from the Dachstein forests, organic meat from the area, steak with steamed vegetables and pepper sauce, a meat skewer with a baked potato and, for dessert, Salzburger Nockerl, the Salzburg soufflé. The tourism listing also mentions vegetarian and vegan dishes. The menus are in German and English. It does not publish prices on the website: expect a high level for a village, like everything in the centre of Hallstatt.

Hours and how to get there

Open Tuesday to Saturday, at midday from 12:00 to 16:30 and in the evening from 18:00 to 21:30, with the hot kitchen from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 17:30 to 20:30. On Sunday and Monday it is closed, so don't plan it for a Sunday lunch. You pay in cash or by card. The entrance is at street level and it has a lift and an adapted toilet.

Hallstatt is a car-free zone. If you arrive by train, the boat from the station drops you at the Hallstatt Markt landing stage, in the very centre. By car, leave the car in car park P1 at the village entrance: hotel guests get a reduced rate and there is a free shuttle taxi from P1 to the square.

What is nearby

From the square you walk up to the funicular of the salt mine, and the Stefanie boat landing is round the corner. If you eat here after the mine, you have the afternoon to stroll around the village when the day trippers leave.