Coffee in Salzburg – The Best Cafés in the Old Town

Salzburg has plenty of tourist cafés. But it also has the real thing. Places where the beans are freshly roasted, where the baristas know what they're doing – and where one cup makes you want a second. These six coffee houses in and around Salzburg's Old Town show what specialty coffee means in one of Austria's most beautiful cities.

A quick overview

Salzburg's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Between Festungsgasse, Getreidegasse and the banks of the Salzach, a coffee scene has grown noticeably over the past few years. No chain formats, no standard menus – just places that take coffee seriously. And you can taste it. They're close together. Most are less than a ten-minute walk apart. So feel free to plan several of them into one day.

220 Grad - Coffee with attitude

220 Grad is no longer an insider tip in Salzburg – and for good reason. The focus is on a clearly defined selection of beans, prepared with precision across a range of extraction methods. Espresso, Chemex, a balanced filter coffee or a refreshing cold brew: whatever you're into, there's something here for you.

Tip: come for breakfast or lunch. Alongside the coffee, there's a high-quality, varied kitchen – plus homemade cake that doesn't feel like an afterthought, but like an equal part of the visit.

We Love Coffee Mozartsteg – with a view of the Salzach

The location alone makes the case: right at the Mozartsteg bridge, with a view of the Salzach and the fortress behind it. We Love Coffee pairs one of the city's finest spots with a coffee offer to match. There's no sitting down inside, and outdoor seating is limited – but when you're out sightseeing, that's often exactly the point. Because let's be honest: a coffee to go from a coffee stand deserves the same care and quality as one from a coffee house. Here, it gets it.

Nur Coffee Salzburg – down to the essentials

Originally opened in 2001 as "das Fensterkaffee", Nur Coffee lives up to its name: good coffee, no sprawling food menu. The place is best known for its coffee served in a chocolate-coated ice cream cone – the Waffolino. But other creations like the Orangeccino are well worth having on your radar too. A coffee from the window at the end of the Getreidegasse is an absolute must when you're in Salzburg.

Kaffeeothek – part roastery, part café

Tucked away in a side street off the Getreidegasse, the Kaffeeothek is more than a café. It's a tasting room, a roastery and an advice counter in one. If you want to understand coffee rather than just drink it, this is one of the most interesting addresses in the city. That also means: if you're still looking for the know-how or the kit for home – grinders, drippers – you'll get proper advice here.

As for the coffee itself: the Kaffeeothek carries a wide range of beans from selected, quality-focused roasters across Austria and Europe. Even if you only have half an hour, the visit is worth it.

Mamakers – craft in focus

Mamakers stands for a personal approach to coffee. A small selection, high quality. The café is for people who want to know what's in their cup – origin, roast, preparation. The baristas take time for questions without ever sounding like a lecture. A good place to sit quietly and leave the city behind for a moment.

What the six have in common

All of these cafés are in the Old Town or right nearby. None of them is more than a short walk from the next. That makes it easy to visit several in one morning or afternoon – without rushing. Salzburg is a city best discovered on foot. And coffee is a good reason to do exactly that.

The Old Town itself needs no introduction. Historic façades, narrow lanes, Hohensalzburg Fortress in view – that's simply normal here. A good coffee in one of these places doesn't make that setting any more beautiful, but it does slow it down in the most pleasant way.

Planning a trip to Salzburg and wondering where to find a genuinely good coffee? These six cafés are a reliable starting point. They're all close together, they all have their own character – and not one of them disappoints. If you're already planning your stay in Salzburg, you can book your hotel or accommodation easily online and explore the Old Town and its coffee houses from there, entirely at your own pace.